The purpose of massage therapy varies with each patient, but tends to focus on relieving pain, helping rehabilitate injuries, reducing stress, increasing relaxation, and improving the general wellness of your clients.

You can work in a spa, health clinic, doctors’ office, hotel, and gyms and fitness centers. When you’re self-employed and just starting out, you might want to offer on-call mobile service where you travel to the client’s home or place of business. The start-up costs of running a mobile massage therapy service are virtually nonexistent – just the cost of your massage table and other equipment, plus a dependable vehicle to get you where you’re going.

Massage therapists typically complete a postsecondary education program of 500 or more hours of study and experience, although standards and requirements vary by state. Most states regulate massage therapy and require these therapists to have a certification that provides proof of proper training. Only a few states mandate a formal license. You’ll still want to get training and certification to establish yourself as a credentialed professional. That will make your services more attractive to new clients when they are evaluating which massage therapist to work with.

Most of all, you’ll earn a good living while enjoying the professional satisfaction of helping people feel better as you assist in improving their quality of life.

Read on to find out how you can become a massage therapist.

In this article you’ll learn:

• How much money you can make as a massage therapist
• The required training and certifications
• Professional groups to join
• Employment opportunities for massage therapists
• Finding clients
• Plus helpful tips

How much money can you make?

Massage therapists on average earn $42,820 per year, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This works out to about $20.60 per hour.

The employment outlook for massage therapists is projected to grow 22 percent through 2028, the bureau reports. This will be much faster than the average for all occupations. Demand will likely increase as more healthcare providers understand the benefits of massage and these services become part of treatment plans.

Opening your own massage spa can significantly boost your income as a result of self-employment. Still, many massage therapists start out working for a spa or private health facility before jumping into the world of an entrepreneur and all the attendant expenses that come with running your own business.

Training and Certification

You do not currently need a license to be a massage therapist in Wyoming, Minnesota, or Kansas. That can obviously change any time as state legislatures devote a portion of every year to creating new laws and regulations. For up-to-date state licensing requirements, check-out this article.

Even in a state where you do not need a license, you should become trained and certified, anyway. Why? Simple psychology. Someone who can benefit from massage therapy will almost always choose a trained and certified professional if given the option. Wouldn’t you?

According to the ABMP (Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals) bi-annual census of all state-approved massage programs for 2020, there are 919 state approved massage programs in the United States. You should have no trouble finding a program suitable for your needs.

A massage therapist typically begins work after completing a postsecondary non-degree program of around 500 Hours. Practical and technical aspects of the practice are introduced during this training. Most massage therapy education incorporates theoretical knowledge with practical experience in either classroom or face-to-face instruction as well as online studies. Client engagement and business principles are also taught.

You can also choose to specialize in different therapeutic techniques. These include Swedish massage, biodynamic massage and sports massage. Broadly speaking, your training will involve learning how to massage specific muscles in different areas of the body to produce maximum benefits. Anatomy and physiology are also topics covered in coursework.

States that regulate massage therapy will require a passing score on the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam. Often, you’ll need to earn continuing education credits to maintain and renew your massage therapy license or certificate.

Here’s an extensive list of massage therapist schools and training programs.

Professional Groups to Join

Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals is a national membership association that offers much more than great liability insurance to make it simpler for massage and bodywork practitioners and students to succeed.  Membership starts at $199 per year. ABMP has distinguished itself for two main reasons:

• ABMP’s comprehensive program of liability and business property insurance is considered the standard for the profession. Specifically created to address the needs of massage therapists and bodyworkers, the policy included with membership offers “occurrence form” coverage; professional, general, and product liability coverage with the highest limits available; no additional fee for Additional Insured Endorsements; and no “shared member” charges, like some other associations. In sum, it’s quality insurance coverage.
• ABMP members get the most responsive, knowledgeable service and a comprehensive package of member benefits that incorporates free continuing education hours, member discounts, a free business website, Massage and Bodywork magazine, legislative advocacy and more.

Check-out the ABMP PocketSuite Edition here.

The American Massage Therapy Association is the largest nonprofit professional organization serving massage therapists, students and massage schools. The association is directed by volunteer leadership and fosters ongoing, direct member involvement through 51 chapters. AMTA advances the profession through ethics and standards, the promotion of fair and consistent licensing of massage therapists, and public education on the benefits of therapeutic massage. A professional membership is $235 per year.

National Association of Complementary and Alternative Medicines is an organization that serves health, wellness, and beauty professionals by giving support, marketing materials, state licensing and insurance requirements, and access to liability insurance for massage therapists.

Employment

You’ll find work as a massage therapist in health and beauty spas, physicians’ offices, public and private gyms and fitness centers, as well as hospitals and medical clinics.

Most employers will ask for proof of licensure, if required in your state, and academic/training credentials and certifications, so you should make photocopies to hand out with your résumé. Call the business where you are interested in working and ask if it will be okay for you to drop off your materials in person. If they prefer that you mail your information, always follow up with a phone call within a week.

Use the networking power of your professional memberships to find jobs.

Check online sites such as Indeed.com and Ziprecruiter, which can yield job openings, but keep in mind that laws regulating massage therapy will vary from state-to-state. If you move to another state, you’ll have to meet their requirements to practice. With some online services, you can set up a notification to receive a daily email with job openings in the areas you’ve selected.

Finding Clients

Business cards and a basic website should be the core of your marketing toolkit as a massage therapist. The website need not be fancy or expensive, just attractively designed, with photos of your studio or salon (get permission from any customers who are visibly recognizable). The website must also include your business location and contact information at the top of every page.

In addition to your business website, the next thing to do is create an Instagram account to showcase your massage therapy practice. Instagram is the #1 online venue for creative professionals to promote themselves. It’s a free marketing tool that’s always working on your behalf.

Next, set up a Facebook page for your massage therapy practice so that people searching for this therapy can find you. This, too, is a free service that can benefit your business by putting you front-and-center of potentially thousands of customers.

Other strategies for attracting new business:

• Create a referral program with discounts for returning customers who bring new clients to you.
• Ask customers to review your services online. According to a recent survey, 90% of people say their buying decisions are influenced by positive online reviews.

Good to know:

Beyond the fundamentals of finding clients, here are additional tips you can use to market your massage therapy practice at little expense to you.

Mail some postcards

Target neighborhoods close to your location with an introductory postcard offering a discount for new customers. Learn more about USPS bulk mailing tools and services here.

Work your contact list via email

Stay in touch with your clients, especially those you haven’t seen in a while. Consider offering a “we miss you” special as an incentive to get return business.

Host an Open House

Advertise an afternoon of free Q&A and a tour of your facility. Create a visually appealing flyer and post it on community bulletin boards, at libraries, medical offices, fitness centers and apartment complexes.  List the event on all your online sites as well.  Complimentary bottled water and cookies or some other inexpensive treat create an inviting atmosphere. You could even offer free massage sessions as door prizes.

Create a loyal customer rewards program

Offer a discount or free massage after a customer completes a certain number of sessions. When customers have a goal to get a freebie, they tend to stick around.

Offer package deals

You can set up an agreement with a beauty spa or salon to offer a special price on a suite of services. The customer buys the package and you get the money up-front.

Take appointments online

Use the PocketSuite app to schedule your clients, create invoices and get paid. It’s easy.

Write a regular blog

Post articles about the health benefits of your massage therapy, as well as helpful advice on exercise, diet and anything else related to your business that customers would find useful. This builds up your expertise and over time makes you a go-to authority on massage therapy. That’s good for business.

Offer mobile services

You and your massage table travel to the customer. It’s so easy for clients to say “yes” when they don’t have to do anything or go anywhere to get a therapeutic massage.

If you enjoyed this article, check out some more great PocketSuite.io content that can help you grow your career as a massage therapist. Here’s a great place to start.PocketSuite has thousands of business owners who all started where you are right now. Our community is always happy to help you ramp up, grow your client base, and achieve your income goals, both within the PocketSuite app and as part of our exclusive Facebook Community Group. PocketSuite’s vision is for any professional to be able to work for themselves and make a great living. It starts here. It starts with you. It starts today. Let’s get started, download PocketSuite now! Feel free to reach out with any questions (we’d love to hear from you)! Text us @ (415) 841-2300.

As a physical therapist, your job is to diagnose and treat patients who have physical conditions that limit their ability to move, function in the world and perform everyday activities. It’s a job for heroes. You are literally empowering other people to transcend whatever physical barrier stands between them and a happy life, whether that means overcoming the debilitating effects of a car accident, managing arthritis or suffering chronic pain.

A physical therapist helps patients avoid costly surgeries that may or may not satisfactorily resolve their condition. Therapists by helping patients overcome chronic pain enable them to live a life without addictive prescription drugs.

You’ll need exceptional interpersonal skills and a caring manner to motivate patients to follow their plan of treatment. These are people you will get to know personally, as physical therapists typically spend more time with their patients than all other healthcare practitioners.

