Making The Most of the 15-Minute Consultation Call

a therapist's strategy for success how to ace the initial 15 minute consultation are you using hopscotch’s 15 minute consultation offer with your clients? if not, you might find that it could help you grow your private practice let’s dig deeper and explore how a 15 minute therapist consultation call is as much for your benefit as the service provider as it is for the potential client, and it is important for you as the provider to ensure all relevant decision making information for both parties is discussed since most potential clients do not come to a consultation call with questions at the ready, it is a good strategy for you to have a consultation plan in place to ensure the call is successful first, let’s cover the basics the 15 minute consultation call is not a condensed therapy session and is not billable for insurance it is also typically provided as a free service to potential clients who are paying privately (remember at the time of a consultation call, the parent/child is not your client yet ) you as the service provider are the expert, and it is more than ok for you to take initiative to ensure that the consultation call is productive for both parties every client consultation call has three goals ultimately, the primary purpose of a 15 minute client consultation call is to determine if you (the provider) and the potential client are a good fit or not cover the basics regarding technique, frequency, cost and/or insurance coverage, general expectations, etc determine next steps for booking or else make a referral here are some helpful tips to guide you as you facilitate the conversation around these three objectives goal #1 how to determine if you (the provider) and the potential client are a good fit or not step 1 set the stage to keep both parties on track, it is important to articulate the primary purpose of the call up front a great way to set the stage for the consultation call is to say, “i want to use this time to understand your needs and see if i’m a good fit for you if i’m not, i can refer you to someone who is ” step 2 discover their need by asking about their motivation once the expectation for the call has been clearly communicated, shift your focus to building trust with the potential client by discovering what their specific need is because many prospective clients may find it difficult to articulate their exact need, it is appropriate for you to help them out by inquiring about their motivation behind the need there is always a reason why a potential client reached out, at this point in time, and figuring out what it is that motivated them will allow you to frame your dialogue around their specific need what to say • “what motivated you to reach out at this time?” • “is this your first time calling a therapist for your child?” • “what have you done to work through the concerns thus far?” step 3 connect through comforting words of validation next, validate them by responding with words of affirmation and hope what to say • “that’s hard to admit i admire and respect your honesty ” • “sometimes we all need help and making the first call requires courage and strength ” • “you are doing the right thing ” • “i hear your concerns ” step 4 determine the primary outcome they are hopeful to achieve through your services inquiring about their hopes will provide both parties with a clear path for efforts to be focused additionally, understanding the primary desired outcome helps the potential client organize the complex and often disjoined emotions that are common at this stage it also helps provide a reference point for future evaluations of progress lastly, asking them about their desired outcome is a gentle and highly effective way to instill hope within them, because you are pivoting their focus away from what they don’t want (the thing that motivated them) to what they do want the positive transformation they are seeking what to say • “what are your goals for therapy?” • “how would we know things are getting better?” • “what changes would give you hope that things are improving?” goal #2 cover the basics regarding technique, frequency, cost, coverage, general expectations, etc now it is time to establish rapport and go over all the basic, need to know information, and since you first took the time to understand the potential client’s exact needs, you are in a perfect position to custom curate what you say so that it is specifically applicable to their needs this portion of the call is especially useful for those who are new to therapy and may not know how therapeutic services work, or for those who may be unsure if therapy is right for them or not be sure to explain precisely “how” your services can help meet their exact needs what to say • “i hear you here is what i can offer ” • “i have worked with this situation before here is how i think i may be helpful to you ” • “here is my approach and what we can expect from each other ” then proceed to give your elevator pitch… • “i am a play therapist i use play based interventions when i work with children ” • “i do a lot of work with teaching coping skills and there may be some homework in between sessions ” • “i use cbt in my approach to working with adolescents with anxiety because… ” note you may need to provide some psychoeducation as many potential clients may be unfamiliar with therapeutic methodologies be sure to cover all the basic, relevant information that answers the following questions • what is session frequency and duration? • what is the format for meeting with child/client and parent consultations? • what is the strategy for therapy sessions? • what techniques/methods will be used? • regarding confidentiality, what things will be shared with the parent and what will you not disclose? • who else may be involved in sessions? (include frequency and extent of involvement ) •how will you engage with the child during a standard session? • do you offer in person sessions? additionally, for non hopscotch clients you will want to cover information that answers these questions • how much do you charge? • what insurance do you accept? • how do you accept payment? • are telehealth or in person visits options? goal #3 determine next steps for booking or else make a referral at this point, it is a good time to revisit the primary purpose of the call are you both a good fit for each other? if not, the information gathered from the consultation call should allow you to make an appropriate referral most therapists provide at least 3 referrals if outpatient, virtual therapy is still appropriate, you can refer them back to hopscotch to select another therapist and offer to contact support on their behalf if a higher level of care is needed, be sure and offer several options, including referring them back to their insurance company for assistance, going immediately to the emergency room or calling 911 if the child/caregiver is in immediate risk, providing them with the names and number of local community resources, and 211 (or https //www 211 org/) if yes, then asking the potential client if they have any questions is a great way to transition the call towards a strong close once all queries have been addressed, communicate a clear path for next steps what to say • “what would you like our next steps to be?” • “i have availability to schedule you… ” try to offer a timeline potential clients typically want help as soon as possible, so whether it is next week or in the next 2 3 days, provide context for how soon treatment can begin • “let’s schedule something for next week if that works for you?” • “would you like to schedule today?” the bottom line be fully present and fully yourself “wherever there is a human in need, there is an opportunity for kindness and to make a difference ” – kevin heath conveying your strengths, articulating how you can help, and interviewing parents takes empathy and confidence, and it is normal to feel a bit shy when attempting to convert consults to clients learning the art of mastering a consultation call takes repetition and practice, but it is a very useful skill that is worth developing and will help you grow your business as you grow your confidence with consult calls, it may be a good idea to bookmark this page so that you can conveniently reference this therapist consultation guide as needed and ensure your next consult call is set up for success