Am I Ready For Private Practice?

  • Assess your strengths and weaknesses

  • The traits and skills needed to be in private practice include, but not are limited to:

    • Identification of values and goals of your business (Why do you want to open a private practice. Who will you serve? What are your business values? What are your personal values?)

    • Go getter, self motivated and proactive

    • Active learner

    • Problem solver

    • Financial literacy

    • Strong clinical skills and judgement

    • Evidence based practice

    • Strong foundation of basic counseling skills

    • Customer service

    • Marketing and advertising

    • Adaptable

    • Okay with taking risks

    • Patience

    • Organized

    • Communication skills

    • Self awareness and insight

    • Okay with taking risks

    • Self confidence

  • Assessing your comfort with being a business owner and everything related to owning a business. This can include: marketing, advertising, having your income directly related to bringing in new clients consistently, paying for your own health insurance, paying your own and taking out your own federal taxes,

  • Assessing your comfort working with clients long term vs. short-term (e.g. crisis work)

  • Finding a good fit supervisor who can help you with both clinical and business related issues and meeting with them weekly

  • Continually learning, researching, studying, etc. due to being isolated in a private practice setting vs. working for an agency which has support and training embedded already in it such as grand rounds, case consult, group supervision, etc.

  • Referring clients out if supervision, consultation, studying, researching, and ongoing learning is not helping you

Those Who Tend To Thrive & Be Attracted To Private Practice

  • Valuing freedom and autonomy to make their own choices such as setting your fee, scheduling, time off, etc.

  • Valuing flexibility of working for yourself such as modifying your schedule, modifying your fee, taking as much time off as you want, working overseas, being 100% telehealth, being 100% in person, hybrid scheduling, etc.

  • Wants to work less and see less clients per week

  • Wants to make a desired income that is not offered in group practice or agency (e.g. six figures)

  • Comfortable with making variable income based on the seasons of the year (e.g. summer is slower so take vacation then, fall is busier so working more) and/or due to client cancelations

  • Comfortable talking about themselves and networking with other colleagues

  • Comfortable marketing themselves and telling clients who they help and what they help with

  • Does not like working for others

  • Embraces the challenges of being a small business owner

  • Enjoy the nitty gritty parts of business such as taxes, renewing licenses, etc.

  • And more

Click here to read my blog post titled Private Practice Is Not For Everyone.

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The Basics of Therapy & Counseling For Associate/New Therapists

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Can Associate Therapists (LMCHAs, LMFTAs, LSWAICs) Operate A Private Practice In Washington State?