Imogen McIntyre: Using Your Niche to Build a Private Practice | Ep 114

Fearless Practice

How can you market your practice successfully in a big city? Do you have a specific niche that you want to figure out how to use well to connect with your best-fit client? Are you on the verge of considering to open two practices?

Everyone talks about niching down, but it’s always helpful to speak to someone that did it and made it work well!

In this podcast episode, Imogen and I discuss the entry into becoming a clinical social worker, launching and running two Canadian practices, and really knuckling down into a niche to allow the business to flourish.

MEET IMOGEN

Imogen Mcintyre is a Registered Clinical Social Worker who has founded two private practices, one focused on LGBTQ and neurodivergent issues, the other focused on couples therapy for sticky topics: the ones that can be hard to talk about with friends or family (think infidelity recovery, mismatched libidos or sexual preferences, shifts in gender or sexual identity, mental illness and relationships, and many more). Imogen practices from IFS, Gottman, and EFT informed approaches and strives to provide couples therapy without shame or blame.

Learn more about Imogen on their Psychology Today profile, and private practice website.

In this episode:

• Why Imogen decided to become a clinical social worker

• Building your own Canadian private practice

• A clinical social worker as opposed to a social worker

• Imogen’s unique service offering

• Marketing in a big city

Why Imogen decided to become a clinical social worker

In 2015, Imogen got their Bachelors of Social Work. At the time, Imogen was a single mom and decided to go into social work.

Imogen started in Vancouver before practicing in other places, and also worked for the government at the start of their career. They worked in youth work for a year, and even though it was an enjoyable experience, it wasn’t financially sustainable, so Imogen went back to school to complete a masters degree.

After completing their masters, Imogen was hired by a health authority and greatly enjoyed working with the team, but then went on maternity leave.

Building up your own Canadian private practice

One of the drivers for Imogen to open and pursue their own business was to have more freedom and autonomy with time.

Now, Imogen has more autonomy in terms of time, and is working in an environment where they can meet their needs as well as the needs of their family.

A clinical social worker as opposed to a social worker

The clinical social worker designation is new in Canada, so it’s not widely known yet, sometimes even in professional circles.

With the RCSW, Imogen can diagnose things like ADHD and anything within the DSM, although there are some things that Imogen won’t diagnose for due to not personally feeling fully qualified yet.

Imogen’s unique service offering

Imogen noticed with their existing clients that people were asking for letters for different purposes, and Imogen wanted to figure out a way to offer clients this service while still being billed for the time and effort it takes to write them.

Doing it through the Jane App platform means that the time during the sessions is dedicated specifically to the clients needs, and not for writing the letter itself.

Marketing in a big city

Imogen was able to build up their clientele in Vancouver relatively quickly, which is a challenge!

Therefore, having a very in depth niche is what greatly helped Imogen to build their practice up relatively quickly and successfully.

Connect with me:

Instagram

Website

Resources mentioned and useful links:

Ep 113: Veronica Loffreda: Why Diversifying Brings You Success in Private Practice | EP 113

Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice

Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice

Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free)

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