Guest Post by Nancy Gallegos
After speaking to hundreds of psychotherapists across the country and internationally, the two most common challenges they reported were burnout and a plateau in their private practice business.
Unfortunately, burnout rates are high within the mental health field regardless if you work in a community clinic setting or in private practice.
Our work as psychotherapists is personally rewarding and most of us enter this field with a passion to serve others. However, the profession is demanding both emotionally and physically.
I experienced firsthand burnout and compassion fatigue which lead me to my journey of discovering coaching services.
The number of mental health professionals transitioning into coaching is consistently growing every year.
Psychotherapists are expanding their business model to include coaching services.
The coaching industry is blooming and we are in an era where people are seeking a better future, going after their dreams, wanting to live a more fulfilled life, seeking personal development and solutions to specific struggles and obstacles.
These individuals don’t meet criteria for a diagnosis or medical necessity for psychotherapy services. However, they are still in need of support and guidance from qualified coaches to help them live at their fullest potential.
Trained mental health professionals are more than qualified to provide coaching services.
Your education, training, and experience as a mental health professional sets you apart and is a huge advantage.
Coaching is another option available to leverage your expertise and expand your business model to breakthrough financial plateaus and continue to do what you love – helping others.
Here are four ways to know if adding coaching services to your business model is right for you.
1. Solution Focused and Future Oriented Work
Do you enjoy working with clients on finding a solution to a specific problem, helping them design their future, and prefer a more direct approach with clients?
Coaching services are present and future oriented with emphasizes on providing solutions for specific barriers, struggles, and problems.
Coaching focuses on planning and goal setting with an action driven and direct service approach.
You rarely dive into the client’s past and you never diagnose a coaching client. In coaching you are in a collaborative partnership with the client and moving away from the traditional medical model.
2. Passion and Soul Driven Work
Do you have passions, interests, and personal values you would love to incorporate in your work with clients and unable to do so with psychotherapy services?
Imagine being able to incorporate your own passion, personal values, and interests in your work with clients.
In coaching you are serving a specific niche whom you are passionate about and who you are best positioned to serve. You are in control of only inviting your dream ideal clients to work with you and enrolling them in your coaching packages.
Perhaps you have overcome a personal struggle and now you desire to help those in similar situations. Or you desire to incorporate spirituality and who you truly are in your work with clients. The possibilities are endless with coaching.
3. Flexibility
Are you in need of more flexibility in your life right now?
One of the top reasons psychotherapists are attracted to a coaching business is flexibility.
Flexibility in your day to day schedule and being able to serve clients from the comfort of your home or from anywhere in the word – all you need is your laptop and good reliable wifi.
Flexibility to move across states if needed without interrupting your client’s services and your business revenue. You can serve clients from all over the world, no shortage of clients or being confined to market your services only within local communities.
So whether you are in need of flexibility in your daily schedule to take your children to school or spend more time with loved ones or to travel the world, a coaching business might be right for you.
4. Financial Growth
Are you looking to increase your business revenue and improve or up-level your current lifestyle?
Adding coaching to your business model is another option to increase your revenue while decreasing your caseload so you have more time and energy to dedicate to your clients and personal needs. Even with a part-time coaching business $5,000 – $10,000 monthly revenue is feasible.
There really is no revenue cap in owning your own coaching business, it all depends on your goals, the lifestyle you want to create, and the business model you desire. It’s your choice.
Conclusion
I invite you to set time aside to further explore and re-evaluate your business goals and personal goals.
Where do you want your business to be in one and five years from now?
Does coaching services fit in those goals?
Remember coaching is simply another option available to you to Leverage your Expertise, Expand your Reach™
About Nancy:
Nancy Gallegos is a LMFT in California with over 16 years of experience in the mental health field including community mental health and private practice. She is a Business Success Coach for mental health professionals who are ready to leverage their expertise and expand their reach by creating a passion driven and profitable coaching business. Learn more about Nancy at http://nancygallegoscoaching.com
