Australia Counselling member Helen Larkey is a therapist who was struggling to build her private practice in an area of Australia that is saturated by therapists.
She was about to go back to university to commence the long process of gaining a psychology degree, after already having completed full registration as a counsellor and psychotherapist. She thought that she could only create a successful therapy practice if she could offer Medicare rebates to clients.
But rather than embark on many years of study (and huge cost), she instead made a mindset shift in her approach to her therapy business that has lead to great results.
In our latest podcast, Helen shares how this important mindset shift helped her start to grow the counselling business of her dreams.
In this episode we discuss:
- the benefits she gained from choosing a niche for marketing purposes
- the importance of having a professional website that is aimed to attract her ideal clients
- how she was able to grow her business from no clients to a busy client load
- how working with other professionals such as a business coach and website developer has made a huge difference
- how she has used networking with allied health professionals to grow her referral base
Links and resources mentioned in this episode:
- Discernment Counselling – 25 hour online training with Dr Bill Doherty
- Discernement Counselling: How to Work with Couples When One Partner is Ambivalent – Podcast Episode #51
- Todoist – cloud-based task management app
- Reconnect Counselling – Helen Larkey’s counselling website
- Australia Counselling membership – Join Australia Counselling to promote your private practice
About Helen Larkey:
Helen Larkey is an experienced counsellor and educator with a Master’s degree in Social Science (Counselling), a Graduate Diploma of Counselling and a Bachelor of Social Science (Counselling and Psychology).
Helen has lectured in counselling, communication and social welfare at Southern Cross University in the Bachelor of Social Science program from 2005-2011. She also taught counselling and communication to students of Naturopathy at the NSW College of Natural Medicine.
As a specialist in relationship counselling she has a particular interest in working with people to help them empower themselves and reach their goals. Other involvements include training in group work and conflict management – and as a trainer in couple communication.
She sees clients in Bangalow and in Byron Bay, both in the Northern Rivers district of New South Wales. She also offers a mobile service to the surrounding areas of Mullumbimby, Lismore and Ballina – and work with many people around Australia and the world via the telephone and Skype. Visit her website at www.helenlarkey.com
Listen to the audio with the player at the top of this post, or listen on SoundCloud, Stitcher Radio, or subscribe in iTunes.
