Dr. Adam M Volungis



IntroductionThere is a good chance you have thought about starting your own private practice in counseling by the first semester of your graduate program. You may have even thought about it before applying to graduate school! In some ways, it is still too early in your professional career and development to begin private practice. In most states, you need to be licensed before you can do independent private practice, which typically takes at least two years post-graduation. With that said, it is understandable if you are already thinking about private practice and it is never unwise to do a little reading and research about a potential future goal. The following is meant to be a primer including a general, moderately detailed outline of the major components discussed in the literature (and online) by experienced professionals in the mental health filed. This following content is not meant as a “how to.” Rather, it is best to view this content as information to consider before moving forward with private practice. There are many books that are solely dedicated to the topic of how to start your own private practice (see Aronoff, 2017; Baumgarten, 2017; DaSilva, 2018; Grodzki, 2015).Is Private Practice Right for You?There are many factors to consider before starting a private practice. Although there are certainly many advantages, it is important to also be realistic and understand some of the potential disadvantages. There also appears to be certain personal qualities that lends one to have a greater chance at being successful in starting a private practice. Finally, it is helpful to know in advance about common mistakes others have made entering private practice. It is always best to learn from others who have travelled the same (or similar) path ahead of us. Why make the same mistakes? This section has three detailed tables to help organize this key content to help you filter all of this information.The Advantages and Disadvantages of Private PracticeThere are clearly many advantages to having your own private practice. Not surprisingly, many of the advantages that come with starting a private practice are related to autonomy. For many counselors, there is nothing better than being able to do what you want on your own time (within reason, of course). You are your own boss. Where there are advantages, there are also disadvantages. Ironically, many of the disadvantages are related to autonomy as well. In other words, there is much responsibility related to all the facets of counseling and business related matters. The responsibilities can be associated with much stress, including the amount of time required for a successful practice and finances. Table 8.1 provides an extensive list of commonly reported advantages and disadvantages for having a private practice.Do You Have the Personal Qualities to Be Successful at Private Practice?What are the necessary qualities to possess to be successful at establishing a private practice? There is no one set of qualities. There are many different types of counselors with different trainings, skills, attitudes, and personal backgrounds, who are successful at running their own private practice. However, there does seem to be some consistent themes that overlap with many of the noted qualities: persistent/motivated, organized, cope with uncertainty, work independently, make “big” decisions, look towards the future, willingness to embrace business side of practice, skills to establish a niche. Table 8.2 provide a list of frequently reported personal qualities that are often associated with a successful private practice. Keep in mind that you do not have to have all of these qualities; albeit some are probably weighted more than others. When you review this list be sure that you are honest with yourself. You can always take the time and effort to improve upon some of the qualities you believe to be a weakness for yourself.What You Should Know Before Starting a Private PracticeThere are those that do not succeed at private practice and lament over what they should have done in hindsight. There are also those who do succeed at private practice and recognize what they could have done better or differently to make their journey easier. Table 8.3 provides a list of common mistakes to avoid that counselors wish they knew before starting private practice. Some of these mistakes (or an accumulation of mistakes) have resulted in failed private practice attempts. Take a detailed look at this list of potential pitfalls to avoid. This list also foreshadows some of the upcoming sections of this chapter. Take heed.DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 8.1: Processing Your Thoughts About Private PracticeWhat advantages of private practice excite you the most? What disadvantages of private practice concern you the most?What are your strongest personal qualities that can potentially assist you in pursuing private practice? What qualities do you think you should improve upon?What common mistakes may be difficult for you to avoid? What can you do to avoid following the same path as others who have made such mistakes?Considering the advantages/disadvantages, personal qualities, and common mistakes, what are your current thoughts about pursuing a private practice?Getting Started: Counseling Private Practice Is a Business (And That Is Okay)As already stated in the previous section’s tables, one of the first things you will have to learn and accept while having a private practice is that it is a business. This may conflict with your values as being a person who serves to help others. However, helping others while enjoying it and making money are not conflicting values. There can be a balance. As the sole proprietor of your practice (i.e., business) you will be doing much more than counseling: receptionist, bookkeeper, accountant, marketing director, public