Cognitive Biblical
Therapy Coursework
Counseling Through God’s
Transformative Word
Course 6 Chapter 2
Chapter 2 Part Time or Full Time Practice
a. Limited versus full time.
b. Credibility.
c. Counseling fees, insurance, scheduling and office decor.
d. Steps to a successful startup.
e. Referrals.
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Chapter 2
A Part Time or Full Time Counseling Practice
Part Time versus Full Time Practice
A limited practice, such as a “part time practice” has some advantages, less expense, literally takes less of your time to do, and is less involved. As far as taxes and staff members and paperwork, it's easier to get out of or close down if necessary. In other words, with a small practice, you haven't created as big a net of accountability. For example, I have a part time secretary, and it takes time for me to calculate her Medicare and Social Security payments for taxes, her federal withholding, her state withholding, and her state and federal unemployment taxes. So, I have to use my accounting system and generate all that information, send it in, and keep track of what the government says I paid, and is it enough? There is a time liability there. If you had a limited practice with just yourself without staff or incorporation, you would be self-employed and paying your own taxes. Your financial need in fees would be less, and you wouldn't have to worry about your corporation withholding tax at the state and federal levels. There are advantages and limitations for part time (under 30 or 32 work hours) versus full time, and self-employed versus incorporation.
A full-time practice involves more financial investment to be your whole source of income and requires setting up a business that will generate a sustainable income for you and your family depending on your setting, the range of fees you charge, the number of people you see, and your expenses. Also, you are the boss who hires and manages any staff. As the boss dealing with people, can result in various concerns and difficulties that you never anticipated. For example, my secretary told me that she was going to take a day off next week so she can ride her horse. The thought went through my mind, “No, you need to be here working so we can keep things going.” I had to think and listen to her. I had to accommodate somebody else's needs and wants that weren't like mine at all! But if I'm going to have a good rapport and be reasonable and be Christ-like, then I have to deal with balancing my time and expectations of staff. If I was in a part-time practice, I wouldn't have to.
The ongoing paperwork never stops from session case notes to the quarterly letter or newsletter that you send to everyone in your market area to remind them of your practice. You have brochures to get printed up and monthly paperwork from the federal government to fill out. It just goes on and on. You don't necessarily have to delight in detail, but you do have to deal with it, without getting flustered or frustrated. You will have different types of demands that require your attention, sometimes in rapid fire timing, sometimes all day and all week. You will find more satisfaction in the pure financial side of it, because you'll have income that blesses you with stability. You won’t become wealthy, but there will be an income that is adequate, both for the counselor and the corporation. Usually, for the corporation you spend to maintain your needs, whether it's equipment, services or supplies. And for the individual, it is the income and benefits of the counselor. There is also the potential for the pure challenge and excitement of expanding your market, doing research, perhaps writing, supervising individuals, contact within your community, and building a professional network. If you are financially secure, or you are married to someone who has an adequate income, you could counsel to provide a service through your church. If that's the case, and there is no income involved, everything that I've talked about is totally irrelevant. The only time the courts, the licensure committee, the federal or state governments care about your counseling, is when you charge a fee. If you don't charge a fee, you're saying, in their eyes, I'm not professional. As soon as you say that, then they don't have any concern, basically, for what you do, unless you're obviously breaking the law or are blatantly inappropriate. But they tie it all to whether or not you advertise yourself as a professional, which equals do you charge a fee? Those are some things to remember and think about in determining what type of practice you want to have. This first topic is the rationale for private practice. So, I want you to question yourself by looking at your reasons behind the desire for private practice, being a counselor, and also to open your eyes to what the realities are of what this will demand of you to be professional and successful.
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What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of a limited versus a full time counseling practice?
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Dr. Dan's Answer:
A limited practice has less expense, takes less time, is less involved as far as taxes, staff, and paperwork, and is easier to close down if necessary. It also provides less income and can be less satisfying as far as client contact.
