How to use your skills and expertise to create products, programs or other services. –A way to create additional streams of money.

Focusing on clinical work is essential, but it can lead to burnout and is only one way to earn revenue for your practice.

As a business owner, it’s vital to learn the cycles of your business and prepare for down times that are inevitable in most industries. Learning how to diversify your offerings can provide you with the assurance that you have more than one stream of revenue. It’s common for business owners to hyper-focus on one idea, neglecting other viable ways to earn money.
In my experience, therapists get locked into the process of providing therapy. I mean, after all, that’s what we’re trained to do, right? However, we’re very fortunate in that our training, expertise can easily lend itself to doing so many other things. #yay.

I’m going to talk about how figuring out how to use your expertise to create products, programs, and services. I’ll share some real-life examples from therapists who are using their knowledge, freeing up their time, and generating other means of income.

Products
A product is defined as –information, item, object or service. It can serve a need or satisfy a want. A product can be something that helps to solve a problem, make life easier, teach a concept, or improve efficiency.
Consider the following when thinking about creating a product:
How can it change lives?
Can it improve lives? If so, how?
Does it inform potential customers?
How can it help to relieve a problem?

Take a look at how Dr. Joy Harden, Ph.D. created a guided journal that she describes as–a journal designed to help you make sense of the chaos and confusion that is often left in the wake of a breakup. The journal will assist you in answering many of the questions that come up after a breakup and develop a plan that will help you move through the difficult feelings. The journal takes you from the immediate aftermath of the breakup through getting ready to date again.

Here’a link to view and purchase the journal. http://www.lulu.com/shop/dr-joy-harden-bradford/questions-that-need-answers-after-the-breakup/paperback/product-23930240.html

This is a perfect illustration of a helpful product that is designed to help readers through a complicated process. I love this wonderful idea and as you can see, not only is it useful for people in the healing process, it gives Dr. Harden an additional level to her brand and it’s brilliant.

Lesley Lanier Smith, LPC created a product that is not only ingenious, but it’s fun. Her product is the Balance Box and I’m one of her raving fans!

She describes it accordingly: We’re a therapist owned and operated monthly wellness & professional development subscription box featuring products including aromatics, teas, coffees, essential oils, skincare, healthy snacks & other surprises specifically curated for the compassionate clinician who lives a life of healing and helping. Keeping the ‘balance’ theme in mind, each month you will also receive an item that can be used for either professional or personal development, or as we say ‘Cognitive Self Care’. An added bonus for us is that this also gives us the opportunity to feature resources created and developed by others within the mental health profession! Whether you are a student, private practitioner, group practice owner or providing services to your community through an agency, The Balance Box is the perfect reminder that You Deserve the Care you Give.   
I personally love what she has created and encourage you to grab a subscription and enjoy your monthly surprises! Check out Balance Box here: www.thebalancebox.net

Programs
I think of a program as a package or a series of classes, sessions, events, that center around a topic or goal. It helps to think about your niche or area of expertise. Think about the issues your clients face that if they had a program, how it could enhance their therapy, or help them solve a difficulty. Programs tend to be time-limited, focus on a specific issue, and are structured.
Try listening carefully to what your clients describe as their difficulties. Now match that with your skills, expertise, and knowledge. Now, what kind of program can you create to help them?
Here are some examples of programs developed by therapists. These programs expand their brands, increases their revenue and expand their influence.

LaTasha Matthews, LPC. created a program to help participants learn how to set appropriate boundaries and feel comfortable doing so.

These are the objectives she lists:

You will gain a deeper understanding of boundary setting and why it’s important to self-care

You will learn how to avoid the costly consequences of ineffective boundaries

You will learn how to set boundaries in relationships and enforce them

You will learn how to identify the warning signs and health risk of ignored boundaries

You will gain strategies on how to set personal and emotional boundaries

Click this link to learn more about what she has developed. I think it’s a program that can be helpful for therapists and clients. Share it in your network or take the class yourself.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/say-yes-to-your-no-a-master-class-on-how-to-set-life-enhancing-boundaries-registration-54025794606

Next, we have a wonderful self-care program developed by Denise M. Williams. It’s called the Me First–The art of self-care coaching program. She describes her program accordingly: It’s a 12-week small-group coaching program for women of color. Through an in-person visioning workshop, weekly group calls & activities, the program helps women examine their beliefs and experiences about self-worth, boundary-setting, self-compassion, forgiveness, and self-care, then coaches them in creating their own self-care action plan.    

You can learn more about Denise’s program by going to her site here.

https://www.denisepsychotherapist.net/me-first-the-art-of-self-care-coaching-program. It’s such wonderful use of her skills and expertise.

Lastly, I’d like to showcase Maria Davis-Pierre, LMHC. As a therapist who works with children and adolescents, I find this program to be extraordinarily important. Often times our education does not provide a thorough understanding of the IEP process or special education. Here’s where Maria’s idea is so helpful. She cleverly targets mental health providers knowing that for us to be better advocates for our clients, there are certain things we must understand. She describes her program as– The Professionals Guide to IEP program is a course that is specifically for mental health professionals. It covers everything mental health professionals need to know about IEPs and special education. Often times as mental health professionals we are not involved in the IEP process and it does a disservice to our clients. The Professionals guide to IEP course shows you how to get involved, collaborate, and ensure your client is getting the high-quality education they deserve.  You can learn more about her program and sign up by visiting this link

http://www.autisminblack.org/iepbf

By now, I’m sure your creative juices are working overtime. LOL. That’s a wonderful thing because you have the knowledge to create programs and products for your target audience. Again, if you want to expand your reach, make additional revenue, think about what you need to do. We go into depth on this topic in The University of Private Practice and so much more. Click this link to learn more about the UPP. https://lisasavagelcsw.lpages.co/office-hours/