Online counseling has never been more popular, and the demand for therapists willing to work with patients over the Internet continues to grow. Online or offline, becoming a counselor can be hard work and thankfully you don’t have to go at it alone. This guide is here to show you everything you need to know about becoming an online therapist.
Each chapter of this book is dedicated to a particular area or concern of online therapy, and combined, they provide you with a nice overview of all the major considerations you need to take into account when deciding if this is the career path for you. The subjects range from potential salaries, to how to best sell your services to others, and should give you a good idea about what you can expect from a career in online therapy. Since this is still a developing field, you will be hard-pressed to find a guide as up-to-date or comprehensive as ours.
One tried and true method of getting people interested in your counseling services is through the use of seminars, or in the case of online therapy, “webinars.” By hosting events that focus around the services you offer or problems you address, you can give potential clients just enough information to be interested in pursuing more treatment with you. It’s also important not to underestimate the power of “word of mouth” recommendations. Many clients may not feel comfortable talking to their friends about family about counseling services, but encourage those who are to recommend you.
When it comes to retaining clients, collecting contact information is obviously one of the most important things you can do so you can inform your clients about new services or changes to services that you offer, and most importantly, try to reach out to clients whom you haven’t heard from in a while. But more and more counselors are becoming concerned with the ethics surrounding client retention. The links below contain strategies for selecting and retaining clients, something that is at the fore-front of every therapist's mind who goes into private practice.