This month's masterclass in The Refreshed Therapist Network (RTN) is on email list-building and marketing for therapists. >> Learn more about RTN here.

When I first started in private practice, I put up a website and signed up for MailChimp. I embedded a newsletter sign-up on my site, even though I had no idea what information I would be including in that newsletter, or how often I would be sending it. As you can imagine, I didn't get many subscribers. At the time, I knew that having a newsletter was a good idea, but I didn't understand the purpose of an email list. Over the years, I've learned why an email list matters for therapists, and for any person with a message worth sharing.

Why you need an email list

If you have an area of expertise or a message that you believe can make a difference in people's lives (whether or not you own a business), you should be building an email list. An email list includes a group of people that have given you permission to contact them with updates about your project (products, services, etc.); as a result, they are a community interested in what you are doing. By simply building an email list, you can reach your target audience and establish a platform.

How to get started with an email list

Many therapists do what I did--they post a sign-up for a generic newsletter, and forget about their list, save for emailing them once per month with announcements. But, building a list should include a plan for reaching your target audience with information that matters to them and you're passionate about providing. Here's how to get started with an email list that will make a difference for your work as well as your subscribers:

1| Choose a topic

You don't need a website or business, but you do need a topic and way to collect email addresses. A topic is typically an area of expertise; for example, couple communication. It can also be a project; for example, if you are moving across the country and want to provide information about your transition.

2| Decide on your content and schedule

What information will you be providing, and how often? This is your offer. Your future subscribers will give you their email addresses in exchange for your offer. Examples of common offers include:

A weekly blog post
A giveaway or discount
A free download
A newsletter

If you're already blogging, a blog post is an easy way to get started; send each blog post when you publish it. If you're not blogging, a newsletter is a simple option that can include updates on your project, along with useful content and other exclusive offers for your subscribers. A newsletter can be anything you want it to be--include your best tips, answer questions, share ideas. Remember to send information that matters to your subscribers and not only a summary of what you're doing. Your subscribers will remain on your list to the degree that you provide value.

Also, even if a subscriber signs up for your list to receive a one-time download, it's necessary to stay in touch with that subscriber by sending emails consistently to your list. In other words, your existing list must be nurtured regularly. Typically, a weekly email keeps subscribers engaged and helps them remember who you are, what you have to offer, and why they signed up for your list.

3| Contact your network

Set a goal: Decide how many subscribers you want to have as a kick-off goal; for example, 50 subscribers in 2 weeks. This will keep you focused on building your list, and you'll see quick growth as a result.

In order to build your list, reach out to contacts already in your network. Let them know about your offer, and ask them if they'd like to sign up for your list. Post your offer on your social media platforms, and see what happens. You may reach your goal in no time!
If you are seeing therapy clients, and you are responsible for the informed consent, include a section on signing up for your email list, and give clients an option to opt-in as subscribers. Of course, follow all HIPAA, state laws, and ethical guidelines when contacting your list, if it includes current or past clients.

Collect email addresses: Use a simple way of collecting email addresses, such as manually importing your subscribers into a list in your email system (e.g., Gmail, Outlook, Apple mail, etc.), or sign up for a free version of an email marketing system (e.g., MailChimp, Constant Contact, etc.).

Summary

Building an email list is not only for therapists in private practice; it is for you if you want to expand your services, establish a platform for your message, or eventually work for yourself. These initial steps can help you get started with building an email list, and as a result, connecting with a community of people interested in what you have to offer.

FREE EMAIL LIST QUICKSTART CHECKLIST

I've added a checklist to help you create a plan for starting your email list, to the free resource library.

Five Benefits of Using A Streamlined HIPAA-Compliant Solution for Phone Calls and Texts with Therapy Clients

More and more, therapists in private practice are choosing to have a hybrid or a fully virtual practice. And, as a result, technology, confidentiality, and compliance (and how these three components of business interact), have become more significant factors in our day-to-day work as therapists.

My own path to moving my therapy clients online began in 2014. At that time, I knew no therapists who were practicing online, and I knew even less about methods for streamlining my client communication. I began with a Google Voice number, and over the years developed a fully online practice with what I consider to be the best systems for my group practice.

How To Become Known For Your Expertise: Four Steps for Therapists

During a recent Refreshed Therapist Network Q+A, I was asked by a participant, “How do you do it all? You are so prolific!”

My answer? I do what I feel inspired to do in the moment.

However, I don’t do it all! There are months when I am not able to write a post for this blog, because I must focus on my professor job. And, there are months when I don’t create new resources or events, because I put more focus on my personal roles.

The point is, you can produce enough content to become known for your expertise, without keeping a rigid, or pressuring content schedule.

