With the start of the new academic year nearly upon us, now is a good time to start to think about marketing your business for parents who’re gearing up for school runs and business meetings.
Traditionally, September can be quite a busy time in the therapy world. Serotonin levels can start to decrease for some people as the days become shorter. Less daylight means less Vitamin D and that mean less serotonin.
And so, Seasonally Affected Disorder becomes a reality for lots of people. Much is spoken about SAD in the media with people often turning to specific types of artificial lights which are designed to boost serotonin levels.
Add in early starts to make sure the kids get to school on time before heading into meetings with The Boss,and, suddenly, that sun packed holiday overseas seems like a distant memory.
And that’s where you come in. Because, of course, you can tap into that memory during the trance part of a therapy session.
You can make that special memory become an ‘anchor’ point so the client can survive (and thrive) in the wetter, colder months.
Equally, if they don’t have that ‘special memory’ then we can always provide them of a perfect visualisation of the perfect getaway. It doesn’t matter if they haven’t even experienced an overseas holiday. We can ‘create’ that fantasy for them.
It was something which the modern father of hypnotherapy (Erickson) was very adept at doing himself. He had spent much of his formative years in an Iron Lung as he tried to recuperate from the effects of polio.
Erickson: pioneering therapy
His time spent in the device meant he used his imagination to escape from his confinement. Many of the techniques he pioneered to help himself are ones which we still use today.
Dreaming up that perfect beach for our mind to escape to when things become too much. And that’s where the marketing side of things kicks in. Afterall, we’re providing each of our clients with the perfect ‘getaway’ for an hour or so.
We’re giving them a ‘safe space’ where they can throw off their shoes, sit down with a cup of tea (or coffee) and chat with someone with whom they share a strong rapport before they can settle themselves into a ‘nap’ for 20 minutes or so.
A chance to escape to a favourite place. To dream away for a while. And, at the same time, understanding that the brain itself is being given a wonderful workout to ensure that the all-important prefrontal cortex is being placed into the driving seat.
Providing the client with a chance to scale themselves each and every week allows them to see that good progress is being made. And, of course, the end of the session is just as important as the beginning and the middle parts.
Positive affirmation. Positive confirmation. Positive communication and confidence. A suitable smile and gentle conversation as we wind down the meeting.
In other words, we’re giving them the chance to garner suitable anchor points to help them through the course of the week. Our own personal aftercare is also important.
Our training allows us to focus on the ‘positives’ in life. Even so, we may find that sometimes client meetings can be ‘challenging’ for us as they may be sharing deeply personal aspects of their lives with us.
Working with a NBH approved supervisor
And this is why supervision meetings are so important. Working with a NBH approved supervisor is crucial.
It allows us to confidentially talk through anonymous client notes and gain the support and understanding of someone who has the additional training and experience in place to help us.
Being able to sit with a supervisor in a one to one setting and chat freely over a hot mug of tea can really help to ‘ease the burden’ which can (sometimes) be placed onto our shoulders during a client meeting.
Without wishing to sound too ‘Draconian,’ supervision is also an important part of the NBH membership requirement. Alongside regular CPD training, it works on enhancing the skillset required for us to be able to efficiently undertake our roles.
Supervision also provides a wonderful opportunity for your NBH supervisor to share all of the latest thinking around psychotherapy. Part of their role is to keep up to date on the latest research so it can be shared with their supervisees.
In other words, supervision is useful in removing the pressure on practitioners who might, otherwise, be struggling to stay on top of all the reading and latest thinking from the world of psychology, psychotherapy and hypnotherapy.