In the world of private practice, we have both busy seasons and seasonal slumps, and statistically, mid-November and December tend to be slower months for therapists. Sessions may be down, certain clients might cancel or terminate therapy, and January may seem to loom off in the not-so-far-away distance. Regardless, the final two months of the year are a highly strategic and lucrative time for therapy work, and the seasonal slowdown is an excellent time to capitalize on opportunity, finish the year strong, and set your practice up for success in the new year.
Here are nine ways to personally, financially, and clinically prepare your private practice to survive and thrive through the holiday slump.
1. Adjust your schedule to accommodate holiday hours.
Every November and December, children are out of school and on holiday break for around 2-3 weeks. During these holiday breaks, some of your clients will be traveling with their families, but many may not. Explore how your business hours might adjust to accommodate families looking for therapeutic support over the holiday breaks. With family schedules opening for a few weeks at the end of the year, now may be an excellent time to fill in some daytime appointments.
2. Get those parent check-ins on the calendar.
Parents often take time off from work around the holidays to reconnect with their children and tie up loose ends before the end of the year. Consequently, caregivers are often more inclined to touch base with their child’s therapist around this time of year, which makes November and December great months for scheduling those much needed parent check-ins.
3. Revisit and update client treatment goals.
No one likes to end the year with treatment goals in limbo. The strong desire many have to finish the year well and start the new year off strong makes the holiday months an excellent time to revisit treatment goals. Making it a point to reassess client priorities will not only encourage client retention, but it will also help optimize the client’s treatment experience.
Without the structure of seasonal check-ins, it can be easy for caregivers to view therapy as just one more thing on the family calendar that may or may not be adding value. However, by taking this time to report on progress and update treatment goals, you can clearly showcase the value of therapy and provide caregivers with a valid reason to feel positive about their child’s therapy journey before the year ends.
4. Revisit and update your own goals.Plan ahead and start booking dates on your calendar for the coming months. Be proactive about pre-booking post-holiday appointments, and focus on reaching out to any clients who you suspect may not return after the holidays. If your clients are not ready or able to plan that far ahead, that’s ok. Simply lay some groundwork and set your future self up for success by letting those clients know that you’ll be checking back in with them after the New Year before your calendar fills up.
6. Provide holiday-specific value and seasonal resources.8. Honor your financial budget.
The bottom line
If you are experiencing the holiday slump and business is not booming right now, take heart. The holiday months can be a whirlwind of personal and professional changes, and it’s normal to feel a bit out of sync. Whether you choose to use this time to proactively set yourself up for success in the future or recalibrate personally, give yourself some grace and space this holiday season. Busy seasons will return and chances are your practice will pick back up again before you know it.