Amber Benziger | Membership Programs For Clients In Private Practice | TPOT 161

In this episode, Amber Benziger joins the show to speak about creating a membership program for our clients. Amber created The Anxiety Lab, a monthly membership program full of courses, workbooks, speakers, and educational content to help people manage their anxiety. First, we dive into talking about racism in a therapy setting, Amber speaks about her switch to telehealth, and then Amber reveals the inspiration behind The Anxiety Lab. Plus, Amber explains why we need to stop doubting ourselves; we can execute our great ideas and help even more people outside of the therapy room.

Meet Amber Benziger

Hey, I’m Amber, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional in the state of New Jersey. I am a therapist, an advocate, a feeler, and a flawed human.  My goals are to create an environment for women to come, explore and process their feelings; and heal from their troubles while growing in self-compassion and self-worth.

I'm no stranger to anxiety and perfectionism and through my own journey of self-exploration, I fell in love with the therapeutic process. When I'm not in my therapy chair I'm a busy mom of two, a runner, a french bulldog enthusiast, and an avocado toast connoisseur.  I curse too much, I find solace at the beach, and I love spray painting stuff.

Speaking About Racism In Therapy

As a Black therapist, Amber thinks it is imperative for her to discuss racism and advocate for equality because of her unique perspective. A larger majority of Amber's practice is women of color. Lately, Amber has seen a lot of racial trauma and a lot of anxiety around the election. Racism isn't something new. However, it does have a spotlight on it. So, Amber is talking about much more in her practice than she ever has before. It is critical to hold space for racial issues still, primarily because they haven't gone away, and people still have those concerns and worry. Racism isn't a trend, it's something that has always been there, and it seems like something that will always be around.

Switching To Telehealth

Before the pandemic, Amber had one or two clients online, but her practice was basically in the office. So, during the pandemic, Amber had to make that switch to telehealth, like many practitioners. She was worried about how that transition would go, and luckily, her clients were fantastic. Plus, Amber has just seen her practice grow incredibly in the past few months with the pandemic. She even has a waiting list and has turned people away. However, it's a struggle for Amber because she wants to help people who are having a hard time. Sometimes, it can be heartbreaking to turn a client away. That's why Amber created her membership service, The Anxiety Lab.

The Anxiety Lab

The Anxiety Lab is a monthly membership program full of courses, workbooks, speakers, and educational content to help manage your anxiety. The program is accompanied by a private online Facebook community where you can interact with Amber and your peers. Amber created it because it was something that she felt like she needed during the pandemic. During Covid, living under the same roof with kids and spouses can be really stressful, and Amber became really anxious herself. Then, Amber started getting a bunch of calls and a bunch of people reaching out to her through social media platforms about working with her. That made Amber feel even more overwhelmed and stressed out. So, she had the idea of creating The Anxiety Lab.

Creating A Membership Program

Amber is not a technology person. So that was the part that overwhelmed her. As practitioners, we're always questioning if we know how to do all this next-level stuff. So, Amber did a lot of research, and she decided to use the platform Kajabi. It is great for membership services because it allows Amber to put the courses on there, and it allows for the community aspect. That way, Amber doesn't have to use a different tool, and she can do everything on Kajabi. It will even let you send out email marketing; it's like a one-stop-shop for everything you need to create a membership program.

Marketing Your Membership Program

Amber will market a lot through her social media platforms, specifically Instagram. Amber will make connections on Instagram with other therapists and private practice owners. Plus, she jumps on Instagram Live with people who have a larger following. In addition, Amber dabbles with Facebook Ads; it's something that she still needs to learn more about. Overall, Amber utilizes a lot of word of mouth to get people to The Anxiety Lab. Plus, her therapist friends have been a lot of help when it comes to spreading the word.

Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links!

Amber's Resources

Vitality Behavior Health

Vitality Behavior Health on Facebook

Amber on Instagram

The Anxiety Lab

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Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT

Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast wherever you listen to it. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn, and Pinterest, “Like” us on Facebook.