In this Episode...

Aisha [00:00:01] That’s the first thing is like really allowing us to open our minds to the idea that there is a relationship between time and money, that it isn’t a one for one exchange. Although it feels like that, right, when a client doesn’t show up, we don’t get paid. There’s a one for one exchange there. But I’m talking about sustaining your business so that you can serve people with an open heart and so that you can get your needs met at the same time. 

Linzy [00:00:28] Welcome to the Money Skills For Therapists podcast, where we answer this question How can therapists and health practitioners go from money shame and confusion, to feeling calm and confident about their finances and get money really working for them in both their private practice and their lives? I’m your host Linzy Bonham therapist turned money coach and creator of the Course Money Skills For Therapists. Hello and welcome back to the podcast. Today’s episode is with Aisha Shabazz. Aisha is a therapist in private practice and she’s also a private practice strategist. Her passion is helping mental health therapists create sustainable businesses, and she is absolutely a strategic thinker. And you’re going to hear that today. In our conversation today. Aisha and I dug into the three things that therapists have trouble investing in that are totally worth their time and money. And I really appreciated her answers, definitely feel like I kind of had some aha moments myself today listening to her talk, and just so appreciated her strategic thinking around ways that we can kind of reclaim our time and also reclaim money by investing in the right places in our business. Here’s my conversation with Aisha Shabazz. Aisha, welcome to the podcast. 

Aisha [00:01:58] Thanks for having me, Linzy. 

Linzy [00:01:59] So for folks who are listening, who have not had the pleasure of finding out about you yet, tell me a little bit about kind of your journey into the work that you’re doing now for therapists. 

Aisha [00:02:11] Yeah, so my journey started off after graduate school. I was really excited to enter into this new career field. I graduated with a master’s degree in social work and a master’s in social policy. So I was always looking at the systems that we were living in and the systems that our clients were interacting with. So I found myself starting my career as a medical social worker, and in the work that I had with my patients at the time, I was looking at how much time I was spending, helping them live their life with more dignity, mostly because as they were interacting with me and my colleagues, they were at a place where they didn’t know how long their life was going to last. They were entering into the medical field, recognizing that like, Oh, I haven’t been taking care of myself. How much time do I have left? So there was always this perpetuation of, of time and we would often talk about – in support groups that we would run for our patients – talking about being on borrowed time. The unique aspect of my experience and being a provider of care was that I was not necessarily taking the time to take care of myself the way that I was encouraging them to do so. 

Linzy [00:03:30] Sure. Yes. 

Aisha [00:03:31] So on one hand, I felt really great about the work I was doing. And then on the other hand, I felt like a hypocrite because I was not practicing what I was preaching to them. And so when I had the opportunity to go into private practice, I noticed that a lot of the things that I was having a lot of ease with, my colleagues were not having ease with that. Where, you know, we’re building a foundation for our practice and not necessarily going ad hoc with all of the things that we have to do because we can’t just show up to session and offer our clients care and then everything else is taken care of. Someone has to do that work. And when you’re in private practice, you essentially are doing all of that stuff and some people feel like they’re going at it with no guidance at all. So I looked at the relationship between how I was valuing my time a lot more, and I wanted to make sure that therapists had the opportunity to infuse not only their values, but also being able to ethically blend their skills with entrepreneurship. Because a lot of therapists feel very uncomfortable with the idea of selling and marketing and business because we’re oriented to not think about those things when we’re providing care. 

Linzy [00:04:44] Mm hmm. That’s so interesting that you came into the work with that, like, policy, social work blend. That gives you such a strong like systems and structure orientation that like a lot of therapists don’t have that, right. We can get really in the weeds with our clients and really into, as you say, like the care aspect, but not necessarily having the education or the kind of orientation towards thinking about the structure that we’re creating around the care that we’re giving people. So with that work that you’re doing now, with this beautiful blend that you have of like social work and systems and policy, tell me more about what that work is is looking like in terms of how you’re helping therapists. 