A full-time practice is much more involved in regard to time requirements, financial involvement, staff management and hiring, ongoing paperwork, and ease of closure if the practice does not continue. It offers more challenges, more satisfaction financially and in regard to client success, and provides more potential for the excitement of the practice's future growth.
Credibility
The next major issue is credibility, which is crucial to the success of your practice. Credibility involves what others think of you. The two major sources of credibility originate from your academic preparation and licensure, and the reputation you build through your clients and those who know them. Another very important source of your credibility is your ethics. Ethics are not as visible as the other sources when they are pure, but very apparent when they are tainted by poor judgment, human flaws and errors. Initially, your credibility will be based on your training and preparation. You can get references from your professors, supervisor and instructors.
Your initial credibility will be expanded over time as you work with pastors, clients and families. Credibility is also built through the contacts that you have with other professionals who refer clients and who assist you with clients. Credibility is the most valuable asset you possess and cannot be bought or manufactured. This is the motive behind what you do, and it and it also then is evident to the client, who says, “I have heard of your practice and know you care. My friend got help. My pastor has confidence in you. If that person, the pastor, has confidence, well, that's good enough for me.” This confidence in your effectiveness is the credibility that will provide a steady flow of referrals to your practice.
That credibility will be seen in what you do right now: surety of your calling, stamina for the hard work, discipline for health and balance, ethics with your business practices, Christ-likeness when you are emotionally weary, trust in God’s faithfulness with insight and finances, patience with broken people, and the desire to glorify God through your counseling. All these things will demand a dependence on God’s wisdom and strength every day, returning that call when it's late at night, or pouring through your accounting system one more time, because something pops up that is financially wrong. When you want to quit and feel sorry for yourself because you talk to somebody who has been obnoxious. Clients cancel for a broken car or sick kids, or you let them owe you for a week.
While staying dependent upon the Lord’s grace, credibility is also based upon hard work, the hours and effort you spend in your studies, the time you spend just being consistent, being ethical, the network that you build. You build that because you say over and over in the silence of your own mind and soul, to Jesus. “I want us to glorify You. I want to be your counselor. I want to be the best professional I can. I am going to pay the price to do whatever it takes, Lord, to counsel your way, to be godly, to represent you.” That is what really builds your credibility, which lays the groundwork for an effective practice. You go through your training, you take these courses, you go through your supervision, and you build that day by day. That reputation and credibility is priceless, because that's where your humility lets Jesus be seen clearly, even when people don't realize it yet. God can bless your practice.
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The issue of credibility is crucial to the success of your practice. Discuss your understanding of this issue in regards to your reputation, academic background, and ethics.
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Dr. Dan's Answer:
Credibility involves what others think of a counselor and is often measured by your degrees and any other certification that you hold. There is a secondary measure of credibility that is built over time -- through contacts with other professionals and clients who have received help through the practice. This credibility is the most valuable to the counselor and cannot be bought or manufactured.
This is the motive behind the client who says "I heard about your practice, a friend of mine got help, my pastor has confidence in you -- so that's good enough for me." When a client says this, there is a confidence that will be shared with others and provide a steady flow of referrals to the practice.
Setting Counseling Standards, Fees and Insurance Processes
The next issue focuses on the other side of the couch: standards, fees and third-party (insurance) payment processes. A crucial part of your practice is determining how you will be paid for your service. There are several options to consider when setting a fee scale that is competitive and not prohibitive, and will support you and your practice. If you're going to have a business, this must be done correctly so that you can stay in business rather than be bankrupt. Your mindset must be, I spent time being trained. I'm a professional. God's called me to counsel. I'm worthy of my hire. "Don't muzzle an ox when you are using it to grind grain, I Timothy 5:18." I am supposed to be taken care of and have my needs met. If all that is something you have peace with, then you have to work out what you're going to charge for your fees. In the course materials is a Fee Schedule based on a sliding scale (according to income).
What I found in my metropolitan area is that counselors will charge $80 - $120 for 45 – 55 minutes in a session. In a supported community clinic, the charges will be less, because the counselors are being paid by a foundation or government agency. Most Christian Counselors have a sliding scale depending on the financial support they have for their practice. I found that there was a niche of clients who did not have insurance and could afford to pay $60-$80 per session (weekly) on a sliding scale.
