How to Be a Good Receptionist in a Therapy Office

Valuable tips on how to be a good receptionist in a therapy setting to facilitate healing

There is more involved in learning how to be a good receptionist and delivering a positive healing experience than being efficient and pleasant.

American writer and psychiatrist Theodore Isaac Rubin said, “The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.”

There are things you can do to be a better receptionist over and above your job description, which can generate good feelings, inspire healing, make you more valued to your employer, and encourage better outcomes for clients.

GIVE clients exemplary service by following these four rules:

G: Generate Good Feelings
Adding positive and affirmative language to your conversations can generate good feelings. Beginning sentences with words that convey interest and appreciation such as “Yes,” “I agree,” and “Thank you” can establish positive energy and promote good feelings.

Clients who are visiting your establishment are likely to be anxious or upset or may perhaps feel uncomfortable being at the therapist in the first place. Using professional, affirmative language is one step to putting them at ease. Marry that language by presenting a calm and confident manner to those you are servicing. If you look uncomfortable, unsure, or overly empathetic, you could be triggering more anxiety or self-conscious behavior. Make eye contact, stand straight and tall, or sit upright. Smile and lend your inner strength to those who need it, and you will master how to be a good receptionist.

I: Inspire Healing

According to psychology experts, there are three things critical to mental health recovery, and they are the abilities to improve one’s health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to achieve one’s full potential.

You, as the receptionist at a therapy office, are the instigator of healing through setting appointments, making clients feel welcome, collecting their payments, and transitioning them from the sanctity of the office into the real world beyond the front door. To inspire healing through those actions, you must make every step of that journey, from the first call to the last visit, calming and healing.

For clients in therapy, it’s critical that reminders are friendly and tactful, that invoices are non-threatening, and that payment options are presented in a respectful manner. Every touch point with the client should be delivered in a harmonious way to ensure the overall experience at your facility is remembered as pleasurable. When you do these things, you embody how to be a good receptionist through your actions and words.

Not sure you can do it? Remember, your mindset affects your behavior. Set your mind to it, and you can do anything.

V: Add VALUE to your employer

Human resource specialists agree that there are five attributes necessary to making a good receptionist. They are effective communication, professionalism, stellar interpersonal skills, multi-tasking/organizational abilities, and technical prowess. If you are also an empathetic person and can build rapport with therapy clients, then you are adding value to your employer and are demonstrating how to be a good receptionist in a therapy setting as opposed to any other environment.

Success is up to you. Learn how other high-achievers behave and what strategies they employ.

E: Encourage better outcomes

Partner with your employer to learn how to support each client best on his or her therapy journey and engage with him or her most appropriately. Often, those in therapy seek sensitive help. Be informed of what you should and should not do. Be armed in advance with the ideal language to use and the best behavior to employ to instill confidence in the therapist you represent and help each client have the best experience possible.

Understand the types of therapy offered at your facility and be prepared to answer any sensitive questions you may encounter. You are a natural extension of the treatments visitors receive. When you alter your behavior to promote their well-being, you are continuing the healing process that starts with the therapist and completing the cycle to produce better outcomes. As the last person to see the clients before they leave the office, a receptionist is in charge of the transition to the harsh world outside. Make it count, and make a favorable lasting impression.

When you are thinking about how to be a good receptionist, simply remember to GIVE.

G: Generate Good Feelings

I: Inspire healing

V: Add VALUE

E: Encourage better outcomes

Your employer and your clients will appreciate the efforts you make, and, most likely, you will discover the rewards these positive changes bring to your work life.

Are you already going above and beyond as a therapy receptionist? Leave a comment below to recommend other ways a stellar receptionist can create a lasting and healing impression!

Are you too busy at the reception desk to put in extra effort? Sign up for a free trial of our practice management software to digitize and personalize accounting, patient documentation, and contact information. Free up some time to focus more on clients and your employer.