10 Media Interview Mistakes Therapists Make

I've written before about how media interviews (television, podcasts, speaking engagements etc.) can be helpful in educating your community about critical mental health issues, establishing yourself as an expert in your field, and perhaps even gaining new clients (click here to learn more benefits of participating in media interviews). But our expertise is as clinical counselors, and many therapists have little to no experience with a cameraman, bright lights, and the general "show-biz" aspect of the process. Over the years, I've noticed a few common mishaps that some individuals (including myself) have made. In hopes of preventing our readers from making these same mistake, here are 10 common interview mistakes therapists make:

1. They don't see the value in media presence

Some clinicians may not see the purpose or value of sitting down with someone and having a formal interview about a topic concerning mental health, relationships, or some other aspect relating to their niche. "Wouldn't my time be better spent doing clinical work or working to attract new prospects?" they may wonder. While it's true that you must work to balance your responsibilities, participating in the occasional interview is worth your time. And there is also the possibility that interviews become more frequent and perhaps even becomes a paid opportunity for you. Then it will certainly be valuable as an income stream.

2. They begin by promoting their practice

While media interviews are a great way to get the word out about your therapy practice, avoid being pushy or overly promotional. Don't mention your services first thing. Instead, present your message, then end by giving the name and contact information (usually the website) of your practice. Viewers and listeners will want to hear your thoughts before they are interested in taking the next step. So let your work speak for itself, then close the interview by concisely talking about your practice.

3. They prepare too much material         

Time is of the essence in interviews, and you'll have a very specific time allotted to communicate your message. Some therapists may fear running out of things to say, so they prepare an abundance of material. But this technique can backfire, as it may cause you to be too long-winded, neglect valuable pieces of your message, rush to try to fit everything in, or cause you to run out of time. As your prepare your talking points, be mindful of your time limit and even practice your interview in that same time frame.

4. They expect those in production to help them manage nerves   

There are many individuals who work together to make sure the interview goes smoothly. The person conducting the interview, the camera operators, sound techs, etc. Everyone has a designated job and are usually very busy in their own responsibilities. If you are feeling nervous about an interview (particularly if it is your first one), know that you probably can't expect these people to be able to help calm your worry. Trust your own self and perhaps bring a friend along if you think you may need moral support.

5. They don't switch out of therapist mode to sound byte mode  

The way we speak in an interview is quite different than the way we speak to a client (it's interesting that when we are in the therapist chair, we are the ones asking questions, but in an interview, we are being asked the questions). Good therapists often speak slowly, reflect back, pause often, and go deeper. However, good TV interview skills require the opposite: speak quickly, don’t reflect back, keep the interview moving, and stay on target. Someone may take something you say as a quote to use in an article or to simply remember, so try to make the things you say somewhat "digestible" and even catchy (while not being gimmicky, of course). Read here for specific ways to keep your message clear, concise, and effective.

6. They don't ask to be invited to interview again     

If your interview goes well, there's no reason to not do one again in the future! Building that relationship takes time and will not happen in a single media exposure. Self-advocate and ask to be interviewed again by a certain outlet or production crew. The worst they can say is no! Simply asking to be interviewed again has helped me secure and maintain ongoing interview gigs.

7. They don't maximize their interview  

An interview is worthless if others do not view/ listen to/ read it. Be sure to maximize it by sharing it via your social media outlets. For example, when I am interviewed for a television segment, I always obtain the link, share it on Facebook and Twitter, then upload the video to my Youtube account and my blog. I want to make sure others know about it. Don't be shy about letting your followers know that you've given your professional insight in a formal setting. Remember, they are interested in what you have to say!

8. They speak in psychobabble    

As mentioned previously, in an interview, you're not speaking to a client, but you're not speaking to a psychology professor, either. Make sure you phrase your ideas in ways that others can understand. There's nothing worse than a pretentious expert talking over others' heads. Though you want to establish credibility, your point is not to prove how smart you are, but instead to educate viewers on a specific topic. Don't "dumb down" your message, but avoid using too many theoretical terms.

9. They don't do their homework

It's important to do some research about the media outlet before your interview. Ask yourself: 1) Who is the audience?, 2) What is the tone? 3) What is the format? 4) Who is the host or interviewer? 5) How can I best serve their audience? Once you've gathered this information, use it to inform the content that you prepare and deliver in the interview.

10. They don't specify how they would like to be introduced

Prior to your interview, be very specific about how you would like to be introduced and referred to during the interview. Make sure to include the full name of your private practice. Also, make sure you request that they mention your website, and if it's a TV interview, ask them to display your website address in a visual banner. You are donating your time in exchange for the opportunity to talk about your passion, and in exchange, you get to build trust with your community. So be very clear about who you are, what you do, and how the audience can find out more about your work.

What are some media interview mistakes that YOU'VE experienced? 

If you'd like to build your media skills and develop a strong media and social media presence hop on over and check out my new media training just for therapists! Enrollment just opened today and there are a limited number of early bird spots offered at a reduced fee RockTheMediaSchool.com

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Why I Only Hire W-2 Therapists (W-2 vs. 1099 part 3)

I've noticed that private practice therapist tend to hire additional therapists as 1099 contract employees. Reasons frequently cited for choosing to hire therapists as 1099 employees is that they don't have to pay the therapists taxes. While it may be more "affordable" to hire therapists as contractors, in my experience, there are also "costs." (For an summary of the difference between W-2 and 1099 employees read part 1 in this series. To hear about my employment tax audit adventure read part 2.)

