Psychotherapy has experienced tremendous changes over the past decade. According to a paper published by American Psychological Association, titled “Where has all the Psychotherapy Gone?”, health insurance cutbacks combined with shifting consumer preferences have resulted in psychotherapists losing long-term patients who shun therapy in favor of solutions to specific emotional problems.
John Schinnerer, a Danville, California-based mental health professional, noticed this trend a few years ago. He’d founded a general practice around positive psychology (his core speciality) but found it harder to attract clients. He did not stand out from a crowd of therapists in his local market and his practice lacked a specialized value proposition to attract potential clients.
Schinnerer listened to the marketplace. He studied his website analytics and learned that the search term “anger management” attracted visitors from all over the country. Digging deeper, Schinnerer saw that global searches for “anger management” were massive compared to “positive psychology.”
Armed with these insights, Schinnerer transitioned from a general positive psychotherapy practitioner to an anger management expert. “I built a brand, and the brand was me,” says Schinnerer. “I took steps to establish myself as the anger management expert by earning third party credibility.”
Schinnerer offered himself as an expert media resource, leading to articles in Self Magazine and Reader’s Digest. He became a sought-after speaker on anger management issues teaching by teaching courses to psychologists at JFK University, and giving presentations at hospitals including Kaiser Permanente and corporations including United Parcel Service.
Schinnerer hosted a local radio show where he interviewed world class experts. He wrote a book and produced educational videos on anger management, including a 10-week online Anger Management Course. He website, webangermanagement.com generate information product sales and attract 2-3 new clients per month.
Today, Schinnerer enjoys a full practice, coaching roughly 26 clients a week. Thirty percent of his clientele comes from referrals from doctors and psychiatrists. “My thought leadership efforts created an upward spiral,” says Schinnerer, who attributes his reputation for being selected as a consultant and behavior expert on a Pixar Film, Inside Out (due out in 2015). “Pixar found my website while searching for anger management experts. Being included in the making of a major motion picture provides a real boost to my resume!”