relations director, and business executive (to name a few). The following are some of the most common and important steps necessary to start your counseling practice.FinancingIdeally, you may be able to plan ahead and start putting money into a savings account solely dedicated to your private practice. You will need a considerable amount of money to start up, especially if you plan on buying or leasing office space. (There is no specific amount of money as it can vary greatly by practice.) It is not uncommon to consider obtaining a loan to cover your startup costs: bank or credit union loan, home equity loan, second mortgage, loan against a retirement plan or other investment. Of course, you need to be careful with such loans because you will obviously have to pay them back plus interest, and if you default on your payments there could be major consequences (e.g., foreclosure of home). The more you can save in advance, the better. Your local Small Business Administration can help you develop a business plan, including developing financial statements, and appropriate steps to procure a loan.Selecting a Business EntityOne of the most important decisions you will make is choosing the right business entity for your practice. The three most commonly associated with counseling private practice are sole proprietorship, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation. (There are also partnerships if you want to start your practice with another counselor, but this is rare.) The major differences among business entities are largely related to taxes, fees, and liability. It is best to consult with an accountant to help decide what business entity is best for you.Sole Proprietorship This is the most basic of the options. You are solely responsible for the assets and liabilities. There is no cost to establishing a sole proprietorship and it is a relatively simple process. You can report your net income or loss on your personal income tax (i.e., easier to file tax returns). The major drawback to a sole proprietorship is that you can be personally liable for the debts incurred by your practice and for any injuries/harm caused by negligence. This means that creditors can go after your assets such as your home, personal property, or car.Limited Liability Company (LLC)An LLC is the most common type of business entity used for counseling private practice (not all states allow for an LLC – check state law). It combines the characteristics of both a corporation and a partnership. An LLC is more formal and has more fees than a sole proprietorship. However, an LLC provides some tax advantages and significantly more liability protection (i.e., your personal assets are protected). You can also report your income and expenses on your personal income tax, as long as you are the only “member” of your LLC (i.e., “flow through entity”).CorporationsIn general, corporations (S-Corp or C-Corp) are usually an option if you earn significant income and/or a large company. S-Corps is the second most common choice for a counseling private practice. S-Corps can be a good option to evolve into from an LLC if you notice that you are making significant income because there may be more tax benefits. In this case, you would have to file a separate business tax return along with other tax documents throughout the fiscal year. A C-Corp is much more complex and reserved for larger companies with multiple employees. This will most likely not be a desirable option for you unless you establish a highly thriving and growing practice!Business Name and LicenseAlthough at first seemingly trivial, you will have to consider the formal name of your business along with your business license and employer identification number (EIN). You will most likely want to choose what is called a fictitious business name (“doing business as” [DBA]; i.e., not using your own first and/or last name). This is where you can consider the brand image you want your practice to have. Some states also require that you have specific word(s) in your business name (e.g., “counseling”). You should also consider a name that you can buy a website domain for and will include key terms that will get ample “hits” on Google (e.g., counseling, therapy, mental health). Soon after you will need to file for a business license (or Declaration of Business Tax) in the town/city where the business is located, prior to the start of business. Finally, you will need to obtain an EIN through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for tax purposes. This number is also required to get paid by insurance companies or employee assistance programs. There is no application fee to apply for an EIN.Malpractice and Business InsuranceBefore seeing any clients you will need to obtain malpractice insurance (sometimes referred to as professional liability insurance), which is a must for private practice. This protects you from any potential harm (or accusations of harm) that may come to clients from your counseling. (Malpractice insurance often also includes premises liability coverage [e.g., client slips on ice on your doorstep].) It generally takes approximately 30 days for your malpractice policy to be approved. You can obtain malpractice insurance as a member of ACA or AMHCA, or use another outside insurance agency. If you are going to own your own office you will also need business insurance. There are a variety of different types of business insurances. You goal here it to protect yourself from damage to your property (e.g., fire, theft).DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 8.2: Your Private Practice Is a BusinessWhat are your thoughts about running your private practice as a business? Will this be easy or difficult for you?Is it possible to make a profit off of your clients and still provide high quality care? Explain.How is running your counseling private practice