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I hear a LOT from therapists that one of the biggest things stopping them from pursuing their dreams beyond traditional private practice is a fear of haters, trolls, and general rude comments from others in the field.
We are, ahem, no strangers to this, so it’s a valid fear. We’ve got some cranky therapists roaming these streets!
But does your fear of what some imagined person might or might not say get to decide…what you do with your actual life?
Didn’t think so.
Nonetheless, if someone catches you off-guard, it can be nice to know what to say so you don’t feel flustered!
Below are scripts to help you out! These are actual responses that I’ve used in the past in response to mean-spirited comments on ads, on posts, and in person.
Memorize a few of these scripts for yourself so you can finally move forward on your dreams WITHOUT FEAR.
On the general theme of “Why would a therapist become a coach…course creator…etc?” you can say…
- We all grow and change. Most people change jobs and professions every 10 years or so. Why can’t therapists? Some of us grow and are ready for the next exciting challenge in life. I’m allowed to have new goals for myself.
- Coaching and course creation wasn’t even “a thing” when I got licensed. I love it! I might have done this right off the bat, had it been available!
- This is a whole new creative outlet for me! I have wanted less burnout and more lifestyle freedom for a while, and I’m more than qualified already! This allows me to use much more of my personality, my passion, etc.
On the theme of “All coaches are bad, unethical, sidestepping the rules,” etc, you say…
- Actually, as a therapist, I’m held to my same ethical standards no matter what.
- Well, if you believe that, then what better way to up-level the coaching world than to flood it with highly-educated, highly-trained therapists! I guess I’m doing a great service!
- Well, that’s silly. I’ve known great coaches and bad coaches…and I’ve known great therapists and bad therapists. Every profession has awesome people and I’m one of them. We can’t all be judged by a few bad apples. Speaking of…who exactly is this terrible coach you saw behaving so unethically? Sounds serious! Can you give me their name? (They won’t have a name for you!)
On the theme of “You must only care about money…but I care about clients,” you say…
- So when you buy something really cheap, do you value it the same way as something expensive? When you do some internal money work, you’ll see quickly that it’s a kindness to yourself and your clients to charge your worth. I’m happy to connect you with a money coach! You’ll start getting even better outcomes for those clients you care about!
- You’d be amazed how deeply I’m able to work with clients and what results they get now that I’m never stressed about money, and don’t have my old limiting financial beliefs blocking the work.
- I guess by that logic, you must work entirely for free? Because you’re implying that the more cheap the services are, the more you care about clients? Amazing, how do you offer your services free to everyone?
On the theme of “You’re just trying to work outside state lines,” you say…
- Coaching and therapy are totally different services. As a coach, I work in one specific, non-clinical niche. I don’t treat clinical issues outside of my therapy practice.
Remember above all: People are always threatened when you show them what’s possible!
The ONLY people who will criticize you are those who are triggered deep down because they wish they had your guts and resilience and creativity!
If you do get a random rude comment, they’ll be few and far between–and almost never from anyone you really care about!
Also important to remember–no one who is ahead of you on the road to your goals is wasting time hating on their peers. Literally no one.
The only people who behave this way online are generally miserable and angry and taking it out on those who are actually moving forward. Summon your empathy: a therapist with so little emotional control that they resort to trolling other therapists online is a deeply unhappy person. Let their words roll right on by.
Repeat it with me:
Being afraid of what some random person might someday possibly say to me will NOT ever stop me from moving forward with my dreams!!
And as always, if you need help finally pursuing your dreams of outgrowing your office, you know where to find me!
