PoP Culture, Meet John Harrison MA, LPCC Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor

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I sent an email out to folks on my email list (click here to join or learn about it). I said to them that I wanted to feature them on my website. I thought to myself, I know them, they know me, but y’all don’t know one another!

Today I want to introduce you to John Harrison, MA, LPCC Licensed Professional Clinical CounselorI met him at The Most Awesome Conference. What’s really cool about the conference, is it has given us all a huge network of people that can help us grow! For me, I have all these new people that know about my work and want to be a part of my community. For them, they get all sorts of tips and leads to grow their practice, it’s such a win-win.

Name:John Harrison, MA, LPCC Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor

Practice: John Harrison Counseling

What’s something you learned from Practice of the Practice?

I’m continually seeing how it’s ok to enjoy your work and go for what your passionate about! I’m learning how going with where the energy is really jumpstarting my practice. It’s inspiring to find a place where I feel that I am going to read and see things from like minded positive people who want what I want from their practice or business. Nothing is better than to realize I can make a living helping others and feeding my creative nature.

 

What is your therapeutic specialty?

I work with couples on the brink of separating and working through past emotional traumas that have created boundary issues for the individual and the relationship. I also work with individuals for people pleasing and other co-dependent behaviors.

What is an action you took to grow your private practice?

I began to take more risk. If I was moderately scared about something, I started to take the chance. I left the VA in December 2014. I’m now leaving my managed care group practice to do my own practice using self pay full time.

Complete this sentence: When I first started a private practice, I…

had no idea that I could get this far and would have thought I was crazy to do the things I am doing with my business. But now it’s paying off.

How have you grown your income and influence?

I’ve really had to take a closer look at myself and how I value the services that I provide. I’ve taken the advice of pricing myself in the range as other therapists in my area, as opposed to staying in a range that is below market. I’ve changed the way that I look at my marketing to reflect more on marketing me, instead of simply “mental health counseling”. I’ve formed a marketed a niche and it has been, by far, the best thing I’ve done so far in my practice. A niche allows me to focus on what my strengths are and be more engaged with what I am passionate about. This puts myself, and my potential clients, at an advantage.

What’s next for you?

I’m taking the step to move into an office in an up and coming part of the city and will be taking my private practice full time with only self pay. I’m working towards solidifying my self pay rate at a level that I can comfortably work 20 client hours a week. I am increasing my social media efforts and that will hopefully expand my reach into the area. The increase in income will hopefully allow me to attend workshops, conferences, learn more about my therapeutic orientation, and spend more time with my family! From that point I will probably focus on what I want to get into more depth with. Most likely it will be couples therapy, conducting intensive workshops, more writing, and maybe looking into some consulting work.

What is one specific podcast or article that helped you grow quickly?

There is an article written by Juliet Austin on finding your niche. http://www.julietaustin.com/nichemarket/ This really opened my eyes to the possibility that I could excel professionally doing exactly what I am passionate about.

If every counselor in the world was reading this, what would you want them to know?

Don’t wait to act. There is no perfect time. Make your decisions to proceed in developing, or starting, your practice with ethical considerations in mind. Get the necessary steps in order to serve clients and then START! You can perfect the rest of your business as you go. Don’t get hung up on your worries of presentation and how you think people will receive you. There are plenty of people that need you and your services. Once you realize how valuable you are, you will be able to focus on getting yourself out there. From there, your confidence will take off. But whatever you do, don’t wait.

What are 2-3 resources you love? How do you use them to grow your practice?

Tamara Suttle’s coaching and blog course- I used Tamara’s coaching and guidance to help get me more focused Facebook groups for therapists- Best way to collaborate and connect with other therapists Practice of the Practice podcast and the Juliet and Austin Marketing podcast- It’s full of up to date tips and content generated by other therapists in the same position as I am in

Joseph R. Sanok, MA, LLP, LPC, NCC

Joe Sanok Private Practice Consultant