Why some human helpers are ditching their office and going digital
/Working online as a mental wellness provider has always been an option - but before COVID not a lot of professionals were taking advantage of this delivery option for their practices. Maybe they were nervous about making the transition, just did not want to add one more thing to their plate, did not think their clients would take to it, insurance was not paying for those services, etc.
But with 2020s happenings - we were all forced to go online during the initial lock down if we wanted to keep our doors open. After the initial shock, SO many providers found out that online work really isnt that bad, is just as effective and some even found out it is their preferred delivery method for services. Some decided that they will never return to in person sessions or services and others taking more of a hybrid approach and providing some in person and some online.
Cheaper
By not having to pay for a physical office space location - you are cutting your overhead costs drastically. For so many practices, the rent they pay each month is about 40% of their expenses if not more. Imagine what you could do with all that extra money you are saving by not having a full time office space.
Help More People
By going online you can serve a much wider audience then just those who are able to drive to your office location.
Ease
Some people find working from home a lot easier than going into an office everyday. Specially with COVID-19 and the health concerns surround that - it can just bring a peace of mind to you knowing that you don’t have to make the commute to the office everyday.
More Freedom
Dependent on your licensure and business set up this may vary - but for the majority of us - working online is going to provide us with a lot more freedom in our day to day to get household chores done, grab lunch with a pal, pick our children up from school, etc.
There are a lot more reasons why people choose to work solely from online like mentioned above. But there are also some barriers that keep health and wellness professionals from making this change in their practice.
If on insurance panels - we need a physical office address and not a PO Box…
We are concerned about isolation and spending our days only talking to our clients alone in our home offices…
We fear that people will not want to see us as providers if we only offer online…
and we want support building our businesses and do not feel like we can get this without having in person colleagues.
Working online is not going to be for everyone. For some this time of pretty much being forced to offer online services has really shown them that they love, need and crave in person interactions with people and cannot wait to stop offering online sessions. For these individuals, looking into a shared workspace may be the best fit for you. This will provide you with a furnished, safe, and secure office space to see your clients in all while still getting the flexibility you may want by not being locked into a long term office rental lease. If you gave up your office but really wanting to get back into a full term all yours type of office space, reach out to other professionals and see if they have any openings in their offices, check your local list servces or therapist FB groups or even craigslist.
Check out our offerings and membership options today! If you are in the Louisville area, we may be a good fit for you and your growing practice :) and if you are in KY and needing a virtual office address for your telehealth business you can get all of this and more with b.mindful Louisville virtual membership for those human helping professionals in the state of KY.