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Introduction
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Dr. Jess Reynolds: In this episode, we're going to challenge a belief that might be holding you back, and it's the idea that the key to success as a practitioner lies in constantly learning new techniques. Collecting wall candy certificates. But here's what's really fascinating. Many really skilled practitioners still struggle with low client retention.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: They struggle with burnout and financial instability. So by the end of this episode, you'll understand why success isn't about the number of techniques you know, but rather about how you integrate them into a deeper connection with your clients, and very importantly, your purpose. Welcome to the Conscious Practitioner, the podcast helping wellness practitioners align with purpose, create deeper client transformation, and evolve your practice even if you feel stuck.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: I'm your host, Dr. Jess, and each week we address your biggest practice challenges, from boundaries to burnout and everything in [00:01:00] between. Together, we uncover the inner blind spots behind these outer struggles that when mastered, transforming from a skilled practitioner to a truly impactful one. In today's episode, you will discover while learning more techniques doesn't automatically lead to more success, the deeper skills that actually make the biggest impact on your practice and a new way to approach growth that leads to real fulfillment and client loyalty.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: So with that, let's jump in.
Part 1
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Dr. Jess Reynolds: All right, so today we're gonna talk about something that is, , pretty near and dear to my heart. It's pretty important to me, and that's collecting techniques and certifications. Now I wanna preface this whole conversation by saying the very vast majority of my income these days comes from teaching techniques, teaching continuing education courses, I own AIM Wellness Education, which is an online platform literally dedicated to teaching new techniques.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: So I'm gonna preface it by saying that. Now with that said, I'm gonna say that techniques, certifications, they don't [00:02:00] matter. They don't matter. It's a hot take maybe, but it's what I really believe to be the case. What I find a lot of practitioners tend to fall into is this belief that the next certification, the next thing is going to be the missing piece that finally makes their practice really take off.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: So they collect certifications, they go to countless continuing education courses, gaining and gathering, and collecting new techniques. And yeah, they do matter, right? But just like any other profession, they only matter to a certain extent. Let's put this into perspective. Pretend or imagine you were to ask a professional surfer what makes them really successful.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: They are not going to say the ability to stand on a surfboard, because that's, a given, right? It's like the ability to hold your breath, the ability to swim, the ability to paddle. All of these things, yeah, they're important, but they are foundational techniques. So that pro surfer is almost certainly not gonna tell you that's the secret to success.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: They're probably gonna tell you something like, you know, your ability to read the waves or to get into [00:03:00] flow and make real time changes, intuitive decisions, things like this, and this exact same thing applies to us as wellness practitioners. Mastering techniques. It's the starting point, right? It's essential.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: In fact, the first one to five years of a person's practice, you should be learning more techniques, right? , that's the era. In which gathering techniques and tools is helpful, but it's not going to help you be more successful. You do need skill, but relying solely on accumulating more certifications, more techniques, more types of therapeutic interventions without developing the deeper elements of your practice, like therapeutic presence, like confidence, like communication skills.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: Well, this can actually lead to more overwhelm and stagnation rather than growth. So , the hard truth maybe is that clients don't really care about the techniques you use, right? Like very rarely is somebody [00:04:00] going to come in and say, Hey, can you do this new technique that I've learned about? Right? Like a massage therapist.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: You might get some people asking for cupping because of seeing athletes or taping or something like that. But the chances of them saying like, Hey, could you please practice this specific cranial sacral technique? Not gonna happen. Same thing with like mental health practitioners. The chances of them coming in asking for a specific therapeutic intervention, it's basically zero, right?
Dr. Jess Reynolds: They're not going to be asking for these specific modalities because in reality, they come to you for results, not the methods. They trust you to know what's best. So, yeah, I mean, we do need these techniques, right? But mastering them in my experience and opinion, not just personally, but talking with countless other practitioners, it's a relatively quick process.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: In fact, that's really what school is for.. So then what I believe actually makes a difference is your ability to create trust, to communicate clearly, to [00:05:00] hold a safe space that fosters deep connection and leads to client loyalty. A practitioner who can do that will always have a thriving practice, even if you only work with a handful of techniques.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: In fact,
Dr. Jess Reynolds: when you talk to somebody who's been practicing for a while, myself included, we really only use a small handful of techniques over and over. We just get really good at them. We learn new techniques. It might pull in a little bit here and there to make the treatment a little bit better, a little bit more enjoyable, but more effective, hard to say.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: So then with that being said. Therapist with every certification under the sun, but has no connection with their clients. They're gonna struggle to build a sustainable business. They're gonna struggle to attract new clients. When we come at it from the other perspective that our techniques are foundational, but all of these other things, what really lead to success, that's when we build a loyal client base who are going to be our [00:06:00] number one advocate.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: So they're the ones who are gonna refer everybody to you, right? So think about when you go to a practitioner. You've probably gone to a practitioner who is technically perfect. They are really good and skilled at what they do. Their technique is 10 out of 10, and that's great. That's great. Now, if you go to somebody who's got technique that's 10 out 10 and they communicate really, really well and they really do make you feel like this is a safe space and you really do trust them, who are you gonna book with again?
Dr. Jess Reynolds: Think about the two types of practitioners you've been to, because I'm sure you've been there, you've been to the ones where you connect with and the ones where you don't. Technique matters, but what really is that secret sauce is all of the other things. So for myself, when I consider some of the most successful practitioners that I've met, they're not the ones with the longest list of certifications.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: They're the ones who show up fully present in each and every session. They're the ones who have mastered listening, [00:07:00] not just the words, but also mastering like body language and energy, and those non-vocal forms of communication. And they know how to communicate their value, and they know how to set boundaries with clients.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: This is to say the most successful practitioners that I've ever met are the ones who have a profound commitment to self-awareness and their own personal development, because that changes everything. And if you've been listening for a while, I might sound like a broken record and good, because I think this is the key.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: When you focus on developing self-awareness and emotional intelligence and confidence in your ability to be a practitioner, not just do the techniques, that's when your practice transforms. Clients are drawn to you because they feel something. They feel something different, something deeper than just physical relief.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: So with all of that being said, what are some takeaways? I mean, number one I think is techniques are essential. Yes. But they're just the foundation, just like that surfer [00:08:00] stunning on a surfboard. It's what you do beyond that, that really defines your success. Second thing is clients care about results, not modalities.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: And yes, your modality is going to lead to the result, but building trust and creating a powerful experience, this tends to be more important than having that long list of certifications. And then lastly, doing your own personal development. This is the game changer. Developing therapeutic presence, confidence, connection, building trust with your clients.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: This is what's gonna elevate your practice far beyond any new individual techniques.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: So thanks for spending your time with me today. I really appreciate it. And if this episode resonates with you, be sure to follow or subscribe to the Conscious Practitioner wherever you get your podcasts. Each week we're gonna dive into topics just like this, which are gonna bridge the gap between traditional wellness practice and transformational healing.
Dr. Jess Reynolds: And if you enjoyed this episode, you might like episode 73 where we talk about the difference between compassion fatigue [00:09:00] and burnout. Thanks again for listening to the Conscious Practitioner. Until next time, be well, my friend.