You can also earn a good living while enjoying the tremendous professional satisfaction that comes from improving people’s lives.

Read on to learn more about a physical therapist’s work and salary, plus helpful information about training and certification requirements, licensing and where and how to find clients.

 In this article you’ll learn:

• How much money you can make as a physical therapist
• The required training and certifications
• Professional groups to join
• Employment opportunities for physical therapists
• Finding clients
• Plus helpful tips

How much money can you make?

The median annual wage for physical therapists was $89,440 per year, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The top 10 percent are earning more than $124,740 annually, the bureau reports. Employment prospects look to remain solid for physical therapists, with demand expected to grow 22 percent through 2028. That’s much faster than the average for all occupations. Demand for physical therapy is expected to come mainly from aging baby boomers, who are staying active later in life, but are also susceptible to health conditions such as strokes, which may require physical therapy. Physical therapists will likewise be needed to treat people with mobility issues stemming from chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity.

Training and Certification

You’ll need a bachelor’s degree in science or a medical field to get started on the path to becoming a physical therapist. This will be followed by two years in a graduate program studying physical therapy. You may find that a doctoral degree is also required where you live.

A physical therapy license is required in all 50 states in America, although specific rules and regulations vary depending on where you live. You’ll want to check the requirements for your state using this handy reference guide. Then you’ll be prepared to evaluate which training and certification program will be best-suited to meet your goal of getting that state license.

After completing your training and earning a license, most states will require you to complete a residency program in a clinical setting lasting at least a year. During this time you’ll work with patients under the supervision of physicians and other licensed physical therapists.

Most states have set these standard requirements for licensure:

Pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), which is administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). This is a computerized, multiple-choice exam. You may take the exam three times in a 12-month period if you don’t pass on the first try. The Practice Exam and Assessment Tool (PEAT), also developed by the FSBPT, allows applicants to practice taking a test that resembles the NPTE.

Other licensing requirements may include a law exam and a criminal background check. Most states also require a certain number of continuing education credits before you can renew a license to practice physical therapy. This ensures practitioners stay current in the field.

Here’s a deep and diverse list of schools and training programs for physical therapists.

An overview of what you’ll learn during your training:

• How to consult with patients to learn about their physical condition and symptoms
• How to perform tests that identify physical issues and their severity
• Correctly diagnosing movement problems and developing a treatment plan
• Teaching patients techniques for therapeutic exercise and correct use of any equipment
• Stimulating and massaging affected muscle groups to promote healing
• Helping patients learn to move about with wheelchairs or walkers
• How to maintain and protect patient records, while keeping track of therapy progress
• Advising patients and families about in-home treatment options and exercises to work on when the patient is not in a therapy setting.

Professional Groups to Join

Joining a professional association demonstrates commitment to your career. It also enhances your credibility with customers. In addition to those benefits, joining a professional group gives you networking access to other experts in your field. You can trade tips and ideas, and learn about job openings. Most professional groups also offer continuing education opportunities, meetings and conferences and access to affordable insurance plans.

Here are three of the top organizations for professional physical therapists:

American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is the national clinical strength organization representing more than 9,000 practitioners who are masters in physical medication and recovery (PM&R). These professionals treat a wide assortment of ailments affecting the cerebrum, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, tendons, muscles, and ligaments.

The American Academy of Physical Therapy is a non-profit organization whose strategic goal is to assist poor and disadvantaged African-Americans and other minorities by:

• Promoting new and innovative programs in health delivery and disease prevention
• Encouraging minority students to pursue careers in allied health professions
• Performing clinical research related to health conditions found within minority communities.

American Physical Therapy Association is a professional organization representing 100,000 physical therapists, physical specialist aides (PTAs), and students. APTA’s mission is to improve the wellbeing of people by advancing the physical therapist practice through continuing education, and by expanding awareness of physical therapy’s role in the country’s medical services.

Employment

Because physical therapists typically work in private medical offices and clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes, these are the places you should investigate first. Most employers will ask for proof of licensure and academic/training credentials and certifications, so you should make photocopies to hand out with your résumé. Call the business where you are interested in working and ask if it will be okay for you to drop off your materials in person. If they prefer that you mail your information, always follow up with a phone call within a week.

Use the networking power of your professional memberships to find jobs.

Don’t overlook online sites such as Indeed.com and Ziprecruiter, which can yield job openings, but keep in mind that laws regulating physical therapy will vary from state-to-state. If you move to another state, you’ll have to meet their requirements to practice.

Finding Clients

If you’re going into private practice, business cards and a basic website should be the core of your marketing toolkit as a physical therapist. The website need not be fancy or expensive, just attractively designed, with photos of your studio (get permission from any clients who are visibly recognizable). The website must also include your business location and contact information at the top of every page.

In addition to your business website, the next thing to do is create an Instagram account to showcase your physical therapy practice. Instagram is the #1 online venue for creative professionals to promote themselves. It’s a free marketing tool that’s always working on your behalf.

Next, set up a Facebook page for your physical therapy practice so that people searching for this therapy can find you. This, too, is a free service that can benefit your business by putting you front-and-center of potentially thousands of customers.

Other strategies for attracting new business:

• Create a referral program with discounts for loyal customers who send new clients to you.
• Ask customers to review your physical therapy services online. According to a recent survey, 90% of people say their buying decisions are influenced by positive online reviews.

Good to know:

5 tips for physical therapists on encouraging and motivating your patients.

Encourage patients to wear an activity tracker
Whether a smart watch or a basic pedometer, an activity tracker provides a tangible measurement of effort leading to progress. Plus, some patients may be more motivated to do their exercises if they have a gadget that shows their results.

Don’t let chronic pain control your life
One of the key goals of physical therapy is to eliminate or at least reduce and manage chronic pain. Encourage your patients to tell you if they experience unusual discomfort.

Practice strength training
Even patients in their 60s and 70s can benefit from weight lifting that’s appropriate to their abilities. Before they set out to pump iron, develop a plan with them to set and meet goals.

Always reinforce the importance of home exercise
Patients are not with you in the clinic 24 hours a day. That doesn’t mean they should be working on their therapy outside the clinical setting. Explain the importance of homework and how following the exercises outside of the clinic can speed recovery and lead to a healthier life.

Be patient with your patients
You’ll be dealing with individuals facing significant mobility issues and physical limitations. Some may be in chronic pain as a result of an accident. Suffering in pain is a powerful temptation for a patient to quit or give up. Don’t let them. Be patient. Be firm. Explain the benefits of what the two of you are doing together to improve your patient’s life.

If you enjoyed this article, check out some more great PocketSuite.io content that can help you grow your career as a physical therapist. Here’s a great place to start.PocketSuite has thousands of business owners who all started where you are right now. Our community is always happy to help you ramp up, grow your client base, and achieve your income goals, both within the PocketSuite app and as part of our exclusive Facebook Community Group. PocketSuite’s vision is for any professional to be able to work for themselves and make a great living. It starts here. It starts with you. It starts today. Let’s get started, download PocketSuite now! Feel free to reach out with any questions (we’d love to hear from you)! Text us @ (415) 841-2300.

We’ve been speaking with dozens of founders of therapy marketplaces and organizations over the past few months, and we wanted to share our thoughts.

Below are nine different types of marketplaces eager therapists can join to help your practice grow, depending on your business’s niche and needs.

Big Brand & Reach

GoodTherapy for Mental Health

As one of the largest mental health directories in the world, GoodTherapy connects patients to professionals in 30 different countries. Each month, the network receives over 1.5 million therapist searches.

GoodTherapy focuses on collaborative care, with a focus on non-stigmatizing language and the client and therapist working together to identify solutions. For mental health professionals, GoodTherapy offers a wide range of continuing education materials, such as webinars, best practices and marketing seminars.

The platform also tracks visitors to your profile as a therapist. You can get access to real-time analytics as to how many clients are visiting your profile, how many are calling you, tapping on call-to-actions, etc.

To become a member it costs $29.95 per month, with discounts if you sign up for longer term memberships.

Platforms Doing Good

Open Path Psychotherapy Collective for Mental Health

Open Path Psychotherapy Collective believes everyone should have access to quality mental care, regardless of income. The mission of the site is to provide middle and lower-income people to affordable psychotherapy and mental health education services.

Individual clients can see a quality therapist for $30 to $50 a visit (well below market pricing). The mental health providers that are part of Open Path’s directory are either therapists building their practice and reputation or established professionals giving back to the community.

There are currently over 2,300 therapists in the community, but with rising client demand, many more are needed.  To join this non-profit network, therapists complete an online application and send in a copy of their license and liability insurance. For most, the process takes under 10 minutes there are no fees whatsoever for participating therapists.

International-Focused Platforms

International Therapist Directory for Mental Health

The International Therapist Directory (“ITD”) is a global listing of professional therapists, counselors, psychiatrists and psychologists who offer cross-cultural therapy. Spanning 40 countries, therapists can connect with clients and also network with other healthcare providers.

