6 ways to build referrals in private practice…that actually work!
Deciding to leap into private practice can be exhilarating, thrilling, and life-changing.
But how do you actually get clients once everything is set up? In this blog post, we’ll explore six key things you need to do to reach your ideal clients in private practice.
Six things you need to get referrals:
Create a referral directory
Join online directories
Set up a Google My Business page
Join local Facebook groups for therapists
Attend virtual & in person networking events
Have a plan in place when you actually get a referral
01. Create a referral directory
This works wonders for many reasons.
First, you need a referral directory for your private practice as a solid business plan. Clients will ask you for referrals for all sorts of things. And, as a competent therapist, you’ll want to suggest referrals for wellness outside of therapy sessions.
Second, this gives you a focused list of people to network with and share your practice details.
To start, create a google sheet with the following professions:
Psychiatrists
Evaluators
Primary care doctors
Massage therapists
Yoga instructors
Recovery groups
Other wellness services that fit your client demographic
You can find a sample referral list here. This list then becomes your networking game plan.
Reach out to providers asking to set up a virtual coffee chat. Here’s a quick and easy sample of what Julie uses:
Hi there,
I’m a therapist in private practice specializing in EMDR and somatics. I’m looking for psychiatrist referrals for my clients and have heard great things about your practice. I’d love to connect and learn more about your services and the best way to send clients your way. You can schedule a virtual “coffee chat” with me here (link to Calendly).
Looking forward to connecting with you soon,
Julie
Flatter them. Butter them up.
Remember, in general, people are cool. They want to connect! Don’t let fear scare you away from potential referrals and new relationships.
Finally, keep track of who you reached out to on your google spreadsheet and update it with the relevant referral information for them.
02. List your practice on the following therapy directories
Listing your practice on therapist directories is not only great for referrals but also crucial for the SEO of your therapy website.
Five therapy directories to list your private practice on:
01. Therapy Den
A free listing with inclusive filters and a more progressive approach than Psychology Today.
02. Psychology Today
Pro-tip, look up zip codes across the state you are licensed in, and then experiment with different zip codes and track your referral rates. Remember, with telehealth you aren’t limited to sticking to just your zip code.
03. Open Path
Open Path Psychotherapy Collective is a nonprofit nationwide network of mental health professionals dedicated to providing in-office and online mental health care—at a steeply reduced rate—to clients in need.
Mental Health Match shows your profile first when you best meet the needs of a potential client. With their matching platform, you can easily connect with therapy-seekers who are most likely to become recurring clients.
05. THRIVING CAMPUS
Get matched with students attending colleges and universities across the US—for free!
How do you write a counseling profile?*
For most of the listings, you’ll want to be able to answer the general questions below.
Spend some time answering them ONCE and then make minor edits for the relevant sites. Speak to your ideal client, not about your credentials and training (boring!).
Imagine your ideal client. What are their issues, their needs, and their goals?
What does your client want and why?
How can you help? Talk about your specialty and what you offer.
What’s the best way for someone to reach out?
*Therapy Den has an amazing blog post on this.
03. Set up Google My Business (GMB)
Google My Business is a PHENOMENAL way to increase your website traffic and find ideal clients in your area. Once you have a practice in place, you’ll want to get a GMB profile going asap.
Consider the following things when setting it up:
What address do you want to use? You’ll need to be able to verify the address in some capacity.
List services and products that you are going to offer that match your ideal client.
Add quality headshots and photos of your office space if you have any.
Make sure to link to your website.
Update the listing as much as possible.
04. Join local therapist facebook groups and start responding to posts
Two tactics here:
01. Join local Facebook groups for therapists and respond to posts that meet your ideal client.
For example. Julie lives in Philadelphia; she is part of a Facebook group called “Philadelphia Private Practice Network.” and responds to posts written by other therapists that are appropriate referrals for her.
02. Join local Facebook groups your ideal clients are in.
Julie is also in a Facebook group called “Philaqueens,” a social networking group for millennial women in the Philly area. She responds to posts written by other women looking for therapists in Philly.
Facebook has literally brought in thousands of dollars of income without spending a penny on paid ads for her. We said this before, and we’ll say it again, sign up for Facebook now.
05. Attend networking events in your area
Step out of your comfort zone and start networking! In a post-pandemic world, there are lots of networking opportunities available in the comfort of your own home. Here are some ideas to find networking events:
Contact local IOP programs and see if they offer networking opportunities, often case managers or outreach coordinators host these events as part of their job.
Contact substance use treatment programs and see if they offer networking opportunities, often case managers or outreach coordinators host these events as part of their job.
Post on Facebook groups that you want to attend networking events with other therapists.
Start your own group!
06. Have a solid game plan in place when you do get a referral
Once you get a referral (which you will because these methods work!) you’ll want to have a solid plan in place to respond both professionally and personally. Spend some time answering these questions, all the while remembering that you are in charge and can change your game plan whenever you want.
What hours are you available?
What’s the intake process like?
How will you send the intake forms?
Do you offer in-person vs. virtual?
How do you accept payment?
Do you offer free consult calls? What’s the best way to schedule* them?
*Julie uses Calendly for consult calls and Simple Practice for client scheduling.
Next Steps
Once you have these referral sources in place, it will not only help with your SEO but will also help your organic word-of-mouth traffic. Make sure you set up your private practice well from the get-go!
Building a private practice takes time, yet trust us when we say it’s worth it.
Julie Goldberg is the founder of Third Nature Therapy, a virtual therapy group offering holistic mental health care for people seeking a different perspective on wellbeing. As a co-founder of PREMADE and mental health practitioner herself, she offers straightforward and easy to implement methods for running a successful private practice.