different from other helping professions (e.g., physician, dentist, physical therapist), if at all?Your OfficeUnless you plan on doing only in-home therapy, you will need to acquire an office. This is typically done by leasing office space. (If you plan on solely doing online counseling you will probably still need an office space as most states require an initial face-to-face contact.) Another viable option to reduce costs when starting out is subletting from another counselor. Subletting entails renting office space from someone else who does have office space (e.g., one full day a week) at a cost (e.g., hourly rate for each client seen or monthly rate). If you have the financial resources, you can purchase your office space. You will not only need to consider cost for leasing (or purchasing), but also location, available populations to serve, and saturation and expertise of practicing counselors in the area (to name a few).Once you have obtained your office space you can begin furnishing it, including equipment and supplies. There is more flexibility to do this if you are renting or purchased your office space. If it is leased you might have limited options. The physical layout of your office is important, including aesthetics, organization, and privacy (confidentiality). You want to create a welcoming and therapeutically comfortable environment. Also, it is best to keep your client population in mind (e.g., children and families; adults) while remaining gender neutral. Table 8.4 provides a list of the most common office furniture, equipment, and supplies for counselors.Paperwork and FormsAs you probably already know, there is a lot of paperwork associated with counseling. The only difference is that you are now responsible for not only having all of the right forms, but also completing all of the necessary paperwork. Table 8.5 provides a list of the most commonly used forms for counseling. Of course, the types of forms used (and its contents) can vary by personal approach, state requirements, and managed care organizations expectations. Although the word “paperwork” is used here it is recognized that most of these forms can be completed electronically (“electricwork”?). In fact, online practice management programs (or electronic health record systems) are becoming increasingly popular with counselors in private practice. Not only can they keep client records and track billing (including insurance claims), they can also be used to schedule appointments and send automatic reminders. You can also save room with storage by scanning paper documents, which can then be shredded. These systems can save you a lot of time and money!The Business of a Private PracticeAs stated earlier, something that is challenging for many counselors that begin private practice is to understand and embrace the fact that it is a business. This includes many aspects of a “typical business,” including managing finances. This requires that you have a business plan, which includes knowing how to budget expenses, bookkeeping/accounting skills, setting fees, marketing/advertising (discussed later as a separate section), payroll and benefits, and working with managed care organizations. Overall, running your own business is hard enough without adding additional obstacles such as poor business skills and low motivation to accept that it is okay to make a financial profit from counseling your clients.Learn How to Manage FinancesIt is important for counselors entering private practice to begin with a money mindset. Many counselors appear to believe that private practice is not the place to make a lot of money. In fact, making a lot of money is perceived to be viewed as being “selfish,” “unethical,” “immoral,” and “in ‘it’ for the wrong reasons.” As helpers, many counselors feel like caring for clients and making money from clients is a contradiction in values. This does not have to be the case. Providing quality care to clients while making (more than) enough money to have a comfortable lifestyle is okay.Some people are naturally good at managing their own finances and with some reading, consulting, and practice these skills can naturally transfer over to managing a private practice. There are others, however, who have a hard time keeping track of their finances, including paying bills on time and being able to save money (i.e., not rack up credit card debt) over time. If you are of the latter, you will definitely want to learn how to manage finances. Obviously, if you can barely manage your own finances you will not be able to manage your business finances. If you are of the former, it would still be wise to learn the key components of business finances. Although there are clearly transferable skills from personal to business finances, there are many idiosyncratic aspects. Overall, developing a money mindset requires forming healthy business habits. Develop a Business PlanAfter doing some of your own research and consulting with others it is wise to develop your own business plan. Typically, you should provide an overview of the practice first, followed by financials. Some of the most common components of a business plan include: (a) introductory information (e.g., executive summary, mission statement, type of business formation, types of services provided, vision), (b) market research (e.g., number of potential clients, what is known about competition, local market trends that may affect business), (c) marketing plan (e.g., portions of the market the practice will address, advertising and promotional activities), (d) operational plan (e.g., organizational structure, how records will be kept and protected), (e) status and outlook (e.g., capabilities [strengths], challenges [weaknesses], chances [opportunities], concerns [threats], (f) financial information and plan (e.g., initial capital and first-year estimates, estimate revenue beyond