Stuck on a roundabout in your practice and can’t get off?


I grew up in quite a rigid environment. Both at home and at school, we had many rules that provided structure and order. Beneficial in their way, they also unconsciously provided me with a picture of HOW THINGS ARE and HOW THINGS SHOULD BE. Unfortunately, other people grew up with a different set of parameters, which means that other peoples’ vision of HOW THINGS ARE and HOW THINGS SHOULD BE is not the same as mine. Much of life and relationship is therefore a process of navigating the differences between how I think things should be, and how others think. I’m sure you can relate to this. It’s there in the news and media all the time, one country or political party or commentator sees one thing, while another has a completely different perspective. And that’s healthy.Roundabout Signage

Often, however, we are not aware of what is reality, and what is perspective or belief. There is a saying that perception is reality, and one meaning of it is that we cannot perceive any reality other than that which we perceive. We cannot think outside the proverbial box, so loved by management gurus, until we can see that it’s there.

When it comes to growing our practice we can place restrictions on ourselves which are a product of our beliefs or perceptions rather than any objective reality. I do this myself. I have written before about how I believed I would be judged negatively for writing this blog, and that belief held me back for a long time. I discovered when I started writing regularly that far more people are appreciative and supportive than they are critical. However, I would never have known that if I hadn’t tested my negative belief.

So you might be asking, how can this help you, when it comes to your practice?

I find this analogy helpful. Imagine you are on a journey from A to B (growing your practice), and your route takes you through a roundabout from which there are several exits that can bring you to your destination (the clients and income you want.) Are you smoothly navigating your way around or are you…

  1. Exit This WayFocussing on the one exit that is closed to you…For example: Perhaps you are thinking “The HSE SHOULD recognise my qualification. If they did I could apply for their positions.” Perhaps you could focus instead on the other positions that are open to you?
  2. Focussing on the busy-ness of the traffic, and seeing that as a block to your progress…For example: Perhaps you are thinking “There are so many therapists being trained and qualified right now, charging low fees, and they’re taking all the clients away from the rest of us.” Perhaps you could direct your efforts instead towards attracting those potential clients who can and are willing to pay more for your greater experience?
  3. Focussing on one exit and ignoring others…For example: Perhaps you are thinking “If only the doctors in this area were more appreciative of what counselling could do for their clients, then they’d send me more work.” Perhaps you could focus instead on fostering contacts with other people who might be in a position to refer work to you?
  4. Focussing on those travellers that you see as breaking the rules of the road, and seeing that as a block…For example: Perhaps you are thinking “That therapist shouldn’t be allowed to market herself like that, that’s unethical.” Perhaps you could focus instead on improving your own marketing?

If you’re finding that it’s hard to navigate your way through the roundabout, I’d love to help you. Leave your comment or question in the box below, or contact me for you free 20 minute consultation.