Snakes R Us

I've lived in my neighborhood for 20 years and never saw snakes around.  In the past week, I've seen three.

The first one was slithering across my driveway just as I opened my garage door to drive to work last week.  This amused me.

The second one was coiled in the middle of a nearby street and had been mortally wounded.  This was icky.

The third one I saw this morning as I was taking a walk.   This was surprising because when I took a photo, it looked just like a question mark in the middle of my body.  See?

Based on my knowledge of Animal Medicine, I would say that the Universe has been trying to get my attention.  Snake speaks of the need for change in a very specific way.  The Snake that doesn't shed his skin dies. 

I am in the process of reinventing my professional identity.  Because of growing constraints around any and all use of the term "therapy," by non-licensed healing arts professionals, I've stopped referring to myself primarily as a hypnotherapist, and no longer use the term hypnotherapy to describe the transformational hypnosis work I've been doing for 22 years. 

Healing Arts Practitioner is a mouthful and most people just stare back at me blankly when I say that.  It's been frustrating not to have good language to describe myself professionally.

On June 18. I will begin 8 weeks of formal training as a Transformational (Healing) Coach.  So much of what I do falls under the umbrella of coaching but now I'll have the appropriate credentials to back me up. 

This will come just after I take a training in Essentials of Energy Psychology s at the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP) Conference at the end of May.  I've been using Energy Psychology techniques since 1998 and am a Certified TAT Professional, but have been missing an overall perspective in a field I love.

An underlying message of Snake is to keep the excitement high in one's life to fuel one's life force.  Thanks, Snake, I'm on it!

Another Day -- Another No Show

These past two weeks have been virulent with no-shows.  The one at 5:30 yesterday (my most popular appointment time) was just one too much and prompted the following new policy:

Hello "T"

 

I am very disappointed that you and your daughter did not keep the 5:30 appointment yesterday that I had set aside for you.  I had prepared myself, my office, your paperwork, reviewed the notes from our numerous telephone conversations and begun your daughter's file. 

 

That you haven't responded to my calls to your home and cell disappoints me further.  I hope that there hasn't been an emergency that caused your absence.

Based on this experience, and too many similar experiences, I am now requiring a credit card number to secure first appointments.  If the person doesn't give proper notice of cancellation, the credit card will be charged $160 for the session.

 I wish you and your daughter all the best.

 

How Very Unfortunate

Dear New Client:

I'm very sorry that you changed your mind about keeping your appointment with me this afternoon.  Little do you know that you are the third new client in the past two weeks who has flaked-out on me just like this:  no notice or response to my calls.  Did you have an accident? Are you okay?  My gut tells me that you -- and the others -- are only suffering from cold feet.

Generally, I'm a deeply compassionate and understanding person.  But frankly, right now I'm just an angry person.  This morning I had to tell someone who's really having a hard time that no, I did not have any last-minute cancellations today.  That person would have been thrilled to take the spot you did not want.

I'm sorely tempted to start requiring a credit card number to reserve first appointments.  Would that have prompted a call from  you when you changed your mind?

Yes, I'm taking a deep breath.  Lots of them, in fact.

May we all be filled with loving-kindness.
May we be well.
May we be peaceful and at ease.
May we be happy.

Thank goodness for that.

Sincerely,
Lucy  Grace Yaldezian, CHT, CHC, TAT
A Higher Perspective

One of Those Weeks

I can't say I'm sorry to see this week end.

My client calendar was completely full when I began the week but with one thing or another, I was left with lots and lots of empty spaces. 

I still haven't heard from my Tuesday 10:30 am client who has been coming regularly and yet just didn't show up.  No response to my email, calls or texts.  I'm doing my best to stay in the mindset that he's just having as weird a week as I am and not in a ditch somewhere.

One new client who was supposed to have her first appointment with me yesterday at 3:45 forgot to tell me that she'd started with another practitioner the week before.

But as crazy as the whole week has been, today really stands out.  When I left for yoga at 9 am this morning, I had three sessions scheduled this afternoon.  By the time my class was over 90 minutes later, I had zero. 

Mercury's not retrograde but I understand that solar flare activity was particularly dramatic.  Do I have to start keeping track of that now too?

Okay, Lucy Grace, take a deep, deep breath, and just begin to relaxxxxx ....

I Hate No-Shows!

Okay, I admit it: no-shows make me cranky. There I am, in my office, candle lit, mentally and spiritually prepared to work and ... no client.

The minutes tick by. I check my office voicemail, no messages. I check the hallway outside my office, no one. I call the client and the call goes straight to voicemail. I hold the intention that the client is okay. Sometimes I don't get a return call for days afterward and I'm left wondering if something terrible has happened. Occasionally it is something terrible but most of the time it's simply a case of "I forgot."

In the Agreement each client signs at the first session, there is a clause in red that I ask the person to initial. This clause specifies that I charge for any session they miss without giving me 24-hours notice. No exceptions. If someone is ill or has car trouble or something like that, I offer a phone session during the appointment time. I point this out verbally to clients as well and there's never any question.

That is, until they miss a session. Some clients immediately offer to pay for the session. Most get annoyed when I mention the missed session fee. I know that I've lost clients over this because once they pay for the missed session they have not rescheduled.

Have I mentioned that I hate no-shows?