As our world becomes more and more culturally blended, with people living and working in new countries, culturally-sensitive healthcare providers are essential to provide relevant and helpful therapy.

The site is focused on professional therapists with credentials at the master’s level or higher, with a thoughtful understanding of the ‘Third Culture Kid’. Healthcare providers in the ITD network have a tendency to connect with one another to refer patients and share their expertise, so their referral network is growing quite considerably.

Member fee is just a $35 annual fee.

Directory, Community, Web-building & More

TherapyTribe for Mental Health

TherapyTribe is an online therapist directory that also offers online support groups with wellness tools and activities.  Offering support for people with mental illnesses, addictions and diseases, the site has a professional directory of thousands of therapists as well as self-help materials.

As one of the largest directories, TherapyTribe receives tens of thousands of visitors each week from people looking for help. In addition, therapists listed with TherapyTribe are featured to support group members using geo-targeting to match by location.

TherapyTribe is now offering members a free professional therapist website included with their membership.  A membership with TherapyTribe gets your business in front of a national pool of potential clients for a monthly ($20) or annual fee ($199).

Where Physical & Mental Intersect

Essential Yoga Therapy for Holistic Approach to Psychology and Fitness

Essential Yoga Therapy (“EYT”) connects customers with specialized yoga therapists who prepare customized plans to treat chronic pain or illness. EYT focuses on yoga therapy as the evolution of the healing process.

In addition to giving yoga therapists greater access to potential clients, the site also has quality educational resources. For example, there are sessions on how to teach a class with individuals dealing with scoliosis, covering techniques and pose adjustments that will not hurt the client.

The site is tailored to certified yoga therapists who focus on the holistic needs and therapeutic practices for individuals. Essential Yoga Therapy also offers in-person training for its professional community to learn new techniques.

OCD-Specific

International OCD Foundation for Niche Mental Healthcare

As one of the oldest resources for people with obsessive compulsive disorder (“OCD”), the International OCD Foundation connects individuals and families with disease state information, support materials and healthcare providers.

The site has a targeted group of therapists 1,200 strong. In addition to a directory listing, professional members also get access to the annual conference access, entrance to the behavioral therapy training institute and clinics with providers specializing in the treatment of OCD.

There are millions of people affected by OCD (1% of the U.S. population to be exact), but finding therapists who are knowledgeable in the disease is difficult. This site connects individuals to specially trained professionals.

The foundation is thoughtful in making membership affordable to its professionals. There are 3 tiers of memberships – from students preparing to be licensed therapists, to institutional memberships – with a sliding scale of membership costs.

Regional Therapy Organizations

The Georgia Society for Clinical Social Work for Regional Care

There are a growing number of regional therapy marketplaces on a state-by-state basis, including the Georgia Society for Clinical Social Work (“GSCSW”) as an example. Since 1980, the GSCSW has worked to advance clinical social work practices and empower professional social workers in the state of Georgia.

By becoming a member, social workers can network with other local professionals, access continuing education resources, and keep informed about legislation affecting the field.

Social workers can join the network with an annual fee ranging from $20 for a student, to $110 for a licensed practitioner. Upon joining, professionals are listed in the local directory and gain access to a forum of other professionals to pose questions and receive support.

On Demand Mental Health

7 Cups for Mental Health

Recently launched 7 Cups provides affordable, on-demand mental health services, connecting users to compassionate and trained professionals around the clock. From everyday stresses to more severe needs, 7 Cups offers users a safe space.

With over 800,000 site visitors a month spanning across 189 countries, the 7 Cups platform is rapidly growing and expanding their services. The benefit to the platform is that therapists can provide care online via messages through the app. All therapy is done through the HIPAA compliant platform, and allows clients to get online (and mobile) access to therapists without having to move a muscle.

For the therapist, the fee is $29.95 per month to be listed. In addition to 40% per client interaction if the client decides to book communication time with you.

For people who want traditional in-person care, 7 Cups also offers a practice directory. Professionals can get connected to thousands of potential clients the old fashioned way as well.

Alternative Therapy

Alternative Therapists Network for Non-Conventional Care

The Alternative Therapists Network (“ATN”) focuses on multiple modes of therapy and self-care for patients. ATN connects clients with counselors, yoga practitioners, life coaches, and music and art instructors. It offers a space for clients and professionals to find alternatives to conventional therapy and medication. This is a known challenge to established beliefs.

Users can find out about practitioners, their experience and their approach to therapy before ever contacting them. That way, they can ensure their therapist shares their ideals and philosophies before beginning sessions.

Clients can schedule appointments directly through the site, which makes it easier for therapists and instructors to build their clientele. For a fee, professionals can join the network, get connected to users and get access to webinars and training seminars.

The founding team of ATN also runs Psychology Tomorrow Magazine, sourcing and delivering great content and articles to ATN members.

Recommendation: First Research, Then Join A Network

As a therapist or healthcare provider, building your own practice can be daunting.  Joining a professional network or marketplace can help you establish your presence and credibility. For a small fee, you can increase your clientele as well as network with like-minded professionals.

It’s a worthwhile investment that will expand your practice.

Not all therapy practices are created equal. In this article we will discuss how to efficiently and effectively run your practice using the latest tech. But before we get into it, let me ask you a question: Let’s say you’re looking for a doctor. Would you choose a practice that’s disorganized and still using pen and paper (read: stuck in time) or would you prefer to go with an MD that effectively utilizes the latest tech to create a seamless pre- and post- visit experience?

If you run your own therapy practice, it should come as no surprise that your prospective patients are seeking a really user friendly, on demand experience from you.

Here’s a follow-up question:

How well are you prepared to compete with practices that *are* using modern tech? They don’t need to spend hours sorting through patients files, organizing a pen-and-paper office, and endlessly searching for specific patient’s info.

Not to mention that each part of your therapy practice is essentially a system. From the first moment patients find you (probably online) to when they walk through your doors, all the way to your communication (or lack of communication) post-visit… it all matters, and it all stacks up to create a huge differentiation for your practice.

These small changes especially matter when you start to take into account the effects of a powerful marketing strategy, coupled with solid response management systems in place for smoothing out any friction during the visit, all the way to turning more first time patients into regulars after their first introductory visit.

Practice Management deserves a massive article in itself, but in this article we will touch on the major struggles that most therapists experience and how modern technology (namely the device that’s usually in your pocket – you know, the one you’re probably reading this on right now) can change your practice and your life.

Thinking of the future of your practice is also important. As you grow, take in more patients and expand your office, are you going to hire more therapists, admin, office manager, and take on that additional responsibility? How do you plan on managing them? Read on for the solution that’s worked for thousands of therapists across the country…

The bottom line – you need the right tools to properly run your practice. One of the most important and useful tools in your therapy practice is an app that can help you automate everything. Does an app like this exist? Look no further… PocketSuite is here to give you some “couch time”.

Why Choose PocketSuite?
PocketSuite is a completely customizable Practice Management tool that you can use in many different ways. PocketSuite allows you to “fill in the holes” of your practice, giving you and your in-house team the ability to focus on core competencies and more creative work.

As a therapist, you must also stay compliant with HIPAA regulations, which has so many different layers to it from data privacy to data storage to business associate agreements and more. By the way, PocketSuite is completely HIPAA certified, making it a smart choice if you’re looking to stay compliant.

Let’s take a look at some features that therapists say are essential to their practice:

Calendar Sync
Still using Google Calendar or iCal to sync your appointments? It’s time for a better solution… utilize PocketSuite’s calendar sync feature to keep everyone on the same page without the messiness of Google Calendar or iCal. This also avoids double bookings and makes scheduling easy for new patients.

Recurring Appointments
Easily create recurring appointments for your practice to ensure your patients are coming back again and again! No more playing calendar tetris with your patients.

Payments
With PocketSuite, you can complete and charge appointments, and also save payment information so there is no need for the dreaded conversation with your patient to request their credit card.

Forms (Private)
Our therapists that manage their practice using PocketSuite love the Forms feature, which is completely customizable, as it allows for note-taking during each consultation. Feel free to send them your existing forms and they’ll get them imported for you in 24 hours. No more messy papers or notebooks scattered about! Those notes are all saved in your client history for easy reference when you are on-the-go. See below a list of forms that are available in your default account:

• Counseling Treatment Plan Template – set treatment plan goals with your client
• Therapy Progress Note Template – track your client’s progress
• Sample Model Template – understand client triggers, responses, and implications
• Behavioral Activation Counseling Template – empowers clients to keep a journal of their experiences and responsibilities
• Exposure Hierarchy Template – identify high and low stress points
• Introduction to Anxiety Counseling Template – plan for reducing stress and anxiety

HIPAA Certified
PocketSuite’s entire platform and everyone working at PocketSuite is 100% HIPAA certified, so no worries! Your data is safe, your business line is secure, and your practice is 100% HIPAA compliant with PocketSuite. If you already have a business line that you would like to use, no problem PocketSuite can port your existing business line in so you don’t need to make any changes.

