How My Ideal Patients Help Me Worry Less

Over the weekend, I had a visit with a new patient in my office.  She came in because she’d been having neck pain since being in a car accident a few weeks ago and figured it was time to get some help. 

During my consult, I carefully asked her why she hadn’t gotten care sooner, and she shared more about her busy job and her little girl who had some unusual health challenges. 

Before I knew it, we were talking about tongue ties, MTHFR gene mutations, and wanting to help more moms and kids improve their health in our town and all over the world.  I even mentioned God.  To a patient! 

I don’t know if she noticed, my cheeks were flushed red with excitement—this mom is the EXACT type of patient I love to have in my practice.

And I DID notice that her chest looked splotchier the more we talked.  When I asked her if she was feeling ok, she said, “Oh, yeah.  I’m fine.  Just…. So passionate about these things!”

Me too, girl. I get it.

I left the office Saturday to head home to my family, feeling glad that I had offered a Saturday appointment to this momma.  I normally only offer appointments on Saturdays to existing patients, but my intuition told me when I talked to this particular mom on the phone that I wanted to meet her ASAP.

Giving time to my ideal patients makes taking the time away from my family so much easier… so much more fulfilling!

As I pulled out of the parking lot to head home (in a silent, child-free car which I’m sure was what allowed me to actually hear my own thoughts!), I thought:

Wow, I used to worry so much.

When I was available for any person who had a spine and who was breathing:

• I worried about if patients thought I knew enough. Or if they thought I was just crazy.

• I worried about if patients were really getting better. Or just telling me they were so that I’d recommend less frequent care.

• I worried about telling them that the root cause of their back pain was likely NOT having “slept wrong” and probably much more about their food choices.

• I worried that if I talked to them about emotions stored in their bodies that they would think I was a weirdo, and I worried that if I didn’t, they’d not be able to experience real change.

• I worried that they might not show up for their appointments as recommended. And sometimes I worried that they would.

• I worried that if I didn’t have Facebook ads that competed with the other docs in town, they’d go somewhere else.

Can you relate to any of this? 

Now that I only have my ideal patients in my practice—wellness warrior moms, kids who play sports, and babies—I worry so much LESS.

On the flipside to my old worries, here’s what things look like now:

• My patients are so well informed, I may only be one step ahead of them. And I like it. We’re often learning together, and they’re totally ok with that.

• They might think I’m a little crazy, and they’re totally down with that. In fact, they feel safer letting their crazy out with me.

• They can’t lie to me about they’re progress or if they’re doing their corrective exercises at home. They know I’ll see right through them (and they value honesty as much as I do).

• They WANT someone to help them get to the root cause of their discomforts, and they WANT someone to help hold them accountable to making healthy changes.

• They appreciate being able to open up about feelings and thoughts because they often feel like there’s no one else who’s really listening.

• They stick with their care plans, and I’m glad to see they every time they’re in the office.

• And Facebook ads? I ditched them, because I discovered that my ideal patient is actually less likely to go to an office she sees running ads. She loves best kept secrets!

You deserve to understand that giving your time to anyone and everyone is helping no one. 

You deserve to understand that when you choose to work with the people (aka: your ideal patients) that you really WANT to, that everyone—you, your family, and your practice members—are better off.

Your clients will support your growth.

Your family will be healthier.

And you’ll be so much happier.