Brighter Spotlight with Amanda Carver
When it comes to helping your practice survive and thrive, sometimes it can be hard to know where our efforts should go. Should you focus on tried-and-true marketing techniques, or should you make the leap into the wide world of online marketing?
Introducing August’s versatile Brighter Spotlight, Amanda Carver. Amanda didn’t settle for one marketing method or the other. Building on a drive to help people, she decided to branch out and cover all her bases – from SEO to word-of-mouth.
Grab a cup of joe and hang out with us while Amanda talks to us about how she helped her practice expand, and why the relationships in your life are so important.
Q: Tell us a little bit about you and your practice!
A: HeartLink Counseling is a full time practice helping people love and feel loved. I focus primarily on working with adult individuals and couples regarding relationship issues utilizing Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), an attachment-based, experiential model. My practice is located where several in-town Atlanta neighborhoods meet, near Buckhead, Brookhaven, and Midtown. I’m in the office four days a week, including three evenings. I also offer EFT supervision.
Logo for HeartLink Counseling
At the heart of it, I became a therapist because I wanted to help people. My emotional intuition and compassion for others’ suffering led me to this type of healing art. I also know from my own journey how having an educated, caring guide can help people become more connected and alive in their lives. I earned my degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from The Family Institute at Northwestern University 13 years ago and have continued to focus on strengthening relationships throughout my career.
Q: What is one reason you’re glad you became a therapist?
A: When someone takes a big risk to share and reach toward their partner in new ways, or is received with acceptance, it’s a truly moving and powerful experience. This type of authenticity and growth is also possible in individual therapy. I think ultimately we all just need to know someone cares, and how we can find a sense of belonging in this world.
Q: What do you like to do in your free time when you’re not working?
A: Most of my free time goes to connecting with my 2-year old daughter and my husband, but I also enjoy folk rock, amateur photography, and writing. Lately, I’ve been seeing if I can tackle transforming old furniture into new works of functional art.
Q: When did you become a Brighter Vision client, and why?
A: I became a Brighter Vision client in Spring 2018. I was in the process of rebranding and wanted more for my website than I could create on my own.
Amanda’s Brighter Vision website, HeartLink Counseling
Q: What methods were you using to attract clients before you had a Brighter Vision website?
A: My practice is largely built by word of mouth. I’m very involved in the local EFT/couple therapy community. I also maintain a few social media pages.
Q: How did your process of attaining and attracting clients change after your Brighter Vision website from how it was before?
A: More clients are finding me through Google searches. I’ve heard from many folks – clients and colleagues – that my website is polished and inviting.
Q: What is one of your favorite parts of your website? How does that represent you and your private practice?
A: My designer, Amanda, was absolutely wonderful to work with and helped really streamline a sense of my branding throughout my website, including colors, fonts, and pictures that capture the diverse clientele I work with. I wanted to communicate a strong sense of warmth that is also polished. Amanda did that well. I love it all!
The service page for Couple Therapy on Amanda’s Brighter Vision site
Q: What is something you know now about marketing your private practice or making a private practice website that you have learned from your experience with Brighter Vision?
A: The importance of making it easy for people to contact me or find the info they’re looking for!
Q: How do you keep organized and scheduled in your day-to-day life?
A: I’m sooo old school. I keep a paper calendar.
Q: How do you make time for self-care with your busy schedule?
A:. Between running a full-time practice and being Mama to a small child, self-care sometimes gets lost. I’ve been working to make it more of a priority by taking long walks in the mornings and getting as much rest as I can! Staying connected to my creative side is also helpful.
Amanda and her husband
Q: What other tools or services do you use to help boost your private practice?
A: Perhaps not surprisingly, I’ve found connection with my colleagues to be the best way to build my practice. As well as staying rested, focused, and educated toward providing a quality service.
Q: What have you found to be the most important piece of advice someone has given you about being a private practice owner?
A: Use your energy on what you’re good at and hire out the rest if possible, such as bookkeeping…and building a website!
Q: Do you have any pieces of advice for someone just starting their own private practice journey?
A: In our modern world it’s important to cover all your online bases – such as solid SEO, a professional website, a media presence, etc. But don’t forget to stay connected on a personal level. It’s easy to become isolated in this profession. Connection to colleagues is a powerful way to maintain referrals, stay at the edge of your field, and avoid burnout.
Want to follow in Amanda’s footsteps? Give your practice the very best and try out the world’s leading therapist website service, Brighter Vision.
Reach out to our customer happiness team today and learn how one of our custom-built websites can help you grow the practice of your dreams.