This worked fine for me (1990s) because my office was in a church where I paid no overhead of rent and utilities. A lot of churches are looking for a place to refer people to for counseling that's affordable, professional, trustworthy and biblical. My sliding scale was kept simple at a certain amount for an average yearly income and higher for a higher income.
If you are licensed, you will be able to bill insurance companies for more than the individual fee. Each insurance company is a bit different on how to bill and how much they pay. In the past, some insurance companies only pay licensed social workers, clinical psychiatrists, psychologists, or those who earned a PhD. Before insurance parity, 50% of insurance companies will pay if you have a PhD, most will pay if you have those other credentials that I mentioned. But you have to set those fees according to whether they use insurance, a sliding scale fee, or are through a church, then whatever you charge a church.
In my case, I charge a church less than the individual rate if they pay for the person's counseling. I do this to promote referrals from the church, to help them out, and show my appreciation to the church for the referral. A major part of setting the fees is how much is common in your specific geographical area. It can be guided by the cost of living in that area. Metropolitan areas will have a greater cost of living than a rural area. If you change locations, you will need to adjust your fee schedule somewhat for the new area.
Another thing you have to think about is policy for the number of sessions the client can owe, before you stop counseling them. Here are a few of my policies:
Clients pay for the first session at the end of the session. They are notified when they schedule the session.
If they are billing insurance, they pay for the session, and I reimburse them when I receive payment from the insurance company.
They pay for each session at the end of each counseling session. If for some reason they can’t pay, they can only have until the next session when it must be paid.
If they don't call me with at least a 24-hour notice that they're going to cancel a session, then I charge them for half of the cost of the session.
All of these are standard policies that are very critical, and can be stated in your Cost and Disclosure statement to the client, so that you don't lose income. So look at your area, call other counselors and clinics to find what they charge. You will get a sense of an average amount and then set a range for yourself, using income levels for the sliding scale. I also ask them to respond to the sliding scale, and let me know their reality. The financial reality may be that they acquired extreme debt even though they make a good wage. If the person appears to be sincere, honest and genuine, then I will sometimes say to them, pay the lesser amount, even though you really qualify for the greater amount. Sometimes they can get a family member to help them with the fee. When I first started counseling, I charged too little. For example, one couple who was paying $5 per session walked in with $15 worth of snack food. That was my wakeup call!
The reason I am invoicing the insurance company for the client is that I include all of the required information required for a claim. Clients often forget to file, don’t provide the correct information and you can get caught up in endless phone calls, giving people information to recover or collect insurance money. So, you're better off to stay as distant from it as you can, and to let the client take care of it beyond the invoice that you send. Make sure you receive your payment. That lets the client negotiate with the insurance company for recovering the cost. One consideration is to have a claims provider (outside billing company) file the insurance claims and put the cost back on the client, if the client prefers. A private claims provider generally charges a percentage of each claim, generally fairly reasonable. Last, an insurance claim usually takes somewhere between three and six weeks to be paid after the invoice is sent. That's another reason to stay removed from insurance payments.
Scheduling Clients
The next issue is how you will receive new clients and schedule clients in a time efficient manner, which is critical for your business to be successful. The growth and demand for counselings has shifted more responsibility onto the client, very similar to the medical profession. Availability of digital access to review counseling options, select preferences and digitally contact the counselor for the appointment. Then there are many online hosting applications (Google Workspace, Zoom, etc.) available for scheduling that will allow you to establish your schedule in any format that is best for your times for counseling. You can set up the length of the session, breaks, days and times for clients to see you. You can use it for weekly clients or for by-weekly clients and so on.
If you want to be open to receive cell texts, calls or emails to schedule your appointments, this option may be a good place to start. When your practice grows, the more you will need time saving options.
