Personal Wellbeing Education
Independent nurse prescriber Jodie Grove details the benefits of offering patients psychological referrals in aesthetic clinics.
Treating patients in the aesthetic world is all about correcting the physical appearance of an individual, however, it is also important to consider the psychological reasons that patients may seek aesthetic treatments. In my clinic, I have recently introduced personal wellbeing care to my patients in order to further support them on their aesthetic journey. Many of our patients will be seeking aesthetic treatment to not only enhance their appearance, but to address deeper psychological issues. From my experience as a nurse, much like most of you reading this article, I have developed the ability to understand and empathise with people who are suffering from low self-esteem and lack of confidence. As medical professionals, I believe it is our duty to manage these concerns and offer appropriate treatment and support. In this article I will discuss exactly what personal wellbeing in a clinic environment entails, along with the benefits, the challenges, and the importance of educating both practitioners and patients in this approach to patient care.
Importance of personal wellbeing for patient health The Department of Health states that:1
- Personal wellbeing is associated with a 19% reduction in all-cause mortality in healthy populations
- Individuals with high personal wellbeing are more likely to recover and survive from illness
- Personal wellbeing can add 4-10 years to life Taking these facts into consideration, when a patient comes to my clinic for aesthetic treatments, during the first consultation I will spend considerable time not just talking about the treatments that they want, but, most importantly, identifying what has made them walk through my door. In many instances, during this one-toone discussion, I find that the patient has underlying reasons that have made them seek aesthetic treatment. In addition to issues such as lack of confidence, selfesteem and low self-worth, other triggers
include people who are unhappy with their appearance due to age, weight gain or weight loss and relationship break-ups. In these circumstances, I take time to consider whether the patient’s wellbeing will improve with aesthetic treatment or if they need more specific support to deal with emotional issues.
The consultation
During the initial consultation, discuss the reason for your patient’s visit; use the listening skills you have picked up over the years as a practitioner. The detail the patient goes into can often involve them disclosing the deeper triggers for treatment, which can lead them to require emotional support, hence the approach needs to be gentle. I recommend drawing upon personal experiences to relate to the patient. Strive to open an honest and sympathetic discussion about the reasons they are seeking treatments and then introduce the concept of personal wellbeing as an addition to seeking physical improvements, if appropriate. It is important to ensure that you do not make your patient feel uncomfortable or that they are psychoanalysed when they come to see you through ‘inappropriate Interrogation’. When talking to my patients, I will often say things like ‘we all need a bit of help and support at times, life can be tough’. If patients talk about being on anti-depressants, I will make them feel more comfortable about this and the stigmas that surround them.
Introducing personal wellbeing
Upon deciding to offer wellbeing support in your clinic, it is essential that you consider how it will be offered to ensure it is suitable for the aesthetic patient. If you do not already have the experience, knowledge and credentials, then it is essential that you partner with a wellbeing therapist. I have chosen to work with David Rahman, whom I first came across when I was looking for a therapist for my own personal wellbeing. David is the founder of Start Smiling Again and the developer of Blueprint Therapy and Coaching, an approach that focuses deeper into thought generators and discovers what makes an individual feel and think the way they do. David is the official provider of stress and anxiety management training for the UK Government Department for Work and Pensions and he provides seminars to local GPs on stress and anxiety. As I have been a patient of David’s, and, considering his extensive experience, I have the utmost confidence in referring my patients to him.
Wellbeing seminars
Within the past year, David and I have launched a series of wellbeing seminars aimed at patients who prefer to get support in a group setting. When I discuss wellbeing therapy with my patients, I give them information about working with David on a one-to-one basis as well as group sessions. I explain that at the group seminars, no one is asked to share their story. David simply delivers a programme that gives details of the blueprint therapy he has developed and the tools you need to help combat psychological concerns. The sessions last between three to six hours, depending on what the focus is on; our most popular session topic is about confidence issues and lack of self esteem, and we have just introduced a session aimed at women in business or high-power positions. This can encourage wellbeing patients, who I may have already referred to the sessions, to come back and talk to me about any issues or concerns they have. I talk about how visible concerns such as poor skin or acne scarring can have a direct effect on people, and I often gain new patients this way.
