Whether youre building your practice from scratch or looking to branch out into other areas, these simple steps will give you confidence boosting tips and ideas you can start using immediately.

KNOW THAT YOUVE DONE YOUR BEST

If youre just starting out and dont feel confident about the treatments youre offering, offer free sessions to build your confidence and your repertoire. When you know youre providing an excellent service, it will be easier to charge what youre worth. Pride in your work is a great confidence booster.

START AN ACHIEVEMENTS LOG

Spend 30 minutes to begin with and list everything you can think of. From qualifying in your particular therapy to getting your first paying client or learning how to cartwheel when you were 7, creating a list of things you are proud of yourself for (even if, to begin with, you dont honour them as worthy achievements) will help boost your core esteem.

THINK OF A TIME WHEN YOU FELT SUPREMELY CONFIDENT

Your Achievements Log will have got you into a better frame of mind for this. Have a look at what you have so far and think of a time when you felt invincible.

Take a few deep breaths and remember all the details of this moment. What were you doing? How did you feel? What could you see and hear and smell? Remember it as vividly as possible so that anytime you feel insecure, you can remember this moment and boost your confidence instantly.

STAND UP STRAIGHT!

Your parents were right. Posture matters. Not only does slouching damage your spine if repeated overt time but it can have a negative impact on your self-esteem.

STOP DOING AND START BEING

We spend so much time in Doing Mode (problem solving and generally trying to keep up with the frantic To Do lists we set ourselves) that our cerebral cortex becomes more developed than the sensory cortex which impacts on emotions and feelings.

Even if you only spend a couple of minutes a day, you will reap benefits as you learn to reconnect on a regular basis with your calm, positive, whole centre.

FLEX YOUR POSITIVE THINKING MUSCLES

Its a well known fact that we achieve what we think we can achieve. Without self-belief, humans would never have discovered fire, let alone the internet!

For example, if you are worried that your client wont like your session, imagine them loving it as you challenge and support them to becoming their best. Take time to centre yourself before your client walks through the door or calls. These positive thoughts will make you feel better each time you visualise your happy outcome.

IDENTIFY ALL YOUR SUPPORT

Many entrepreneurs buy into the its a lonely life myth and miss out on all sorts of support because they simply dont acknowledge it.

Family members, partners and friends, even if they are outside the industry, can be a huge support if you let them. Its also useful to identify local groups (easily located through your library, specialist magazines and the internet) for networking with like minded people and, in some cases, getting feedback on your coaching or therapy.

Some e-forums will also help you gain advice from more experienced practitioners (see www.applecoaching.com links page for some suggestions)

STEP INTO YOUR POWER

So you want your client to become a regular? Just remember that she or he is not all powerful. If you lose a client, remember that everyone has different tastes and that youll soon attract clients who are a better match for you. In the meantime, do something nice for yourself to honour your disappointment but dont wallow. Get into a resourceful state so you are ready to try again with more success!

Eve Menezes Cunningham. All rights reserved.