According to the IRS website, the general rule for classifying 1099 independent contractor is "if the payer has the right to control or direct only the result of the work and not what will be done and how it will be done" (italics added). It also states that an employee is not a contract employee if the services "can be controlled by an employer (what will be done and how it will be done)" and if "the employer has the legal right to control the details of how the services are performed."

In consulting with therapists around the U.S. I've heard about some of the "costs" of hiring 1099 employees. Some of the costs high turnover rates due to the part-time and often temporary nature of contract employee relationships. Some of those "costs" include lack of control over how and where therapy is done, inability to require specific paperwork, inability to require attendance at staff meetings or trainings, inability to request that therapists network and participate in community outreach to boost referrals.

Here are the four main reasons I only hire therapists as W-2 employees:

1) Overall Cohesiveness

My vision for Wasatch Family Therapy has always been to build a cohesive team with a shared long-term vision of providing excellent clinical services to clients across the lifespan from an attachment perspective, not just have a group of therapist doing any kind of therapy they choose.  Now that we have grown into a clinic of 18 therapists at 3 locations cohesiveness is even more crucial. When therapists are hired as 1099 contractors employers are not supposed to tell the contract worker how to do therapy, or make other specific requirements of the worker, such attendance at trainings.

2) Higher Level of Quality Control

If a therapist is going to work under my name and my practice name or "brand", I want to be able to have a say in how, where, and when they do the work.  I've spend over 10 years building trust, credibility, and presence in my region and I want to be able to be able provide mentoring, direction, and training in how my clinical team provides services.

3) Ability to Require Certain Activities

I want to be able to require certain activities from my team members that hiring them as 1099 workers does not allow me to do. We have streamlined forms for notes and documentation in our EHR system. I require each therapist to engage in at least one outreach or networking activity each month in order to create strong referral sources. I require attendance at two monthly staff meetings, and a certain level of professional appearance at the office.

4) Implication of Long-Term Relationship

I am not interested in hiring temporary therapists to provide services. Hiring 1099 workers generally implies a short-term relationship. I am interested in hiring therapists who have a shared vision and who I can invest in long-term, and who will invest in building the practice long-term. I want to build mutually beneficial relationships not just provide services. Hiring therapists as W-2 employees shows a greater long-term commitment to them to build their practice for the long haul. I also allows me to expect a greater commitment from them.

Would Your Practice Survive An Employment Tax Audit? (1099 vs. W-2 part 2)

Does the state tax commission really take the time to audit small private practices? I didn't think so, until my practice was selected for an audit.

A few years ago my clinic was selected for an employment tax audit. Lucky me, right? When the auditor walked into my office suite and saw many offices with different names on the doors, he looked at me pleadingly and said, "Please, please don't tell me that these therapists are all classified as 1099 contractors."

I replied, "I won't. We're all W-2's."

There was a look of relief on his face.He then proceeded to tell me that health and mental health private practitioners are notorious for incorrectly classifying 1099 employees. In his experience many groups are set up as contract workers when they are acting like employees (I'll go over into detail about the the IRS criteria for how to classify  an employee as a 1099 vs. W2 employees in a forthcoming post).

The auditor requested access to all of my financial documents including bank accounts, accounting,  payroll information and tax documents. He asked us questions about any large checks written directly to employees to make sure we were paying our employment taxes. After a brief review of my payroll and tax documents the auditor thanked me for making his job easier and left with a smile. I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Had I hired the therapists working with me as 1099 I may have been penalized with a hefty fine and required to pay back employment taxes on all of the therapists' income. I was not in a position to shell out thousands and thousands of dollars. Had I been incorrectly classifying employees it may have put my practice in jeopardy.

Do you know the IRS criteria for classifying 1099 contract workers vs. W-2 employees? It isn't based on whether or not you want to pay your therapist's taxes or want to have them pay self-employment taxes. It isn't based on whether they are full-time or part-time workers. It isn't based on whether or not you provide benefits.

There are many misconceptions about classifying employees in private practice. I'll address theses criteria for how to distinguish between hiring 1099 vs. W-2 therapists in upcoming posts.

Watch for the next Therapist Blog Challenge coming next week, too!

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Mobile App For Your Private Practice? It's Easier Than You Think

By now you know that I love technology, especially when it comes to practice building. I recently blogged about how shrinks can prepare for the mobile marketing revolution. Well, here's another cool way to make sure that your private practice website is "mobile friendly." You can now build your own private practice app! Seriously. Last weekend I stumbled on this blog http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57336404-94/how-to-build-your-own-app-for-free/ and thought I'd give it a try.

My clinic website, Wasatch Family Therapy, has an active blog, newsletter, YouTube account, Twitter, and Facebook page and we pride ourselves in being fairly tech-savvy, so an app is the next step, right? In addition to providing clinical services, we highly value outreach and community education and technology and the Internet allow us to reach far beyond our own community in Utah.

In less than an hour, through the tools available on conduit.com I created a custom mobile "Wasatch Family Therapy" app, complete with it's own QR code (the code you can scan with a bar code scanner on your mobile phone). I was also able to set up a notification to my website visitors using a mobile device to select the app or open the full-version. Cool huh?

If you want to check out our app scan the QR code or click http://mob.conduit.com/wasatchfamilytherapyon your mobile device. It'll open the app and give you the option to save to home screen.

I also created another app for my website JulieHanks.com so visitors can access my blog and ask questions from their mobile phone. Did I mention that I love technology? It allows a little therapist in Utah to reach around the globe.

Now get busy creating an app for your private practice. If you do, post the link below. I'd love to see it.