Initial Phone Screen in Counseling Private Practice | The First Phone Call

Initial Phone Screen in Counseling Private Practice | The First Phone Call
FREE Guide: Start a Private Practice in Counseling:
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I remember when I first started in private practice as an intern, the first phone call with a potential client completely freaked me out: what do I say? How long should the call be? How do I figure out if we are a good fit? How do I show my true colors in a brief time so they feel comfortable scheduling with me? If these questions feel familiar to you, you’re in good company. In this video we’re diving into the initial phone screening with potential clients in private practice.
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This video is geared for therapists of all kinds, including psychologists, MFTs, LPCCs, social workers, and others in the clinical counseling field.
Welcome to Private Practice Skills! I’m Dr. Marie Fang, psychologist in private practice. I post videos offering tools I learned the hard way about starting and growing private practice so that you don’t have to.
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This video is not intended as professional or legal advice. Be sure to seek the services of a professional if you are in need of them.
In reality, we all find our own groove for how we do the initial screening: some do short structured calls while others do longer, more free-form calls. It’s important to me that you have the freedom to develop a screening process that reflects your brand and who you are.
Here are some tips to get you started in developing your phone screen:
Identify how much time you’re willing to spend. Would you rather prioritize getting a client to schedule an initial intake session or would you prefer to ensure the client is likely to see you for more than one session? From my experience, shorter phone calls (around 10 minutes or so) make it more likely for clients to schedule an initial session, but then no-show rates are high, and for those who come they’re less likely to return for a follow-up appointment.
Identify your Therapeutic Style. Though the initial phone contact is not therapy, it’s important to embody the same style through in the first phone call that you do when you meet for your first session.
Put differently, this is a type of Brand Consistency: who you are should be the same in-person as you are on your website, in email, and over the phone. Are you a structured CBT therapist? Then consider a structured approach over the phone.
By being consistent, if a potential client feels comfortable with how you interact with them over the phone, they likely will feel comfortable with you in-person and are more likely to stick around for more than one session.
Do a brief assessment. In addition to checking potential for harm to self or others, create a checklist of items you need to ask to identify if you might be able to help this potential client. Are there certain presenting issues you keep to within your niche? I like to ask questions that help me quickly pinpoint the likelihood that someone may fit within my niche.
Circle back to logistics. It’s our duty to inform clients of our rate at our earliest convenience. Be sure to check in about questions the potential client may have about your schedule, insurance, and fees before scheduling an appointment. If a client has a pressing question about logistics at the beginning of the call, I like to answer right away because I don’t want to waste their time if my fee is too high for their budget, I don’t accept their insurance, or our schedules don’t match up.
Decide on Follow up. I send a follow-up email confirming our appointment including the details of my address and what to expect upon arrival.
However you approach a call, pick a strategy that allows you to lead with confidence. You can experiment and fine-tune with each initial call until you land on a strategy that works for you.
Hopefully these tips will help you get started so your first calls don’t feel completely directionless.

[@chowder2260]

As a new therapist, this video was so so so helpful. I feel like I'm more nervous than the client someitmes in that initial phone convo....

[@tapslagata]

starting my PP in january, getting all my ducks lined up. Your videos are like little pep talks that help me know i'm on the right track! :0)

[@viksaggu9085]

Lol client emailed me and I came straight to this video!

[@LovePoemForNoOne]

I LOVE ALL YOUR PLANTS! It makes me feel better about my own botanical collection!

[@sowmyatony8627]

Thank u so much❤

[@jwchan1106]

Great info and i love your vibe😊

[@PrivatePracticeSkills]

Thanks so much!

[@enatp6448]

This is awesome!

[@PrivatePracticeSkills]

Glad to hear it! 🙏

[@erindrum5145]

Hey Marie! Do you document these initial phone calls? If there's any sort of assessment for risk, it seems wise to document regardless of their answer but if they're not a client yet they haven't signed any sort of informed consent, may not be in client database, etc.

[@Jenstvennost]

Thank you. Ukraine

[@kavita.panyam]

Does the therapist call clients over the phone or ask them to call you?
Some clients request the therapist to call their family members for the free initial consultation. I'm a little uncertain on this?
Can a therapist call clients in sos conditions?
Please make videos on the above. TIA

[@davepatterson3347]

The sound is not working

[@jenniferconte470]

Hi Marie! New therapist to private practice here! Would you recommend always conducting a screening via phone call? For instance, if I get an email from a new potential client should I call them or respond via email to set up the appointment/answer questions. What would you recommend?

[@PrivatePracticeSkills]

I lean towards hopping on the phone as much as possible. Most clients do reach out via email for the first contact, so I respond requesting to set up a phone appointment. It's one more hoop for the client to jump through in the maze of finding a therapist, but I find the phone call really sets the tone and either solidifies trust the potential client already had with me from my web materials, or clarifies what therapy with me looks like in case we're either not the best fit or the client isn't ready for counseling. I think it's also key in minimizing no-shows. My two cents!

[@irenelb7821]

@@PrivatePracticeSkills Hi Marie, when you respond to that initial email, do you mention whether you are in or out of network with their insurance before you schedule the free consultation call? or do you wait to cover this during the call..

[@winterbear2334]

My counsellor is called eillish

[@winterbear2334]

Thank you so much