Contractor Handbook
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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WE PROVIDE
- digital marketing
- personalized landing pages
- paid Google advertising
- social media marketing, including paid advertising
- email marketing campaigns
- SEO:paid site audits, website updates, paid blog posts, Google optimization
- business email & phone number
- business cards
- networking
- SimplePractice account, including HIPAA-compliant:
- client portal and lawyer-created documents
- electronic records
- automated billing
- integrated telehealth platform
- we pay your credit card payment and processing fees
​- 1 paid group meeting / month (group peer case consultation / professional development)
- 1 paid individual check-in / month
- 1 unpaid professional development meeting / month
- availability of owners and colleagues as needed
- training and guidelines around consultation calls, first sessions, best scheduling practices + policies, etc
- support with client questions + communication
- community connection + care
- yearly staff retreat
- shared liability
- webcam
- option of writing paid blogs / vlogs, including byline on our website and marketing support
- we continually consult with business mentors, lawyers, etc. to bring you the most up-to-date best practices and procedures
• Private paying clients
• Decide how you want to work,
• Flexible schedule,
- initial client screening
• Administrative and coaching support for other ways you want to professionally grow, thrive, and learn, such as running groups, giving presentations, creating a product, writing a blog or vlog, etc.
• Assistance with writing your specialty page(s), About Me page, and any marketing efforts you may want to do.
• Consultation on your remote setup
- partial office rent subsidy
1.
What do we need from you?
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How many clients do you want from us ideally?
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Would you like to offer 50- or 60-minute hours? Do you want to offer an 80- or 90-minute rate as well?
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Please fill out this form with your preferred availability and the issues you feel comfortable addressing.
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Send me a pic and bio in this format.
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If you have people willing to write testimonials (colleagues, professors, supervisors, practice clients -- anyone who has seen your work), ask them to share here:
- Yelp (they will need to search us)
*Note: with actual clients, it is best to not ask for reviews unless they bring it up.
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Do you have copies of the books My Grandmother’s Hands and In an Unspoken Voice? If not, email emma@somaticspiritualcounseling.com and I’ll send them to you :)
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Would you like business cards?
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Would you like us to set up a Google Voice phone number for you?
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We pay $50 for blogs and vlogs (usually around 1000 words or 10 minutes, but can vary) -- see examples here.
2.
DIRECTORY
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Please put your information in the SSC Directory, and use it to find contact information for everyone in the collective. My hope is that we all develop relationships with each other and use one another as resources for peer supervision, questions, support, and brainstorming.
PAYMENT
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I'll email you your timesheet (it's a Google Sheet). Please submit your timesheet every two weeks and you will be paid through Gusto.
FACEBOOK
If you’d like to, you can invite your friends to like our Facebook page.
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Using your phone, go to Somatic Spiritual Counseling business page
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Across the top is a menu that reads “Home Groups Jobs Events…”
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Click on “Community” from that top banner
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Click “Invite Friends”
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Select all + send invites
INSURANCE
You need to carry your own liability insurance. We recommend going through CPH & Associates.
You also need to declare Somatic Spiritual Counseling as an "additional insured." You should be able to do this through your personal liability insurance online access. After being added, go to your forms, download the SSC additional insured form and email to emma@somaticspiritualcounseling.com. This has to be done before you begin seeing clients for SSC.
3.
CONSULTATION SCHEDULING EMAIL TEMPLATE
Hi Potential Client,
Thanks for filling out the intake form.
I applaud you for seeking out somatic therapy. Let's set up a time for a free 20-minute phone consultation.
Here are some times I have available:
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- Weds, 2/24: 11:15am
- Fri, 2/26: 3:30pm
- Mon, 3/1: 2:15pm
(all Mountain Time)
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Let me know if any of these work for you and a good number to reach you.
Warmly,
NO CONSULTATION EMAIL TEMPLATE
Hi Potential Client,
Thanks so much for getting in touch with us and I would love to schedule a session with you.
I'll be sending you some intake paperwork that will come from a SimplePractice email address (but please only use this email address to communicate with me).
