Identifying your “Ideal Client”

Sarah Rollins of Embodied Wellness in Michigan has a section on her website page outlining her ICP (“Ideal Client Persona”).

Whether general or specific, public or private, outlining your ICP allows you as a therapist to begin creating an image in your mind of not only the kind of client with whom you work best, but also how you will best reach them.

These identified demographics and characteristics of your ideal client allow you to focus your marketing efforts to the specific mediums that your clients most frequent while also catering everything from your software and paperwork processes to your core therapeutic modalities to effectively engaging their experience.

As Rollins puts it: “There can be a fear that if you make an “ideal client” too narrow, it will limit your ability to build a practice, [but] this is actually false! Being able to identify [your] ideal client helps clients find [you] more easily and draws clinicians who want to treat these clients into [your] practice.”

While Embodied Wellness has clinicians skilled in a range of therapies, they have built their brand around connecting with clients “ready to heal from trauma using a body based approach” - specifically somatic experiencing.

Final thought…

When you start with a narrow ICP, you will still capture broad interest, but if you start with a broad (or no) ICP, it can be hard to find focus.

In Rollins’ words: “We have found that even though we market towards clients interested in somatic therapy, we attract many different types of clients. It’s important to know your limits in regards to your scope of practice and what therapeutic issues you feel competent in treating.”

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