Contracts and Non-Competes: What's a New Therapist to Do?

You did it! You got the degree, you passed your state licensing exam, and you now have your provisional license to work as a therapist. Your hard work has paid off!

Now, you realize the most important step hasn’t happened yet: You must still find a place where you can actually BE a therapist. A place where you will work, and get paid, to do therapy.

As you think about this post-grad employment journey, panic sets in.

What You Must Consider Before You Offer Online Therapy

“As technology becomes smaller, more accessible, and more affordable, we as mental health practitioners have to decide at what point (and to what extent) we will adopt the trend of implementing technology as a mechanism for service delivery” (Hertlein & Cohn, 2018).

Recently, the AAMFT devoted an entire issue of their magazine to the use of technology in mental health service delivery.

Like it or not, technology is changing our profession.

These days, in addition to working for themselves, therapists have the option to work for telemental health companies, and many are offering technology-centered services, such as email therapy, in their private practices. While our associations and state boards have been slow to adopt standards and laws regarding the provision of tech-centered therapy, many of us tech-savvy (or tech-interested) therapists have been figuring it out on our own.

Turn Your Grad School Writing Skills Into Excellent Therapist Website Copy

Hey, Therapist.

You’re a good writer.

Always have been.

You #grammarsnob your Facebook friends with pride.

You’re a human spell check, thank you very much.

So why is no one reading your blog posts?

More Than Facebook: How To Use The Web To Get More Therapy Clients

Nowadays, it seems like everyone lives a portion of his or her life online. And for some people, it seems like they never get off-line! The point I’m trying to make is this: if you still think you’re reaching the maximum number of clients that you can by handing out business cards and posting up flyers, then you’ve been leaving clients on the table like you wouldn’t believe.

To make the most of your marketing efforts for your practice, you should be putting them to use on the web first and foremost. In order to attract your idea client, you have to take your marketing to them instead of assuming they’ll find their own way to you.

De-Clutter Your Email Inbox! Three Quick Steps for Busy Therapists.

This week's post is written by Sarah Leitschuh, of The Vibrant Therapist.

Two years ago I literally had thousands of emails in my practice email inbox and probably just as many in my personal email inbox. Can you relate?

As I navigated my growing practice and busy family life, I didn't think about creating a strong system for managing my email inbox. I didn't delete nearly as many emails as I could have/should have been deleting, and I didn't have a good system for filing emails for future reference.

sanoMind: A Mental Health App Where Therapists Shine

My guest this week is Nestor Velez, founder of sanoMInd--"A mental health wellness discovery platform connecting people to audio content created by licensed mental health professionals."

Nestor agreed to join me on the blog to discuss the story behind his business, which is also his personal story.

View my video interview with Nestor, or read the transcript. >>

The Therapist's Guide to Generosity and Pricing in Business, Part 2: Q + A

A few months ago, I wrote The Therapist's Brief Guid to Generosity and Pricing in Business. When I sent the article to my email subscribers, I asked them "What is your #1 struggle with pricing?"

I received several responses.

I realized by engaging in conversations with my readers, how pertinent the topic of pricing is for therapists at any stage of business. As a result, I thought you might find readers' questions, along with my responses, helpful, as you continue to craft your pricing policies.

The Therapist's Brief Guide to Generosity and Pricing in Business

Many of us become therapists because we want to help people. When we start a business, we quickly realize that our desire to help and our need to make money are often in conflict. The good news is, we don’t have to choose one over the other--we can generate our desired income and be generous!

In today's post, I offer five brief and practical strategies for incorporating a culture of giving and generosity into your business, while still prioritizing profit through pricing policies and strategic partnerships.

Need a Therapy Blog?: How to Get Started

I am sure you hear about the benefits of blogging a lot.

Because blogging is still one of the best ways to reach your target audience and establish your expertise, it’s worth your consideration.

However, before you read this post, please note: The last thing I want is for you to feel pressure to blog (or to add something else to your to-do list). So, the first thing I’ll ask you is:

Three Ways Strategic Content Marketing Prevents Clinician Burnout, and How You Can Use Them to Build a Practice You Love

This week's article is a guest post by Marissa Lawton, licensed counselor, and content marketer for clinicians. In this post, she explains how content marketing lessens our work load, and helps to fill our private practices with our ideal clients.

Each and every therapist has spent years honing her craft. We’ve gone through months of advanced education and have pursued hours upon hours of continuing training, voluntarily, or not. When it comes to helping others heal, there is no one better equipped than those of our profession.

