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Overview
Today’s topic is one that you’ve probably not considered, but it’s immensely relevant in many areas of the US today. I’m excited to explore with you the ins and outs of establishing a bilingual practice, and we’ll consider what goes into that process with someone who has successfully navigated through it.
Dr. Carmen Roman is a psychologist in San Jose, CA. She has an amazing story in that she has been a psychologist for over 25 years in an established group practice in Mexico. She then came to the US, went to grad school, and opened a practice in CA. We’re taking an interesting look at some of her insights from her practice in Mexico and the nuances of starting practices in two different countries. We’ll discuss how she markets a bilingual practice and what she enjoys about being a bilingual clinician, along with her perspective on niching.
What We’ll Learn
- Carmen’s successful group practice 25 years ago in Mexico: how difficult it was to get started, and how Carmen sought help from dentists and lawyers in the local area
- The biggest lessons she learned back then:
- To “be there,” both physically and energetically
- To deliver quality customer service (even through workshops)
- How Carmen remains “playful” about psychology and always has fun, even when she feels the pressure to build her business
- The hardest thing about closing the Mexico practice and moving to CA
- How her marriage didn’t work out, but there was a drive in her to keep going to build her life in the US
- The difficulties in learning English and the problems in taking classes and becoming licensed
- How Carmen got her first client the very same day that her license was approved
- How she provides English and Spanish services
- What Carmen loves most about being a bilingual clinician: knowing that clients can say what they want in either language
- Why she doesn’t need a specialty other than being bilingual
- How clients find her: through Psychology Today and a local network
- How she seeks to honor clients by holding space for them
- Marketing: how Carmen makes it work
- Why Carmen started her podcast: “Because I know what it’s like to leave a practice and not leave a legacy”
- The most unexpected benefit from podcasting: finding a network of clinicians who are podcasting colleagues
Resources Mentioned
Find Carmen’s website and podcast: Emotions In Harmony
Get Carmen’s FREE resource, an editable PDF about how to explain our fees to clients for immigration evaluations: Emotions In Harmony
Therapy Notes Use the promo code “Melvin” for two months free!
Thank You for Listening
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