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ning of my practice, I was undisciplined with time. At the end of a day of seeing clients, I would frequently be running as much as two hours late. When working with new astrologers today I see their inability to control and properly plan time increments is so often the culprit ingredient, prohibiting the expansion of their practice. This is something to fix early in one’ s career life, if at all possible. The genuine desire to do a good job, over involvement in the immediate situation in the life of the client( which makes you loose perspective), and feelings of inadequacy encourages functionally deficient time habits in the daily work of inexperienced astrologers. My work improved immensely when my clients came to know that I would be available when I said I would, and only then.
Using time correctly in session takes practice. This is a skill worth the learning. When entering a session, your subjective experience of time can suddenly become quite different. When immersed in your client’ s chart, it is as if you are transported into another dimension where time becomes quite elongated. Keeping tight boundaries of time around the work generally helps it to be most powerful and thus most helpful to your clients. Therefore, know what you want to achieve before entering a consultation. Have a picture of what type of information you need to extract from the client in order to accomplish your work. Make a judgment as to how the process will generally go with this person. These preliminary considerations help contain usage of time to some plan. Accept that your clients act like their charts. Will the client refuse to share; correct you or deny your offerings; will they be resistant, hostel, in avoidance; will they be excessively verbal, telling you rather than letting you give them information? All of these things happen. When they do, your time is effected, the rhythm of the session is thrown off. Your time together can be misused. To prevent this, your skills in counseling must be up to the task. Keeping within the boundaries of time is daunting, but rewarding.
If your work is offered in different time increments, make sure your client asks for the right amount. It is very difficult to please a client when they want two hours of work condensed into a thirty minute time slot. Or, when they ask for two hours of your time and the real work is completed in thirty minutes.
When in session with a client you have an obligation to keep the space quiet and private in order to facilitate a relaxed atmosphere. Your client needs to know that you are really with them and that their confidence is not being compromised.
Another aspect of this boundary is the correct use of physical space in the consulting room. Both the study of body language and feng shui gives us information on the way that boundaries either help or hinder the flow of communication with a client. It is always appropriate to examine where you sit and where your client sits. Are there objects like a table or desk between you? Is the distance between you close enough to make you feel comfortable with each other- connected yet not smothered? Do you make physical contact with your clients when they arrive and when they leave? Finding the correct use of the physical space between you is another language that can reinforce or diminish the potency of your work. Correctly used, boundaries of space allow your client to feel connected with you without feeling invaded.
In the beginning of my practice as an astrologer, I knew that it was important to have a place for early arriving clients to wait. Occasionally, this hasn’ t been possible while seeing clients in another location other than my home office. But this is an important boundary consideration. My work suffered when I was not able to supply a comfortable waiting area for clients. The exact layout, design, and general atmosphere of the place you see your clients( just like your manner of dress, personal appearance, and hygiene) will have a subtle yet important impact on the work. At home I have a waiting area for clients that gives them a feeling of relaxed safe comfort. Although unless I’ m running appointments back to back, my clients seldom need to use it.
As telephone consultations become a more common mode for us to deliver our service, many of these issues of the correct use of space seem to collapse. However, when talking with a client over the phone, it is important to make sure that they are in a comfortable place which is quiet and private. The ideal is that during session your client can safely be oblivious to their outer circumstances. It is good to ask your client about their physical surroundings if you have any doubt. Further, it is important to inventory your own space. Do you have privacy, comfort, and acoustical insulation. These factors are necessary in order to focus exclusively on your client. Keep in mind that even when you can’ t see them in action, spatial considerations for both astrologer and client are still important. These boundaries need to be maintained, when and where they apply.
You as an astrologer have a responsibility to tell your client how much you are charging, and what they will receive for that fee. Further, you have a responsibility to deliver the“ what,” and that your client is clear on when and how they are to pay you.
Money operates as a significant boundary because as professional astrologers we charge money for our work. Money( being a limited commodity) forces our client to prioritize. Resistance to spending money for an appointment allows a client( or a potential client) to evaluate whether their circumstances at present really merit the expense of seeing us. This barrier can prevent us from having our time and energy wasted by a client’ s overreaction to trivial circumstances. In other words they have to invest money( as well as time) to have a consultation. This act alone, of investing money in an astrology session, has the unconscious effect in the client of conferring some value on the act. In order to invest [ CONTINUED ON PAGE 11 ]
O P A ❥ The O rganization for Professional Astrology 10 T H E C A R E E R A S T R O L O G E R S P R I N G 2 0 1 3