Questions about clients

[Guest guest]

Who are your clients for pp ayrvedic? How much do you charge?

 

I am curious -- who is it that is willing and able to pay for the

service, like two-week 24/7 care. Women who are really embracing the

concept of ayurvedic or women who are really in need of intensive

care, or don't want to be alone, or to care for the baby??

Did they have a doula during labor and birth? What is their approach

to nutrition -- do they already follow the principles of ayurvedic?

 

janel

[Guest guest]

Janel, you know how to ask a lot of questions in short order!

 

> Who are your clients for pp ayrvedic?

Most of my clients now are consultations between a rough menopause,

moving and my age now carrying massage tables and doing a lot of

kitchen cleaning along with the home spa treatments and cooking which

I love got to be much for me.

 

But active practitioners like Sonya Bastow would be excellent to

respond here...and my experience is like hers, that the clientelle

varies quite a lot. I of course prefer and attract more women with

commitment to natural health care. I encourage my students now to

give conscious attention to what kind of clients they might work best

with and ask the Universe to bring the best clients for mutual

supportive work.

 

Sonya connected with the Colorado Doulas's association as soon as she

started her internship and has had a lively exchange of client

referrals and skill exchange since. She did a talk with some samples

and handouts at one of their meetings, and is good friends with the

woman who hosts their forum. Keeps very busy with clients often

referring to other AyurDoulas in the area.

 

Many word of mouth clients, that's the best business! But it takes

time to build your clientelle with any new location of residence, of

course. I always contacted local doulas and midwives inthe area,

sharing materials, stories, like that. Having them over for tea or

lunch or doing something fun together gives time to talk and build

trust. Attending their classes as even 5 min guest speaker. Bring

your brochures. Often they will then send me their clients who are

borderline or early depressed and discover how quickly the work

supports correction of the problems. Sharing with the other

practitioners when possible is very helpful that way too.

 

South east asian populations often already ascribe to some of the

recommended procedures, such as warmth of environment while birthing

(even in the Florida summers, no AC!) and no iced foods and drinks.

 

I Actually teach a 1/2 day class at the end of trainnig on promoting

our practice, FYI. There is a great deal of free publicity available,

and I heartily encourage building on what is already there. Including

networking with the many perinatal professionals who have already done

the work.

 

Doctors and midwives take note when you can say you have good results

with colic and depression, you know! These are just WAY too common,

heartbreaking realities in the field for most of the practitioners.

 

How much do you charge?>

varies a lot from place to place, big city or small town setting,

level of training, willingness to do sliding scale, etc, like basic

postpartum doula rates. I usually charged good discounts for those

purchasing multiple day/multiple hour packages, and much more for

single visits. Our experience is with most NORMAL posptartums, it

takes AT LEAST 3 days IN A ROW, not spread out over a couple weeks,

for the changes to begin to seat themselves. Why is explained in your

basic ayurveda classes or perhaps someone would care to share?

 

Truth is, I most of the time cited packages and rates because people

kept asking for them, then we had to negotiate to what we were each

willing to do afterall. I'm not according to vedic astrology supposed

to be doing business this life, so it has been challenging for me to

focus in that way. Trust and sharing and whatever other good karma

continues to support me in variuos ways.

>

> I am curious -- who is it that is willing and able to pay for the

> service, like two-week 24/7 care.

 

It took 5-6 hours daily 6 days of 7 to powerfully reverse high risk

suicidal woman who wsa also a recovering alcoholic, but she knew she

needed to do her homework. What kind of dollar vallue can you put on

these things? Women who have had problems before and/or gone

allopathic route tend to be more likely to ask for help this time than

primeips. They know if they spend even a few thousand dollars (often

it is less) on care up front, it saves them mega expense in dollars

and health over other choices.

 

Who really needs 24/7 care? I have not done 24/7 care, it is not

healthy for me or the mom usually. Of course exceptions exist, I have

not addressed that market. When on traveling (out of town service)

work, we have set hours usually, although flexibility is the natural

tendency and if mom has a rough night, then we are there to support.

 

As Vicky so well expressed in her article, the Trend Towards Night

Doulas, it takes away from the natural growth of mothering

self-knowledge and precious time with her newborn to have 24/7

support. We find that those who want our care and can afford it

usually have us come for 5-6 hours daily, and then have others at

lower wage do the regular housekeeping, friends or family do the

shopping, like that.

 

> women who are really embracing the concept of ayurvedic or women who

are really in need of intensive care, or don't want to be alone, or to

care for the baby??

 

All of the above except they all at least thought they wanted to care

for their babies, unless they ran into the brick wall and felt so

divided they realized they needed help.

 

The most potent ayurvedic work we can do in my experience for those

without specific problems is 3 things: 1. The well known TLC support

for rest/comfort/mothering wisdom for her and family, 2. suitable

delicious freshly cooked foods daily, and 3. the home spa care

protocols which include herbalized warm oil applications, heat

treatments, rest, hot bath, and daily assessments.

 

For those with more challenging situtation emotionally, we find that

adding 4. therapeutic uses of essential oils and p5. ersonalized

herbal support in addition to the other three above is very potent.

 

> Did they have a doula during labor and birth?

Totally varies, usually they have had some natural childbirth

background. Unlike your more warrior style activism position, I went

into this work knowing for my own continued evolutionary healing I had

to be working where I was also nourished, if only by working with

other women, whose feminine/mothering had somehow been awakened into

some kind of more heart value. There are those who are much more

challenging than others in that way, of course. The essential oils

help me greatly in this regard.

 

What is their approach to nutrition -- do they already follow the

principles of ayurvedic?

Mostly no, they get educated by enjoying being cooked for in a way

they had no idea could feel so nourishing and satisfying! And by our

short daily consults with them about key health issues that are

indicators of progress and so often overlooked or not understood in

ref to postpartum needs by health practitioners. Often the food and

simple self-referral validating wisdom is lifechanging for them.

 

By the way, we often use all 4 burners twice in one cooking session -

2 special teas, hot spiced milk tonic, ghee or missed breakfast or

snack or sitz bath brew or something other for the father, a carb dish

protein and at least 1 veg dish and dessert/snack often. Kitchen time

is usually 3 hours moving fast, with cleanup usually needed before we

can even start, as well as at the end. Enough for lunch and dinner,

fresh daily works much much much better than leftovers, frozen, toast

and crackers, sandwiches, etc. Of course the first week it may be

just a one-pot moist congee type dish along with the teas, milk, like

that.

 

We may think that women who are pregnant or postpartum do not want

something new, do not want to change. But they are highly motivated

to change! They want the best for their babies! And their bodies are

in a great state of transition, even more powerful postpartum is my

understanding! I don't give much attention to the negative cultural

issues, occasional info to illustrate whys cmes out of course, but

they have already done the preg and birth choices and I want to

nourish their experience of wholeness, deepest

restructuring/rejuvenation, being mothered themselves (or " sistered " ,

whatever they can accept) for maximum connectedness to the unbroken

circle of LIfe. From there they love and care for their babies the

most effectively.

 

When students take the first block of the training, we discuss many

things that are key to talking with prospective clients, points that

really turn their attention and focus their desire. Then we talk about

the mechanics of desiring and deserving and receiving. It is not

about marketing at all, except in as much as all marketers say, speak

in terms of benefits more than anything else up front! It seems to

work well.

 

Warm Regards;

Ysha