Is ‘dressing for success’ really necessary if you are a therapist or working for yourself?

Dressing for success is a sensitive subject for many light workers and holistic practitioners. A great deal of practitioners who work from home, or have a haphazard schedule, dress down in torn dirty worn clothing . When I suggest this may not be appropriate, I immediately get resistance - in many forms. My clients get defensive!

I just came from an appointment where the therapist wore sweats to meet me for the first time! I’m sure she thought she was being ‘cool’, or casual, but I saw someone who wasn’t serious about building her business.

Clothing is such a personal choice that our style in life is reflected in how we dress. Dress, just like money, brings up all our issues. Perhaps you use money, inconvenience, or personal choice as excuses for not choosing clothing that projects an outward appearance of how you wish to be portrayed. In fact many of my clients haven’t even thought about their clothing at all, or they feel that is doesn’t matter what they wear - as long as they are comfortable!

I have no problem with being casual; it’s the t-shirt, jean or heavens - the sweat pants!, thing that brings it all down to the lowest denominator. There could also be an issue of creating a disrespectful energy of not honoring your clients or yourself enough to dress appropriately. Dressing up just a little, shows you honor yourself and others. You take yourself seriously when you take care with your appearance and an intention is created to make a sacred space to work with others. Dress is part of that intention.

This is true for life in general. Notice how people dress as you go about your life. How does your opinion change based upon how they dress? Even if we disagree with the concept, it is a truth that we sense people and their energy from their dress and cleanliness first. It is all part of the first impression.

If you wear only jeans, try dressing it up with a very nice shirt and/or jewelry – nice shoes, and make sure your feet look nice if you are in sandals. If your feet can’t handle it, wear closed shoes.

I really don’t want to go see a therapist with corns and blisters on their feet showing.

You can always find clients that don’t mind the jeans. That’s not the point. The goal is to welcome everyone, including the business people, the spiritual people (who may dress up for church) the medical people who are used to scrubs. You don’t want to alienate anyone.

Go see some practitioners yourself. Notice what the successful ones are wearing. Ask yourself honestly if the dress matters to you. Next time you go see someone YOU DID NOT PREVIOUSLY KNOW- notice how you respond to their dress code.

Don’t discriminate based upon your own values that ‘jeans should be good enough’. If you consider yourself spiritually enlightened, then dress to show it. Rise above everyone else’s’ issues and don’t let dress become the focal point for someone else. They may have a problem with it, even if you don’t, and your goal is to help your clients heal.

Clothing may be a barrier that stops you from growing your business.

Basic? Yes, but I find that it is usually that going back to the basics is the most help in propelling your practice forward.