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Visualizing Your Ideal Practice
and Your Ideal Client
Recently, a movie called The Secret popularized the art of manifesting. Also known as Creative Visualization, manifesting can help you clarify and create exactly what you want in an ideal practice - including attracting a full caseload of ideal clients.
Freud called this phenomenon, the self-fulfilling prophecy. When we believe something will happen, and we put our energy and attention on that outcome, it tends to happen. But we have to really believe. And sometimes, past experiences or messages from our family, peers or culture create negative (self-limiting) beliefs that get in the way.
Exercise 1: Visualizing Your Ideal Practice
Imagine your ideal practice. Not what you think you CAN have, but what you would really want to have if you had a magic wand. Write down the answers to the following questions:
- How many days do you work each week? Which days?
- How many hours do you work each day?
- Do you see clients back-to-back or take breaks in between?
- At the end of each session, how do you feel?
- At the end of each day, how do you feel?
- How much do you earn each year/month/week/day/hour?
- How much time do you spend resting, relaxing or vacationing?
- What activities do you do to restore your energy?
- What activities do you do to stay enthusiastic about your work?
- What personal, social, recreational, or self-care activities does your practice allow you the time and income to enjoy?
As you wrote down the answers to these questions, what negative or self-limiting thoughts came up? What are your self-limiting beliefs based on? If you could change these beliefs, would you want to? Why or why not?
Note: If you are ready to change your self-limiting beliefs, you may want to try our Hypnotherapy CDs available at Cafe Press. For a list of books on Manifesting and overcoming Self Limiting Beliefs, click here.
Exercise 2: Visualizing Your Ideal Client
Think about the three clients you've enjoyed working with the most. Write a brief character sketch of each one. What similarities do they have? How does your ideal client feel about working with you? What do they tell their friends about working with you? How does your ideal client feel about paying for your services?
Example:
My ideal client is intelligent, sensitive and striving to create success, fulfillment and loving relationships. Growing up he/she faced criticism or emotional abandonment which created a feeling of not being good enough, always having to be perfect, or prove his/her worth. As a result, he/she experiences anxiety, and may have a history of trying to soothe with addictive or compulsive behavior.
My ideal client recognizes my unconditional acceptance, and feels safe and comfortable sharing his/her life with me. As a result, he/she is able to internalize my unconditional support and encouragement and use it to be a loving, present ally for him/herself. My ideal client feels that therapy is a valuable and essential part of his/her development. He/she willingly and gladly pays my full fee. He/she tells friends and colleagues how much therapy is helping and recommends my services enthusiastically.
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