STP 10 | From Burnout to Success: The Impact of Hiring Virtual Assistants for Therapists
Feb 17, 2023
Links and Resources
- Builder Type Assessment - grow without the grind
- CoReceptionist
- Using AI to make bulk social media posts
- Choosing to Cheat by Andy Stanley
- The Productive Therapist - Therapy Intake Pro
- The Productive Therapist - Billing Assistant Pro
- Fiverr
- Upwork
- Don’t Panic Management with Jess Tyson the CEO and "Director of Calm (Sorry for blanking on your name in the episode!)
- The Virtual Savvy
- Therapy for Your Money - Return on Investment Calculator
- PsychMaven - Find more resources here
Introduction:
In this podcast transcript, David Hall and James Marland discuss the need for administrative support for therapists. They highlight the importance of identifying bottlenecks in the process and getting help to avoid cheating oneself and family. They also discuss the benefits of using virtual assistants (VAs) in a therapy practice, emphasizing the return on investment of using VAs to perform administrative tasks. Additionally, the hosts explore the pros and cons of hiring a virtual assistant and provide resources for finding and training them.
Understanding Virtual Assistants
The hosts explain that virtual assistants are individuals who work for you either as contractors or employees and perform tasks from their own location using their own equipment. VAs can work in different time zones and may be based in different countries, making hiring them more affordable. However, the transcript also emphasizes the importance of understanding the legal and tax implications of hiring VAs.
Using Virtual Assistants in Therapy Practices
The hosts discuss the potential tasks that a VA can perform in a therapy practice, such as taking and returning phone calls, checking voicemails and emails, calling clients back, and getting their information. VAs can also handle administrative tasks such as data collection, scheduling, sending out paperwork, and checking on insurance or payment processing. Using VAs to perform these tasks saves therapists time and allows them to focus on seeing clients, improving productivity, and reducing burnout.
Pros and Cons of Hiring a Virtual Assistant
The hosts weigh the pros and cons of using a company that provides virtual assistants versus hiring an independent VA. James recommends using a company due to their experience working with different systems and the added layer of accountability and management support. However, one disadvantage of using a company is the additional cost for the VA's time and management. The hosts also discuss the importance of making the VA feel like part of the team and promoting loyalty.
Finding and Training a Virtual Assistant
The hosts suggest resources for finding VAs, including The Productive Therapist, Uriah Gilford, Facebook groups, Fiverr, and Upwork. They caution against ignoring red flags when hiring a VA and suggest looking for reasons to say no to potential hires. They also recommend hiring someone who has experience doing calls or therapy-specific work and being willing to pay more for this expertise.
Final Thoughts
The hosts make a compelling case for the benefits of using virtual assistants in a therapy practice to improve efficiency, productivity, and reduce burnout. They stress the importance of understanding the legal and tax implications of hiring VAs and provide resources for finding and training them. By utilizing virtual assistants, therapists can focus on what they do best - seeing clients and helping people - and leave administrative tasks to those who excel at them.
Tips and To Do's:
- Create a list of all the tasks that you do in a day, and track the time you spend on each one.
- Identify the tasks that are taking up too much of your time, and research tools or solutions that can help automate or delegate them.
- Consider hiring a virtual assistant to handle administrative tasks like scheduling, billing, and invoicing.
- Set up automation for your billing and invoicing processes.
Links and Resources
- Builder Type Assessment - grow without the grind
- CoReceptionist
- Using AI to make bulk social media posts
- Choosing to Cheat by Andy Stanley
- The Productive Therapist - Therapy Intake Pro
- The Productive Therapist - Billing Assistant Pro
- Fiverr
- Upwork
- Don’t Panic Management
- The Virtual Savvy
- Therapy for Your Money - Return on Investment Calculator
- PsychMaven - Find more resources here
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