Here are a few letters from therapists who use Inter<>Dependence
newsletters as a primary marketing tool. No one was compensated for
saying what they said.
A NEW USER...
This social worker is a therapist and program administrator
at a counseling center in suburban Chicago. This is one of a few letters
we exchanged as we were getting to know each other, finding out how
the newsletter would fit his needs, etc.
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Dear Tony:
Thanks again for offering to send me the newsletter articles
in advance. I'm eager to begin the process of revitalizing the
small group practice I direct. We have become way too dependent
on managed care, and if the winds were to suddenly shift in that world
(which they surely can), we'd be "out in the cold."
My intention is to look back at managed care as having
been a "marketing opportunity" - i.e.: they referred
lots of clients to us, and we saved their addresses and marketed them
with our newsletter to become future self-paying clients -- along with
their friends and relatives. I'll let you know how this metamorphosis
works out.
In the meantime, thanks for all your help.
Sincerely,
A THERAPIST'S EXPERIENCE
The following letter is from a therapist at a family mediation
center in California.
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Hi Tony!
Thank you so much for the printer-ready copies of your
newsletter. I have already sent out the first topic to a mailing list
of approximately 140 people with very positive results! One very distant
acquaintance of mine happened to be in the middle of a grief situation,
and she has called to begin counseling. She readily admitted she would
not have thought of my name had it not been for the newsletter!
Several people have called and either spoken to me directly
or left messages on my machine, giving very positive responses. Many
of these people have Xeroxed off copies of the newsletter to distribute
to either other teachers in their school, other clients, or people in
groups to which they belong. I am assuming that this will eventually
yield positive results!
Thanks again for your words of encouragement and positive
attitude. I will close hoping that this endeavor will be a positive
one for both of us for many moons to come.
Professionally yours,
The next letter is from a therapist in Texas. This is
a short excerpt:
Feedback from mailings has been uniformly positive. We've
received only one request to be removed from the mailing list and several
requests to add names of friends and relatives...
I am encouraged... by the number of former clients I have
heard from by phone, e-mail, and regular mail complimenting the newsletter
and looking forward to future issues.
Take care,
SOMEONE WHO'S THINKING ABOUT IT...
I am an MSW in a large city and have been practicing
since 1980. My wife is also an MSW, we met in training. We went through
serious struggles with managed care here in the early '90's and our
caseloads diminished by 35-40%. Somehow, we've managed to turn it around
through more aggressive marketing and more active, goal directed advice
giving work.
Anyway, it's been a roller coaster as it must've been
for you and the fight has provided us with greater strength and confidence
and, I believe, engendered some innovative thinking and ways to work.
I've been surfing therapy web sites for months as I prepare
to create ours. Yours is the finest I have come across - helpful for
potential clients and great marketing. Congratulations!!! A job well
done.
Please send me information regarding your practice building
newsletters. It's good to come across another MSW who clearly has overcome
the moral masochism and self-deprivation ethic of many of our colleagues.
Thank you again for an inspiring web site.

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