I can still remember the feeling of excitement when I became fully licensed and decided to join a group private practice.
I was excited by the prospect of picking my own hours and getting paid more per hour than I had ever been paid.
But as I honestly look across the past 1.5 years, I can say that there were things that I did not anticipate. Some of these lessons were painful and did a number of me both physically and psychologically.
This article is a reflection of the things that I wish I knew when starting out in private practice just over a year and half ago.
Whether you're just thinking about starting your own therapy private practice or have just started, I hope that this article helps you avoid some of the mistakes that I made in starting the private practice journey.
Save for Uncle Sam
When you own your own private practice, no one is taking out taxes and you'll have to pay both your portion and the portion an employer will have to pay of social security.
What To Do: I started out by creating a separate account at my bank for taxes. Every time I made a deposit, I put 30% of the amount I deposit into my Tax Account. That way, when it comes time to pay taxes, I already have money set aside and am not scrambling to find money.
Be everywhere
I first heard this phrase from internet marking guru Pat Flynn, and I think it definitely applies to private practice. In this day and age of the internet, it's wise to promote your private practice in as many mediums as possible.
The truth is that people will visit your website all sorts of different ways. Some will visit after hearing about you from a friend, others will type in a phrase into Google or Bing and your name will pop up, others will look on Psychology Today or Good Therapy, and yet others will find you through a Yelp review or through a Facebook page.
What to Do: The key to being everywhere is that you see it as a long term model. After creating your website, start my creating 1-2 different potential . For example, perhaps create a Facebook Page or a Psychology Today profile. Install Google Analytics (CREATE AN ARTICLE) on your private practice website so you can see what percentage of your traffic to your website is coming from these sources.
Private Practice Can Be Socially Isolating
I wish I had know that therapy in private practice can be very isolating. I used to work in a university counseling center, where it was quite easy to interact with collegeaues whether it was grabbing lunch in the kitchen or just dropping by to the next office. Fast forward to my current workplace, and there are some days where I do not see a single colleague save for the a quick hello as I'm leaving and a new clinician is coming in.
What To Do Instead: Be intentional about building social support for yourself. Find ways to stay connected to others whether it's through a social group, family, a faith community, or finding people who share your interests through www.meetup.com . I've found that having ample social support has made me a better clinician.
Build a Buffer
The truth is that you will rarely (if ever!) have 100% attendance in any given week. Our clients have emergencies, get sick, or just forget to put their next therapy appointment on the calendar.
What To Do Instead: Build a buffer into your weekly therapy schedule. For me, I've found that I have a 70-75% show rate. So I add a few more slots knowing that it's likely some number of people will not show.
You'll have to do some leg work to get clients
-connectin to a local group can help refferalls
What to Do: If you live in or near a larger city, search online for “Society of [Social Workers, Psychologists, Professional Counselors, etc.)”. Here in Philly, I've found great success with Meetup groups where I can meet with colleagues for lunch.
Create a Website
I often ask my clients how they found out about me. Nearly everyone of them tell me that they Google or Bing and came upon my website. I imagine your clients will tell you something similar, which is why it's important to create a website (check out my step by step video on How to Create Your Private Practice Website in 8 minutes or less). It doesn't have to be anything fancy but can give clients the peace of mind of knowing more about you.
There will be ebbs and flows in your business
This may seem obvious, but one of the biggest differences between working in a salaried position and in a private practice is that you won't earn an income if you do not see clients. There will be times during the week where your weekly or monthly income waxes and wanes. For me (I've asked colleagues who say the same thing), the times tend to be during the December holiday season and during extended Holiday weeks.
What To Do Instead: First, try not to freak out and wonder if you've suddenly lost your clinical skills like I did =).
Second, put aside a small portion of your monthly income to anticipate the downturn in clients coming in.
For example, let's say you average $5000 per month. Divide that amount by 11. So $5000/11 months = approximately $455 to set aside each month for your anticipated downturn in December.
business skills were lacking
I took a lot of psychology classes in undergrad and graduate school. I did not take a single business class. When
Some great books to get help get you up to speed on the business side of your private practice can be found HERE (link to Resources section).
-you may have to work hours that are consuive to clients
You either have to be in a place where people can easily access you (
Your voice…
What is the one thing that you've learned in your private practice journey that you didn't know before? Please leave a comment below.