Aisha [00:05:22] Yes. So I consider myself a private practice strategist because I want things to feel like there is intention behind the decisions that we’re making. Again, we’re oriented as helping professionals to think about the client from a heart centered place where our feelings are leading our decisions. And yet when we’re running a business, that’s not necessarily always the only thing that we need to think about when we’re making decisions. So I help therapists in private practice strategically make decisions so that they can sustain their practice and not have it feel draining and overwhelming. Most of us have experienced burnout at this point in our careers. And, you know, my goal is to help therapists not feel as burnt out as they did before they were working for themselves. Because no one sets out to run a business to say, I can’t wait to hate this one day. They want to have some aspects of enjoying it. 

Linzy [00:06:22] Totally. 

Aisha [00:06:23] What that looks like for me is really teaching them how to look at not only the business side of things, but looking at the ethical fusion of their clinical skills. So when we’re talking about marketing and sales, how can you do this in a way that is not sacrificing the values that you have? When we’re talking about discharging clients, can we think about the ways in which we’re entering them into a different phase of their treatment without just saying, okay, we’re done, bring in the next one. So because there are a lot of business systems that are in place that we have experience working in nonprofits and agencies. And I’ve experienced this in working in the hospital system where I feel so rigid and regimented, where there is no room for us to bring in our personality and our creativity. So really helping people blend between the two. And the thing that I see therapists struggle with the most is time management, because there are so many things on our plate that we have to figure out how to manage it all. 

Linzy [00:07:25] Right. And that goes back to what you’re saying, the beginning of that work that you first started doing with folks who are on borrowed time. Time is very valuable for everybody. But certainly, I mean, I completely get and understand what you’re saying. When you talked about like starting a business, it’s like nobody builds a business being like, I can’t wait to exploit myself and hate this. But I think what often happens is we replicate the systems that we know or we don’t put structures in place, and then we create something that’s just totally overwhelming and overt, like over demanding of our time and energy. So, I mean, for folks who are listening right now, like something that I noticed sometimes with folks who do struggle with kind of like almost like stopping to work on the business, right? Or stopping to put things in place when we’re so in it and we’re so – the phrase that I use with one of my students last week is like, sometimes your business can feel like a runaway train. Like, you’re just like, you’re on it. You’re being pulled along. She kind of made the joke like, And all your money is flying out the window, right? Like just this kind of chaos that can happen. It can be really hard for therapists in that kind of space to, like, stop and and take time to, like, pay attention to things or invest in things. And I’m curious from your perspective, what have you noticed are things that therapists are reluctant to like take the time to stop and invest in or work on, but that are like absolutely worth it for them. 

Aisha [00:08:42] Yeah. So I’ll start with saying that the reason why there’s a lot of reluctance is because they don’t necessarily remember that there is a relationship between time and money and there’s an investment or an allocation of time that comes along with either making money or saving money. Oftentimes, I hear therapists say, I cannot spend this dollar amount because I can’t afford it. And I like to encourage people to consider, well, can you afford not to? 

Linzy [00:09:14] Yes. 

Aisha [00:09:14] Invest in this and this task and this technology tool and this and this and this. So that’s the first thing is like really allowing us to open our minds to the idea that there is a relationship between time and money, that it isn’t a one for one exchange, although it feels like that, right? When a client doesn’t show up, we don’t get paid. There’s a one for one exchange there. But I’m talking about sustaining your business so that you can serve people with an open heart and so that you can get your needs met at the same time. So one of the things that I noticed that therapists are reluctant to invest in is using technology tools. And for me, technology tools are a way to make things easier and putting things in an automated process, right? So one thing that I have automated in my practice are my therapy consultations. I’m still showing up for my therapy consultations and interacting with people one on one. But all of the things that go into what it means to schedule a therapy consultation, what it means to screen someone before getting on a therapy consultation, I’ve automated those things because it saves me time, it saves me energy, it saves me effort so that when I show up to the therapy consultation, I’m ready and I’m able to meet with this person who is interested in therapy as opposed to thinking about all of the things that I have on my to do list or trying to jam pack everything into one day. 

