5 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started My Private Practice
Making the courageous jump to start your own private practice is one that comes with many rewards. From flexibility to freedom, and everything in between, starting your own private practice is a milestone that is worth celebrating.
However, like many aspects of life, starting your own private practice comes with just as many challenges and setbacks as it does triumphs. Each challenge is packed with its own lesson, furthering your growth as a business owner. That is what makes it so rewarding–and oh so exhausting and scary at the same time.
If you are considering taking the plunge into owning your own private practice, or are looking for tips to help streamline your current journey, consider this article the place to start.
Let’s explore a few key things I wished I’d known before I started my own private practice.
Have a Plan, but Expect the Unexpected
Having a solid plan for your business is incredibly important when starting a private practice. A well-thought-out roadmap can provide you with direction when it comes to setting goals, budgeting, and creating achievable timelines. It can also help you identify any potential challenges that may arise along the way and plan ahead to mitigate them. Additionally, having a plan allows you to understand the needs of your target market and create strategies to meet their needs in order to drive success.
You may be going into your private practice journey understanding that owning or expanding your business requires a significant investment and time before it is able to be profitable.
To avoid looking at your end-of-year statement with your jaw on the floor, start by keeping track of each and every cent you put into your business. Having a firm grasp on the amount of money that comes in and out of your business, along with the cost of everything (office rent, supplies, taxes, etc.), will help you know how many clients you need to be seeing each month to stay on track.
However, while planning is essential for success, it is also important to allow for some flexibility as there will likely be unexpected challenges. It's almost guaranteed that some elements won't go according to plan; businesses often need to make adjustments based on what the market requires or evolving client preferences. In order to adjust quickly, having good decision-making skills, an understanding of the current environment and trends, and an openness to change are all essential skills required for successful business owners.
Additionally, creating and maintaining good relationships with colleagues and local professionals outside of your field (think bookkeepers, CPAs, attorneys, etc.) is important so that you know who you can go to when you have questions or need support. Allowing for flexibility in your plan helps ensure that you remain responsive in a constantly changing marketplace and can better navigate surprise scenarios that may arise.
Like many aspects of life…
…starting your own private practice comes with just as many challenges and setbacks as it does triumphs.
Marketing is a Key Part of the Job
You may be a great therapist in a wonderful space that truly captures who you are. However, if no one can locate you (or your office!), you may be spending a lot of time alone in your office.
If you were to ask a group of therapists if they would consider themselves salespeople, the odds of them saying “no” are quite high. While we got a ton of knowledge in school on the clinical aspect of therapy, most of us didn’t have the opportunity to learn about how to get clients to come to see you in the first place. While many of us feel uncomfortable with sales and “knowing the right thing to say”, finding a good marketing strategy is crucial to keeping your caseload full.
That is because selling is part of the job (quite literally!). As a private practice owner, you are selling value. Basically, you’re confessing the audience why you and your business are a good fit for your potential clients.
Marketing is essential for therapists who are looking to start a private practice or expand their current operations because it gives your business visibility. With a solid marketing plan, you will be able to reach a broader audience than you could ever imagine.
It plays a crucial role in informing potential clients about the services offered, and giving them some insight as to why they should consider working with you. In today's digital age, it is essential that therapists utilize a comprehensive multi-channel marketing strategy to reach out to the right people.
This includes investing in search engine optimization (SEO) and paid search campaigns on Google, as well as social media platforms like LinkedIn. (That’s where we come in! It’s our mission to help you with all of that.)
Email campaigns are another great way to reach out to people who have already expressed interest in your services or those who may be interested in learning more.
Content marketing can also be effective; this is when you create original content on topics related to the field of therapy that provides readers with valuable information they can use while also promoting your brand.
Additionally, utilizing SEO tactics such as keyword research and meta tags will help increase visibility for potential clients searching online for therapeutic services.
When developing a marketing strategy, it is important that therapists understand their target audience and ask themselves questions like: what type of services they might be looking for, which platform would be most suitable for reaching them, and which messaging will resonate with them. They should also create content that speaks to their target market by highlighting their pain points, addressing their needs, and highlighting the benefits of using their services.
Furthermore, tracking metrics such as website traffic, leads generated and conversions are valuable in understanding how effective the current marketing strategy is and if there’s room for improvement.
It’s important to remember that a quality marketing strategy requires dedication and understanding of the ins and outs of the process. This takes time to build, so hang in there, be consistent, and don’t get discouraged when things don’t change overnight!
Set (and Stick to) Your Boundaries
We joined this profession because we want to help people. We often forget that we aren’t superhumans with endless amounts of time, energy, and resources. We also often forget that a big part of helping others starts with routinely caring for ourselves.
Setting boundaries and sticking to them is essential for success in a private practice business. Why? Well, boundaries provide structure, define expectations, help build trust, and give a sense of security to both the therapist and their clients. When establishing boundaries in private practice, it is important to set expectations regarding confidentiality, limits of services, communication and fees upfront. This helps create a clear understanding of what can be expected from each party involved.
Not to mention, boundaries help therapists manage their energy, time, and attention in ways that bring the maximum benefit to their clients, while also protecting the therapist’s sense of well-being. When boundaries are not clearly established and adhered to, the therapist can quickly become overwhelmed, which results in feeling overworked, resentful, and ineffective in sessions. Setting firm boundaries also helps to reduce any feelings of burnout or exhaustion that can come along with running a private practice business as it helps protect therapists from over-committing themselves beyond what they are capable of or willing to do.
