I first mentioned including videos on your website two years ago when Pam Dyson guest posted here urging you to Introduce Yourself to Clients via a Video Tour. Last week, Jocelyn Hilling dropped in to guest post sharing The Top 5 Reasons You Should Use Videos on Your Psychotherapy Website. And, today, I’m happy to have Jenny Glick joining us to share how she finally got around to making that video for her site.
(If you are interested in writing a guest post, check out the guidelines here.)
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A Guest Post by Jenny Glick, MA, MSC, LMFT
I am Not That Therapist . . .
I really dislike seeing video of myself. When I do see myself in a video shot at a wedding or birthday party I think, “Ewww. Do I really move like that? Does my nose really look that big? Why is my voice so screechy?”
So when my business coach recommended a year ago that I put a video on my website in order to create a more interactive and dynamic site, I thought, “Ha! Yeah right. Like that’s gonna happen!”
“Besides,” I told myself, “videos are for therapists who are actually making money.
And I am not that therapist.”
Let me set the stage for you a bit. At the time, although I was a seasoned therapist I had just moved to a new city where I had zero clients. Yes, zero. I had a few phone and online clients from my previous city who were paying the bills but in terms of income. Nada. The thought of making a video was right up there with taking a family trip to Cancun for the holidays. Not. Going. To. Happen.
Great Coaches Point the Way
I continued working with my coach and even increased the time and investment with the coaching program; not because I had the money, but because I was desperate. And, the most amazing thing happened. When I started to spend more money on coaching…enough money to make me feel a little sick to my stomach but not so sick that I stayed in bed nursing anxiety…I decided out of desperation to do whatever my coach told me to do. Well, maybe not whatever but I decided to do all of the things that my head would immediately reject:
- public speaking,
- contacting potential referral partners like psychiatrists and nurse midwives,
- guest blogging,
- copious networking events,
- and yes, a video on my website.
Hmmmph!
My coach continued to talk about the importance of video and describe how it would increase the amount of time that potential clients spent on my website and improve my Google ratings . I learned that by posting a video just one minute in length it was more likely that a viewer would engage in my website and spend more time on my site which would positively impact the chances of my website being found when someone searches “Denver Couples Therapist”.
A Little Tough-Love-Self-Talk
I sat myself down for a little tough-love-self-talk during this time and said, “You are going to give this 100%, my friend. This isn’t going to be easy and it might not be comfortable either. I know that you like to feel all-in-control and self-confident in your work, but you’ve made a commitment to give this a shot. Before you throw up your hands and say it is too hard, you are going to give it your all. You need to know that you really really tried.”
It Was That Important
My work meant that much to me. It meant enough that I was willing to stretch past my place of personal comfort into the territory of discomfort and serious vulnerability i.e. fear . It wasn’t courage that motivated me but desperation sprinkled with hope that moved me into the realm of, “What do I have to lose? I have no clients anyway.” It occurred to me at about this time the hypocrisy that I was engaged in. As a relationship and couples’ therapist, I ask people to be vulnerable constantly!
“Let’s talk about your finances, your sex life, the affair . . . .”
All of the oyster-like, tender parts that I was unwilling to display. That sealed it for me. I was making a video.
Working with What I Had
Since I wasn’t making any money I had no budget to hire a videographer, hair and make-up artist, or whomever else you hire for such things. So one day, while my family was away at work and school, I set up my son’s Flip Camera (yes, the $99 cameras that children have) on a pile of books on my dresser and sat in front of the curtains in my bedroom on a high stool and began recording. I didn’t write a script but I did practice on video 8-10 times. I’d watch the video and then adjust what I said and retake. I pretended like I was just talking to a new friend explaining what I do . . . and the more I did it, the more relaxed I became.
Completion . . . Not Perfection
I told myself it was about “completion not perfection” (that’s what my coach told me and it helped me not obsess too much about it). I then spent two hours editing it, sorting out how to post the thing to YouTube, uploading it to my website and ta da! Video. Truth? I watched that thing two dozen or more times on my website. It was surreal to see myself online in that way and I felt terribly self-conscious about the whole thing. I would periodically look on YouTube and see that four, eight, ten people had also watched it and I wanted to crawl out of my skin. I learned to ignore these “views” and now don’t pay much attention to them.
The Payoff
I cannot tell you how many therapists have commented on my video since then. Mostly, I hear this, “I know that I should have a video but that feels WAY to vulnerable!” And you want to know what clients say? (Yes, I have clients now…lots of them thankfully.) Clients tell me, “It was really helpful to see your video. I felt much more comfortable calling and making an appointment.” An appointment. That is exactly what I was hoping for.