Linzy [00:10:48] Right. Yeah. And I mean, when you just said that, I notice for myself, having gone through the process of automating some things, I probably could have automated more. I’m not practicing actively right now, but I’m thinking about the difference between what I was doing every single step of the process manually versus like when I even had some automation. Like the relief that can come with that is like palpable because it’s a lot of pieces to be managing to and like, you know, a lot of to do list items, as you say, a lot of little tasks to be juggling and taking care of that. Take energy away from your ability to do your work, be present, enjoy your life. 

Aisha [00:11:22] Yes, absolutely. And it also creates what we call friction with the the client relationship. And it also delays rapport and trust being built and marketing. We talk a lot about know like and trust factor. And if we are spending time playing email and phone tag, this client on the other end might think that we’re disorganized and that possibly is further from the truth. Right? 

Linzy [00:11:49] Totally. Yeah. 

Aisha [00:11:50] And that is discouraging for us, for them to think, oh, you know, this therapist must be disorganized. I don’t want to work with them. And it just might be a simple thing of I haven’t left the time on my schedule to figure out how I can automate this process. So by not having technology tools in place, you’re potentially losing out on clients that you are well aligned to serve. But they didn’t even get the chance to meet you because they already have this idea of who you are or who you’re not. 

Linzy [00:12:19] Right. I mean, our clients come to us very vulnerable. Like, I’m thinking myself of an experience I had a couple of years ago trying to find a, like a perinatal therapist who I really needed and having a bumpy kind of experience with part of, like, the registration. Like, I think I like signed on onto her automated calendar but never got a confirmation. And it was very disorienting as a potential client. Like it’s like I think we’re so sensitive as clients when we’re going to see therapists, but people who are coming to find us are also sensitive. Like they’re looking to make sure that like you’re reliable, you’re present, you know, like you’re clear in your communication, like, and they’re looking for those things long before the first session. They’re looking for clues about who you are. 

Aisha [00:12:59] Absolutely. And I love the example that you gave, because it’s not a far stretch to the imagination that people would expect this out of any service, let alone a therapeutic service. So if you can think, well, I can’t set up automations. Well, when was the last time you scheduled an appointment and you had an automatic confirmation? Or when was the last time that someone reminded you that you had an appointment? I can’t imagine having to call all of the people that schedule consults with me, reminding them that they had an appointment. All of that is automated for me so that they can remember because life is busy, so that I can remember, and so that we can both show up prepared for our interaction together. 

Linzy [00:13:41] Yeah, right. And the investment in that on a monthly basis, like what would you say is the ballpark of how much it would cost you to kind of automate some of the types of things you’re talking about on a monthly basis? 

Aisha [00:13:51] Yeah. So I like to think of investment in in five parts. So we’re investing time. Certainly, we’re also investing energy as far as like is something energy draining or energy giving. We’re also investing effort. So how much effort does it take for me to open up my laptop? Little effort versus how much effort does it take me to write a comprehensive email? Right. Those two things are important. But what is the the effort behind it? We’re thinking about finances, of course, and we’re also looking at time and attention. So when we’re putting these five pieces together, when we’re looking at like time, attention and focus. Attention and focus is the fifth one that’s like a two for one there. But when we’re thinking about putting all of these things together, that’s what I like to encourage people to consider. Like, what is the investment and what is it costing me to not invest? But overall, I would say maybe an hour’s worth of time collectively to figure out what aspects of your therapy consultation process that you’re going to automate. As far as the costs, it really depends on how much you’re charging for a therapy session. Right. How much can you afford to lose if a client gets lost between finding your website to scheduling a therapy consultation? If there are ten people that fall between the cracks in that and you’re charging $200 a session, right? I mean, is it worth it to you to do that? I would say so. 

