The Advice I Would Give My Past Self When Starting Private Practice
I recently saw someone pose the question, If you could give your past self one piece of advice as you were starting private practice what would it be?
It got me reflecting. What advice would I give myself?
It will be as great as you think it’s going to be.
Private practice is amazing. It’s also nerve-wracking, we fly without a financial net and without any benefits (like sick leave and vacation days). It’s especially scary as you are starting private practice. But it’s amazing. For me and so many others, the trade offs are worth it.
Don’t Be Afraid to Say No.
No to:
Clients you don’t want to work with.
Scheduling sessions when you don’t want to.
Responding to messages in your off hours.
Feeling guilty for not being available on the weekends or while you are on vacation.
Accepting a lower fee than you want to for all the reasons that rope us into doing this. Check out my worksheet, How to Talk Fees and Get Paid Without Having a Panic Attack for help with this including scripts to help you talk with clients about money. Just sign up on the top or bottom of this page to get the worksheet!
Whatever other boundaries you think you need to break to get clients in the door.
Your network will be more valuable than your website to help you get new clients.
A good website is crucial, but your network is where you will get the vast majority of your new client referrals. Other therapists, psychiatrists, doctors, attorneys; anyone who intersects with your ideal client. Word of mouth is gold. As you are starting private practice, devote time to making a few good connections and you will grow much faster.
What if you could successfully set up your practice without the mistakes most therapists make?
What if you could do it without feeling stressed out and overwhelmed?
My Private Practice Builder Master Course and Mini Courses are here to make that happen. Check them out now!
Accepting insurance in your practice may surprise you. In a good way.
Depending on where you practice, insurance may pay much more and be far easier than you are assuming. We all like to talk about the horror stories, and those are out there, but I know many therapists who have not had any trouble with insurance. I’ve had a very good experience with it. I was very resistant to taking insurance, but once I started, I discovered, at least in my area, how easy it is. It has helped me build a thriving practice.
I’ve devoted an entire chapter to insurance billing in The Master Course, Everything You Need to Know About Private Practice But Didn’t Know to Ask and offer a Mini Course on the topic, Billing Insurance 101. If you plan to bill insurance in your private practice this information is crucial to help you avoid the common, and often serious, mistakes many therapists make.
Establish your fee from the beginning.
I know too many therapists who believe they need to accept $25 for a session when they begin private practice just to get people in the door. You don’t and you shouldn’t. Be purposeful about pro bono or sliding scale work rather than allowing anxiety or desperation to dictate what you charge. Simple Practice has a cool income calculator to help you figure out your fee.
You will have doubts. That’s fine.
Doubts will show up, especially as you are starting private practice. This is completely normal and doesn’t mean anything other than you care about what you are doing. It is a sign you have integrity and want to genuinely do a good job for your clients.
To find out more crucial information about the steps you need to take when starting your private practice check out The Master Course, Everything You Need To Know About Private Practice But Didn’t Know To Ask. To get the same information in more affordable, bite size pieces, don’t miss the Mini Courses!
I love helping therapists build successful private practices! For more great information like this to help you build yours, make sure to check out the Master Course and the Mini Courses. I’m here to support you and I want to help you reach your dream!
If you need some individual help with all of this, I’m here for you! I offer mentoring services for those who want some personal attention to help them build their successful private practice. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me. You can find out more on the Mentoring page.
COME JOIN THE FB COMMUNITY! Starting a private practice is hard. The My Private Practice Builder FB community is a place to get support, encouragement, and awesome information to help you embrace this journey. You can do it! Come join us here.
Hey You. Are you struggling when it comes to talking with clients about money? I feel you. It’s one of the hardest parts of being out there on our own in private practice. I’ve got your back! I’m hitting you up with a free copy of one of the worksheets from my Master Course! Check it out, it will help you give yourself permission to make money and charge what your worth. Find out right now how to Talk Fees And Get Paid Without Having A Panic Attack. You don’t want to miss this one. Just sign up right below!
