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.