When you set boundaries, you also ensure that the client receives high-quality services tailored to their individual needs. Setting boundaries helps keep interactions professional and prevent any potential boundary violations between client and therapist.
Effective boundary setting involves being clear about expectations, roles, responsibilities, limits, fees, scheduling procedures, modalities/techniques used during sessions, etc., as well as addressing any issues that may arise along the way. An example might include blocking off one hour out of your schedule to ensure that you get to take a lunch break each day. Another example might include strictly adhering to your office hours and not responding to non-urgent emails or phone calls after work.
Additionally, having strong boundaries allows therapists to manage their workload by taking on only those clients who fit their skillset or who will benefit from their services—this ensures that all clients receive quality care that best meets their needs. Setting and maintaining appropriate boundaries allows therapists to create a safe environment for both themselves and their clients which can foster trust and open communication. By setting healthy personal boundaries in a private practice business, therapists can be successful in providing quality services while maintaining overall wellness.
Sticking to these boundaries is just as important as setting them in the first place. Consistent implementation of policies helps create trust between the therapist and their clients so they feel comfortable discussing more personal topics during their sessions. Every private practice should have clear guidelines written down so everyone involved knows exactly what to expect from each other from the very beginning. By maintaining a professional attitude with clearly defined boundaries, therapists can not only increase their effectiveness but also have successful long-term relationships with their clients.
Automate, Automate, Automate.
So many of us feel this pressure to do everything and be everything to everyone all the time. If you’re looking to start or expand your private practice, you’ll quickly learn that this just isn’t sustainable in the long run. There are ways to automate parts of your business so that you can free up your time as a therapist to do what you really enjoy–helping people.
Furthermore, automating processes helps ensure the accuracy of data entry and maintains consistent communication among your staff and with clients. Automated systems also allow for greater flexibility in managing client accounts, providing faster response times, reducing the tediousness of repetitive tasks, and better customer service.
To maximize the benefits of automation, consider using comprehensive software solutions that integrate multiple areas of your business including appointment scheduling, billing, accounting, customer management, reporting and analytics.
Scheduling Appointments: Encouraging clients to schedule their own appointments not only frees up your time, but it allows clients to conveniently schedule appointments that work for their schedules. This also helps reduce the likelihood that you will double-book an appointment at that same time.
Automated Appointment Reminders: Consider investing in automated appointment reminders. Studies have shown that automated appointment reminders help drastically reduce no-shows or late cancellations, which allows you to keep space open for other clients. It also allows you to protect your time, money, and energy because you’re not chasing down confirmations from your clients. Electronic platforms like SimplePractice* gives you the ability to allow clients to schedule their own appointments, as well as opt-in to email, text, and voice reminders.
Email Management: One task that can easily be automated is email management. By creating pre-written emails that are sent out at predetermined times, you save valuable time responding to inquiries or sending out reminders and updates. You can also consider using an out-of-office message reply that highlights answers to questions people frequently ask, as well as set expectations for when they can expect a reply from you.
Keyboard Shortcuts: You can find a lot of use from keyboard shortcuts. One of our favorites is CTL+C for copy–easy peasy. If you use Google Suite, there are a quite a few out there!
Here are the automation tools we use the most in-house:
G-Mail Templates
TextBlaze
Zapier
Automation will not only make your life easier, but it will also improve customer service since inquiries are responded to quickly and issues addressed in a timely manner. By using automation software, you get back precious time while still maintaining professionalism, accuracy, and excellent customer service standards.
Ask for Help! Build a Network of Professionals.
Going into your private practice solo is something many choose to embark on. However, running your own business is hard work when you are the one who is doing it all. Whether it is accounting, reception, or onboarding new clients, doing various tasks on top of being a therapist can be exhausting for one person to take on.
That is why it is important to not only build a network of professionals, but to lean on them! They can offer you additional support, and help to take some of the workloads of owning your own private practice off of your plate.
Building a network of professionals is essential for any private practice therapist. Having reliable and trusted colleagues to share experiences, discuss cases with, and refer clients to if necessary is invaluable.
Not sure where to find them? Start by attending professional events such as seminars, conferences, and workshops related to your field of expertise. This will give you an opportunity to meet other mental health professionals in your area and make meaningful connections.
Additionally, take advantage of online communities such as LinkedIn or specialty forums where fellow professionals often post questions or advice. Use this as an opportunity to reach out to others and offer your insights as well. You may even be able to find potential leads for referrals or partnership opportunities within these communities.
Finally, consider joining local and online support groups, networking organizations, and even Listservs which provide you the chance to expand your contact list and share what you know. Creating a strong network of mental health professionals will help ensure that you have reliable sources for advice and referrals as you progress in your private practice journey.
Might we suggest our own Facebook group for a network of support? Just click here and answer our questions, you’ll be one step away from endless tips and memes. Lots of memes.
Start Your Private Practice with Therapy Homeroom
Running your own private practice is an amazing experience, one filled with many rewarding moments and life lessons.
At Therapy Homeroom, we are therapists supporting therapists. Whether you are in need of additional resources to help your practice become streamlined, or are looking for a community to lean on along the way, we are here to help.
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