Linzy [00:15:27] Yeah. I love that perspective, looking at both kind of the potential lost revenue. Right. Like what is what is the kind of potential that’s right there that you’re losing because you’re not investing this? But I also love your perspective of of really delineating those different types of investment because what I see therapist struggle sometimes is they’re like, oh, like 30 bucks a month to pay for the scheduling software or something. Like, I’d rather save the money. And usually I’m like, No, don’t do that. Because as you say, there’s all these other parts of it. So it’s like maybe you’re not paying for that scheduling software. But then as you say, there’s like all this time and energy and effort that you’re doing that work instead. So you’re still investing, but you’re investing what I think is probably for most therapists, much higher value, which is your time, your you-ness, rather than investing $30 or $50 or whatever it adds up to for these automated software subscriptions. 

Aisha [00:16:19] Absolutely. In addition to the fact when you’re investing in something, you could ask yourself, what’s the return on my investment? So if I’m giving an hour of my time, but I’m getting back five because I’m not playing email tag, I’m not having to send out reminders manually. I’m showing up to therapy consultations. And those people who are scheduled are also showing up, right? So giving an hour to get five back, I would say that is also a worthwhile investment as well. 

Linzy [00:16:49] That’s great. I love that. So that’s your first one then is like these automating technologies. What else do you see therapists being hesitant to invest in? 

Aisha [00:16:58] Yeah. So marketing. 

Linzy [00:16:59] Yeah. 

Aisha [00:17:01] I cannot say it enough that marketing is definitely a worthwhile investment because, you know, the biggest secret that I tell people behind marketing is if you don’t do it, you won’t have clients. And if you don’t have clients, you don’t have a business. And that’s why we have a private practice is to serve people through therapy. When you’re thinking about marketing, I want to whittle it down even more specifically and say your website. So there are so many therapists that I meet that are saying, you know, I know a therapist that doesn’t have a website and they’re doing just fine. And it’s like, Well, let’s consider the landscape that we’re currently in now versus the landscape that that therapist is in. Did that therapist start their practice before the global pandemic? Did that therapist graduate from their program earlier than you did, meaning that they possibly have a deeper referral network behind them because that therapists have a built in referral network. There are a lot of people that have deep networks where all they have to do is pick up a phone and their caseload is full. You don’t have the same access to those resources. It would be wise for you to consider what is working for them might not work for me. And I don’t know many digital marketers who are my tried and true friends that would recommend a business owner not having a website. So having a website is something that is going to be able to give you the freedom and flexibility to explain to a potential client why you and your clinical skills are well aligned to help them with their goals, challenges and aspirations. Right. There are so many people that are like, why have a therapy directory? Isn’t that enough? No, it’s not enough because the therapy directories job is to drive traffic to their website, right? Yes. Not only from therapy seekers, but also people that are offering the therapy. That’s their primary goal. And sure, they’re going to get benefits from people giving reviews and saying, you know, oh, I was able to get a client from this therapy directory. But if we look at the percentage likelihood that people are scheduling consultations and actually becoming active clients on your caseload, if you have more space like character counts, if you have more ability to be creative, let’s say your unique voice and how you present therapy and a limitless opportunity, you’re going to be able to accomplish that through your website. 

Linzy [00:19:28] Mm hmm. I love that. And I think it makes me think again of your point about time, like investment. Right. Like, I think this is one that a lot of therapists can feel daunted just because therapists on the whole don’t tend to be very techie people. There’s not a huge amount of overlap. So there’s a lot of, I think, room for making excuses, as you say, of like, well, that person is fine. And like, you know, and I love what you’re saying because it’s basically like don’t compare apples to oranges. Right. Like, are they actually in the same context as you are? Like, are you actually the same or are there other important differences? But yeah, I think a lot of therapists are scared of tech and I see that in my own students. Some of my money students like my mastermind students who are working to expand, like websites feel like a huge hurdle for them. And I’m curious if you’ve noticed that too, or what your thoughts on for why people can have this resistance to websites specifically? 