Discounts
Because you are collecting payments individually when you use PocketSuite, you have the ability to give individual discounts as you see fit. Offering a first-time discount is a popular way to expand your practice and nudge patients who are still on the fence about working with you. With PocketSuite, you can easily apply a special discount for select patients. Most importantly, you do not have to give up your profit margin on all patients.

Surcharges
You can add discounts, and you can also add surcharges as well. This is perfect for rush appointments and last minute changes. PocketSuite also protects your practice by giving you the option of passing along the processing fee as a convenience fee to your patients.

Custom Patient Profiles
In order to ensure that your patients are a good fit, you need to screen them! PocketSuite allows you to customize the fields that your prospect sees when going through the online booking process. You can add any question you want answered along with the traditional details that will help to identify and process your patients.

Leads
Outside of helping your therapist practice, PocketSuite also helps you with lead generation. You can build up and manage your list of patient leads online and all of their information will be accessible from the app.

Questionnaires
As a therapist, you definitely know the importance of the exit interview. Add a survey or a questionnaire and send it directly to patients to fill out post-visit. If you have existing forms, feel free to send them to PocketSuite and they can import them for you. Otherwise, they have great default forms that you can customize and use. See below a few client forms and templates that are available automatically in your account.

• New Client Registration Intake Form – capture new client information
• New Client Questionnaire Template – document important health and medical information for treatment
• Notice of Privacy Practices Template – notification of privacy practices so your clients are aware of how you secure their information
• No Show, Late Cancellation & Co-Payment Policy Template – helps ensure your time is respected
• Child Intake Form Template – useful when working with adolescents

Team
You can have a closer relationship with your team through PocketSuite in the same way that you can have it with your patients. PocketSuite allows you to add your team of therapists and admin to the platform. From there, you can assign them clients or they can be booked directly by clients. They can also process payments and you can pay them through the app as well.

Recurring Appointments & Appointment Reminders
You can use the PocketSuite platform to schedule recurring appointments so that you don’t lose track of your patients, even as you build the rest of your practice. Automate the process of custom appointments all at one time, and you will never have to worry about patients falling through the cracks again. You can set appointment reminders for clients based on how much advance notice you think they need to ensure they don’t forget a session.

Contracts
When you have patients that are ready to book, it is time to close the deal in an official way. Sending a contract to your patient using PocketSuite locks in the commitment to you. It also helps you keep your patients on the same page and explains the details that usually require a lot of back-and-forth explanation – now that’s no longer necessary. There is nothing worse than working with a patient and then waiting to get paid because of a miscommunication. The contracts feature helps you get rid of this problem for good. If you have existing contracts, feel free to send them to PocketSuite and they can import them for you. Otherwise, they have great default agreements and waivers that you can customize and use.

Online Booking
Your patients will be able to complete the entire booking process online. You can also place a PocketSuite booking widget directly on your website so patients can book their first appointment with you right when they find you online. Boom!

PocketSuite is more than a mobile payment processing app – it literally automates your entire practice. From initial consultations to post-visit follow-up, it provides the tools that you need to run your practice inside and out.

Like this article? You’ll love our guide on how to generate leads for service businesses in 2022, and of course our Frustrations with Square article!

Are you a newly-licensed therapist with a budding practice and you’re looking to bring on new patients? Maybe you’re an established therapist that’s looking for a new way to get patients through the door. Either way, this article is for you

For many years Yelp has been the go-to for service businesses to shine in the online space, displaying positive reviews and encouraging eager folks to book their services.

With the recent public criticism of Yelp, including a documentary called Billion Dollar Bully, don’t be fooled. As unfortunate as some of the claims that have been made against Yelp are, they are still the go to resource for many clients as it relates to assessing the online reputation of retail, restaurant, and service businesses. 

It would be a mistake to think that Yelp is no longer a viable source of new patients for your practice.

In fact, Yelp is still used by tens of millions of consumers to make wise decisions as far as which service business to give their hard-earned money to in exchange for top-notch services.

This does include therapy practices, so it makes sense to know the exact, practical steps you can take in order to make the most of your profile on the platform.

Not that you have a choice – businesses famously can’t opt out of their listing being displayed by Yelp.

It’s because of this that it is not a choice, but more of a necessity to put your best foot forward on Yelp. In this article, we’ll discuss how you can do just that with the least amount of pain and frustration possible.

Think of the upside – many businesses get the majority of their new clients from Yelp, and you can build your profile up to the point where the majority of your new patients will be finding your practice on Yelp as well!

Let’s walk through how exactly to accomplish this seemingly insurmountable feat…

Source: The Daily Beast

HOW TO DOMINATE YELP WITH YOUR THERAPY PRACTICE

There are a few key ingredients to an effective Yelp profile.

One is to build a steady stream of new 5-star reviews

Now you may be wondering, is there a way to cheat the system and either pay for or somehow manufacture fake 5-star reviews?

The answer to this is a flat out – no.

Yelp has famously punished businesses for attempting to defraud their review system, even going so far as to plaster a warning to consumers on your profile. 

If you flat-out offer discounts or extra perks in exchange for positive reviews, you may be hit with a Consumer Alert on your Yelp profile, such as the one pictured below.

Another way to get more patients for your therapy practice on Yelp is to encourage happy patients to review you.

“Sure, but how do I find and isolate the happy patients,” you cheerfully inquire, “if I don’t know which ones are actually happy with my practice?”

The simple answer is, of course, to ask them

Send out an automated email or text message (which is proven to have a higher response rate) after every therapy session (or at the very least, the first one) asking customers what they thought about your service.

For the patients that responded positively, send out a follow-up email asking those specific patients to leave an honest review on Yelp.

Provide a link to your Yelp profile in the email – you can even go a step further and find the link that directs them to write a review (just right-click on the ‘Write a review’ button on your profile and insert that link into the email).

In this way, you are pre-selecting the patients that are already happy with your service, and encouraging those folks to leave a review, which will inevitably results in more 5-star reviews on your profile.

Another technique includes calling the patients directly and soliciting their feedback and then asking the happy ones to leave a review.

Either way, you’re not technically violating any of Yelp’s terms since you’re not providing any kind of incentive for patients to leave a review – simply asking the right people

As a happy side-effect, you’ll also be able to deal with any qualms or frustrations that your patients have with your practice on the spot, before they’ve had a chance to run to online platforms such as Yelp and Google to voice their concerns.

As the mini cherry on top, you’ll also be privy to feedback that you can then use to change your practice for the better.

Another possible strategy would be to fight against the allegedly unfair algorithm that filters your positive reviews on Yelp.

You may even try intentionally asking for 1-star reviews, as a restaurant owner famously did in the Bay Area, which led him to receive overwhelming praise from business owners and a massive uptick in new business.

However, this strategy is reserved for those with thick skin and a determination to stick it to the man (or in this case, the platform)

Additionally, if you don’t reach critical mass to the point where publications like The Hustle are writing articles about you, this plan may backfire drastically and leave you with a downtrodden, 1-star review plagued Yelp listing.

Given this high risk / high reward, scenario, let’s talk about some techniques that don’t involve potentially flushing your Yelp listing down the toilet (and with that, the trust of thousands of potential new patients).

HOW TO RUN YOUR THERAPY PRACTICE BETTE

Being dependent on a single platform to spoon-feed you with clients is inherently dangerous.

What if Yelp changes their algorithm or decides to mark some of your positive reviews as ‘Not Recommended’

Let’s delve into the nuances of how to grow your therapy practice without having to rely on Yelp to provide you with the majority of your new patients or patient leads.

BE VISIBLE ONLINE

As the internet gobbles up more and more brick-and-mortar businesses, you can ensure your small business is successful in the future by putting yourself everywhere a potential client might be looking.

I’ve said before that leads and sales are like oxygen for a business and without this your business will suffocate and eventually die.

So take heed and take some time to build a solid pipeline of new leads coming in.

MAKE SURE YOUR LEAD FUNNEL IS IN PLACE

The main reason you created a profile on Yelp is because you are looking for more patients for your therapy practice.

So without your own source of new clients, it can be tough to break free and build your small business from the ground up.

How do you build an evergreen pipeline of new clients, you ask

We’ve covered this before in our article on how to generate online leads for your service business, but let’s break it down specifically for your Therapy practice.

• Build your online presence on sites like Google, Yelp, Thumbtack, and Online Directories
• Advertise on the websites of local businesses
• Ask your current clients for referrals
• Run Google Ads (PocketSuite has a partnership with Google that allows you to easily market your business and send leads right to an online chat widget that you can receive messages from and respond to via text)
• Create a partnerships with local clinics, private clinicians, attorneys, and accountants that are great trusted referral source

For more information on how PocketSuite can help you run your practice, check out our article on How to Run your Private Practice with PocketSuite.

From business messaging to scheduling, online booking to accepting payments, and a generous amount of other useful tools, check out PocketSuite’s Premium plan to help you run your entire practice from a single app.