Grad school especially helped us develop the skills to treat clients and to bring them through their struggles to the other side--a functional, healthy, and preferably happy individual. If your program was anything like mine, you identified a modality, or two, or three that resonated with you and your approach to healing and dove head first into incorporating it in every session.

10 Therapist (and Child)-Approved Activities to Support Kids with Anxiety

If you’re a mental health professional working with children, you will probably agree that many of the calls you receive from parents have something to do with anxiety or stress. Child therapists have the amazingly important yet challenging task of educating and supporting kids in a therapeutic setting that is both productive and fun. When working with children as young as preschool age, it can be a very daunting task to keep things fresh and exciting week after week! So, how do we help children develop the coping skills they need while keeping them engaged (and not glancing at their watch)? Here are ten therapist (and child!)-approved, fun activities that address anxiety-based disorders and promote relaxation and stress reduction in children:

The Art and Science of Therapy as Craft, Part 2: Crafting Questions

For this week's video chat, Dr. AnnaLynn Schooley returns to discuss therapy questions as an intentional craft, and she covers four basic question types: single answer, open, closed, relational, and circular.

Therapist Self-Disclosure Simplified

Self-disclosure is a touchy subject among therapists. Some therapists never self-disclose, while others feel stifled by having a rigid boundary around self-disclosure. As I consider self-disclosure in therapy, I ask myself, “When is self-disclosure appropriate?” “How does self-disclosure deepen the therapist-client connection?"

Solution Focused Brief Couples Therapy Tips, with Elliott Connie

Elliott Connie is a Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) practitioner, author, and speaker. He developed an approach to couples work that distills the essence of SFBT into guiding principles for working with couples.

As a therapist who loves working with couples, I am always interested in ways to enhance my couples therapy skills. For this reason, I invited Elliott to explain the reasons why SFBT is his choice for working with clients, as well as how it creates a contrasting experience for couples that have a history in therapy.

Family of Origin Exploration for the Therapist: How to Create Your Genogram

In article three of the Family of Origin for the Therapist series, you learned 3 simple steps for how to begin family of origin (FOO) exploration: 1) read Bowen’s chapter, 2) observe your FOO experience, and 3) reflect on what you learned. Hopefully, your curiosity has led to significant understanding.

Understanding is the foundation of Bowen Family Systems Theory (BFST). Bowen (1985) believed that if clients could understand themselves as members of their FOOs and as created by their histories, they could begin and continue significant change.

In today’s post, I offer the next step in developing understanding: Creating your genogram. I explain how to create a basic genogram that you can expand as you continue your exploration.

5 Tips for Keeping Up with Therapy Paperwork

In my interaction with therapists as a mentor and supervisor, I’ve learned that one of the main struggles therapists face is having too much work and not enough time. Many therapists find themselves overwhelmed by documentation responsibilities, in particular; this includes completing client notes, referrals, billing, treatment plans, etc.

In today’s post, I offer several strategies for keeping up with paperwork, so that you can stay on track and avoid the stress of falling behind.

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Client Types, and Their Relevance To Every Session

In her 1989 article, Of Visitors, Complainants, and Customers, Insoo Kim Berg details three types of “client-therapist relationships” (p. 21). Her wording is significant, because she is not labeling clients; she is describing them in terms of their relationship to the therapist, the process of therapy, and the problem. These three relationships have undergirded Solution-Focused Brief Therapy theory and interventions over the years, although they are not consistently discussed in newer works. The client relationship types are widely applicable to therapy, regardless of theoretical orientation, making them one of the most useful concepts in marriage and family therapy.

In this post, I present a review of these client types, and I explain their relevance to and usefulness for all therapeutic sessions.

How to Ethically Offer Coaching as a Licensed Therapist: A Step-By-Step Guide

One of the most common professional goals for my clients is expanding their private practice to include life coaching services. As professionals with a depth of knowledge in personal development and goal achievement strategies, therapists are ideal candidates for the coaching profession. Despite this near perfect fit, there are some important ethical consideration for therapists when offering coaching services alongside therapy, or when choosing to become professional coaches. In this post, I focus on offering solutions for these complications, in an effort to help you ethically practice coaching.

5 Step Plan for De-escalating an In-Session couple Argument

Most of us, therapists, have been there: A simple disagreement turns into an all-out screaming match in the middle of a therapy session. This is, thankfully, not a common scenario for most therapists, but it’s also not rare--especially for therapists who specialize in couple therapy.

In this post, I cover steps for disrupting an argument occurring in a couple therapy session. Intervention on the part of the therapist is necessary during some conflicts, because the arguments can cause further damage in the couple relationship. And, if therapists allow arguments to continue for too long, they can affect the couple’s sense of safety when in therapy.

The main goals of intervention in this case are to: