Hello 

There has been an incredible sense of well-being recently and we are thankful that we find ourselves in the perfect position to be able to support therapists, now more than ever.

What have you been doing to keep yourself occupied? Have you been enjoying the sunshine, tackling the mammoth task of clearing out the loft, giving the garden a facelift, binge watching reality TV, contemplated learning another language (for the zillionth time in your life) whilst lazing around in your pyjamas and thinking you couldn’t possibly eat another chocolate covered biscuit whilst you already have your hand in the cookie jar? Or have you got your foot wedged firmly in the door of the ‘not coping well with anything’ room?

It’s not just home schooling the mini-me's that’s difficult, or standing in mile long queues just to fetch the dreaded food shopping, or even being stuck at home with no work coming in, it’s doing any one of those such things alongside everything else that makes it all a real challenge. 

I think it’s fair to say that some are adapting well to the ‘new normal’ whilst others are finding it a bit of a struggle, and some are right there in the middle feeling a mixture of both. Whichever category you fall into, always remember there is no right or wrong way here and that every day provides a fresh start.

So my challenge to you is to ease up a little, stop cursing yourself for not being a different version of yourself, we are in the midst of a global crisis and it’s ok if things aren’t quite going to plan just now. Take some time for yourself (with or without your hand in the cookie jar), and focus on taking small steps each day to help prepare your therapy practice for its return to business, whenever that might be and however that might look. The FHT have written comprehensive guidelines on preparing to return to therapy practice which you may find helpful. Aim to complete one step each day and bask in the glory of achievement once you have accomplished this. 

It might be to research a piece of software you have been considering for a while now, start preparing for your next self-assessment return, research potential CPD opportunities or even follow through with any CPD training you have already started or review any data you hold to maintain GDPR compliance - check out our helpful guide recently published by ACTO to help get you started with this task.

I hope you find our news uplifting or inspiring in some way. If you have any challenges in your therapy business, or questions, please get in touch and let us know because we are here to support you.

Best wishes 

React now for a positive future
We are in unprecedented times at the moment and there is a great deal of worry and panic worldwide within our profession. However, the crisis will end and where you are at the end of it, and 1 year from now will be determined by how you react right now. Physio Business Growth have committed to providing 30 days of free content, to help business owners create direction and positive action. Join them by clicking here.

ACTO shares professional guidance for working online
The Association for Counselling and Therapy Online is a small but influential organisation whose time has come. This following statement written by Adrian M. Rhodes, Chair, ACTO explains a little more about their purpose. "We exist to promote high standards of practice, ethics and training in online therapy. We are a membership organisation for online therapists, supervisors, online training and organisations. Suitably qualified therapists and supervisors are listed on our Registers for potential clients to search. ACTO works widely with counselling and psychotherapy organisations across Europe and beyond to establish common high standards. ACTO provides expert advice and guidance about online practice and security." More information can be found by visiting the ACTO website. 

Tune in to our next webinar and find out how creativity can help reduce stress and anxiety
Our next Ask the Expert will be taking place on Thursday 28th May at 2pm and our guest this month is Ani de la Prida, a creative arts counsellor, psychotherapist, founder of the Association of Person Centred Creative Arts and Dandelion Workshops. Engaging in creative activities has been shown to help reduce stress, anxiety, improve mental health, and also helps develop resilience and problem solving skills, all of which are helpful at this challenging time. Ani will be sharing tips and advice on how to approach the challenges we are facing and how to manage our own mental health. The webinar will be led by our expert host Jayney Goddard. Jayney is the President of The Complementary Medical Association and has a passion for helping practitioners thrive personally and professionally in practice. Don't miss out, pre-register for the webinar here.

How do I get my healthcare practice through COVID-19?
In this article by Bob Bond, CEO of WriteUpp, he explains in straightforward terms why you should be optimistic about the future as a healthcare practitioner and summarises the actions that you should take (or not take) over the coming weeks to improve your financial position. He concludes by discussing what you can do to start generating some short/medium term income during lockdown. Read it here.

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