3 Common Mistakes That Impact Client Retention
By Shannon Heers
Client retention in counseling and private practice is crucial for effective therapeutic outcomes. While there are many things that you are taught in graduate school, you may not have learned what you can do as a private practice therapist to positively impact your client retention.
There are many different strategies that you can do both clinically and administratively that can ethically encourage your clients to return to you, time and again. Here are 5 common mistakes that can negatively impact your client retention.
Lack of Rapport and Trust Building
So often, therapists rush to get past the rapport-building phase with clients and into the problem-solving phase. The mistake that many private practice therapists make with clients is failing to establish a strong therapeutic alliance from the beginning. This may take more than just 1-2 sessions, in fact it may take up to a year before a client really trusts you enough to fully open up.
The impact of rushing through the relationship development process with your clients is that they may feel misunderstood, unsupported, or even uncomfortable in counseling sessions with you. This will eventually lead them to discontinue or drop out of therapy, before their treatment goals are met.
How do you fix this mistake? Easy peasy. Remember that your most important task not only in the first few sessions, but throughout a treatment episode, is to focus on that therapeutic relationship. Building rapport through showing empathy, unconditional positive regard, and active listening demonstrates that you have a genuine interest your client’s well-being.
Poor Communication
Sometimes you may forget that your clients do not have access to the same information that you as a therapist have. It is great to have a thorough treatment plan all flushed out for your client, but if you do not communicate or collaborate well on the treatment plan development and final product, you may not have the same treatment goals in mind as your client does.
Inadequate or unclear communication can extend beyond treatment plans. Sharing information with your client about your theoretical approaches and even the client’s progress in treatment, is important. If this doesn’t occur, your client may feel confused, anxious or disengaged if they do not understand the therapeutic process or see their progress in treatment.
What you can do better is to communicate clearly and regularly with your clients. Share information about their treatment goals, your counseling methods, and their progress in therapy. Invite feedback to make sure there is a mutual understanding, and agreement, on these concerns. A client who believes they are understood and heard is much more likely to continue treatment with you than one who lacks this knowledge.
Inflexibility in Your Approach
Many private practice therapists rely on only one to two therapeutic approaches in their clinical work. Another common mistake that therapists make is becoming too rigidly adherent to one particular theoretical orientation or clinical approach without considering your client’s unique needs and preferences.
If you offer a one-size-fits-all approach to counseling, your clients may feel like their individual circumstances are not being considered. This in turn can lead to frustration and treatment dropout. Especially if you are working with a variety of client populations, ages and/or presenting concerns, adopting only a few approaches will not encourage your clients to stay with you for long.
It is important to be flexible and open to integrating different therapeutic techniques and strategies in your clinical work. Finding out which interventions may work best for your individual client’s needs will make your treatment feel like a customized, personalized approach. You are also showing that you care enough about your clients to find the right treatment for their unique needs.
Neglecting Cultural Competence
The next mistake that private practice therapists make regarding client retention is failing to consider and respect cultural, ethnic, or socio-economic factors that influence the client’s experience. Without recognizing and naming these factors in your counseling sessions, you risk losing clients who may seek more culturally competent services elsewhere.
Clients may feel misunderstood, not heard, or marginalized if you as the therapist fail to consider the impact of these factors. This may lead to reduced client engagement and a lack of trust in the therapeutic process. Without trust, you cannot have good client outcomes or mutually agreed up treatment goals.
Therapists can continue to enhance your cultural competence and awareness through ongoing education and training, by self-reflection and self-awareness, and by incorporating the client’s cultural context into therapy. Broaching cultural issues rather than ignoring them will take you a long ways towards retaining your clients.
Inconsistent Scheduling and Follow-Up
A final mistake that private practice therapists make regarding client retention is a more administrative task. Engaging in irregular appointment scheduling, frequently canceling appointments, or lack of follow-up on late cancellations or no-shows can result in poor client retention.
If you as the therapist regularly cancel and/or reschedule your client appointments, or don’t have a consistent method for scheduling appointments at all, your clients may feel that their therapy is not a priority for you. This in turn can lead to feelings of neglect and reduced commitment to the therapy process. It’s hard to have clients come back to see you week after week if they have no appointments scheduled!
It is best to maintain a consistent schedule, communicate promptly with your clients about any scheduling changes, and regularly follow-up with your clients about attending appointments regularly. You can link regular attendance to their treatment goals and progress in therapy – the more work your clients put in, the better progress they can expect to get.
By addressing these common mistakes, therapists just like you can improve your client retention and foster more effective therapeutic relationships. By focusing on rapport and trust building, communicating well, being flexible in your clinical approach, enhancing your cultural awareness and competence, and having consistent scheduling and follow-up, you will be able to improve your client retention.
How we can help
If you are interested in hearing more about Client Retention, check out our Client Retention Training, available for group practices or teams within agencies. Contact us today to learn more about this training experience that can impact client outcomes and your financial bottom line!
Author Bio
Shannon Heers is a psychotherapist, approved clinical supervisor, guest blogger, and the owner of a group psychotherapy practice in the Denver area. Shannon helps adults in professional careers manage anxiety, depression, work-life balance, and grief and loss. Follow Firelight Supervision on Instagram and Facebook.
