Moments ago I received a phone call from a man who "wanted to see someone today." I didn't have a full hour open, and anyway am always a little wary of people who feel that desperate, so I wished him well in his quest.
I remember when I was part of the "whoever answers the phone first gets him" contingent. I'd take anyone. I had a general practice and did not know what made me different from any other counselor. I was like the old Generic products, remember those? The ones in the supermarket with the black and white text labels that simply said "Pretzels", or "Peanut Butter"? Low price was the only reason to buy those. And did I mention that when I first started I mainly differentiated myself by my low, low prices?
Five years has taught me this: there is lots of competition for generic counselors. There is no competition for Me.
What do I mean by this? I mean that as I have begun to know who I am, what I'm good at, who I like to work with, believe in my value and learn how to confidently communicate that, I have found that I am unique.
There are so many elements in it. There's my niche, my age, my gender, where I've lived, what I've overcome, what languages I speak, what my trainings have been, and so on. There is literally no one else who has the same combination of attributes as me.
Overall, I use the term "Resonance Niche" to describe it. If you give your potential clients enough information about you (and I know this flies in the face of the psychoanalytic/blank-slate model) it will help the right ones decide on you. Some people come to me because I'm from NY. Some because I have a tech background. Some because of my "Nice Guy" niche. Some probably just because they like my "energy" in the videos on my website.
So for you, this means knowing that everything about you, everything you've been through, everything you have learned, everything you have lived, is an asset, and is part of what makes you a unique therapist. There is no competition for You!
Best, Your Grateful Guy
PS - did I mention that people pay more for a specialty item than the generic? They do.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I love this post- especially the term "resonance niche." I completely... um, resonate with that idea!
Peter - as always, well said.
The more I do this work, the more I realize how much the psychoanalytic/blank slate model doesn't work for me - or for my clients. My clients come to me seeking relational help. How can they learn about relationship from a blank slate? It is through bringing the combination of my self and my knowledge/skills into the room that my clients seem to benefit the most.
Identity is important. So many of my clients come to me seeking help in finding their own strengths and gifts - and if I'm not willing to let mine be visible to my clients, why would they think I'd be the person to help them find and express theirs?
You never know what will speak to a potential client. I've had it be everything from my tech background to the fact that I have 3 dogs.
I so agree with the comment about not being a blank slate. I practice an attachment style of counseling, and all of my clients show up with relationship issues. Thanks for starting this site--I just found it and I like its premise of using spiritual tools and the non-competitive approach.
Post a Comment