Like this article? You’ll love our guide on how to generate leads for service businesses in 2022, and of course our Frustrations with Square article!

Substance Abuse therapists work with people who are trying to recover from substance abuse and harmful behaviors that arise from substance abuse. Many Substance Abuse Therapists work in clinics or private practice, but employment opportunities are also available in public health departments, hospitals and correctional facilities.

Therapy make take place in one-on-one or group sessions. As a Substance Abuse therapist, your initial role will be to identify and determine the severity of the client’s problems. From there, you’ll develop a treatment plan.

Therapists work with their clients to unearth the root causes that led to the substance abuse. For example, the stress of a bad relationship or difficulties coping with work might lead to alcohol dependence. Use of painkillers following a severe injury might lead to opioid substance abuse.

Substance abuse can take many forms. Drugs and alcohol are the most common. However, gambling is one. Pornography is another. Also, shoplifting has been identified as an addiction in some cases.

By training and becoming certified as a substance abuse therapist, you’ll have the skills to help people recover from destructive behaviors that might otherwise ruin their lives.

If this sounds like a personally and professionally rewarding career path, read on to discover how you can become a substance abuse therapist.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this chapter on becoming a Substance Abuse Therapist:

• How Much Can You Make
• Training and Certifications
• Professional Groups to Join
• Career Options for Substance Abuse Therapists
• Finding Clients
• Helpful Tips for New Substance Abuse Therapists

How Much Can You Make?

The current average annual salary for substance abuse therapists is $46,259. That works out to about $24 an hour. Private practitioners with advanced degrees and years of experience can make more than $100,000 per year.

Training and Certifications

A bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field is the basic prerequisite for pursuing training in substance abuse therapy. Some states also require substance abuse therapists to hold a master’s degree and pass a state-certified exam as well. Check the requirements for your state before choosing a program of study. Here’s another resource with great licensing information for Substance Abuse Therapists.

To be clear, there are many online training programs offering certification in substance abuse therapy. Some may not care whether you have a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree or any degree. But to become licensed at the state level and get a job in the field, chances are you will need at minimum a four-year college degree and most likely a master’s.

What you’ll learn:

• How to offer counseling and substance abuse-support treatment to addicted individuals, their support groups, and the community.
• Develop and execute treatment plans customized to each patient’s unique situation.
• How to build relationships with support organizations in the community.
• When to refer patients to alternative programs or methods of treatment.
• How to support medical doctors in their patients’ substance abuse treatment.

You’ll also study the underlying causes of substance abuse, which are mainly genetic and environmental. A person’s genetic makeup can make him or her more prone to addictive behaviors, more compulsive and as a result more vulnerable to substance abuse. In terms of environmental factors, you’ll learn how an individual’s life events – such as trauma, stress and early exposure to substance abuse – can also increase vulnerability to substance abuse.

Your training will also cover the physical and mental side effects of substance abuse so you’ll be better prepared to assess a client’s condition. Physical side effects include cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Mental side effects may include greater stress, depression and anxiety. Proper diagnosis is vital to effective treatment. These are skills you’ll develop in training for substance abuse therapy.

There are a wide range of certification and training programs for Substance Abuse Therapists, here is a great directory that you can explore.

The Association for Addiction Professionals offers nationally recognized certifications in certain specialties that can advance your career. Membership is not required to pursue certification, but you get a discount on training if you’re a member.

The association offers 5 different certification programs:

Addiction Treatment in Military & Veteran Culture

Nearly one in three veterans seeking treatment for a substance use disorder also has post-traumatic stress disorder. Training leading to this certification teaches the diagnostic criteria, evidence-based treatment, and commonly associated problems with co-occurring substance abuse and PTSD.

Clinical Supervision in the Addiction Profession

Effective and quality clinical supervision is known to impact successful patient treatment. Training in this certification prepares you for supervisory roles in substance abuse clinics.

National Certificate in Tobacco Treatment

This certificate shows employers, third-party payers, and clients that you have advanced education in treating tobacco addiction.

Recovery to Practice Certificate

A national certificate program that provides advanced education in recovery-oriented concepts, skills, and practices that help clients stay on the path to wellness.

Conflict Resolution in Recovery

This national certificate program provides therapeutic training focused on how the brain works in conflict, plus strategies to improve recovery in relationships.

Professional Groups to Join

The largest professional organization for substance abuse counselors is the Association for Addiction Professionals, or NAADAC (the organization’s former name was National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors).

Students who are taking substance abuse coursework or completing internships can also join.

When you join, you also become a member of a state society, which is good for building a social network.  You’ll also receive discounted rates on liability insurance.

More Professional Organizations for substance abuse Therapists include:

• American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
• American Society of Addiction Medicine
• American Society of Addiction Psychology
• Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC)
• International Association of Addictions and Offender Counselors
• National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers

Here’s a directory of other relevant industry associations for Substance Abuse Therapists as well as targeted Facebook Groups.

Most of these organizations offer professional development through continuing education, networking opportunities with other members, access to conferences and other benefits such as insurance discounts and member pricing on training materials.

Career Options

There are dedicated facilities throughout the country for substance abuse treatment.  Healthcare systems employ substance abuse therapists in their mental health departments. You can also find job openings for substance abuse therapists at private mental health facilities, public school systems, and state and local government agencies. Offices of the Veterans Administration also employ substance abuse therapists throughout the United States.

Online searches on sites such as ZipRecruiter and Indeed.com will also turn up job leads. Use your connections in professional memberships to learn about job openings that may not be advertised widely.

Finding Clients

Leverage your memberships in professional organizations to network with other practitioners.

If you’re a member of a professional organization that offers an online directory for clients to find substance abuse therapists, be sure to add your business to the list.

Contact other professionals in your community to let them know you’re available for referrals. Clergy, doctors, and even other therapists are good sources for referrals.

You’ll also need a website. List your business name, address, city and state and phone number on every page at the top so search engines will recognize your website as a match for people looking for a substance abuse therapist in your city.

If you accept insurance, mention this on your website. If you don’t, you’ll need to go over payment policies with clients in advance.

Your website should also include a call to action and an online booking link to make it easy for prospective clients to see your availability and book you. This encourages your audience to do what you want them to do, which is get in touch. Here’s one approach: “Contact me today. I can help.”

Helpful Tips for New Substance Abuse Therapists:

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) maintains an extensive catalog of publications and reference materials on substance abuse issues. Topics include alcohol and substance abuse, suicide prevention, co-occurring disorders, trauma, screening and assessment, planning treatment, professional ethics and much more. All of the materials are free and available to download or read online.

Hypnosis works through a process involving suggestions to the patient for relaxation, calmness, and overall well-being. The hypnosis lasts for the duration of a session, but can also be recalled by the patient later under certain conditions. The hypnotherapist guides the patient to contemplate pleasant experiences or offers verbal cues that draws the patient into a trance-like state. From there, behavior modification techniques can be used to bring about positive change in a patient’s wellbeing.

Hypnotherapy can also be extremely effective in boosting confidence and self-esteem, and dealing with sexual dysfunction. Clients can experience improved performance and achievement across many disciplines, including business, education and sports.

Fundamentally, hypnotherapy works by increasing the power of suggestion to bring about change. People receiving successful hypnotherapy treatment become more susceptible to new ideas and ways of thinking through hypnotic suggestion. The goal is to implant better ideas in the mind of clients and encourage thinking that moves them closer to their goals. For therapy to work, the client must be actively open to the desired change.

Virtually all other forms of psychotherapy depend on the conscious mind to work on creating positive change. But if the conscious mind gets in the way of positive change, hypnotherapy drills down to the subconscious level where the conscious mind cannot interfere. Hypnotherapy can be especially effective in helping clients overcome what is known as a false belief, which is the notion that the client cannot do something or change something that could lead to a better life. False beliefs often implant in childhood and become so firmly entrenched in a person’s mind that a journey into the subconscious is necessary to root out the false belief and replace it with positivity. This is where the hypnotherapist’s work can be game changing for clients.

You can enjoy great professional satisfaction as a hypnotherapist because you are helping people work through their traumas, depression, and anxieties. You will guide them to the joys and satisfactions of life that typically elude them. 

You can also choose to specialize in a particular niche. Perhaps your goal is to help people with weight issues or to overcome crippling addictions that impact their personal and professional relationships. You will literally lead clients to another state of consciousness where they will learn to break bad habits and overcome long-term conditions that have had a negative impact on their lives, perhaps for years.

It typically requires many sessions over a period of time to bring about lasting behavioral change in a client, which means you are establishing an ongoing client relationship not a “one-and-done” transaction. By explaining up-front that multiple sessions are common, the hypnotherapist can get a commitment from the client to make the effort and do the therapeutic work.

If helping people overcome tendencies that are not serving them sounds like it is up your alley, read on to discover how you can become a hypnotherapist. 

Here’s what you’ll learn in this chapter on becoming a Hypnotherapist:

• How Much Can You Make
• Training and Certifications
• Professional Groups to Join
• Career Options
• Finding Clients
• Helpful Tips for New Hypnotherapists

How Much Can You Make?