Aisha [00:20:15] Well, I do think the reality is it’s it’s hard. It’s not easy to put your words out there. Right. It’s not easy to put yourself out there and say, here I am world. I’m ready to help you. So looking at having to put yourself out there literally and figuratively is a difficult decision to make because we’re used to being that person behind the scenes. We’re not used to being the face of a business. You know, most of us, even if we were in leadership positions, were supervisors or managers. We weren’t necessarily the face of the organization that we were working within. We were protected by several layers and boundaries within the business. But when you’re running a private practice, it’s your face on the website, it’s your face on that therapy directory. It’s your face that people are connecting with in that therapy consultation. So that can be very intimidating. And I find that that is the biggest barrier for people wanting to put out a website. The second barrier is the fact that they don’t know what to put on their websites. 

Linzy [00:21:21] Yes, right. 

Aisha [00:21:21] Like, well, what do I say? You know? And there are so many resources out there that teach you how to put your words together and present them in such a way that inspires people to say, I think I want to work with you. And lastly, the other thing, I mean, I can go on and on about websites and the the folks that are used to hearing me, they know that I’m very passionate in talking about websites. But one of the things is, is that sometimes they don’t understand the versatility of a website. So for those that are marketing on social media, the intention for social media is to keep people on their platform. And so there are people that are just going to stay on the platform if you don’t tell them to do anything otherwise. But there are opportunities for them to know you, to like you, and to trust you a little bit more deeply. And that’s where your website comes in. If you’re interested in connecting with journalists and being featured in major press publications, your journalist is going to go to your website to find out more information about you. And that’s how I’ve been able to be featured in multiple publications, because people went to my website, they looked at my blog, they said, Oh, I read this blog, and I was intrigued and that’s why I decided to reach out. Yeah. So there are multiple ways to nurture your potential audience and your potential client base, but also just serving the general public. I think that’s another of the long list of reasons why having a website is important. 

Linzy [00:22:51] Yeah, I think we are at the age of the internet where it’s like if you don’t have a website, are you real in terms of a business? I know that, yeah a Psychology Today is that when I’ve tried to find a local therapist for this, that or the other thing. Right? Like to connect somebody or to to network with them. When I find somebody on Psychology Today and they don’t have a website, there is this pause which like, of course, intellectually, I know this person really exists, but you’re kind of like, Oh, they don’t have a website. It’s kind of weird, right? Like I think that is kind of our real calling card and our real like, this is who I really am. That as you say, we get to control, right? All those platforms are about keeping you on the platform. You know, you can have a great Instagram following, but Instagram doesn’t want people to know that much more about you. They want people to keep scrolling on Instagram, but it is really powerful. But I, I completely resonate with what you’re saying about the barrier that therapists have to being seen, because I know for me in my business, both of my therapy practice, but in this business that’s been one of my greatest growth areas, is being like, here I am. Because we’re not here I am kind of people most of the time. We’re that person like at the party, like over in the corner, having a heart to heart with somebody. I just think you’ve nailed it in terms of those things. Like there’s so much truth in what you’re saying about all these barriers that we have to websites. But as you say, there’s a million reasons to have a good website. 

Aisha [00:24:02] Absolutely. And it’s okay to just start somewhere. You know, it doesn’t have to be perfect. I know that we want to put out the most polished version of ourselves because that’s what we’re used to. You know, when you’re labeling yourself as an overachiever or someone who like is perfectionism is like a coat of arms, you’re just like, no, it has to be good. And if it’s not good, I’m not going to put it out there. But here’s the thing. If you don’t put yourself out there, you’re not going to be able to accomplish the goals that you have, revenue or otherwise. So you have to start somewhere. 

Linzy [00:24:36] Yes. And I will say that my website is not very good and I know that and I’m still doing fine. I just had a conversation the other night with a friend who’s doing a massive website overhaul, like a $20,000 website overhaul. I was like, Oh, maybe I should do that one day. And she’s like, Yeah, but you’ve done great without it, so it’s like, it can be good enough, is what I’m saying. It doesn’t have to be perfect for it to still serve that function that we’re talking about. 

