An ongoing telegroup on Marketing and Transforming a Clinical Practice is being offered on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. A couple of spaces remain open as of this writing.

Dr. Warren will be offering a coaching demonstration with Tom Horne on August 1, 2002 at 8 a.m for the Evanston, IL Chamber of Commerce.

At the American Psychological Association annual convention in Chicago, Dr. Warren will be presenting on an Illinois Psychological Association panel on psychological consulting in the workplace. The panel will take place on August 22, 2002 at 9 a.m.

Dr. Warren will be offering a half-day seminar on developing a psychological consulting practice with senior consulting psychologist Dr. Mallory Starr in Washington, DC. The seminar will take place Friday July 12, 2002 at 10 a.m. This seminar is sponsored by the DC Psychological Association. To learn more, please contact the DC Psychological Association at (202) 336-5559. To register, click here (link will open in new window): Registration

ONGOING TELEGROUP: Practice Transformation for Clinicians

Since developing a coaching practice, I have enjoyed working with mental health professionals (among others) in the Chicago area and around the country on transforming their careers and marketing their practices. This winter I offered a 6 week telegroup on diversifying and marketing a practice.

Currently, I am offering a telegroup for clinicians who want to transform their practices. The purpose of the group is to help clinicians develop and implement over time a plan for transitioning their practice, and to demystify marketing. The group is designed to help clinicians who want to achieve any number of goals: expand, diversify, relocate, plan for retirement, start a private practice, or even leave the mental health field.

The Background

A bit of background on why I decided to offer this group, and the concept behind it. Over the years, I have observed that many clinicians have terrific ideas about new services that they would like to offer, but often they get derailed and don't actually make the shift. I see this problem as stemming from several sources: First, lack of real clarity about what they want; second, distraction and lack of a systematic plan; and third, anxiety about marketing which interferes with getting the word out about what they do. This group is designed to address all three problems.
As clinicians, we are not taught to think of our practices as businesses, and most of us are not naturally inclined to think of ourselves as business people. We think of ourselves more as professionals who offer a service that helps people. I believe that we can preserve our integrity, while at the same time learning from the business world so that, in fact, we can help more people.
The basic idea for the group is actually loosely based on entrepeneurs' groups in which business owners gather to present their business plans and get feedback from their colleagues.

The Process

The process involves each person presenting his or her practice three times over six months. Prior to the presentation, I give the presenter a series of questions about their interests, skills, etc., to fill out in advance of presenting their practice to the group. The answers to those questions are posted to the group's email list in advance, and will serve as the springboard for discussion when the person presents. After each presentation, the presenter will write up what they plan to do over the next couple of months. (I will provide structure for the write up). During this period, the person will experiment, research options, and "play" with possibilities. The results of their experimentation will be posted to the list prior to the next presentation. A similar process is repeated for each successive presentation as the process of exploring new options evolves. The write-ups are the basis for the plan. Each person's plan will be entirely unique to his or her situation.

The idea behind posting to the list before and after each presentation is that it promotes interaction among participants. (I have a highly diversified practice, but I am not the great expert; the participants have lots of good insight to offer.) It also creates an opportunity to systematically your review progress. Finally, it serves as a discipline that creates focus, and forms the foundation for a plan.

The rationale for the six-month commitment is that practice transformation is a process that has ups and downs over time that can usefully be weathered with the support and focus of the group. It's not unusual for there to be an initial period of enthusiasm that fades; the group can sustain participants through the doldrums so that each participant can achieve the practice changes they seek.

There will be the option for people to extend beyond the initial six months if a given participant feels that would be useful.

Time and Fees

The group meets by telephone the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at 10-11 Eastern/9-10 Central time. Cost: $100 per month. ($85 per month prepaid if paid in full for 6 months; or $85 per month if you sign up a friend; or $80 per month for Illinois Psychological Association members.) Minimum 6 month commitment.

If you are interested in learning more about the group, please email DrWarren@multicoach.org or call (312) 595-1691.