The national average is $85 an hour for hypnotherapists, according to the American Association of Professional Hypnotherapists. Individuals in private practice can make as much money as their time and client base will allow. Private practice fees for an hour of hypnotherapy currently range from $150 to $200 an hour.

Training and Certifications

A bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field is the basic prerequisite for pursuing training in hypnotherapy. Some states require practitioners to hold a master’s degree and pass a state-certified exam as well. Check the requirements for your state before choosing a program of study. The patchwork of regulations governing hypnotherapy vary widely. Even in states where hypnotherapy is not regulated, the practice may still fall under other laws for therapists, such as marriage therapy or Substance Abuse therapy. It depends on the services you are offering and the client’s condition being treated.

The National Board for Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists stresses the importance of graduating from an institution recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Once you know your state’s requirements you can evaluate different hypnotherapy training programs. Dozens of online and in-person training programs are available, so check accreditation carefully. A national certification in the field is best because it will be recognized wherever you go.

NBCCH therapists include licensed substance abuse therapists and substance abuse counselors, chiropractors, marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, psychiatric nurses, physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, physical therapists, school counselors, clinical social workers, and pastoral counselors.

The NBCCH recommends these clinical hypnosis training programs. Most offer basic, intermediate and advanced training programs, although completing a basic course can get you certified so you can begin practice.

For other hypnotherapy certification and training programs, you can find a directory here.

You’ll need a terminal degree (MD or Ph.D.) to apply for professional certification with the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, which is widely considered one of the top professional organizations in the field. Student memberships are also available and cost $95 annually

To give you an idea of what a hypnotherapy session is like, watch this video on using hypnotherapy to relieve the emotional pain of past experiences.

If you have any questions about hypnotherapist licensing requirements, this state by state directory is a great resource..

Professional Groups to Join

The American Association of Professional Hypnotherapists is the premier organization supporting the profession. The application process includes proof of a minimum of 100 hours of certified training in hypnotherapy. At least 50 of the hours must involve in-person training with an instructor. Membership is $180 per year.

Benefits of joining include access to business development resources, ongoing education and networking opportunities with other members.

The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis is another organization to join if you hold a medical or doctoral degree or are in school pursuing such a degree.

These are some other industry associations that focus on supporting Hypnotherapists as well as Hypnotherapist communities on Facebook.

Career Options

You’ll find hypnotherapy jobs at private and public mental health clinics throughout the United States. Use online resources such as LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter and Indeed.com to locate opportunities near you. Public health departments sometimes offer hypnotherapy as part of their suite of services, although the pay tends to be lower than private-sector employment.

You can also use your connections in professional organizations to learn about job openings.

Finding Clients

The Institute of Interpersonal Hypnotherapy suggests these steps in drawing more clients to your hypnotherapy practice:

• To attract the right person, you need to be the right person. Focus on personal wholeness as a primary form of advertising. People are attracted to the positivity of an individual who’s got his or her life together.
• Build and maintain a strong website with quality content primed for search engine optimization (SEO). This is how people will find you.
• Make regular presentations focused on your work. Public lectures, networking groups and “lunch and learns” are all good ways to market yourself in the community.
• Network and connect with other people. Try to introduce two people to hypnotherapy every day.
• Hypnotherapy – Aside from the many other ways to market your practice, if you are not succeeding then we cannot recommend enough “Hypnotherapy for the Hypnotherapist.”

The other big question is whether to accept insurance. There are advantages and disadvantages of accepting it versus not accepting it. There is no right or wrong answer. It is just about what works best for you based on what you are most concerned about solving for in your practice. If you would like to make your services available to the broadest possible audience, accepting insurance will deliver that outcome for you. If you would like to minimize the amount of paperwork and administration that you are engaged in and minimize delays in when you receive payment, not accepting insurance will likely be your preferred path.

Helpful Tips for New Hypnotherapists:

Top tips for launching a successful hypnotherapy business, according to internationally renowned hypnotherapist Sheila Granger:

• Focus on a niche as an example sleeplessness, weight loss, or smoking cessation.
• Spend wisely on marketing and advertising, concentrating on places your potential clients will find you.

• Offer to give talks and presentations to groups. Your community probably has many special interest groups, charities, local organizations and informal groups who would be happy to host your talk on the benefits of hypnotherapy.
• Join a local business networking group.
• Make sure all your marketing material – website, logo, business cards, brochures – present the same brand image so you are easily recognized.
• Offer giveaways and discounts to charity raffles and local events.
• Offer current clients a discount for referrals.
• Make healthcare professionals in your community aware of your services. Hypnotherapy is a widely recognized addition to medical treatment.
• Use customer feedback to promote your success stories and create press releases to publicize them.

Perhaps you have a talent for guiding friends through dark times in their lives. Maybe you have fought victoriously in your own battles and now want to help others.

We all face questions about the meaning of life. Some people are better equipped to handle life than others. Do you know anyone who truly lives a perfect existence? How well do you really know them?

To be a psychotherapist is to guide other people along their journey toward self-awareness to living more authentic and happy lives.

Training to become a psychotherapist will enable you to focus compassion, empathy, care and support into scientific techniques for penetrating the mysteries of the mind to relieve the mental and emotional suffering of your clients. That’s a noble calling.

As a psychotherapist, you provide a safe space and the professional skills for helping clients reflect positively on their lives and develop their own skills to empower and heal themselves.

In short, you get to help people evolve into the best version of themselves. With training and certification, you’ll also make a good living as a psychotherapist while enjoying all of the personal and professional satisfactions that come from helping people through life’s greatest challenges.

We’re excited to share the ins and outs of the psychotherapy professional path. Here’s what you’ll learn in this chapter on becoming a Psychotherapist:

• How Much Can You Make
• Training and Certifications
• Professional Groups to Join
• Career Options for Psychotherapists
• Finding Clients
• Plus Helpful Tips for New Psychotherapists

How Much Can You Make?

Psychotherapists can make an annual salary from the low $40,000s to over $100,000. The average annual salary in the United States is currently $56,837. The average applies to a mid-career psychotherapist with 5-9 years of experience. Salaried positions involve employment at public and private mental health facilities.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that those with a master’s degree earn $12,000 more in average annual salary than individuals with a bachelor’s degree.

A psychotherapist working independently in a private practice can make as much money as desired, depending on a steady stream of clients receiving regular counseling and treatment. Working independently does come with some expenses, including leasing office space and insurance.

Training and Certifications

A bachelor’s degree, typically in psychology, is required before you can begin training for a career in psychotherapy. You may be able to find employment as a counselor or social worker with a bachelor’s degree, but in most cases the education requirement is a master’s degree in psychotherapy or a related field. Earning a doctoral degree in psychotherapy is also an exciting option, but not necessary to begin a practice in psychotherapy.

Degree requirements depend on what type of counseling you wish to practice. For example, to become a counselor in substance abuse therapy you would take specialized courses on the psychological and physiological aspects of substance abuse.

Here is a full list of schools, training, and certification programs for psychotherapists.

Psychology Degree Guide.org maintains a searchable website of accredited U.S. colleges and universities where you can study to become a psychotherapist. Keep in mind that by attending a program as an in-state student, your tuition expense will be a fraction of the cost to complete a degree at an out-of-state school. Currently, the average tuition costs for a master’s degree at a public school are as follows:

In-state residents: $8,640

Non-residents: Just below $20,000

Fundamentally, psychotherapists during their training and education learn how to help people overcome their problems. These can include behavioral disorders, interpersonal problems with family or co-workers, substance abuse problems with drugs or alcohol and behavioral disorders.

If you have any questions about psychotherapist licensing requirements, this state by state directory is a great resource..

Professional Groups to Join

There are many professional groups that support psychotherapists and their profession. The prominent organizations in the United States are listed alphabetically below with links to their respective websites. You may wish to join more than one, depending on your area of specialization. The average cost of annual membership dues in these organizations is around $200. All offer continuing education opportunities and the ability to network and exchange ideas with other members.

•       American Association of Christian Counselors
•       American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists
•       American Association for Marriage and Family Therapists
•       American Counseling Association
•       American Medical Association
•       American Mental Health Counselors Association
•       American Music Therapy Association
•       American Psychiatric Association
•       American Psychological Association
•       American School Counselors Association
•       American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama
•       Association for Play Therapy
•       Association for Women in Psychology
•       National (USA) Association of Social Workers
•       National Association for Addiction Professionals
•       National Association of School Psychologists

For more resources, check out this listing of psychotherapist industry associations and psychotherapist Facebook groups.

Career Options

Healthcare systems employ psychotherapists for departments devoted to mental health. There are also any number of private therapy practices that have available openings. You can also find job openings for psychotherapists at private mental health facilities, public school systems, and state and local government agencies. If you are in the military or have a military background, psychotherapy opportunities can be found in the branches of the armed forces as well as the Veterans Administration.