P.S. In keeping with the theme of being vulnerable, here is that first video.[youtube]http://youtu.be/9JVBFQj1px0[/youtube]
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About the Author: Jenny Glick, MA, MSC, LMFT is a licensed marriage and family therapist and owner of the Counseling Center of Cherry Creek where she helps couples get out of the hamster-wheel arguing and into more conscious and connected relationships. Jenny is also an Elite Coach with the Be A Wealthy Therapist coaching team helping therapists to build their thriving private practice while serving their ideal clients.
Very inspiring Jenny! Everything you mentioned in your article felt true for me. Thanks for sharing Tamara. I aspire to take the leap to video this Summer!
Thanks Lisa for your comment! What do you feel are your next steps to leaping into that video? One of the things that I have found in my work is that we will put items on our To Do List like “Complete Video” or “Do Website” — and when we get to that task it feels sooooo overwhelming.
I might suggest that chunk down your video into a few manageable parts: decide what to wear, watch other videos to get some ideas, work on video script, etc.
Good luck to you!
Nice breakdown, Jenny! Thank you for hanging out with us today and chatting!
I am glad to see another therapist has taken the video plunge. Jenny, thank you for sharing your experience with us. When I first started making videos I was very critical of myself but as time went on I became more comfortable in front of the camera and it shows when I look at current videos versus the older ones. I am in the process of relocating to a new state and recording new videos once I get there is on my to do list.
Pam, I used yours and Jenny’s videos as examples in my BlogStart for Therapists class last week when I was talking about varying content. Hope it sends a little traffic to both of your blogs! You are advocating for our professions when you are showing other therapists how it can be done. Thanks so much, girls, for paving the way!
Pam, it is so true that as we become more comfortable with the process it just gets easier….and, as we all know, we are our own worst critics. 🙂 I do some simple video blogs (vlogs) on my website and doing these regularly will definitely grow your comfort level!
Good luck on your move!
Jenny this is a great post. You are so real, it’s awesome. I feel like I went through the same process when I did the videos for my site. At the time I thought, hey, this wasn’t too bad, I’m going to vlog a lot! But then before I knew it, several months had passed and I had a hard time remembering how I did the first few. Having some easy system down that you can do something quickly with is so important, because it doesn’t need to be perfect, just real! The next video I do is probably going to have a three year old interrupting me. Or I’ll have to wait for ten years before I do another.
I was thinking the same thing, Kat. Because I’m such a technophobe and thinking in a straight line just never occurs to me, I, too, find that I forget from webinar to webinar (and I’m sure from videoing to videoing) just how to operate and do things that involve technology. Having a system or those steps written down can be the difference in me accomplishing nothing or inching forward.
And, concerning those . . . three year old appearances in the background of your videos . . . are you a fan of Laura Roeder? She was the first one I ever saw who did unedited video recordings for her audiences. She’s so relaxed and so real that you “sit” in her classes / events either live or recorded and feel like you are just hangin’ with the girls while getting great info! I can so see that same authenticity when I see yours and Jenny’s and Jocelyn’s videos. There’s nothing stuffy, nothing fake. You just get what you get . . . and it’s more than enough.
Thanks Kat for your kind words…and Tamara, really, your community here is just extraordinary! How wonderful to be a part of thoughtful, honest, dedicated, and vulnerable clinicians in Denver and around the world.
The ways that you Kat, Tamara, and all of the professionals here show up make me proud to be in this profession. That we each “walk the talk” — even if it is “just” by being vulnerable in a video or facing our personal discomfort with being in front of an audience — speaks volumes to our commitment to our own growth….which as we know is a benefit to our clients.
Hurray hurray hurray!
I loved your video and especially enjoy the concierge services! I have been thinking much about that…Cool ideas!
Thanks Jocelyn! 🙂
hmmmm…. I had never considered a video on my blog before, but after reading & seeing this I just might. Your video is extremely authentic….which is what I look for. Thanks for this post!
Happy to hear it Mary! Keep it simple and manageable for yourself and I bet you will be pleased with the results!
Good luck!
I so feel everyone’s struggle with bringing yourself, and myself too, to make a video. I’m prepared to take a. BIG breath and just do it. Like a band aid 🙂 thanks for sharing!
You’re so welcome, Raluca! What I’ve just learned is that having someone interview you can make a huge difference in that first effort. It gives you less to focus on and lets you do what most therapists do naturally – just talk!
Yes, Raluca, take a big breath and jump out there! For many of us, once we start talking about what we love to do, the words just flow out and the audience can really feel our passion and enthusiasm. I appreciate Tamara’s suggestion of being interviewed…I’m actually creating a new video now and being interviewed in it which I am really looking forward to. Good luck out there!