When some of us in the healing arts think about developing the business side of our practice, we may not greet that with excitement and passion. In fact, it may have quite the opposite effect on us. If, in our minds, “business” means selling, manipulating, trying to get the most for the least, being profits-oriented, etc., we usually want no part of it.
For a lot of us, we need a mindset make-over! We need to re-define business in a way that is consistent with our values and develop business practices that feel good to us. Our mindset makes all the difference in whether we will be inspired to do the work of developing a thriving practice or be stuck avoiding our business development.
A Healing Arts Business Mindset
If we’ve chosen to do the work of healing, we have a number of values guiding us. Things like really caring about people, wanting to make a difference, desiring to always be in integrity and not mislead anyone, desiring to provide a valuable service, and wanting to be impeccable with money issues so that people always feel treated fairly and respectfully. Any business approaches that feel sleazy or manipulative will not be for us. Is there a way to look at business that works in the healing arts? Yes! Here are three aspects of a Healing Arts Business Mindset.
Business can be about: relationships.
Thanks to the internet, doing business has really changed. More and more, business is about relationships. People choose to work with those that they TRUST. And how is that trust built? Through relationships that develop over time. It’s about getting to know the practitioner and liking what they offer. Whether it’s through our website or our social media presence or our email list, we have unprecedented opportunities to connect with people and build trust with them. These days, it’s not really about selling ourselves — it’s about giving people an experience of who we are so they can see if we’re right for them. Once they like what we contribute and come to trust us, they may well want to work with us. As spiritual entrepreneur coach Paul Zelizer says in one of his articles, “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
Business can be about: communication.
Most of us in the healing arts value communication and we are good communicators. So what if good business practice is about clear communication of who we are and what we offer? It can also be about communicating our experiences and thoughts and insights and inspirations through our website, blogposts and social media presence, or in local presentations and free introductory workshops. Is it not a miracle that, potentially, you could reach someone in nearly every country of the world? Or bring tapping into virtually any organization in your community? We have something so valuable to share and there are many ways to communicate this that keep us in integrity.
Business can be about: knowing who we are and trusting “the right match.”
A major aspect of business is clarifying 1) our identity and 2) who we serve and 3) what results we can offer those we serve. It’s an on-going process that does evolve, but for most of us this is familiar ground. We can do this. Most of us in the healing arts value self-awareness and continue to do our own work. We know that who we are and what we’ve experienced in our own lives contributes greatly to our work with others. We value stepping into our identity, in our current deepest understanding of that, and letting people know who we are. That makes sense to us.
As far as “who we serve?” — I personally love the idea of asking The Universe (or whatever language appeals to you) to make the match with just the right people who can benefit from your unique gifts. No one is right for everyone! The more we identify who we are and what we love to do, the more we show up and become visible and do our part — the more the right people will show up in our practice.
As far as “what we can offer” — well, we know that EFT gets results. What is the lifetime value of being freed from painful emotion and limiting patterns? And learning a tool that will continue to serve for the rest of one’s life? We have something incredibly valuable to offer our clients and we can stand in that truth — and feel comfortable being paid well for the value that we give.
Your mindset makes all the difference
When I look at business as 1) building relationships based on trust; 2) communicating with people who are looking for what I have to offer; and 3) clarifying who I am, what I love to do, and the lifetime value that people will receive from EFT tapping… I resonate with all of that. I no longer feel uncomfortable. I can get excited. How about you?
Wendy G says
So true, Betty! I have always been uncomfortable with the money side of my businesses. It would be nice to be in a place of financial integrity with myself and my clients while being open to abundance for all of us!
bettymh says
I’m glad this spoke to you, Wendy. As I work more on the business side of my practice, I really have to dig deep and work things through. I don’t think we need to use manipulation of any kind for a business in the healing arts — doesn’t feel right. So it’s important to find ways of marketing, visibility, and being paid that feel completely in integrity and in harmony with the healing energy we bring to our clients.
Naomi Mitsuda says
I really resonate with this Betty! Having this mindset as an EFT practitioner, I am excited about building and developing my business. I can and would like to: build relationships based on trust, communicate with people who are looking for what I offer, and clarify who I am, what I offer – what I love to do and how I may help them! Thanks for this Betty!