Well-Connected Therapist Coaching

Perhaps this is your experience:

I know I need to network to get more referrals for my ideal clients, but I HATE networking!

Are you someone who finds yourself working really hard on marketing your practice, only to find that even with a beautiful website and marketing materials, something stops when you get to the part where you need to connect with others in person and build actual professional  relationships that result in consistently great referrals?

Are you an introverted person who is drained by networking events or 1:1 networking meetings because you never know exactly how to invite connection with another professional beyond the small talk? Then this program is for YOU, dear therapist.

So what ARE the secrets to becoming a Well-Connected Therapist, Susannah?

These were not easy for me to discover right away—it took me years of trial and error. There was a lot more involved in connecting with people for me besides just making phone calls, sending out emails, and seeking out networking groups.

At my very core, I am an introvert.

For most of my life, including as a young adult entering the working world, I HATED making phone calls, or even answering the phone. I avoided initiating contact at all costs. It drained the life out of me to even think of saying hello to someone who had no idea who I am.

Through many years of trial-and-error, I eventually realized that the best way to become a Well-Connected Therapist was by applying skills that I also teach my therapy clients (and that you probably teach your own clients as well) about regulating activation in our nervous systems at any given moment. I learned—sometimes the hard way—that in order to truly connect authentically with other people, I had to first learn ways to ground myself in the present moment and feel connected within myself. As an introvert, that often means recognizing and allowing space for alone time where I can take time to quietly process what I receive, and recharge before connecting again with others.

So at this point, you may be thinking…

Ok, but I'm already doing this. I've been to therapy, I prioritize self care. I know I'm worth it. How in the world will this program be any different and actually help me learn to love networking?

Very often, the reason networking feels like such a difficult task is because the messages we receive from the marketing world often lead us to assume a few things:

Assumption #1:

In order to be great at networking, I need to be able to pretend to be a completely extroverted person when connecting with other people.

This is where a lot of us get stuck saying, ‘I’m an introvert, so networking is really hard for me.’ We keep ourselves stuck in this limiting belief because we assume that successful networking means “being on” in ways that can be exhausting for introverts. And so we avoid networking altogether, or sacrifice our own energy by following tips from marketing guides that ask us to “act like an extrovert.” Either way, we end up exhausted, frustrated, and the perspective of “ugh, networking!” continues. When you work with me, I will help you to embrace your introverted superpowers (and recognize what you personally need to consistently manage your energy). As a result, you can enjoy networking much more and easily become the Well-Connected Therapist you are meant to be!

Assumption #2:

The purpose of networking is to fill my practice with ideal clients.

Ok, yes, but where we often get stuck is in the belief that this is the SOLE purpose of networking. While building a referral base and finding and filling your practice with ideal clients is a wonderful benefit to networking with others, it is not the only or even the main reason for networking! The main purpose of networking is to allow you to meet and get to know people who will become your own customized local professional community. When you become more comfortable with networking, you create your own support team for yourself and for your therapy business! Then you can easily reach out to someone you trust when you need extra support with a client in crisis, when you want feedback about business policies, or when you simply want to get some validation from professionals you trust that you are a worthy and needed helping professional. And when you develop these trusting relationships with other professionals in and outside of your field—when they get to know YOU—-guess who will be referring ideal clients to you?

Assumption #3

I have to be prepared with an amazing elevator pitch, a website, a social media presence, and business cards in order to even START networking successfully.

Nope! When I started networking with professionals in a new state, I didn’t have a website. I didn’t have fancy business cards. I wasn’t even clear on my niche! And I still don’t use social media to market my therapy business. All you need is yourself and your curiosity about other people’s stories—as a therapist, you already have that!

When it comes to marketing our practices, so many therapists (especially those of us who are introverted) prioritize putting tons of energy and investing lots of money into ways to market online through great website design and copy. While a great website can open the door to a first meeting, online and print marketing is not what ultimately helps us to sustain meaningful professional relationships. And remember: these meaningful professional relationships, with people who can and will sing your praises all day, allow us to create a referral base that becomes a well-oiled machine, providing you with consistent referrals for your ideal clients for years to come!

Maybe you already have a clear niche, great website copy, wonderfully crafted therapist profiles, an amazing blog, and great posts that attract social media followers. YOU know yourself better than anyone on this planet, and you have been able to create that in your online marketing. But you are still feeling isolated and particularly vulnerable when it comes to even thinking about sharing all of this information with others IRL.

Well-Connected Therapist Coaching is specifically designed to help you strengthen a sense of support within yourself so that you will consistently be able to bring your best friend (YOU!) to any networking event or meeting and rock it as your most authentic self. The structure of the program allows me to tailor it to your specific needs related to becoming a more Well-Connected Therapist.

If this means you want to work on clarifying your niche, niche statement, or elevator pitch and practicing saying these out loud in 1:1 role plays with me, then we will most definitely include that into your coaching program.

If this means you need support from me to facilitate an introduction between you and another wonderful professional, then we will include that as an element in your program as well.

YOU get to decide what you need from me as a coach and customize your program to fit your needs for becoming more well-connected!