Because I’ve been in private practice for over 30 years (!), I am frequently asked
to advise people who are starting a new practice or trying to further develop their
existing practice. It’s a challenge, no matter where you are in the process. I
always get excited about helping others get going because I remember how lucky
I was to have people extend a helping hand along my path. It makes a difference.
I’m sure we all approach it a little differently. It’s no secret that marketing and
networking are critical to getting a good referral base, and there are many ways
to approach that, too! Luckily, there is a lot of information out there about how to
do that. The “how-to’s” may not be as important as “whats-holding-me-back”.
Our self talk is going to play a major role in our ability to put ourselves out there,
take risks, and stick with it when it get tough. If you feel stuck, maybe you should
review your schema’s and see what might be getting activated. If you are afraid to
fail, you might not take risks; if you have unrelenting standards, you might not
feel you will be able to produce something that’s “good enough”; or maybe you
struggle with sitting down and doing the work—then insufficient self discipline
schema? Think about what the feeling is that you get when you are resisting the
work of promoting your practice, and then where that might be coming from in
your history. Try to access the healthy adult or good parent part of yourself, and
have a talk with yourself about what the need is that has to be met for you to
move forward. Is it self-encouragement, structure, achievable goals? Be your
own best coach and know its not easy for anyone, although it can look that way
from the outside! There will be many times over a career where you’ll have to
harness that inner strength and push through, so it’s a good idea to know which
schemas tend to trip you up, and know how to manage them. Remember that
wonderful expression: You miss out on 100% of the opportunities that you don’t
take.
All the best with growing your practice!
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