I know that cash flow can be tight when you’re running a private practice, and I want to help by offering a $100 discount on AdWords to anyone who is experiencing a financial crunch.
However, I ask that therapists who receive a discount “pay it forward” by sharing their time and expertise with folks who are also experiencing financial difficulty.
Therefore, if you request the pay it forward discount, you will need to commit to providing four or more hours of free or sliding-scale work.
For instance, you might:
- Sign up for GiveAnHour.org or OpenPathCollective.org
- Provide a free mental health training for a local school or community organization
- Agree to provide free or low-cost therapy to one client per month that is referred from a local nonprofit.
Many therapists already offer sliding-scale therapy or provide community outreach. If you are among them and still want the “pay it forward” discount, I ask that you find a new way to give four additional hours.
In addition, in order to qualify I ask that you let me know what your specific plan is for giving back, and also take one concrete step towards putting your commitment into action. For instance, if your plan is to provide a free mental health training to a local community organization, it would be great if you let me know which organization you plan to help, and also that you’ve sent them an email offering your services.
My goal with these rules is to make sure the Pay it Forward discount actually results in people paying it forward – not just doing the same things they’ve always been doing, or making a plan of action which never becomes a priority. I want this discount to inspire many therapists to make a big impact in their local community, and I’m also hopeful it can relieve some of the financial stress involved in running a practice.