Unlike many professionals, those in mental health cannot ethically ask therapy clients / ex-clients for testimonials. Nor can you use your client’s written expressions of gratitude without their permission. However, there are other ways to ethically gather testimonials about your quality of work and your clients’ satisfaction.
Remember that you cannot ask your therapy clients for a testimonial. And, you cannot use your client’s actual words without their permission.
- Always gather feedback when you present to your peers in educational setting – then paraphrase their comments;
- Gather cheers (and jeers) when you offer psycho-educational workshops;
- Collect clippings from the media (including print, video, and online sources) that include impressions of your work;
- Consider asking for letters of reference from practice allies who know the caliber of your work;
- If you have a web presence, and these days every private practitioner needs one, ask referral sources to write a brief statement for your website highlighting one of your strengths.
Check back in on Thursday and I’ll give you some ideas about how to use the comments that you collect.
OK! Tamara, I see your tips as to working around this. Yet, psychologists are being told by leadership in APA that no patient testimonials are acceptable. This isn’t just because of HIPAA concerns. It also has to do with potentially misleading people to think that one therapy or treatment has an advantage over another without any scientific basis. Go figure! Yes, that may be true (or false). In marketing we are also putting information out there about the quality of customer service, which is valuable. Psychologists are not getting the go ahead to flex themselves in this arena. It is challenging!
Hi, Ana! Thanks so much for taking the time to make this point! You are absolutely right, of course. Psychologists are prohibited from using actual testimonials from their clinical clients. And, all mental health professionals can be held responsible for making claims that one therapy or treatment is better than another (without any scientific basis). That would actually be grounds for false / misleading advertising.
However, there are many ways that I believe you can use testimonials from your work in non-clinical areas. (Please let me know if you think I am incorrect here.) For example, if you are consulting with a school district, you may use a testimonial from the superintendent about your consulting skills. If you are teaching a class, you can gather feedback based on your students’ evaluations. Even colleagues and peers may be able to write testamonials to support your marketing efforts.
Do I have any mental health attorneys reading this blog right now? If so, I would welcome a legal opinion about guidelines for using testamonials . . . with a particular nod to the constraints of psychologists.
Dear Tamara:
I am up in Canada and just came across your website when searching for necessity of branding.
You have great information on your blog and I like your website.
I am starting a private practice (Clinical Counsellor) out of the Vancouver, White Rock, and Lower Mainland area in British Columbia (2 hours north of Seattle).
Being totally new to this I have already come across problems like paying a copy writer hundreds of dollars for one short page of information. I am finally going to attempt to creat a brochure, card, and website on my own but need help. I see that you mention a professional bio and I am wondering if you have an example or if you have anymore information on it as my Business Coach suggested that I create one as soon as possible while I work on my website and brochure so that I can start promoting myself.
Can you also give me some rates on your services?
I have been advised to focus on only one speciality –however I believe that I need to expand at least a bit — because I will be limiting myself too much. Have you had much experience with this area.
Thank you.
Joyce Baker, MA, RCC, CCC
Registered Clinical Counsellor
Canadian Certified Counsellor
Addictions Studies Certified
& Professional Art Therapist
White Rock, British Cloumbia, Canada
Good morning, Joyce! And, thanks for dropping in here at Private Practice from the Inside Out! I do love hearing from the Canadians!
I’m so sorry that you have had such a costly experience with a copywriter. Although the content of my blog is entirely my own, I have used the services of a fabulous copywriter, Kathryn Bass at Kadroodle, in the past for different projects and will most likely use her services again. Just like a coach or professional counselor, hiring a copywriter is often a gamble and word of mouth might help you sift through the “chaff.”
I like the direction your coach is going, though, in having you write your own biography. Even if you decide to take your bio to a copywriter after you create it to get it spiffed up a bit, the content and the voice will be more likely to still be your own.
You can find my individual coaching and consulting fees here. I also provide 9 months of small group coaching focused on how to market a private practice and get the clients you need through my Annual Series of Private Practice from the Inside Out. You can find details on the Annual Series (including fees) here.
To date, the Annual Series has only been offered here in Colorado (USA) face-to-face. This year’s Annual Series begins July 9th and I still have a couple of openings. However, I am being inundated with requests to provide the Annual Series as a tele-series and I’ve made the commitment to make a decision about this by the end of June. If this is something that you are interested in, let me know and I’ll be happy to add you to my growing list!
Joyce, your timing is serendipitous as I’m currently working on a post that will outline what you should include in a personal biography. This may be all that you need to jumpstart your own professional biography. (I’ll make a point to let you know when it posts on this blog.) And, if you still need help after that post, feel free to contact me. I’m happy to contract with you to polish up that bio and launch that practice of yours in a big way!
Thanks, again, for taking time to connect. I hope you’ll drop back in often and invite your coach and colleagues to join us as we build our online community of mental health and allied health care professionals. There is always room for one more at Private Practice from the Inside Out!
Will, thanks so much for the tweet! I’ve posted a link to Where the Client Is. You are a terrific resource to our community!