Admissions Call Training

— 01 —

Tone Before Words

The person calling is almost always in a tender place. Burnout, grief, depression, addiction, a relationship ending, a parent dying. They've thought about making this call for weeks. How you answer the phone matters more than what you say.

Core idea

The call is the first session. We're not closing a sale. We're holding a person who has finally reached out.

Four rules, in order

Slow down. Speak at about 70% of your normal pace. Let sentences land. A calm voice regulates their nervous system before the conversation even starts.
Leave space. After you ask a question, count to three before saying anything else. Silence is not awkward. It's the container. Most callers will fill it with the real reason they called if you let them.
Match, then lead. Start at their energy, then gently bring it down. If they're frantic, don't match frantic. Acknowledge it warmly, then soften your pace and they'll follow.
See and acknowledge them. Receive whatever they share. A simple reflection ("that sounds heavy," "I hear you," "thank you for trusting me with that") tells them they're a person, not a caller.

Never

Never interrupt, even when you know where the sentence is going.
Never use sales words: "awesome," "perfect," "absolutely," "no worries," "boom," "100%."
Never laugh at something that isn't funny just to fill space.
Never read the script.

Breath check: before you pick up, take one slow breath in, one slow breath out. Your body is the instrument.

— 02 —

The Opening

Warm and unhurried. Smile gently. They can hear it.

Hi, thank you for calling Within Center. This is [Name]… how can I support you today?

Pause. Let them talk. Don't rush to answer.

If they're hesitant or apologetic ("sorry, I don't even know why I'm calling"), you say:

You don't have to have it figured out. A lot of people call us feeling exactly like that. Take your time.

Why it matters

The first ten seconds set the tone for the whole call. If they feel rushed, they'll never share the real thing.

— 03 —

Discovery · Listen Before You Offer

Ask one question. Then silence. Don't stack questions. Don't pivot to packages until you've actually heard them.

The eight questions, in soft order

What's been going on in your life that brought you to pick up the phone today?
After they answer: "Thank you for sharing that with me." This line, said simply, matters more than you think.
Have you done any ketamine or psychedelic work before?
Are you currently working with a therapist or coach?
When you imagine coming here, are you picturing a single visit to see what this is like, or something longer where you step out of your life for a few days?
Are you thinking of doing this on your own, or with a partner or friend?
Is there anything medically I should be aware of? Heart, blood pressure, medications, pregnancy?
What's your timeline? Looking for support in the next few weeks, or sometime in the next month or two?

If they cry

Don't rush past it. Say: "Take your time. I'm right here."

— 04 —

Match Them to One Path

Lead with the single best fit. If they ask for options, offer a second. Never list all six packages at once. It's overwhelming and it breaks the softness.

Always start with a soft bridge

Don't dive straight into ceremonies and pricing. Acknowledge what they shared first, then offer the program as something shaped for them.

soft · grounded Based on what you've shared with me today, let me tell you a little more about a path that I think might really meet you where you are…

Quick package map

6 Days / 5 Nights $4,799 private · $3,999 shared Frame for: trauma, addiction recovery, deep burnout, major life transition, grief. Two ceremonies, two integrations, full ranch.

3 Days / 2 Nights $2,199 private · $1,899 shared Frame for: first-time immersion, can't take a full week, reset weekend.

Discover $1,250 Frame for: curious, skeptical, first-timers, "I just want to try this." One ceremony, one integration, week of ranch access.

Heal $3,300 Frame for: a specific hard season, breakup, loss, depression they want to move through. Three ceremonies, three integrations, a month of ranch access.

Awkn $5,500 Frame for: long-standing depression, trauma, addiction, "I've tried everything." Six ceremonies, six integrations, two months on the land, weekly group therapy.

Journey for Two $1,650 Frame for: couples at a turning point, siblings processing loss, close friends doing parallel work. Shared ceremony, individual integration.