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The paperwork is a few signatures, a credit card form, and a personal history questionnaire. The questionnaire is all optional, so fill out anything that you'd like me to know, and feel free to leave the rest blank.
Once I receive the completed intake forms, I'll send you some times to schedule our session.
Warmly,
(Send SimplePractice forms right after.)
If they don’t respond, reach out again in ~3 days.
Hi there,
I am just circling back to see if you would still like to schedule a consultation, or if you have any questions I can address.
In the meantime, you may enjoy getting a taste of our style in the Somatic Spiritual Counseling video library.
Best,
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If you didn't offer a consultation in the original email, you can do so in your follow-up email.
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I think the best resources to send are from SSC, but you can also send them any resources that may be relevant to what they're looking for. For example, "Here's a video from Irene Lyon explaining what an SE session might feel like."
4.
CONSULTATION CALL TEMPLATE
Please use the consultation call template here.
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**Note: If you receive any concerning information or are wondering if this person is outside your scope of practice, contact Chris at chris@somaticspiritualcounseling.com.
THINGS TO MENTION IN THE FIRST SESSION
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Thanks for filling out the intake paperwork – did you have any questions or anything you thought of afterward?
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I like to repeat 2 things from the paperwork: 1. 24-hour cancellation policy 2. I am a mandatory reporter, so if you are a threat to yourself or others, or you report child or elder abuse, I need to report it.
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This is your time, and we will use it however feels best for you, but there are a few ways people usually start, if you’d like some options:
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Meditation / grounding
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Tell me more of your story
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Ask me questions
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Pick what’s feeling most alive right now, and start there
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At the end: "What would feel like a good rhythm to you—weekly, biweekly? Is this a good time for you moving forward? I'm going to pencil you in for a recurring appointment, but of course you can cancel or change the schedule as long as you notify me 24 hours before your appointment."
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Try to schedule while you have them whenever possible, rather than by email. Encourage people to choose a time and schedule a standing meeting, usually weekly or biweekly (though occasionally someone may want twice a week or once a month). If someone says, "Can I just schedule with you as needed?" it is up to you whether you want to agree to this, but it is not preferable, especially as your schedule fills up. A regular time is better for scheduling, financially, as well as for both client and practitioners' nervous systems.
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Make sure to mark it as a "recurring appointment" in SimplePractice.
NO SHOWS
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Call, text, and email the client 5 minutes into the session to let them know that you will wait 15 minutes and then cancel the session. Include the Zoom link.
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It’s up to you if you want to give everyone 1 free pass on no-showing or late cancelling.
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Mark the incident on the appointment dropdown on your SimplePractice calendar.
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CONCERNING CLIENT BEHAVIOR
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Please reach out to Emma or Chris about concerning client behavior. We are always happy to support you, brainstorm, and step in if necessary.
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Below is a list of signs and symptoms to watch out for during initial consultations and opening sessions. All of these may indicate the presence of a current health issue or disorder that needs special attention:
- Suicidal/homicidal intention, planning, or discussion of the means. If any of them exist please call 911 or the client's local crisis line while you are still with the client. If ideation occurs you must inquire about these three aspects.
- Somatic symptoms or health problems (including severe insomnia or sleep apnea!) of any kind should be assessed by a medical professional if they have not already been in the past.
- Any loss in memory or decreasing ability to create long-term memory.
- Regular substance/alcohol use (or behavioral addiction such as pornography or gambling) that is marked by any of the following: tolerance, withdrawal, loss of control over use, or severe social issues arising due to use.
- Excessive talk/focus on issues related to eating, weight loss, or dieting.
- Racing thoughts and fast speech coupled with an exaggerated sense of self-confidence.
- Auditory hallucinations or delusions with elaborate or unlikely external explanations by the client.
- Disorganized speech: incoherent narratives or speech governed more by rhyme or puns than logic.
- Disorganized behavior: usually repeated gestures or odd postures that do not appear to be directed toward a goal or purpose.
- Wildly unstable patterns of emotion or behavior (observed or client-reported).
- Unusually blunted or flattened affect.