It is common to have 25 - 30 sessions per week which means 25 or more lives involved and more if they have children. With that many people involved, emergencies and illnesses will happen that affect your schedule. There are too many potential changes for you to think that you will never have an irrational or unpredictable schedule here. There will be many variations of: “I can't make it, and I need to reschedule. Could you call me in the morning? I'll be at work. Here's my work number. I'll be at my mother's house. I'll be there for a half hour. You can call me at three o'clock.” The more of these that come in, the more hectic scheduling becomes. So, you need to set up a process, a format to provide potential and regular clients, so that you can schedule clients and keep track of open sessions for rescheduling.
That's all part of counseling. Strongly consider using an online application, or hire a secretary when you can. When I got a secretary who does scheduling, I gained back three to 10 hours every week that otherwise was used for endless communication and waiting on responses. The amount of misery, hassle and grief that scheduling can cause is unbelievable. So, minimize your conflict by getting anything you can to help you organize this as much as possible, and the scheduling program will do that.
Next, incorporate office hours into your schedule to cope with the demands of client’s scheduling needs, and also for note taking, organization of your digital files, returning calls, texts and emails, mailing out brochures to new clients, contacting referrals, billing insurance companies, etc. So, determine how you will communicate with your clients, out of your convenience, their convenience or both.
One more item in communicating with clients, beware of filling up time at home with office work. Returning calls/texts can interrupt your family time, while your family takes note of what is most important to you during your time with them. Clients will find numerous reasons to talk to you between their scheduled sessions. I kept track and had 9 – 20 calls per day, which I allowed. If you are counseling 5 – 6 sessions that day, you will have hours more for phone calls which means now you put in a 13-hour day. Over a period of months and then years, you will have spent a lot of time just managing your schedule. Remember, you are in charge of setting boundaries, precedence and when you respond to them.
Before we go to the next discussion, let’s quickly talk about office decor. The counseling office will have some minimum requirements for its furniture, client seating, colors, equipment and supplies. These will be part of your responsibility, and you will need good judgment to be effective in creating the climate. If you are in a setting where you provide everything, that will be expensive. If you are in a host church that provides your office and equipment, then it will not be as expensive. In that setting, it's a matter of arranging for the use of the equipment as part of the agreement of using the space. Either way that will have to be addressed. So, when we get further into starting up a practice, we'll talk about how to have the use of the equipment at a host facility, or just how to assess the pure cost of those items.
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Setting the cost of your counseling fees is a crucial part of your practice. Describe some of the considerations that you must examine in order to set a fee scale that is competitive but not prohibitive.
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Dr. Dan's Answer:
One of the first criteria for the counseling fee is the average cost of counseling within the local area. In general, in Midwest urban areas the cost ranges from forty to eighty dollars an hour. The counselor must analyze his or her overhead cost per hour and pick a fee level that will meet these costs plus provide a level of income or profit.
There seems to be a range of fees at the purely secular level that starts at sixty dollars and tops off at around eighty. If the counselor has a practice in a church where overhead is provided, then the forty to eighty dollar range can be utilized fairly effectively to meet all costs and income needs.
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Insurance payments can be important to the client but also burdensome to the counselor. Discuss your thoughts in regard to how you will handle client requests to utilize insurance payments.
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Dr. Dan's Answer:
Insurance payments can be time consuming and difficult. Companies vary in their criteria for payment and are often vague and confusing -- especially when the client tries to find out if the counselor qualifies as a care provider. Many companies have HMOs or PPOs that only provide help through a list of approved providers. Most clients know little about their coverage and assume benefits without checking -- this must be investigated before counseling begins.
A general policy that works well is to inform the client during the initial phone interview that if insurance will be utilized, the client will pay for counseling as received. The counselor fills out all paperwork for each session's reimbursement (invoices, DSM diagnosis) after each session, and the client fills out forms so that payment is made directly to the client. This protects the counselor from carrying outstanding debt (reimbursement can take four to six weeks) while still providing the client with ongoing help.
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Scheduling can become a very demanding part of your practice. Discuss your thoughts about this concern and how you plan to deal with this issue.
