Reference

Competency map

Sixteen competencies across four domains. For each: what it looks like in practice, and why it matters.

Get Clients

How practitioners become findable, understandable and easy to choose, positioning, local visibility, and removing friction from the enquiry-to-first-appointment journey.

Competencies in the Get Clients domain
Code	Competency	In practice	Why it matters
G1	Professional positioningStates clearly who the practice serves, what it treats and what it does not, in language a prospective client understands.Vague or overstated positioning is a common source of misaligned expectations and subsequent complaints.	States clearly who the practice serves, what it treats and what it does not, in language a prospective client understands.	Vague or overstated positioning is a common source of misaligned expectations and subsequent complaints.
G2	Ethical visibilityMaintains accurate public information and promotes the practice without unsubstantiated claims.Advertising standards and professional body codes both constrain therapeutic claims; many practitioners are unaware of the limits.	Maintains accurate public information and promotes the practice without unsubstantiated claims.	Advertising standards and professional body codes both constrain therapeutic claims; many practitioners are unaware of the limits.
G3	Enquiry handlingResponds to enquiries promptly, screens appropriately and refers on where the presentation is outside scope.Scope-of-practice screening at first contact is a public protection control, not a sales step.	Responds to enquiries promptly, screens appropriately and refers on where the presentation is outside scope.	Scope-of-practice screening at first contact is a public protection control, not a sales step.
G4	Client onboardingUses consistent intake, consent and expectation-setting before a first appointment.Documented consent and clear expectations reduce the risk of disputed treatment decisions.	Uses consistent intake, consent and expectation-setting before a first appointment.	Documented consent and clear expectations reduce the risk of disputed treatment decisions.

Relationships

The relational work of practice: setting expectations, holding boundaries, communicating clearly, and building the referral relationships that sustain a caseload.

Competencies in the Relationships domain
Code	Competency	In practice	Why it matters
R1	Professional boundariesSets and holds boundaries on availability, scope, dual relationships and communication channels.Boundary erosion under commercial pressure is a recurring theme in conduct cases across the caring professions.	Sets and holds boundaries on availability, scope, dual relationships and communication channels.	Boundary erosion under commercial pressure is a recurring theme in conduct cases across the caring professions.
R2	Difficult conversationsRaises fees, non-attendance, ending treatment and unmet expectations directly and early.Avoided conversations escalate; most complaints have an earlier point at which a conversation would have resolved them.	Raises fees, non-attendance, ending treatment and unmet expectations directly and early.	Avoided conversations escalate; most complaints have an earlier point at which a conversation would have resolved them.
R3	Referral relationshipsBuilds and maintains working relationships with other practitioners, including onward referral routes.A referral network is both a caseload mechanism and a safety mechanism for out-of-scope presentations.	Builds and maintains working relationships with other practitioners, including onward referral routes.	A referral network is both a caseload mechanism and a safety mechanism for out-of-scope presentations.
R4	Client experienceDesigns the whole journey (booking, environment, follow-up, records) not just the treatment.Experience quality drives retention and reduces the volume of avoidable dissatisfaction.	Designs the whole journey (booking, environment, follow-up, records) not just the treatment.	Experience quality drives retention and reduces the volume of avoidable dissatisfaction.

Ourselves

Emotional labour, workload fragmentation and professional isolation, the self-management capabilities that keep a solo practitioner working safely and sustainably.

Competencies in the Ourselves domain
Code	Competency	In practice	Why it matters
O1	Workload designStructures a working week that accounts for admin, recovery and unpaid time, not just billable hours.Fragmented, unbounded workloads are strongly associated with occupational exhaustion in solo practice.	Structures a working week that accounts for admin, recovery and unpaid time, not just billable hours.	Fragmented, unbounded workloads are strongly associated with occupational exhaustion in solo practice.
O2	Emotional labour and self-regulationRecognises the affective load of the work and uses deliberate strategies to discharge it.Unmanaged emotional load degrades judgement, and degraded judgement is a safety issue.	Recognises the affective load of the work and uses deliberate strategies to discharge it.	Unmanaged emotional load degrades judgement, and degraded judgement is a safety issue.
O3	Professional isolationMaintains peer contact, supervision or structured reflection outside the practice.Isolation removes the informal correction that practitioners in team settings receive by default.	Maintains peer contact, supervision or structured reflection outside the practice.	Isolation removes the informal correction that practitioners in team settings receive by default.
O4	Reflective practiceRecords and reviews practice decisions, incidents and learning on a regular cycle.Structured reflection is an expectation of most professional bodies and the basis of meaningful CPD.	Records and reviews practice decisions, incidents and learning on a regular cycle.	Structured reflection is an expectation of most professional bodies and the basis of meaningful CPD.

Wealth

Pricing, record-keeping, tax obligations and financial decision-making under uncertainty, the operational base a practice needs to remain viable.

Competencies in the Wealth domain
Code	Competency	In practice	Why it matters
W1	Pricing and valueSets and reviews fees on a defensible basis, and communicates them without apology or ambiguity.Underpricing is the most common route to unsustainable caseloads and early exit from the profession.	Sets and reviews fees on a defensible basis, and communicates them without apology or ambiguity.	Underpricing is the most common route to unsustainable caseloads and early exit from the profession.
W2	Financial record-keepingKeeps records adequate for tax obligations and for understanding the health of the practice.Poor records create compliance exposure and remove the information needed to make sound decisions.	Keeps records adequate for tax obligations and for understanding the health of the practice.	Poor records create compliance exposure and remove the information needed to make sound decisions.
W3	Obligations and coverMaintains indemnity insurance, professional body membership, data protection compliance and tax registration.These are the baseline conditions of lawful, insurable practice, and lapses are often accidental.	Maintains indemnity insurance, professional body membership, data protection compliance and tax registration.	These are the baseline conditions of lawful, insurable practice, and lapses are often accidental.
W4	Decision-making under uncertaintyMakes investment, capacity and pricing decisions with an explicit view of risk and runway.Financial precarity narrows judgement and increases the pressure to work outside scope.	Makes investment, capacity and pricing decisions with an explicit view of risk and runway.	Financial precarity narrows judgement and increases the pressure to work outside scope.