- Unusually strong countertransference (your reaction to the client): in particular those that may frighten, sexually excite, or confuse you.
5.
Simple Practice
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Please start by watching the 20 minute video below. It should give you all the info you need to get going with the software. If you have any questions after this, feel free to reach out to chris@somaticspiritualcounseling.com. ​
Special Note(s)
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When prompted to send initial forms for new clients- Please send forms: 1-5 (but skip #3 unless you are licensed or registered), plus credit card and demographics information.
It will look like this (with your initials instead of ES)
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AutoPay: Every new client needs to be manually enrolled
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Go to the client’s page
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Click edit on the second line (small text under the name)
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Click “Billing and Insurance”
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Check “AutoPay Enrolled”
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Click “Save Client”
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To learn how to view your calendar in your own time zone, click here.
To enable appointment reminders for a client:
- go to client's page
- click "edit"
- check the box next to "Send text/voice appointment reminders" and/or "Send email appointment reminders"
Email Signature
You can paste this into your own email signature (and customize it for yourself) in Gmail by going to:
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Gear in the upper right corner
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See all Settings
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Scroll down to Signature field
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Emma Sartwell
MDiv, CYT, Somatic Practitioner
The information contained in this transmission may contain privileged and confidential information, including client information protected by federal and state privacy laws. It is intended only for the use of the person(s) named above. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any review, dissemination, distribution, or duplication of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.
Your referrals are appreciated.
VOICEMAIL
You can choose to create your own business phone line through Google Voice or use your personal number.
Hello,
You’ve reached the confidential voicemail of xx at Somatic Spiritual Counseling.
If this is an emergency, please hang up and call 911 or your local crisis line.
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Otherwise, please leave me a detailed message, or text me at this number, or email me at xx@somaticspiritualcounseling.com, and I will return your call within 2 business days.
I look forward to connecting with you soon!
6.
TELEHEALTH CONSIDERATIONS
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Before you begin seeing clients for SSC over video chat, Chris will reach out to you to do a 10-minute run-through of your video setup. This is merely a quality control measure. Here are a few things to consider and attend to before that meeting:
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Position yourself far enough from the camera that the client can see at least most of your upper body.
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Ask your clients to position themselves far enough away from their webcam so you can see as much of their body as possible, if they are willing.
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Make sure your lighting is on your face directly. We recommend positioning yourself facing a window, or buying a webcam light.
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Ensure your background is neat, professional, and as aesthetically pleasant as possible. A blank white wall is not ideal.
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For those of you who will be seeing up to 8 clients, we will be providing you with a Logitech BRIO high-definition webcam to use while you are employed with us. We do kindly ask you to return the webcam when your time with SSC comes to an end. The webcam comes with a USB-C cord. If your computer does not have a USB-C, please reach out to Chris@somaticspiritualcounseling.com if you need help identifying the proper cord.
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If you are seeing less than 8 clients, consider buying the above camera for yourself. We’ve done a lot of research and it’s the best for the price.
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We highly recommend using either Zoom or GoogleMeet as your video platform. There are currently no restrictions related to confidential health information during the pandemic.
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If using Zoom, you must activate HD: “Home” → “Settings” → Video” → “Enable HD”
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Finally, make sure your internet connection is at least 15 mbps download and 2.5mbps upload. If you share the internet with multiple people, it may need to be even higher. To check this- simply Google: “internet speed test” and click the blue “RUN SPEED TEST” button.
- It’s always helpful to take any other devices (phones, etc.) off the internet while you’re in session
7.
FREE VIDEO RESOURCES
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Fundamentals of Attachment Styles, Diane Poole Heller
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6 Tools for Soothing the Vagus Nerve, Erin Michaela Brandt & Kimberly Ann Johnson
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Trauma & Transcendence, Kimberly Ann Johnson (scroll halfway down the page for 2 videos of her lecturing)
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Nervous System Nourishment, Somatic Wilderness Therapy Institute
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Somatic Therapy Demos, Karen Rachels
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Somatic Therapy Demo, Karen Rachels
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Resolving Trauma in Psychotherapy, Peter Levine
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School of Life videos on attachment styles
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