As I have said many times before, referrals will account for about 43 % of your new patients and one main source of those referrals are current satisfied patients!

In my days as a psychotherapist, my clients would often get through one problem and after that problem was solved would then immediately start presenting me with another one, without much pause. 

I wondered about this phenomenon and its impact on the overall sense of success and progress in psychotherapy.  Depending on when I asked my patients, I would get a number of different kinds of subjective answers. 

When they were in the throes of a new problem...psychotherapy was not so successful...not much progress was being made, however when they where able to remember their success (problem solved) they felt psychotherapy was really helping them!

That is when I implemented scaling questions into my work.  Scaling questions are used extensively in Solution Focused Psychotherapy, which was created in the 1980's as a response to the pessimistic approach that most psychotherapies offer. 

So, what is a scaling question:

A scaling question is a way to find out what someone's subjective experience is by giving it a number.

So suppose you were using one with someone suffering from shoulder pain.

You could simply ask them on their first visit, on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being that your pain is so great that you could hardly make it to my office and 10 being "what shoulder pain?"  What number would you give it?

Then, on your patient form record that number. 

After your treatment remind them where they started from, let's say a 3, and ask them, how is your shoulder now?  And then they say "Wow! It's at a 6 now."  Then ok...they have had some relief.  It is time now to ask them what is different now about the pain they were experiencing and some of the relief they are experiencing right now. 

Ok...after a few treatments...you can ask the question again, reminding them where they started and now they say they are at a 10.  You can now ask them some value-based questions.

You can remind them first that they started at 3 and now they are at a 10: pain free.  You can simply ask them the following...

"How is that for you?  In 3 sessions we got you from a 3 to a 10."

This is when you stay quiet and let them start talking.  After some expression of how excited they are about having their shoulder pain gone and what that means to them, you can simply say...

"I am really glad that you are getting so much benefit out of our work together, and remember, if you know of anyone who you think may benefit from my services, please don't keep me a secret.  I am never too busy to help those you care about."

Or something like that.

For review:

1. 43 % of your new patients will come from referrals.
2. Old and current patients are one of the sources of those referrals.
3. The use of scaling questions can help patients remember the impact and value of the work that you do.
4. Scaling questions can set the stage for asking for referrals.

Many blessings to your success.

Eric G. Schneider, D.Min.