Why Therapists should Market their Private Practice

by Kellen Von Houser, M.A.

A good marketing plan will help you generate referrals, develop your reputation in the therapeutic community, make you more sought after by potential employers, increase your credibility with your clients and colleagues, help you identify areas of specialization or alternative geographical locations where you might be able to expand your practice.

Developing a marketing strategy will help you identify and clarify your personal goals for being a therapist. What kind of therapy do you want to do (Rogerian, CBT, Solution Focused)? With which populations do you wish to work (adults, children, teens)? In what environment or setting do you wish to work (in your home, in your own office, for an agency)? What kind of time line do you usually work within (brief therapy or psychotherapy)? In what geographical areas do you wish to practice (your immediate area, or wider)? Which methods or techniques will you specialize in using (EMDR, homework, hypnosis)? How can you chart a path if you haven’t thought out where you want to go?

A well designed marketing strategy will also help you identify the value of the services you provide to; current clients, potential clients, potential employers, the therapeutic community, and the community in general. It will also help you identify the monetary value of the service you provide within the community in which you are working.

Once you have determined the answers to the questions above, a good marketing strategy will help you develop an effective way to present this information to clients, colleagues, other professionals in the community, and potential employers.

Despite all of these benefits, most therapists do not develop good marketing strategies. Why is this? We will look at this in the next section of this area, “Barriers to Marketing your Private Practice”.
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