A discussion with a therapist friend prompted me to think about how we measure the success of our independent therapy practices. There seems to be a tacit assumption, here in the UK, that as independent therapists we’re aiming to grow our practices, hire a team of therapists, and that more (employees and clients) is best.

My five year (and ten year!) plan doesn’t involve employing other therapists, working lots more hours or making lots more money. So what other metrics do we have for measuring progress with our businesses?

When I try and visualise a successful outcome for my business, I’m interested to notice that my mind is drawn first to how I will be feeling, when I’ve reached my business goals. I will be calm, not frazzled, I will enjoy my client work which will be challenging and rewarding, not frustrating and overwelming. I will be supported by, and support, a group of like minded colleagues.

So if someone were to record a documentary film, a day in the life of my therapy business when I’d reached my goals, what would the camera show? Me smiling and relaxed – my shoulders would be low. I’d have breakfast, and coffee, with my family, before I left for work. High energy sessions with happy children, and me feeding back to parents the progress their child was making. On my computer screen my caseload would show throughput, there would be no waiting list, as soon as I finished up with one child, a new family (who I was excited to work with) would enquire. I’d eat a healthy lunch, while reading a relevant research paper, and get home with energy to spare to play with my son before bed time.

Not quite what you tend to see written in a business plan! (Although I also have financial targets that I need to meet.) I’m interested in other ways (besides money) that we measure success, and other goals that we strive for.

Let me know how you measure your own success, what does it look like for you?

When I remember the therapy package I offered “Freddy”, I wince. Over 18 months, I gave him four six-week blocks of therapy: 24 sessions in all. When I eventually discharged Freddy, he still couldn’t consistently produce velars—and worse, he still didn’t care. Even though his parents realised that I didn’t have a magic wand, they didn’t practise with him at home. So I didn’t achieve my objective and I wasted several precious days—days I could’ve used working with other clients. I had clients on a waiting list who were ready to engage with therapy and work towards realistic targets. What a waste.

What can I learn from this failure story? Instead of managing my caseload, monitoring my progress, and focusing on outcomes, I kept on repeating the same activity, hoping for a different outcome. That’s one way to define insanity—and yet, that’s how most of us still operate today. We need to change the way we approach therapy.

Modern SLT teams need new skills

I asked SLT managers what they’re looking for in their staff team. They told me that they need therapists who manage their own caseloads, balance a range of demands, and achieve outcomes for clients. Managers need therapists who know how to collaborate, can deal with conflict, and have a flexible mindset.

Here’s the problem: managers need staff with these skills and therapists need to learn them, but traditional training courses don’t teach them. I developed the Therapy Ideas Workshop to tackle this problem. It’s a day of practical learning, through exercises, discussions, and case studies. After attending the workshop you’ll get noticed at work—for all the right reasons!—and life as a therapist will be more satisfying.

The commissioning landscape is changing and we don’t have a map to follow, so teams need therapists who can make their own map, take personal responsibility, and challenge the old working practices. Think of this workshop as an investment in yourself. Whether you’re looking for a promotion, your first job, or more satisfaction from your current role, this workshop is for you.

The workshop is on Friday 12 October at Sadler’s Wells, London. You have a week to snap up a ticket at the early bird price of £139. Book online today. Spread the word by emailing these details to colleagues, posting about it on your Facebook wall or Tweeting. Come with a friend, and you’ll be a force to be reckoned with when you take your new ideas back to work!

Photo by KWDesigns