Cost
At my clinic, the first wellbeing session is always free. I find that this encourages attendance and allows aesthetic patients to see first-hand why personal wellbeing is so important, helping them to understand the role it can play in improving their lives. There are some patients that come to the free session and don’t take up any further support, however I have estimated that around 70% either book sessions with David on a one-to-one basis or attend a further group session that requires them to pay. For some wellbeing patients, one session may have been enough to get the clarity they needed. We generally get lots of patients attending a second event and bringing family or friends. We also open the paid seminars to the general public, which don’t have to be existing patients of David’s or mine. This is also great marketing for my clinic, as some of these people, who may have family or friends that I referred in the first place, have the opportunity to meet me and discuss any issues they may have and how I can potentially help.
Promotion
To promote personal wellbeing, I ensure that my current patients can see this service exists in my clinic with effective marketing techniques such as posters, leaflets and my own verbal promotion. I also recommend utilising your digital presence to promote your wellbeing services. As well as posting updates to my new website, I am very active on social media, in particular Facebook, which is where my target audience is particularly engaged. Regular newsletters, sent to your patient database, featuring case studies and updates on treatments are also extremely helpful. It is also important that you are confident in sharing your own experiences to connect with patients and put them at ease. In addition, I have launched a ‘personal wellbeing referral system’, which more than 50% of my patients have taken up. The referral system simply involves either giving the patient one of David’s business cards or asking them if they would like me to pass their number on to David. I explain everything is confidential and reassure them that I don’t receive any feedback or information regarding what they discuss with David.
Response
So far I have received positive responses from my wellbeing patients and most are very thankful that I have taken the time to understand their issues, without pushing treatments upon them. In some cases, the issues are resolved with the wellbeing therapist and the patient will, in fact, not undergo any aesthetic treatments at all. It may sound like I am turning patients away, but because of this approach, all patients who are referred will nearly always come back to me if and when they are ready for treatment; others have both the wellbeing and aesthetic sessions at the same time. My word-of-mouth referrals are also very high because of my clinic’s reputation for offering such a pro-active holistic service. The care and support offered to that patient often means they are happy to recommend your services to friends or family seeking treatment, or potentially write a review for your clinic’s website and marketing materials. As such, you have not only hugely benefited the patient by putting their care first; your actions may also have an impact on your future business. There are some negative perceptions when it comes to introducing personal wellbeing support to a clinic. Some people think that we are trying to influence patients’ lives and challenge their mental stability, even though this is not the case. To avoid this, it is crucial that the initial consultation is conducted sensitively and sympathetically. Also keep in mind that there is always a percentage of patients that don’t need this level of support. Many are simply looking to make changes to their appearance for purely aesthetic reasons. Ensure you are competent in recognising who to offer personal wellbeing support to, and the most appropriate time to do so.
Conclusion
Personal wellbeing education, in my opinion, is an approach that all aesthetic practitioners should consider to ensure that wellbeing issues are automatically addressed with all patients. When I first established The Grove Skin Clinic, my aim was to deliver the best aesthetic treatments possible. Little did I know that I would be in a position to offer hugely beneficial support to my patients through my association with David, allowing me to introduce personal wellbeing as a valuable, patient-centred service. It pains me to hear of inexperienced practitioners simply delivering treatments without thought or care for their patients. I cannot advocate strongly enough the benefits that personal wellbeing support has brought to my business and would encourage other clinicians to seriously look at this option to help set their clinics apart from the competition. It also brings great personal satisfaction when you see the benefits it brings to your patients. Even if you do not choose to incorporate this in your clinic, prior to any aesthetic treatment it is important to always keep the patient’s personal wellbeing in mind, and ask yourself, why are they actually seeking this treatment?
REFERENCES
- Department of Health,Wellbeing: Why it matters to health policy, (2014)
