MFM#62 How to build referral relationships that lead to clients

Developing referrer relationships with Solo Therapists

One of the best sources of referrals as a solo therapist is other solo therapists.

But not all solo therapists will be a good source of referrals.

When you’re considering building a relationship with another therapist, a helpful question to ask is:

Is this person realistically going to have a need to refer a client to me?

It’s important that you feel aligned with the therapists you are building relationships with, and that you can see a long-term professional friendship developing.

But even if you get along really well, that doesn’t mean referrals will happen.

There needs to be a clear referral pathway between you and a clear reason the therapist would need to refer to you.

For example, you might work primarily with individuals, while another therapist specialises in couples. That means you can refer clients who need couples work, and they may refer individuals from those couples back to you, if they can’t see them. 

Another example might be assessments. If you offer ADHD assessments and you build a relationship with a therapist who has clients with ADHD but doesn’t offer assessments, that creates a very clear referral pathway into your practice.

These kinds of relationships work well because there is an obvious reason why you would refer to each other.

Simply feeling aligned with someone or enjoying their company isn’t enough on its own. While connection and trust are important, there also needs to be a clear reason why that therapist would need to refer to someone like you.

Developing referrer relationships with GPs

This same principle applies when building relationships with other referral sources, such as GPs.

GPs can be a valuable source of referrals, but they can also be more challenging to build relationships with. In Australia, if you are not a psychologist or social worker, and clients cannot use a Mental Health Treatment Plan with you, then GPs may not be the best use of your time.

But if you do believe they could be a good referral pathway, it helps to take a more strategic approach. Rather than contacting an entire practice and introducing yourself broadly, it’s often much more effective to identify specific GPs who are most aligned with your work.

Most GP practices now have websites listing their doctors, including short bios that highlight areas of special interest.

For example, you might see that a GP has a special interest in women’s health, mental health, or adolescent wellbeing.

I am working with a psychologist whose niche is gay men, and currently, he’s reaching out to GPs who indicate they have a special interest in supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. He knows that a proportion of these GPs' patients would be gay men, and they can work together to support gay men within their community.

Approaching referral relationships in this more strategic way makes it much more likely that you’ll connect with people who genuinely have a reason to refer to you.