INNOVATIVE THOUGHT & PRACTICE
8
Christian Counseling Connection
T
herapists do not go to graduate school to
become business people. In fact, the con-
cept of business and marketing may bring
with it negative or anxious connotations. As
therapists, we typically value compassion and serv-
ing, which some may view as being in opposition to
business success and financial gain. The Christian
therapist who chooses to become a practice owner,
however, must embrace the importance of being both
a mental health professional and a business owner.
Often, this involves facing a steep learning curve,
which begins most critically with mindset. The thera-
pist’s altruistic vision to provide care to others
will
not
be fully realized without a successful business
model. As Christian counselors, we must strive for
excellence in both counseling and business acumen
to effectively and sustainably serve those who God
has entrusted to us.
Therapists possess an incredible potential for ap-
plying their unique skill sets and creativity to estab-
lish and run counseling practices. Yet, the mindset
of the therapist is typically insufficient for business
success. Walfish and Barnett (2010) assert that “be-
ing a caring professional and earning a living are
not mutually exclusive,” but this requires “resolving
the conflict between altruism and being a business
owner.” Furthermore, they note many therapists
“have an elitist attitude about being a professional
in which the primary objective is helping others and
not making money.” This can be compounded for the
Christian clinician who values selflessness and sac-
rifice. I discovered valuable resolve for this dilemma
when I sought advice from a trusted Christian busi-
ness consultant. He poignantly told me, “Your vision
for touching and inspiring the hurting with Christian
counseling
will fail
if you do not think like a busi-
ness owner.”
So what does it mean to think like a business
owner? It starts with embracing the reality that you
are foremost an entrepreneur. This concept is under-
standably scary to many. Michael Gerber, popular
business consultant and best-selling author of
The
E-Myth
, suggests a fatal mistake of many people
turned business owners is assuming that since they
understand the technical “work” of a business, they
will understand how to run a business that does this
work. In other words, knowing how to provide great
counseling is not necessarily sufficient for starting
and running a successful counseling business.
Practice owners must learn how to perform in
three different roles to succeed: clinician, manager
and entrepreneur. This new reality creates a com-
plex dilemma as these roles often compete with each
other for time and resources. With the new pressures
Building a
Successful
Practice Begins
with
Mindset
Trina Young Greer, Psy.D.
