Four years ago –when I opened my mental health private practice – I was feeling defeated, embarrassed and frustrated.
It wasn’t due to a lack of effort and consistency. I was exhausted from attending countless networking events, passing out tons of brochures at doctors’ offices, and signing up for therapist profile websites while getting very little interest from new clients. Word of mouth was not getting me to the level of financial security.
Does this sound like you? Can you relate? My mentor, LaTonya Summers, once shared with me that when God allowed her to become successful she would pass the blueprint on to help others. I am here to do the same for those of you just entering the field.
Elevate Your Thoughts, Elevate Your Career
Our profession is known as an industry that reveres the holistic success and wellness of our clients. However, we unintentionally uphold certain maladaptive beliefs. For example, if you:
Want to be wealthy? You’re in the wrong field. Wealthy in our field? You must be using unethical or illegal practices. Desire to earn six figures in this field? Your values are misaligned because the work should be solely about helping clients to heal.
These are not beliefs held by successful entrepreneurs, including those in the field of mental health. Adhering to these notions will undoubtedly hinder your practice and personal finances.
This Is an Emergency, So Act Now Let’s take it a step further. In September 2017, Forbes magazine reported that “by 2053, the median wealth for Black households will be at zero.” And a 2019 study by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation concluded that the median net worth for Black business owners is 12 times higher than Black nonbusiness owners. One hundred years after the Tulsa Race Massacres – when a white mob in the Oklahoma city’s Black district of Greenwood killed an estimated 300 Black people and decimated the epicenter of Black business and culture – it’s obvious that an entrepreneurial mind-set is more important than ever.
Biz Tip 1 My practice transformed in 2018. After a year of seeing just six clients per week, my caseload ballooned to 20 per week within three months. The transformation materialized after I sought help from marketing experts such as Aprille Franks and Amber Aziza, and then immediately implemented their recommended branding, media and ethical marketing strategies. Biz Tip 2Assess your relationship with money. It will help you overcome hurdles that will come up throughout your journey. Do you consistently stick to a budget, or do you constantly overspend? Do you have lingering beliefs about your value depending on how much you are earning, or do you believe you are less humble if you’re successful? Remember, you can earn a million dollars and also have a million dollars in expenses. Your relationship with money matters. Also, you are not what you do or how much you earn.
Biz Tip 3
You should be marketing consistently so people instantly think of you when they need mental health services. Have you decided on one or two niches? Are you promoting your services confidently and consistently?I had to face my own insecurities of not wanting to appear “big headed” by promoting my services so much. I used to believe that being humble meant that you didn’t share information about yourself. I believed marketing came across as pushy or manipulative. The truth is, if no one remembers you or what you do, you cannot have a full practice and you cannot impact your community the way you’d like to. It’s OK to stand out.
First published in Black Mental Health Today, Fall 2023 (Vol. 9, Anniversary Issue).