Aisha [00:24:59] Yeah. If you’re getting results with where your website is right now, I would say if it isn’t broke, there’s no need to fix it immediately. But if you’re looking at growth and sustainability and you know that there are some areas of your business that you want to tighten up where you want to see like, oh, I keep getting the same question over and over again, right? Is that an area of my website that I can expand. Or you know, I’m offering this new service and the service is going off really, really well, but I’m finding myself having to talk about the service one on one with referral partners, as opposed to allowing people to find it on my website for a little bit organically. So again, you could invest in the $20,000 website, or you can invest in the free templates that come along with most domain providers at this point, or somewhere in the middle. But the design element of your website, in addition to the words on your website, there is a relationship between those two and as someone who’s very passionate about writing and who works with a copywriting teacher. I am a firm believer in fine tune the words and then let the design come with time. Because, you know, branding people get stuck in there like this brand. 

Linzy [00:26:14] Totally. 

Aisha [00:26:15] And all that. And it’s like, that will come in time. 

Linzy [00:26:17] Yes. The words really matter. That’s where your voice really comes shining through. Okay, great. So number two, wonderful marketing, specifically websites. What about a third thing? I think you had a third thing, too, that you find therapists are hesitant to invest in.  

Aisha [00:26:30] Yes. So the third thing is outsourcing. And many times people think about outsourcing their therapy. They’re like, I’m in solo private practice, I’m going to start a group practice because I need to outsource therapy. People are calling me, I’m on a wait list. All these things. That is not the only way to outsource. You can outsource things that you don’t necessarily need your clinical expertize to do. So for example, do you have to have clinical expertize to go and check your mailbox? No, you don’t. You can outsource that to somebody and say, you know what, I need someone to check my mailbox, because the amount of time that it takes me to run across town, check my mail, go back. Maybe you can outsource that to somebody. Doesn’t necessarily have to be someone that is on the payroll. Right. You could have someone that you trust, like if you have a partner that is intimately involved with your business. Hey, can you go and check my mail for me? That’s something that you can outsource. So don’t think outsource, meaning, like dollars and cents you can outsource. You know, preparing for dinner. What are we going to eat for dinner? There are a lot of decision fatigue that we have to have in our business. Like after a long day. The last thing I want to do is make another decision. So if I can outsource decision making, that’s also something you can do. And again, not entirely directly related to your business, but something that can influence how you show up for your business. 

Linzy [00:27:58] Absolutely. 

Aisha [00:27:59] When it comes to business specific things, you can hire a virtual assistant to help you. One thing that I recently brought on on the consulting side of my business was a virtual assistant, and I asked her to help me archive all of my content. So I have tons of content on social media and my blog PR features and I said, you know, would be really great if I had it in one spot. So when I go to repurpose my content, I’m able to click one file and open that file and have it all there, as opposed to having ten windows open and trying to find out what email newsletters I sent out and what posts I had. So that’s something that saved me hours and hours and hours of time. Could I have done that task? Absolutely, I could have, but I didn’t need to do that task because there were other things in my business that needed my time and attention that only I can do. So outsourcing tasks is very, very important. I encourage people to consider that. But then also, it’s the timing of outsourcing as well. And I’ll speak for myself in my solo private practice. I haven’t outsourced anything. And the reason being is because everything is working really smoothly. The other reason is, is that you have to take the time to figure out how you’re going to teach someone to do the thing that you need them to do. And right now, things are running so smoothly that it’s like there isn’t anything that’s falling off my plate that I need to outsource. But with my consulting work, I’m like, there are a lot of things happening over here, so I need to outsource this thing so that I can keep them moving. So depending on the type of business you have, will determine what type of things are outsourcing and how you do those things. And you can think about them from the business perspective, but also the personal aspect as well. 

Linzy [00:29:53] Mm hmm. Yeah. I love that point about the personal because I think something that certainly a lot of folks that I work with in Money Skills is they are also parents and especially mothers. And I think, yeah, there’s 400 other decisions that you’re making that day outside of your business that all take the same bandwidth, right? Like it’s all the same brain and body doing this work. So I love that idea of it doesn’t necessarily have to be in your business to have a positive impact on your business, is what I’m hearing. Those adjacent tasks can make a big difference. 