Finding Clients

If you’re running your own private practice, it’s up to you to find clients.

Because of the broad spectrum of counseling services a psychotherapist can offer, focusing on a specialty can help you build your book of business rather than trying to serve everyone. While it might seem counterintuitive to concentrate on a niche, when you identify the specialty that most interests you then you will be able to find the ideal clients for your practice. 

Use your memberships in professional organizations to build a social network. Connecting with other professionals enables you to share marketing tips and ideas.

Many professional organizations also offer online directories of their members so potential clients can find a therapist in their area. If directories are available, be sure your practice is listed.

Let other professionals in the community know you’re available for referrals. Clergy, doctors, and even other therapists (who may have full caseloads) can be good for referrals.

You’ll also need a website with good information about you, your services, and your approach. List your business name, address, city, state and phone number on every page at the top. Claim your Google My Business listing, search engines such as Google will recognize your website as a match for people searching for a therapist in a specific area of the city. Run a search for “psychotherapists” and the name of your city, then check the results. See who’s listed at the top, then visit their websites to determine what they’re doing. If they’re coming up at the top of search results (but not in a paid advertisement), whatever they’re doing, it’s working.

Website content should focus on what clients can expect to gain from therapy. It’s okay to highlight your achievements and education – and you should, because this establishes your credentials – but the website shouldn’t be all about you. Fundamentally, anyone shopping for a product or service is seeking an answer to one question: “What’s in it for me?” Answering that question successfully puts you in a better position to attract more clients.

If you accept insurance, say so on your website. If you don’t, make it clear that clients are responsible for services (or you can go over your fees during an initial consultation).

Finally, your marketing and your website should include a clear call to action, to get your audience to do what you want them to do, which is get in touch with you. Here’s one approach to a call to action: “Contact me today. I can help.” Make sure to include either an online lead form and/or an online booking button to ensure you capture prospective client information and make it easy for them to see your availability to book you.

At some point in your private practice, you’ll want to decide whether to accept insurance. Some therapists do, others do not. There are tradeoffs with either decision. By accepting insurance, you are likely going to increase the pool of available clients you can service. On the downside, you may have to accept a lower fee for insurance companies to work with you. Plus, there’s paperwork. Therapists who do not accept insurance get paid on the spot; there’s no waiting for an insurance company to cut a check.

Helpful Tips for New Psychotherapists:

Psychology Today offers a list of 11 constructive tips that help psychotherapy clients get the most out of each session. Suggestions include making a list of issues to discuss in advance of the appointment. You can adapt this list for your own practice and distribute it to your clients so they’ll be ready to get started and be productive right from the beginning of each session.

Gestalt therapy is a form of mental health treatment focused on personal responsibility and the client’s experience in the present moment, as well as the therapist–client relationship, the environmental and social situations of the client’s life, and the adjustments people can make to alleviate problems and improve the quality of their lives. The core theory behind gestalt therapy is that all people are deeply connected to and influenced by their environment, and that everyone naturally seeks out growth and equilibrium, or balance, in their lives.

Gestalt therapy is used successfully to treat adults and teens suffering from substance abuse, addiction, behavioral and mood disorders, eating issues, grief/loss, trauma, sex addiction, compulsive gambling, bipolar, depression and other conditions.

Developed in the 1940s, Gestalt Therapy encourages patients to become aware of their emotions in the present moment.  This is how gestalt differs from other forms of therapy, which tend to focus on past events. Gestalt therapy does not disregard the past, but attempts to help patients understand past experiences by reflecting on how they feel about those experiences in the here and now.

The therapy is rooted in the notion that dealing with negative past experiences involves managing our reactions to them in the present, not merely reflecting on the memories.

The goal of gestalt therapy is to help clients become aware of their thoughts, emotions, and perceptions, and ultimately to understand how these interior conversations with the self can change action and behavior for the better.

Think of it as a “real time” evaluation of an individual’s thoughts. Being in the present creates self-awareness, and that can lead to inner peace.

Gestalt therapy involves exercises and experiments designed to spark action, emotion, or reach certain goals.

For example, the “empty chair” technique is a classic gestalt therapy exercise in which the client is seated or standing across from, yes, an empty chair. The client is instructed to imagine someone is sitting in the chair. The imagined person can even be the client. Often, the dialog with this imagined person will involve a spouse, lover, boss, parent or some other individual the client may be involved with in a troubled relationship. The goal is to engage and evaluate the client’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors throughout this one-sided conversation. It’s a helpful technique that enables clients to consider the entire situation, especially if the roles are then reversed.

In this article you’ll learn:

• How much money you can make as a gestalt therapist
• The required training and certifications
• Professional groups to join
• Employment opportunities for a gestalt therapist         
• Finding clients
• Plus helpful tips

How much money can you make?

Gestalt therapists in the United States currently earn $69,117 annually on average, according to Simply Hired. The top 10 percent of therapists in this field are making more than $150,000 a year, usually by working independently in a private practice after acquiring several years of experience.

Training and Certification

Your education on the path to a career in gestalt therapy involves earning bachelor and master’s degrees, as these are the minimum credentials for state licensure to practice almost all forms of psychotherapy.

Many organizations offer training leading to certification in gestalt methods. The best strategy in choosing a certification program is to check with your state’s licensing board to determine requirements, then make sure your training program will fulfill them.

Here are two of the best known certification programs for gestalt therapists:

The Pacific Gestalt Institute offers a certification program for a $400 fee. Certification requires at least 220 hours of training. Of the total required hours of training, up to 60 hours) can be credited from another gestalt training institute, with the institute’s approval. Another 50 hours of individual Gestalt Therapy and 75 hours of Gestalt supervision are also required.

GATLA is another organization offering a certification program in Gestalt therapy with five levels of achievement. Fees range from $1,910 to $3,500 and up, depending on the program. The basic certification is $1,910.

What you’ll learn in a certification program

• Field Theory
• Phenomenology
• How to dialogue effectively
• Paradoxical theory of change
• Organism/environment field, contact and awareness
• Organismic self-regulation
• Character styles
• Shame process
• Group process
• Gestalt psychology
• Existential thinking
• Creative Adjustment
• Working with clients on experiments
• Gestalt perspective on anxiety management

Professional Groups to Join

The New York Institute for Gestalt Therapy is the original institute in the field. You can request a membership form here. Benefits of joining include career development programs, regular seminars, and the ability to socialize and network with other professionals in the field. If you live in New York State or Connecticut, membership includes a listing on the institute’s Therapist Search page, which people use to find a trained gestalt therapist.

The Association for Advancement of Gestalt Therapy is an organization with an international membership. Annual fees are $100 for a full-time professional or $50 if you are working as a gestalt therapist part-time.

Benefits of joining this association include:

• Networking with and learning from other gestalt therapists, researchers and scholars.
• Participate in an international coalition of professionals engaged in gestalt theory, philosophy and practice into the wider field of psychotherapy.
• A newsletter to keep you updated on organizational and professional issues, projects, activities and discussions.
• The ability to join or create regional groups to share information and support, develop joint activities and projects, and widen your circle of friends and associates.
• Receive discounts on association conference fees, publications and materials.
• Get a listing on the association’s Find a Therapist online directory (a great way for new clients to find you).

Employment

Public health departments and private therapy facilities hire gestalt therapists. One advantage of being a salaried employee, especially when you’re starting out, is there is practically no overhead expense. You don’t have to pay for office space, an assistant to help with record keeping (unless you’re willing to invest the time to do it yourself), monthly utilities, furniture and everything else that comes with running your own business. As an employee, your liability insurance should also be covered by your employer.

School counselors often use gestalt therapy in their work with students. Gestalt therapists can also find opportunities in the local social services department, and the U.S. Veteran’s Administration. Non-profit organizations, hospitals and major corporations also hire gestalt therapists.

With membership in professional groups you’ll be able to connect with other professionals in your field and ask them about job openings in their area. Keep in mind that if you move to another state you’ll need to be licensed by that state in order to practice.

Finding Clients

Congratulations. You’re ready to start your own practice. Now you are your own boss. That means it’s up to you to find clients. Here’s how:

• Let professionals in the community know that you are available for referrals. Doctors and clergy who are aware of your private practice and know you personally may be willing to recommend your therapy services for new clients.
• Be sure your business gets listed on the online directory of every professional organization in which you are an active member. Potential clients check these listings to locate a gestalt therapist nearby.

• Your website should include the business name, address, city and state and phone number on every page at the top. This helps Google and other search engines recognize your website as a match for people looking for a therapist in your city.
• While you should certainly highlight your achievements and education, most of your content should focus on how your services benefit your clients. 
• Eventually you’ll need to decide whether accepting insurance will be a part of your practice. Taking insurance payments can expand your client base, but the insurance companies may offer a lower amount than you’d prefer to charge. That’s the trade-off. Also, there’s paperwork, follow-up on payments and additional record keeping.
• The advantage of taking direct payment from clients is you get paid immediately. Clients who are paying for therapy services out of their own pockets may also turn out to be more committed to their treatment.

