Often therapists may have the experience of being forced to cancel their clients. Perhaps they experience a family tragedy, a personal illness or other stressful situation. For days, weeks or even months, we may need to cancel client hours. Private practice does not provide sick leave!
Had you been in private practice, that would have been devastating to your work schedule and livelihood due to being out of work for weeks.
Of course, for decades we as practitioners have been primarily bound to an hours-for-dollars payment model, charging clients either by the amount of time we spend with them or by the procedures we perform. In both cases, it’s all about the time we’re required to put in.
There are a lot of problems inherent in this, but one of the most frustrating is that the only way to increase our income is to see more clients . . . and that means working longer hours and more days, trading hours for dollars. It’s important for us to consider the cost to us in diminished stamina and effectiveness, because the harder you work, the more burned out you are likely to get.
But there are other ways you can reach more people, increase your healing abilities and client satisfaction by learning to work smarter rather than harder!