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Dr. Dan's Answer:
Scheduling is an issue for many counselors, from balancing work hours to what is best for clients. The therapist needs to plan on spending at least one or two hours every day or every other day on return calls, scheduling appointments, dealing with missed sessions, mailing out brochures, and maintaining a steady client flow into the practice.
If secretarial help is available, make sure that office support staff takes over scheduling responsibility as soon as possible. Also, beware of filling up time at home with return calls or calls from clients -- the therapist can end up spending hours at home working in addition to office counseling time.
Steps to Starting a Counseling Practice
There are steps to a successful startup, and the first one is a plan for getting clients to your practice. They are the life's blood of your business. Literally, referrals are the only way that you can get an income started. I often say that the Lord blessed us with this amount or that amount this week. I do that, because I don't ever want to forget that the only reason that I'm successful is because God blesses and guides the counselor in the development of the practice. I try to keep in mind that I don't earn income. The Lord blesses me with it, as I make the effort to produce it. Keep that in mind for referrals, because you need more than one source, you must treat your referral sources right, and you must make follow up phone calls or other communication. One tool for marketing your practice is getting your information to churches and pastors who will refer clients to you. One way that I used is to prepare and distribute the information through a mailed information sheet that I called a mailer. Whether you use a hard copy letter or a web-based application (that you pay for), developing your contact based is the first place to start. I generated a mailing list from online websites and churches’ websites. Artificial Intelligence can help you collect this information in a very concise and organized fashion, based upon your target population and preferences. You can also determine the size of your focus area. I used a boundary of 50 miles. In a highly populated area, you may need less. By location and size of church, you should find a good number of churches to contact. I started with a mailing list of 400 churches.
In the past, I created and printed labels, I wrote a letter of introduction that explained my background, training, experiences, and vision for biblical counseling. Included with the letter was a brochure with location, hours, costs and references, and a business card and invited the pastor to call me. I also offered to speak to him in person usually over lunch, and also introduce myself at their church. After my initial mailing list, I found the 150-mile radius for a mailer, and found people willing to travel that distance. Most of the long-distance travelers would come every other week. The point is the more initial contact you have through the church, the more dispersion of knowledge that you have.
When people begin to get help, your second referral source begins: word of mouth, which is like gold. The statistics that I did in my third year of counseling full-time, showed me that 63% of my referrals came from word-of-mouth referrals and 37% from local churches. Initially, it was the opposite with 70% from churches, but as the people within the church got help, they began to refer to each other, rather than going to the pastor to find a counselor. Word-of-mouth becomes a self-generating referral source. Your desire is to get to the point where, through just your mailers, you have an ongoing growing referral network from pastors, other professionals, and former clients.
Another type of marketing I used was offering to hold teaching seminars for churches on topics of interest such as resolving conflict, parenting, godly leadership, emotional stability, and understanding women and men. Whether you are comfortable in front of people or not, when someone hears you speak in a professional, pleasant and helpful manner, they will be more likely to remember you and be ready to put your contact information into their phone.
Today, most of you know the value of websites, social media and online professional applications are very valuable tools. By far, when someone enters your information into their phone, or can access your information on their phone, they have you as an immediate resource if or when needed personally, church member or a friend. Your decision, how do you want people to contact you in order to engage and consider setting up an appointment? Whether you provide your cell phone number or an email address, referral resources or potential clients are more likely to reach out to you to what is most convenient to them, such as using their cell phone for texting, social media apps or direct messaging. Counselor’s privacy, best use of their time and sanity are to be considered as sacred.
I developed a mailer or e-letter every January, with the same information included. Also, I include where I am doing seminars in the near future. In April, I sent a newsletter or another e-letter that I wrote with updates on the practice and discussion on a specific counseling issue. In the fall, I sent out another newsletter or e-letter, along with the brochure and a few business cards. In the past, business cards were the main source for engaging leaders and people. Yet, pastors and people move, lose your card, or don't have a need when they first get your letter of introduction. I have found that periodic contact keeps your referral list healthy. I found that if you don't connect with a leader or the church at least every three or four months, they forget where you are, not necessarily because they don't want to refer to you, but because they just didn't need you when they had the initial contact.