Heuristic

If they need to step out of their life, lead with a retreat. If they're staying local and curious, lead with Discover. If they have a specific hard season, lead with Heal. If they've tried everything, lead with Awkn. If they're calling with someone, lead with Journey for Two.

— 05 —

What Makes Us Different

When they ask "what makes you different from [other clinic]," you say this slowly and let it land.

soft · certain · unhurried A lot of places will give you the medicine. What we do is hold the container around it. You're on twelve acres in Austin. Yurts, a dome temple, pool, hot tub, two cold plunges, saunas, a garden. Our clinicians have held over fifteen hundred ketamine sessions with a perfect safety record. The medicine opens the door. The land and the integration are what change your life.

Then pause. Don't fill the silence.

The five anchors

Twelve acres. Fifteen hundred sessions. Perfect safety record. Container, not just medicine. Integration as the actual work.

— 06 —

Handling Tender Moments

Said softly. Always.

(crying)

Take your time. There's no hurry here.

"That's more than I can afford."

I hear that. Can I ask, do you want me to tell you what might fit, or would it be more helpful if I sent you a few options by email and you sit with them?

"Is ketamine safe?"

That's a good question to ask. It's FDA-approved, we screen medically before anyone starts, and a clinician is present for every session. Fifteen hundred sessions, perfect safety record. I'll send you our medical intake so you can review it with your own doctor.

"I'm scared."

Of course you are. Most people who call us are a little scared. That's usually a sign something real is ready to move. You don't have to decide anything today.

"I need to talk to my partner / therapist."

Please do. I'll send you a one-pager you can share with them. And if they have questions, I'm happy to be on a call with both of you.

"I just want to stay at the ranch, not do a program."

You can. Nightly lodging in the retreat house is 349 for a private room or 239 for a shared bed. Within Center clients get ten percent off.

— 07 —

The Close · Send the Intake

Every call ends the same way: send the intake forms. That's the one clear next step. Everything else is optional.

softly · unhurried The next step on my side is simple. I'll send you our intake forms by email. They take about 15 to 20 minutes. It's a medical history, a little bit about what you're looking for, and a consent form our clinician reviews before we confirm anything. You don't commit to a date or a package by filling them out. It just lets our clinical team make sure this is the right fit, and lets me hold a spot while you're deciding.

Reframe — never call it paperwork

Not "fill out these forms"

Instead: "share a little of your story with our clinical team so they can hold you well"

Three close variants, matched to warmth

Warm · ready

"I'm going to send the intake over right now. Once you get it back to me, I'll book you a 15-minute call with one of our clinicians this week, and after that we can hold your retreat dates."

Lukewarm · still deciding

"Let me send you the intake forms along with our retreat overview. There's no pressure to finish them. A lot of people start, save it, and come back to it in a few days."

Very tender · not ready

"I'm not going to push anything today. I'll send you the intake and some information about the land. Sit with it. Open them tomorrow, next week, next month, whenever it feels right."

Always close with this question

Before we hang up, is there anything you didn't tell me that you want our clinical team to know when they read your intake?

Wait. This question often surfaces the real reason they called.

End with gratitude

warm · sincere I'm so grateful you reached out to us today. Please let me know if I can support you further with next steps. I'm right here.

— 08 —

After You Hang Up

The warmth of the call is a small window. Move with it.

Within 10 minutes: send the intake forms plus a short personal email. Use their name. Reference one thing they shared. Attach or link the retreat overview.
Soft-hold the dates or package in the CRM with a 7-day expiration.
CRM note in their words, not your interpretation. Example: "running on fumes, mom passed in Feb, husband supportive, leaning 6-day private room, sent intake 2:14pm."
Follow up at 48 hours if the intake hasn't been returned. No pressure: "Just checking in, wanted to make sure the intake landed in your inbox and didn't end up in spam. No rush. I'm here when you're ready."
When the intake returns, hand off to clinical the same day and email the caller to confirm receipt and what happens next.

Holding the First Call