A few weeks ago, Rich Simon of the Psychotherapy Networker Magazine and I were talking about the impact of the economy on private practitoners. I mentioned to him that I am concerned about our business model of one-fee-for-one-session-for-one-client at a time. I believe that the financial difficulties some therapists are struggling with is in part due to the fact that we trade “time for dollars.” This limits our income and makes it all about trying to get clients into our offices. There are some significant social and cultural changes that require us to respond in a way that offers more than one-to-one sessions. (Of course I suggest Multiple Streams of Income for Therapists.)
Here is a taste of the article:
“The question to which therapists tirelessly address themselves and their efforts is and always has been: “What can we do to fill more private-session hours?”
What’s the Real Question?
Now I’m wondering if this isn’t the wrong question. In the economic tsunami threatening to overwhelm us, it begins to seem that the right question isn’t “How do I get more individual clients?” That just boils down to “How do I do more of the same?” Perhaps the real question should be “How do I do meaningful clinical work and sustain a good income over the short and long term, regardless of the economy?” Notice that this question makes no mention of attracting individual, private-pay clients.”
If you’d like to read the whole article where I explain about these cultural shifts and how multiple streams of therapy income is an elegant alternative to our current business model, please click on this link to read it at: http://bit.ly/TruffoArticle.