Several denominations have their own counselors and will refer less. You have to keep track, analyze, and revise your mailing list to those who refer. I decided to charge churches who pay for the counseling, less per session to increase the referrals. Pastors are very protective of their people and will not refer just to anybody, so you have to demonstrate your sincerity in helping as many people as you can. Rather than sending those who can’t afford to pay, pastors ask to be billed instead. That is a good practice, but it also means there will be a four-week delay in payment. It will travel through the church payment process which usually takes time for approval and then payment. Because you are willing to wait for your money, the pastor and church realize that you are willing to work with them to help their people. The reduced charge shows your goodwill and desire to support that pastor's vision for that church. They soon see you as part of the ministry team of that church. It also increases the pastor's trust to talk with you about problems, consult you on cases, and integrate you into the teaching part of his ministry by using you to provide seminars and workshops.
All of these things endear you to the leadership, the people, the church board, and the elders of that church. That is an asset that is priceless. As you become accepted and deeply trusted, the church leadership may call when they are facing a difficult situation personally or as a church. God will bless your desire to make it possible for this church to receive help at a price they can afford over and over. It is a good way for you to build confidence and a good reputation, and reach those professionals who can afford to pay the higher fee on your sliding scale. Your counseling competition will reach a different demographic using the insurance market for their higher fees and do not reach out to churches for clients. So, you really don't lose at all. In the end, you gain 10-fold, 100-fold more than what you initially lost in the reduced fee and in the payment delay. The church payments may also come in during a high cancellation week which will balance your weekly income needs and provide your consistent income. Plus, churches can be a resource for workshops and seminars which help to expand your local advertising. Places where you are accepted and loved to give you better PR, and genuinely provide support. I got to know pastors by spending time with them over lunch that I paid for. I asked them about themselves and the vision they have for the church. They appreciate the lunch and time to share with another leader what they are doing for the Lord. There are good reasons to stay in touch through a phone call or text. Thank them for a referral. All of these things are an excellent way for you to build a stronger reputation and market for your counseling practice.
Now, another key item involved in starting a practice is your content for someone to develop a website for you, a brochure that you or someone develops or a digital one-page description of you and your practice. Often, counseling professionals use website applications or platforms (Psychology Today, Therapy Den or Good Therapy). For more information, consider these web resources with more web applications for your counseling services: American Counseling Association or the National Institute of Mental Health.
Whether you provide referents with your website address or a counseling brochure, here are some general items I include in one or both digital and hard copies. The title page has the name of the practice and then a statement of purpose which informs the reader of the conservative Biblical premise, founded on a belief that God's word correctly reveals the insights and answers necessary to cope with the difficulties of everyday life. Even though most individuals believe this, they don't know how this happens. The counseling practice provides Biblical knowledge and the practical, crucial application of this information.
Soon after this information, I provide my name and address, with a picture of myself, a description of my background, credentials, training, certification, and experiences. Any other extraneous type of training, like I worked with a severely, profoundly handicapped population for a period of years. Describe what you are doing now and what your focus is in your counseling. You need to include your office location, phone, email, office hours, if you do virtual sessions, etc. It says it's a trans-denominational, community-based counseling ministry open to all individuals, whether they have a relationship to God or not. That the focus of it is healing and growth.
In my promotional materials I provide information on counseling issues, referral, alternatives, hours and cost, and list the types of counseling I focus on. I've got marriage and family, premarital counseling, adolescent problems and so on, and that, in some instances, online or phone counseling can be arranged. The referral alternatives show that you have a network of professionals who assist you beyond your expertise or limits, and state what those are. This is critical for your liability. You make it clear that you are not trying to do it all. Your network of professionals within the field, for example, clinical psychology, psychiatry, law, education and medicine.
Next is my Statement of Faith which tells them what I or you believe which helps clients and pastors to know your faith foundation. Include that you believe the Word of God is inerrant, that you believe in the Trinity, that you believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, that He shed His blood, died on the cross for the sins of man, and that he was resurrected from the dead, ascended to heaven, that we have to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. All these things are specific. Include a word of invitation which just basically says that you're very welcome to come visit you and include directions from several areas with a good map.
