LAUREN MALLON: WHY NICHING IS A PRACTICE-BOOSTING SUPERPOWER | EP 145
When you establish your private practice in an underserved specialty, you increase your chance of being placed under the spotlight.
A great niche could offer you an immediate step-up in getting noticed, help to connect with clients, and with potential referral sources. You may also feel that you enjoy your work much more and are more fulfilled when you position the focus of your practice amongst the niche that you are most passionate about working with.
In this podcast episode, my guest Lauren and I discuss her entry into psychotherapy and her Canadian private practice which offers her clients sports-related therapy and mental health services. Join us for the conversation, and be inspired!
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MEET LAUREN
Lauren Mallon is a Registered Psychotherapist offering in-person and virtual therapy sessions in Burlington and Hamilton, Ontario. She provides a safe and compassionate space for individuals and families facing a range of challenges, specializing in anxiety, sports performance, and self-esteem. Lauren utilizes a variety of evidence-based therapeutic approaches tailored to each client’s unique needs, empowering them to take an active role in their journey toward positive change. She also offers specialized workshops for youth in sports and corporate businesses.
Learn more about Lauren on her website, Instagram, and Psychology Today profiles.
In This Episode
- Why Lauren became a therapist
- From being a contractor to opening a practice
- Niching in psychotherapy
- Can you be successful without a website?
- Lauren’s advice to listeners
Why Lauren became a therapist
Lauren completed her undergraduate degree in psychology in Ireland, where she’s from, and then moved to Canada for employment.
‘From a lot of the courses that I took in the undergrad, the one that always stood out [to me] was the counselling one. I was always like, “Why didn’t we have that for longer?” … that’s what my mind always went back to.’ – Lauren Mallon
While in Canada Lauren decided to pursue her dream of becoming a therapist and learned that she had to complete a Masters degree to be able to counselling or psychotherapy. It took her a couple years to decide whether or not to pursue it, since she was still figuring out the fine print of studying and working in a new country. She ended up completing her MA in Canada and set out to become a counsellor.
‘I was lucky enough right as I graduated that I got a job at a practice as a contractor which is a really great experience just starting off, and then from there it’s progressed, which has been great!’ – Lauren Mallon
From being a contractor to opening a practice
Working as a contractor first in another private practice gave Lauren a sense of the type of work and environment that a therapist usually works in, which made her more sure that she wanted to open a private practice of her own down the line.
Lauren worked as a contractor for two years throughout the pandemic and then decided to open her own practice in August 2022.
‘I honestly didn’t ever see myself opening my own practice … Obviously, there’s a huge business piece that you don’t do any courses on in school, you’re never told how to start your own business … but there came a point where [I felt] like, “You know what, I feel like I could do this!”’ – Lauren Mallon
Lauren asked herself; “What’s the point in waiting?” Once she knew that this was something she wanted to try out. Financially, Lauren wanted to increase her salary since she had personal commitments to take care of. Since opening a private practice was constantly on her mind after a while, she pushed herself to simply take a leap of faith to give it a try.
Niching in psychotherapy
Lauren specialized in sports psychology. She was a dancer herself for 15 years and has always gravitated towards learning more about and working with athletes and their mental health. So, she looked into this niche and found that there weren’t many other therapists serving it.
‘It’s obviously also something that I’m interested in which I think is important. I’ve looked into other areas to try and specialize in [but] none of them caught my eye as much as the sports stuff, so I definitely thought that was worth pursuing.’ – Lauren Mallon
On Psychology Today, Lauren was able to specifically identify that sports is one of her specialties. She also pursued additional courses on her own time to further develop her understanding and ability to treat and work with people in this niche.
Can you be successful without a website?
‘I’ve been surprised too! I think a lot of people use social media today. I think that’s a huge platform and everyone is on social media, so even just having that social media business page has been enough.’ – Lauren Mallon
For Lauren, networking with your community and local doctor’s offices and therapists has been a big referral source too. Because she has such a specialized niche, she’s able to attract a lot of attention and word-of-mouth marketing without having to put an extensive amount of effort into standard marketing strategies.
She has therefore put off creating an official website because she is currently doing well getting referrals and clients through her referral network system and social media.
‘Obviously, a website is definitely one of the things I want to get to, but as things go well, it’s becoming less of a priority.’ – Lauren Mallon
Lauren’s advice to listeners
Ask for help! Talk to people, network, and be proactive in establishing supportive professional relationships. Learn from others while focusing on your practice so that you can learn vicariously while building a practice that will fit you and your clients like a glove.
Connect With Me
Resources Mentioned and Useful Links:
Ep 144: Changing My Mindset in Private Practice : Year 8 | EP 144
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)
Learn more about Lauren on her website, Instagram, and Psychology Today profiles.
Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast ohttps://aws-portal.owlpractice.ca/laurenmallonpsychotherapyn Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn
About Julia
Julia Smith, MEd, RCT, CCC is a registered Counselling Therapist who owns a group private practice in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is also the owner of Fearless Practice Consulting and hosts the Fearless Practice podcast. Through the Fearless Practice podcast, she provides invaluable insights and practical advice on starting and growing a successful Canadian private practice. Julia’s wealth of knowledge also extends beyond the podcast, as she provides personalized one-on-one consulting to therapists who are feeling burnt out and overwhelmed with their solo or group private practices. With Julia’s expertise, therapists can confidently navigate the complexities of owning a private practice and find work life – balance.
Julia also has written articles for the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy association. You can learn more at www.ccpa-accp.ca/blog/.