Aisha [00:30:22] Absolutely. I think we’re often reluctant to think about ourselves in the many roles that we have and how they influence each other. So I encourage therapists to consider themselves as a person first, because we are human beings just like our clients are. Think about yourself as the therapist that’s showing up and giving care, but also the business owner and the entrepreneur. And depending on how we’re able to show up for ourselves as people, that’s going to impact how we show up as a therapist and how we show up in our business. So if you find yourself showing up more as the business owner and that’s dominating a lot of your time, take an inventory of what the other aspects of your life look like and dial it back a little bit. It’s okay to refresh things over time. 

Linzy [00:31:11] Mm hmm. Yeah, we can get really, like, as I said earlier, like, that runaway train thing of, like, a feeling like you’re being pulled along. And I think there’s also something that can feel very comfortable about overworking and like being in that role all the time, because as therapists, we get to be competent and effective and help other people and make everything better. And something that I’ve noticed is sometimes there’s other reasons why I want to stay in that space. But what I’m hearing is if we look at outsourcing, we can start to maybe reclaim other parts of our lives more too. Rather than having all of our time going to this one one hat that we wear when there are many other hats that also need our attention or that we just want to spend time being. Aisha, it has been so great talking to you today. So for people who are listening, if they want to find you and follow you, first of all, where is the best place for them to find you online? 

Aisha [00:32:03] Yeah. So it may come as no surprise the best place to find me is on my website. That is the one stop shop for everything that I talk to people about. So you can find links to my blog there. You can find links to my podcast Beyond the Session where I focus on everything that we have to do. That happens beyond the therapy session with our clients. And you can also find the checklist for things to help you figure out what to say to inspire your ideal client to say yes to working with you. A lot of times people get tossed up in this, you know, what do I say in my marketing and how do I market? And what do you mean know, like, and trust? So we really break down. Very simply, it’s a it’s a growing list of questions. I think at now it’s about 20 questions where you can infuse and the different phases of your – what I call your therapy consultation process – or looking at the things that you’re going to do before your therapy consultation. And a lot of that marketing and attracting people what you’re doing during the therapy consultation or that acquisition or acquire phase and then after. So that retention phase and if we have all three of those things together, then you’re more likely to have a sustainable practice. So that free checklist is available to you there. And if you are interested in learning more about how to automate things, especially when it comes to welcoming people into the therapy consultation process, I do have a client inquiry form template where it walks you through how to create a client inquiry form so that you can automate some of your processes for your practice. 

Linzy [00:33:43] Beautiful, beautiful, wonderful. So you can find those on your website because websites are important. That’s what we’re taking away for today. So thank you. Thank you so much for joining me today. So many valuable pieces and folks are listening. If you’re curious, definitely take a minute now to go check out Aisha’s website and get those great, great freebies. In this conversation with Aisha, the thing that really stuck out to me just so much was about automating those onboarding processes. I think that her her point about, you know, think about how many places now have automated and you know, what it’s like to like not get appointment reminders both as a client not having that and having to manage it, but also as a therapist, you know, getting somebody booked in and not having the systems in place to make sure that they actually are reminded of their appointment. Both of you lose that client loses that appointment with you. You lose that client income depending on your policies. And I see so often therapists be kind of fearful and sometimes mistrustful about technology. And certainly, you know, it’s up to all of us to find what is comfortable with us and really jives with the experience we want to create for our clients and our own beliefs. But certainly, as I was saying, a little automation can go a long way. And clearly, she has a lot more to offer around creating a smooth onboarding process and an automated client consultation process with your client. So this is an area where you’ve had any kind of like bumps or you struggle or you find yourself doing things that maybe could be done automatically. Instead, I would definitely suggest that you check out Aisha’s resources. I think that a little bit of effort here goes a long way and saves you a lot of time and energy and money. If you want more from me, you can follow me on Instagram, we post free, practical and emotional money content on there all the time. You can find me at @moneynutsandbolts and if you’re enjoying the podcast, please jump over and leave review on Apple Podcasts. It is the best way for other therapists to find us and take part in these conversations about therapists and money. Thanks for joining me today.