What I Wish Every Therapist Starting A Private Practice Knew
One of the most common questions I see from therapists new to Private Practice is, “What advice would you give me?”. Here’s what I tell them.
There’s No Right Way To Do This.
Trust who you are and what’s right for you. Trust how you work, which clients you are drawn to see, and what type of work you do or don’t want to do.
Give yourself permission to work the way you want to – the hours you like, the mode you prefer, where you want. Don’t base your definition of success based on what others are doing. This is your practice. You get to do what you want and what works for you!
Just Because You’re Good At Something Doesn’t Mean You Have To Do It.
It’s your practice so, do what you love. Learn the fine art of saying “no” and get good with setting the boundaries that work for you.
A lot of people who cross your path are going to ask you to do things you either don’t want to do or shouldn’t do. Just because they ask doesn’t mean you have to provide. If you are good at couple’s work but don’t like couple’s work (I know I don’t!), it’s OK not to see couples. There are a lot of other therapists out there who will: develop the skills you love and do the work that nourishes you.
Establishing a niche will help you figure out what type of work you want to focus on while helping to bring in your ideal clients. I lead your through the crucial steps of creating your niche in The Master Course and in the Mini Course, Establishing Your Professional Identity.
You Need To Get Training Every Step Of The Way.
Don’t blow off your CEU’s, taking lame online courses just because you can jam through the quiz at the end and get the credits. Use those CEUs as an opportunity to grow yourself and your practice. Find trainings that light your fire and inspire your passion. You’ll come away from them feeling renewed and excited to use those skills with your clients.
Even if you already know the topic, trainings almost always help us look at information in a new way. It sparks our creativity in session and helps remind us why we love this work.
Private Practice Is Isolating.
Be prepared for this. Make good connections with other therapists. Join or start a peer consultation group. Find a good resource for legal counsel that you can call when you don’t know what to do.
You won’t know everything – you’ll make mistakes. Don’t be afraid to admit this. I’ve been doing this for over 20 years and I still make mistakes. We need each other and we need support. Don’t underestimate how crucial this will be.
Just Because Private Practice Is “The Dream” Doesn’t Mean It’s Your Dream.
Look, starting a private practice is not for the faint of heart. It’s a lot of work, but more than that it’s terrifying for most of us.
Unless you’re independently wealthy or in a life partnership with someone who covers all the bills, private practice means you’re working without a financial net and you’re going to feel it. Here’s the truth: I’m a “success” story. My practice is booming and I’m doing great, yet I still have moments when it hits me how vulnerable all of this is. {Cue Panic Attack}. It’s all me. I have no company to back me, no benefits to fall back on, no sick leave to accrue. No net if I fall. It’s just straight down to hard concrete. That takes some breathing into.
When you are first starting a private practice, it’s even truer, especially if you have no second source of income or a partner to cover you.
Look. This gig is not for everyone. If it doesn’t feel right, there should be no feeling of failure or sense there’s something wrong with you. The benefits of working for yourself are AMAZING and I doubt I could ever work for anyone again, but there is a price to pay for all that freedom. It’s OK if that price is not for you.
Give It All Time.
For most of us, clients don’t rush our doors just because we open them or flock to our website the moment we hit “publish” on it. This can be profoundly discouraging the first few months – you’ve walked so far to get here. You’ve put your heart into opening your lovely private practice and you’re so ready to do the work. But no one is coming. It’s maddening.
Know that you need to give it some time. Plan for this before you open your practice, both mentally and financially. Give yourself a cushion. While you’re waiting for that first client to call, use the time to market, to network, and to connect with other therapists and professionals who will send referrals your way. Know that for every 20 connections you make, only one or two will send you clients. But take heart: you truly only need a few good referral sources. All that work you put in at the start will take a bit of time to manifest. But it will.
Yes, Having Your Own Private Practice Is That Wonderful!
I don’t know any other group of people that love what they do more than therapists. We are a lucky bunch. Are there down moments and annoying tasks? Yep, some days a lot. I always tell people, I love my job every day, I don’t like it every hour. But at the end of the day, what amazing work we do! There is nothing else like it and for me, every hard part is infinitely worth it.
I want to encourage you on your journey here. I am so excited for you! Don’t listen to the discouragers. There are indeed enough clients for all of us. Yes, you can make a very good living at this. Trust your inner voice and find the people who will help you reach your dream.
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 Groups 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.
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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. You don’t want to miss this one. Just sign up in that box right below!