Lastly, I include who can benefit from Biblical Christian Counseling using some Scripture there, and tell them how I counsel, pointing people to God's word, and having a relationship to Jesus Christ. It is not limited to Christians; anybody can come who has a need or desire to talk about things or to hear more about God. Make sure you invest in a professional web platform, digital email platform and/or brochure. Make sure your picture shows your sincerity with sparkling eyes and a warm, gentle smile. Seeing your face helps the person discern your spirit. Don't try to look like a super counselor, in front of a library of books, just be yourself: normal, natural, and humble. Make sure the digital imaging, organization of the text and appearance is a good quality. Be sure to proof text to catch any typos, errors, confusing or inappropriate language.
Business cards are also a good choice with promotional materials, as well as handing out to others when needed or to give to new clients with the written date for their next appointment. These cards do not need to be showy or grand, but quality. There are many local and online places to order them. Be sure to include your degrees and license if you have one. Include only the ways you want to be contacted by clients. Do not include your private phone number unless you are willing to take those calls.
If you prefer to use hard copies for your mailers, I include multiple cards in my mailing so that the pastor can use them to refer. If you are a part of a group of counselors, you may want to include their information in all your digital and written materials. With frequent contact, you will build up a reputation that will cause curiosity. Ongoing emails and/or mailers will build up your reputation over time through consistency. Each time you contact, you will gain a few new churches. It did not take me very long to build up a full-time practice, about 6 months to one year. It will vary with your geographic location and your market.
There are types of advertising that are nonproductive, which you want to avoid. Radio ads are expensive; because of the frequency of the spots, they require you purchase. Newspaper ads are outdated. There are many options for advertising on social media and the internet. Often clients who come because they saw an ad are seeking instant solutions to their stress and not sincere in wanting to change. Yet, good quality outdoor signage will let the average person who passes by, where counseling is available for them or someone they know. One client who procrastinated on getting help said, “I drove by a church sign last week that said, “If you are looking for a sign from God, here it is.” She said that persuaded her to call for counseling, which she did and later her husband did too. Though by far, I found contacting churches and pastors through personal and professional presence and such, has been the most consistently dependable process for generating my referrals. Our next discussion will be on the business aspects of the counseling practice.
Copyright 1987, 1990, 1993 by Daniel D. Wilkinson. All rights reserved. For more information concerning this material, write to:
The Biblical Christian Counseling Ministries, Inc., 2730 Radcliffe Dr., Florissant, MO 63031.
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The start up of a counseling practice is one of the most crucial parts of the entire business operation. Describe the steps that you will take in this area, what you anticipate the cost to be, and what types of marketing contacts you feel will be most effective.
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Dr. Dan's Answer:
Some general steps include producing a mailing list, obtaining referrals through word of mouth and other counselors and professionals, and using a counseling center brochure and business cards. Mailers can be generated through library research in which names and addresses of churches within a radius of up to one hundred and fifty miles from the counseling center are compiled. This can be cross-denominationally oriented and will usually provide adequate referrals for the practice.
A letter of introduction must be developed and sent along with the brochure and business card. This needs to be done in some manner every three months.
In your own words, answer the following question and submit to see Dr. Dan's answer. This question is for your personal reflection -- no score is given.
Some of your attempts at building your market could be ineffective and costly or will be highly effective. List and discuss some of your desired methods of marketing your counseling practice.
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Dr. Dan's Answer:
You, as a counselor and business practitioner, will make mistakes in attempting to promote your counseling ministry. Don't worry or fear -- take heart and learn from your mistakes. Take note of what and who brings the best return for your time and effort, while leaning on the Lord to open doors to people of peace who desire to send people who need help.
Often, you may find the personal, relational touch is the most effective. Be careful not to anxiously oversell your abilities and practice -- though do not undersell yourself either. Use your God-given opportunities wisely.
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