The current financial downturn in the U.S. has a few therapists wondering.

If you watch the news or read the business section of the newspaper, you can easily scare yourself to death before breakfast.

Yes, there are some financial issues plaguing many Americans. Job loss, the increase in the cost of gasoline and groceries, and the fallout of the housing market are creating financial pressures for many people.

Today’s dollar has to stretch further than a few years ago.

Financial pressures are very stressful. However, who is better at helping people cope with stress than therapists?

You get what you focus on. If you spend time each day fretting over the economy and filled with worry that no one will be able to afford your fee, that’s exactly what will happen.

Instead, get clear on what you want: Clients who value and appreciate you, who are willing to pay for their therapy because they know it is useful and who have a pain that you can help soothe.

Work through your old money stories. You may have some old stories about money left over from childhood. When you think about your money, do you feel the clenching of fear in the pit of your stomach? If so, you have some money shadows waiting to be processed.

What would you say to one of your clients who has fear about money?

Many people are still able to pay for cable television, buy new cars, and take vacations. They can pay for therapy IF they feel it is essential to solving their problem.

Certainly, there are tragic situations where people are destitute and cannot afford the necessities of life, let alone therapy services. Thankfully, there are community agencies with sliding fee scales to serve that population.

Your ideal client is someone with the financial resources to pay for their therapy.

Instead of focusing on all the doom and gloom, decide to focus on what is working well.

Examine your marketing plan. Consider these questions:

1. Where are you finding your ideal clients?
2. Can you speak to more groups to get in front of more ideal prospects?
3. Are you following through on your networking?
4. Have you made any new professional contacts this week?
5. How long has it been since you had lunch with the person who gives you the most referrals to thank him for his support or ask her about her needs?

Do you choose to see the opportunity in today or be paralyzed by fear and old stories?

If you want to earn more money and become a wealthy therapist, this is the ideal time for you to spring into action. Resolve to do more work on your marketing plan and implement your plan with regular action steps.

People are stressed out and worried. What a great time to be a therapist who can help!

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Up until now, we only offered the hardcopy version for $275. But now you can get the same great information in a Digital Version for $100 off the retail price! Download your Digital copy today for $175.

With the Digital Version, you can download the 130+ page manual and either read it on your computer or print it if you like. You will also receive 12 mp3 files. You will have immediate access after you place your order - no more waiting to receive your copy in the mail!

To learn more about the Digital Version or to request your *no charge* Marketing Checklist visit:
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Isn’t it fascinating to see the coverage of the upcoming presidential elections?

While I would never tell you how to vote, I have noticed something striking about each of the top three candidates.

They all overcame some significant personal battles. They all use their history to bond with voters.

John McCain was a prisoner of war. Hillary Clinton survived a publicly humiliating marital betrayal. Barack Oboma grew up without a father and dealt with feelings of alienation from his biracial status. Whether you agree with their politics or not, you have to admire their courage and the way they can craft a marketing message out of past pain.

As a therapist, I applaud all three candidates for sharing their personal stories. It is refreshing to see the human side of each candidate. I’d love to know if any of them worked with a therapist… but the privacy laws prevent that!

One of my favorite Practice Building tools is the personal story.

Have you created your success story yet?

If not, what’s stopping you?

Potential clients want to know that you understand their pain and have some real answers to share. When you share your success story, they know you can show them the way out of their pain.

Use this script to help you develop your success story:

1. In order to explain what I do, I’d like to tell you about a struggle I once had… (Then describe your struggle and a bit about the situation surrounding it. Just give the highlights; they don’t need to know all the gory details. Share only the parts you have processed and would feel comfortable discussing. Again, this is only if it would be appropriate to share.)
2. Then I… (Describe the actions you took to feel hope and create a positive change. If possible and appropriate, I strongly recommend you mention seeing a therapist. If it is not appropriate, then please do not share it. )
3. And what happened was…(share your exciting outcome here so that people know you found a process that worked for you and may work for them too)
4. And it was at that point that I needed to help others…(this is your opportunity to share who you help and what problem you help them overcome)

If you are very shy or private, it may be uncomfortable for you to share a personal story. Or you may feel that your story may be inappropriate to share. If that is the case, share a client success story, carefully crafted to protect the identity of your client.

The goal of a success story is to give people hope. It also helps you demonstrate your kindness, knowledge, and passion for serving others.

No wonder all the political candidates use this great marketing tool!

Happy practice building!
Casey

I want to hear your success story! If you’d like to post it (as a comment) on our blog, please enter your comment in the box below!