Good to know:

Gestalt therapy is unpredictable, according to the Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, because the therapist and client follow moment-to-moment experiences and neither knows exactly where this will lead. Gestalt therapy is complex and intuitive, but is based on the following principles:

Holism.

This refers to the whole person — thoughts, feelings, behavior, body sensations, and dreams. The focus is on integrating these component parts and how the client interacts with the environment.

Field theory.

Everything in existence is related, in constant flux and part of a process. The gestalt therapist focuses on how clients interact with their environment, including family, work, school, friends and authority figures.

Figure-formation

This process describes how individuals organize or manipulate their environment from moment to moment.

Organismic self-regulation

Involves understanding the creative adjustment the organism (the client) makes in relation to the environment. The person’s equilibrium with her environment can become disturbed by the client’s needs, sensations, or interests. The goal of therapy is to help the client learn to self-regulate and adjust to cope effectively with changing situations.

The Now

What is being done, thought, and felt at the moment; not in the past or future.

When past events trigger feelings of resentment, rage, hatred, pain, anxiety, grief, guilt and other emotions, the client is said to have “unfinished business.” Because these feelings continue in the present and may carry on into the future, the unfinished business may cause self-defeating behaviors that will continue until the client faces and deals with these feelings.

If you enjoyed this article, check out some more great PocketSuite.io content that can help you grow your career as a gestalt therapist. Here’s a great place to start.

PocketSuite has thousands of business owners who all started where you are right now. Our community is always happy to help you ramp up, grow your client base, and achieve your income goals, both within the PocketSuite app and as part of our exclusive Facebook Community Group. PocketSuite’s vision is for any professional to be able to work for themselves and make a great living. It starts here. It starts with you. It starts today. Let’s get started, download PocketSuite now! Feel free to reach out with any questions (we’d love to hear from you)! Text us @ (415) 841-2300.

Clients don’t need to speak during therapy sessions. Instead, they express themselves through the creation of art, or playing and listening to music. The therapeutic benefits of art/music therapy are well-suited to younger children, for example, as well as individuals on the autism spectrum, people who’ve survived a traumatic event and anyone who struggles to communicate verbally.

In Greek mythology, Orpheus used the power of music to save his lost love from the darkness of the underworld. That’s an apt metaphor for art/music therapy – bringing clients out of darkness into the light.

The goal of therapy is to harness the power of creativity to understand moods, feelings, thoughts and emotions. Through understanding comes healing.

Formal art/music therapy dates to the 1940s when psychologists Margaret Naumburg and Edith Kramer began independently developing the techniques and theories used today. Naumburg’s work was based on her idea of using art to unlock the unconscious mind by encouraging free association. The artwork her patients produced was viewed as “symbolic speech” that could be interpreted and analyzed.

Kramer studied art, painting, drawing, and sculpture in Vienna before moving to the United States where she founded the art therapy graduate program at New York University.

Today the techniques developed by these pioneering psychologists are used to help people throughout the world. If you have a passion for art or music – or both – and want to help others while making a good living, read on to learn what it takes to become a certified art/music therapist.

In this article you’ll learn:

• How much money you can make as an art/music therapist
• The required training and certifications
• Professional groups to join
• Employment opportunities for an art/music therapist
• Finding clients
• Plus helpful tips

How much money can you make?

The average annual salary for an art/music therapist practicing in the United States is currently $44,688. After a few years of experience and running your own practice, a six-figure income is well within reach. How much you can make in private practice is largely up to you. A little later in this article we’ll look at ways of marketing your services to attract more clients for greater income.

 Training and Certification

To become a qualified art/music therapist, you’ll need bachelor’s and master’s degrees to obtain a state license for counselling. Psychology or social work are typical degrees pursued by students interested in a therapy career. You don’t need to be an artist or musician to be a therapist in the field, although individuals are typically drawn to a career in art/music therapy because of their passion for art and music. In fact, your future clients are likely to have no background in art or music. Instead, music and art become tools for self-expression so your clients are better able to communicate. This enables therapists to craft a plan of treatment that leads to growth and healing.

Your training covers:

• Principles of psychotherapy
• Psychology
• Psychopathology/abnormal psychology
• Human growth and development
• Ethics
• Patient diagnostics and assessments
• Theory of art and/or music therapy
• Studio art coursework, typically consisting of 15-18 credits, which is a full semester
• Music theory and appreciation

You can view a wide range of art therapies in action here with this selection of videos.

The Art Therapy Credentials Board, in tandem with the American Art Therapy Association, manages the credentialing and testing process of art therapists. Their stated goal is to “protect the public by promoting the competent and ethical practice of art therapy through the credentialing of art therapy professionals.”

The first certification level is Provisional Registered Art Therapist. You can review the credentials handbook and download an application here. The application fee is $60.

Regulations for art/music therapists vary from state-to-state. Practicing art/music therapy is limited to licensed professionals in these states:

• Connecticut (Clinical Licensed Art Therapist)
• Delaware (Licensed Professional Art Therapist and Licensed Associate Art Therapist)
• New Jersey (Licensed Professional Art Therapist)
• New Mexico (Licensed Professional Art Therapist)
• Kentucky (Licensed Professional Art Therapist)
• Mississippi (Licensed Professional Art Therapist)
• Maryland (Licensed Clinical Professional Art Therapist)
• Oregon (Licensed Art Therapist and Licensed Certified Art Therapist)

These states regulate art/music therapy under another professional license:

• Texas (Licensed Professional Counselor with Specialty Designation in Art Therapy)
• New York (Art Therapy included in the Creative Arts Therapist License)
• Pennsylvania (Art Therapy as a Related Field for the Professional Counselor License)
• Wisconsin (Registered Art Therapist with a License to Practice Psychotherapy)
• Utah (Associate Clinical Mental Health Counselor License)

Professional Groups to JoinThe American Art Therapy Association is the premiere group supporting the profession in the United States. New professionals can join at the discounted rate of $77 for a one-year membership. Benefits include a deep variety of continuing education opportunities and career development. You’ll also be able to network with other professionals, share ideas and swap tips on job openings. Students can join for $59.

Employment

Art/music therapists can find work at hospitals, schools, public mental health departments, prisons, rehabilitation centers and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

As long as you remain certified by the Art Therapy Credentials Board you are eligible for a listing in their online directory of art/music therapists. People searching for a therapist use this service to find a professional in their area. You stand to gain more clients with a business listing.

Finding Clients

At some point in your private practice you’ll have to decide whether to accept insurance as payment. Some therapists do, others do not. There are tradeoffs with either decision. By taking insurance, you are probably going to increase your pool of available clients. On the downside, you may also have to accept a lower fee for insurance companies to work with you. Plus, paperwork.

Leverage your certification with the Art Therapy Credentials Board and other professional affiliations to network with other practitioners.

If you’re a member of a professional organization that offers an online directory for clients to find addiction therapists, be sure to add your business to the list.

Contact other professionals in your community to let them know you’re available for referrals. Clergy, doctors, and even other therapists are good sources for referrals.

You’ll also need a website. List your business name, address, city and state and phone number on every page at the top so search engines will recognize your website as a match for people looking for an addiction therapist in your city.

If you accept insurance, mention this on your website. If you don’t, you’ll need to go over payment policies with clients in advance.

Your website should also include a call to action. This encourages your audience to do what you want them to do, which is get in touch. Here’s one approach: “Contact me today. I can help.”

Good to know:

In testimonials, some patients say they find art/music therapy helpful because the creativity provides a way to express painful feelings and difficult experiences, including trauma, without talking about them. The very act of communicating verbally about a traumatic event can be enough to trigger severe anxiety, even terror. Art/music therapy provides a gentler means of exploring problems in a person’s life and helping them with coping strategies on their way to becoming whole.

For this therapy to be effective, your evaluation of the client’s creation should be neutral – neither praising nor criticizing. Rather, focus objectively on the content and why it was created in a specific way out of the virtually infinite ways the art might have been produced.

Instead of asking why the client painted a certain object in a certain color, for example, ask what it means. Clients may find it easier to express the meaning of their creation than to be placed in a potentially defensive posture of having to explain why they made certain artistic choices. And the meaning of the art is the real therapeutic value.

Take these insights deeper by identifying metaphors in the artwork and raising these ideas with the client.

If you enjoyed this article, check out some more great PocketSuite.io content that can help you grow your career as an art/music therapist. Here’s a great place to start.

PocketSuite has thousands of business owners who all started where you are right now. Our community is always happy to help you ramp up, grow your client base, and achieve your income goals, both within the PocketSuite app and as part of our exclusive Facebook Community Group. PocketSuite’s vision is for any professional to be able to work for themselves and make a great living. It starts here. It starts with you. It starts today. Let’s get started, download PocketSuite now! Feel free to reach out with any questions (we’d love to hear from you)! Text us @ (415) 841-2300.