When working with an agency, therapists don’t typically get to pick their clients. The benefit of this is that therapists gain experience working with a diverse clientele, allowing them to learn what type of clients they enjoy or don’t enjoy treating.
However, when starting a private practice, finding a niche can help therapists focus only on those clients who will benefit the most from the practice’s service.
Choosing a niche can be scary and take time, but it will be worth it in the end. Here’s how to narrow down and find a therapy niche.
Want to focus on what you do best? Find clients who are the perfect fit with Ravel Mental Health.
Why Choose a Niche?
When a therapist chooses a niche, they are choosing to serve a specific group of clients, such as clients with specific mental health needs or clients from a particular demographic group. Choosing a niche gives a practice a clear focus and makes it easier to market services to the clients who fit into that niche.
Perhaps most importantly, finding a niche benefits the client. If a client searches for therapists in their area and 20 pages of results show up, it can be difficult to narrow down the field and find the right therapist for their needs. But if a client who struggles with an eating disorder is looking for a therapist, it’s much less stressful for them if there is a therapist who specializes in that niche.
Specializing in a niche doesn’t mean a therapist doesn’t know how to treat some of the most common mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. Many health disorders have symptoms of anxiety and depression, and all therapists should have enough general knowledge to treat those symptoms within a variety of contexts. However, more specific disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or substance abuse require the therapist to have more concentrated knowledge when it comes to sessions.
When dealing with specific mental health issues or particular demographic groups, a therapist should know everything there is to know about the condition or circumstance. This means keeping up with all the research in those areas and sometimes having specialized training. It simply isn’t possible to do this for every possible situation that could walk through the door as a generalist.
How to Find Your Niche
1. Define the Ideal Client
By identifying an ideal client, a practice is essentially identifying its niche. There are two general ways to determine the ideal client: by mental issue or by demographic group. The following questions can help therapists in mapping out their ideal client for the first time:
When imagining the ideal client, what is their demographic profile?
This includes the client’s age, line of work, relationship status, cultural and racial background, and gender and sexual identity.
What are the client’s unique issues?
This is a chance to think beyond treating clients with anxiety and depression. Why does the client have anxiety and depression? Is it due to relationship troubles, childhood trauma, self-image issues? Being able to speak to the specific issue causing trouble for clients will help therapists find a niche.
What type of treatment does the client want?
Another way to identify a niche is to specialize in a specific type of treatment, such as Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Family Therapy, or even Religious Therapy.
2. Identify Passions and Strengths
Burnout is a serious concern for therapists. To avoid this, therapists should choose a niche that they are passionate about. Passion informs the practice’s purpose, and purpose will inform the niche. However, it’s also important to be very knowledgeable of the selected niche. Therapists should choose a niche that they are familiar with and confident in working with clients in that area. Therapists can ask themselves the following questions to dig deeper into their passions and strengths:
If you had only 30 minutes to prepare for a presentation, what would it be on?
What sessions do you leave feeling most proud of the outcomes?
If you listed out all your experience and training, what areas do you have the most knowledge in?
What types of therapy are you not inherently good at?
What kind of sessions do you dread?
What do people tell you you’re good at?
3. Do the Research
Research is part of finding a niche. Start by researching other therapists in the area and determine if there are holes that can be filled. A practice will attract more clients if it stands out and offers something needed in the area. Therapists shouldn’t be afraid to get additional training for a niche if they don’t currently have the experience or knowledge to provide that service.
Do you specialize in something that other counselors in your area aren’t offering?
Is the market saturated in any particular area?
Are there any in-demand services that aren’t being offered but you could step in and provide?
4. Consider Shared Demographics
One way to choose a niche is to market to clients who have similar demographics. For example: Are you a parent? Are you a woman of color? Do you identify as LGBTQ? Sharing characteristics with clientele is a great way to connect with a niche market.
5. Build a Network
Talking to others in the field allows therapists to see what’s possible. Networking is an opportunity to meet with other therapists offering similar niches and can act as a mentor. Networking is also another way to learn what services others are providing and if there’s a gap that can be filled.
6. Have Flexibility and Get Creative
Things change, and a niche doesn’t necessarily have to be permanent. Therapists should give themselves room to grow with their business and change their niche when necessary. If a niche doesn’t work out or leads to burnout, know that it’s okay to switch gears and try something else.
Sometimes, it pays off to try something that seems crazy. Maybe there’s a market to work with clients who have start-ups, or clients navigating the particularities of life as a Hasidic Jew, or people who are grieving the loss of a pet. There are no limits to what services a practice can offer if proper steps to planning and getting educated are taken.
The New Therapeutic Landscape
There is, of course, nothing wrong with being a generalist, but most clients today are looking for a very narrow specialist who can meet their unique needs. And why wouldn’t they? With access to the Internet, clients can find therapists that perfectly fit their worldview. In turn, therapists need to fold themselves into discernible categories that allow clients to find them easier.
Benefits of Choosing a Niche
It can be intimidating for therapists to work with clients with needs they are not as familiar with. However, when working with clients that fit in a niche, it’s evident that the practice is qualified to be working with them. Working as a specialist is beneficial to both the therapist and the client. The therapist sees actual progress and gains in sessions, while the client feels understood and valued. Here’s how niching down benefits both therapists and clients.
Save Time
Having a niche saves a practice time, effort, and frustration because it doesn’t have to try to speak to everyone.
Increased Authenticity
When therapists connect with a niche that they feel called, their natural passion comes out. Clients will feel that passion and be naturally drawn to working with them.
More Effective Sessions
When therapists understand what the client is struggling with, they can provide more specific and catered strategies to help them overcome these.
Online scheduling platforms are a great place for niche therapists to be found by potential clients. Ravel Mental Health helps clients easily find a therapist in their area with the clinical skillset specific to their issues.
Clients are waiting for your help. Connect with them today.