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Virtual Marketing Consultation
Group for Mental Health
Professionals
Graduate school probably didn't prepare you to run your business.
Yes—like it or not, a psychotherapy practice is a business.

Certainly, you know that building and maintaining a private practice
these days involves more than setting up a phone, printing business
cards, and waiting for that phone to ring.

It involves MARKETING.

Unfortunately, small businesses fail at a phenomenal rate. Today's
mental health professional faces the challenges of a competitive
marketplace and changes in the health care landscape. Plus, the
isolation of practice can feed inertia about growing a profitable
business.

In response, Jim De Santis, Ph.D., offers his successful virtual
marketing consultation group for mental health professionals this
Spring.

Licensed psychologist Dr. Jim De Santis has been teaching ethical
business development and effective marketing methods to mental
health professionals for 20 years. Psychotherapist, author, publisher,
network developer, he has been in full-time private practice for 30
years. He wrote the book, "The Business of Private Practice."

If you need guidance and support to get your private practice where
you want it, reply today.

The 60-Second Self-Test

Take just 60 seconds right now to evaluate yourself. Our consultation
group is appropriate for those who are:

Pre-licensed and under supervision.
Recently licensed and wanting to enter practice.
Relocating to a new geographic area.
Re-entering private practice after time away.
Shifting from the public sector to private practice.
Want to expand from part-time to full-time.
Want to increase net practice income.
Want to change the mix of clients.
Want to reduce dependence on insurance.

Potential Benefits

The hardest part of marketing is not know-how; the hardest part is
persistence over time.  It is easy to start a project; it is often hard to
build and maintain momentum. The best way to persist is through the
scaffolding offered by peer support and social accountability---people
around us engaged in the same endeavor make a task easier. And, this
should be a fun way to keep up the pace.

Approach

This consultation group will offer practical action-oriented guidance,
sharing of information and insights, and peer support to help you set
customized goals, identify target markets, design coherent and ethical
marketing strategies, and track results.

Sample Content

Past participants have addressed the following topics:

Social media, websites, SEO, video content. and blogging
Networking for shy people
Do's and don't's of marketing brochures and fliers
Insurance panels, online referral services, and directories
Converting inquiries into initial appointments
Setting fees, negotiating sliding scales, and our sensitivities about
money
Sales contact management software and databased marketing
Defining an optimal practice schedule and establishing quality of life
Effectively transitioning from full-time employment to part-time
employment
Selecting action items, prioritizing tasks, evaluating return on
investment

Format

This is an open-ended discussion group; it is neither a time-limited
group nor a structured workshop and does not provide sequential
content. You can start any time after the first date as long as there is
space.

Schedule

The first session of this group will be Tuesday, April 2, 2024, 7-8:30
p.m. The group will convene over Zoom on the first and third Tuesday
of each month, 7-8:30 p.m.

Session dates are:

Apr 2, 16
May 7, 21
Jun 4, 18
Jul 2, 16
Aug 6, 20
Sept 3, 17

Registration

Once you have paid and submitted a consent to participate, we will
e-mail you the Zoom login and will mail you Dr. De Santis's easy-read
book, The Business of Practice.

Fees

The cost is $55 per session, payable at the beginning of each month.
You may pay by PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, or paper check. Payment will
reserve your space.

Payment Options

__ Standard Option: The fee for each session is $55, payable at the
beginning of each month.

__ Discount Option: When all 12 sessions are pre-paid before the first
session, fees are discounted to $600 complete.

Payment Methods

PayPal    JJDeSantis@aol.com
Zelle        JJDeSantis@aol.com or (818) 635-5376
Venmo     @James-DeSantis-PhD
Check      James De Santis, Ph.D., P.O. Box 894, Glendora, CA
91740-0894

If you have a PayPal account, you can pay using my e-mail
address, JJDeSantis@aol.com.  You can also pay through my website
at www.JJDeSantis.com on the "Services" page.

Commitment

The maximum size of the group is eight. You are asked to make an
initial commitment of twelve sessions because this is about the amount
of time most participants see the benefits of their work in the group.
When you commit to this group, you agree to pay for all sessions,
whether you attend, miss, or cancel.

Sessions with insufficient enrollment will be cancelled at the discretion
of the consultant, with prior notice and with a full refund.

Continuing Education

California licensing boards do not permit continuing education credit for
business courses.

Facilitator Credentials

Licensed psychologist Jim De Santis, Ph.D., has been teaching ethical
business development and effective marketing methods to mental
health professionals for 20 years. Psychotherapist, author, publisher,
network developer, he has been in full-time private practice for 30
years. He wrote the book, "The Business of Private Practice."

Jim earned his bachelors degree in psychology from the University of
Southern California, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and his masters
and doctoral degrees in psychology from the Alliant International
University, California School of Professional Psychology, in Los Angeles.

Dr. De Santis is president of the Glendale Area Mental Health
Professionals Association and the East San Gabriel Valley Mental Health
Professionals Association. He is publisher of The Group List and The
Assessment List, two directories of specialized services in the Los
Angeles area. He has authored two books on the subject of marketing.

What Participants Have Said About Dr. De Santis

"Thought-provoking." "Expanded my horizons." "Helped me think more
flexibly and playfully about business." "I enjoyed the balance of
practical information and philosophy-centered discussion." "His
suggestions are awesome." "Directly applicable and just all-around
fabulous!"

"Kept me focused, challenged, and inspired." "I always leave uplifted."
"I enjoyed his personality and presentation style, too." "Humor,
upbeat, personal good vibe."

"This was very helpful in developing my identity as a business woman.
I feel much more confident about running and managing my practice
as a result."

"It is the kick in the pants I have been needing!" "I really enjoyed this,
would recommend it to others, and have done so."

"For those of us who were never aware, we now hear the opportunity
when it arises, and it arises everywhere."

Why A Marketing Consultation Group Now?

Historically, professionals were prohibited by the traditional canon of
ethics from advertising and other forms of self-promotion available to
most other business ventures. Many methods of business development
are available to the professional that are not only effective but also
adhere to the highest ethical principles, cultivate collegial respect,
preserve clinical autonomy, and increase patient access to quality
care.

The enlightened entrepreneur seeks to satisfy real human needs by
offering products and services of genuine value. So does the
enlightened therapist. The best business agenda maximizes not only
profit and financial security but also professional fulfillment and a sense
of well-being.

And, it's probably fairly easy to do better at marketing than most of
your colleagues.

Why just guess? Your business can thrive when built upon proven
principles, innovation, and persistent goal-directed activity. Success
requires formulating business goals, identifying profit centers and
target markets, assessing competitors, articulating your unique
message, and designing ethical, effective promotional strategy.

Individualized Business Consultation

If you are a self-starter, already have experience in business and
marketing, or when affordability is a concern, the most flexible
approach is individual coaching on a per-session, as-needed basis.
After an initial in-person meeting, intermittent or periodic consultation
can be arranged by appointment via telephone, video conference, or
e-mail. Feedback from your consultant helps you refine your marketing
strategy and move toward your business goals.

To arrange a private customized individual or small group consultation,
contact Dr. De Santis at (818) 551-1714 or JJDeSantis@aol.com.