Being Visible

Being visible doesn’t always come naturally.

You’re an excellent counsellor. As part of a collaborative relationship with your clients, you nurture and create lasting transformations.

I heard some counsellors describe themselves as being introverts.  Shyness may keep you hidden from the centre stage. You have boundaries. Perhaps a tutor told you that keeping your personal space and distance is essential. Hiding your personality behind a veil ensures your client is the focus of your attention in your sessions. It’s the client that matters. I don’t disagree, but how do clients find you if you are invisible?

A genuine connection

Back in the early days of my private practice, a client gave me truly great insight. They told me they appreciated my professionalism but needed to feel they could see me as a person not just a counsellor and I felt hidden to them in order for them to trust me, with me as a person to feel safe. I’ve always valued and reflected on my client’s feedback, which continues to inform my ethos and approach.

In counselling, human connection is everything. Your education, techniques and competence are vital to helping a vulnerable person, but your client may only reach their potential with a genuine connection in the relationship. Many counsellors and theorists agree that the relationship helps to create change.

Finding new clients

When we step outside our comfort zone, we feel scared. What emotions would surface if I asked you to place yourself in front of a camera and sell yourself? If you’re part way through your training or in the early stages of your counselling career, I’m guessing you’d feel like a startled rabbit facing oncoming traffic!

The uncomfortable truth

Feeling shy and uncomfortable with making a sales pitch is not unusual, especially if you’re a natural introvert. Most of us cringe at the thought of anything salesy. We feel negativity about selling ourselves as a product. This reluctance often stems from our own experience with pushy salespeople. We associate selling with self-interest, manipulation, pressure, and lack of value. But selling and the ability to communicate value and passion are vital skills for building a business.

You want to excel in your practice. You hope that being great at what you do will bring new clients rolling in. Your work will speak for you, but you must speak up for yourself too. You know that once you have clients who appreciate your support, they will refer you to their friends and family… but how will the people who need your help find you?

If you want to know how to be visible to new clients without feeling uncomfortably salesy, I’m here to help. The Mindset Reset programme is designed to take you from invisible to centre stage; enjoy feeling fully confident as your inner light shines out.

The not-so-humble brag

Being visible isn’t about bragging!

A desire to be successful in your practice is not the same as saying you’re better than others. It’s not about showing off.

Wanting to be visible comes from a place of giving and adding value. It’s important to realise that there’s more than enough room for you and your private practice because you are unique.

Celebrate and share your distinctive approach and niche. No one else does exactly what you do. Focusing on your personal strengths will help you be visible without feeling uncomfortable.

5 steps to being visible

• Define your ideal client – we call this your client avatar. Give them a name, a personality, and a lifestyle. Understanding who they are will help you focus your attention on attracting them. Trying to appeal to everyone when you start in business is tempting. Be brave! Aim to work only with the clients that will benefit most from your skill and expertise.
• Describe your niche. What’s happening in your ideal client’s life that needs your support?
• Create your online presence with a simple but effective website that showcases your ethos, approach, and talent with client testimonials. Don’t forget to include all the need-to-know (regulatory) information.
• Build your brand – use colours, fonts, and styles that reflect your niche and area of expertise. Consider outsourcing to a specialist. Counsellors are often creative, but there’s more to designing a great logo and a brand mood board than you might think. Consider how your brand will work across different media.
• Be consistent with engaging, brand-enhancing social media content. Don’t forget that social media is social. Use it to create positivity about your business. Interact and engage with your followers; ask them questions. Your ideal client is out there looking for you. Demonstrate your knowledge and credibility. Don’t sell – tell!

A social media manager can provide you with a structure and regular content, leaving you free to add more personal elements.

If you want to learn more about how to become visible online, check out my Accelerate Your Business Online Program and let’s start your journey.

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