break-even point, beginning balance sheet). Unless you apply for a loan or a grant you do not need a formal business plan. However, it is still wise to develop one before beginning a business because it gives a you a foundation and organized structure moving forward. Indeed, your business is not set in stone. You can always make modifications as you learn and your business evolves over time.Budgeting and Financial PlanningOne of the most important aspects of running a sound business is keeping good records. You need to understand where your money is coming and going from the very beginning. Some counselors obtain a bookkeeper or an account to help with financial-record keeping and related financials such as taxes. With that said, this may not be an option for everyone and it is still important to know how to maintain organized records, budget, and read financial reports on your own. You will need to consider that you have to file your business taxes with the IRS. Having an accountant will be most helpful for this. You will also have to make such decisions as whether you file your taxes on a fiscal year (July-June) or calendar year (January-December). It is also highly suggested that you follow what is called “generally accepted accounting principles,” which is a double-entry system of accounting. This is a common system that allows for double-entry (i.e., debits and credits) to assure accounts “balance.” You will also have to decide if accounting is on a cash basis (i.e., income is recognized when cash is received and expenses is recognized with cash is paid out) or an accrual basis (i.e., recognizes when income is earned [but not yet received] and when expenses are incurred [but not yet paid] regardless of when cash is actually received or disbursed).A very important task is to establish an annual budget that details your anticipated income and expenses (often broken down monthly). This should include budgeting for a loan, purchasing or leasing office space, initial office necessities (e.g., furniture, equipment, and supplies), and common business expenses. It is important to be conservative about your projected income and realistic about your anticipated expenses. At the very least you will need to assure that you can pay your monthly expenses – this is called your “breakeven analysis.” Overall, even if you intend to use an accountant, it is advised to use at least a simple spreadsheet or consider accounting software such as QuickBooks, FreshBooks, or counseling software that may have an accounting component. At the very least you will have to be able to produce such financial reports as a “balance sheet” (i.e., statement of the financial position of the business) and an “income and expense statement” (i.e., net income or expenses at the end of each accounting period – typically every month).Of course, like any business, you cannot forget about your taxes, benefits, and insurance coverages. You will need to make sure that your account for all of these additional expenses in your monthly (and overall) budgeting. For taxes, it is most commonly recommended to put away 30% of what you pay yourself (perhaps in a separate account) so that you can pay federal and state taxes. Note that what you pay yourself comes after you pay your monthly business expenses from your business account. Also keep in mind that your taxes will include “self-employment tax,” which consists of social security and Medicare tax. This may sound a bit confusing hearing about business taxes for the first time. The IRS provides a “Business Tax Kit,” which includes Publication 583, otherwise known as “Starting a Business and Keeping Records,” along with other information and forms. Finally, keep in mind that because you will be running a business you will be expected to pay taxes four times a year, rather than once a year for personal taxes like most people are used to.Unless you have another source of income you will need to put away money for a retirement savings (e.g., simplified employee pension [SEP], one participant 401K account). You will also need to purchase your own health and dental insurance if you cannot use your partner’s/spouse’s employer-subsidized benefits. Disability insurance is also wise so you can cover your income lost for injury and physical/mental health disorders. If you have other people you are responsible for (e.g., partner/spouse, children) you should feel morally obligated to protect them from financial burdens in the case of death through life insurance. Malpractice (also known as professional liability) insurance and business insurance was already discussed earlier. Finally, umbrella insurance is wise to have for additional coverage after other polices have met their maximums or gone outside their limitations. Although some of these insurance policies seem overwhelming and it is tempting to not get coverage, they are vital to your financial solvency and protection of your assets for a relatively inexpensive monthly cost. Table 8.6 provides a list of common monthly business expenses for counseling private practice (note: this list does not include office necessities like furniture, equipment and supplies – see Table 8.4). Part of the financial process will include setting up a separate business checking account (the IRS likes this… so do this). Having separate business account makes bookkeeping and filing taxes much easier and “cleaner” for both you and your accountant. This allows you to account for your business as a financial entity separate from yourself. This means that each time a client pays you or you get reimbursed from managed care it should go straight into your business checking account. Payment from clients can be cash, check, or credit card. The most common systems for processing credit cards includes Square, PayPal, Intuit, and EMS. With all of these systems there is fee per transaction (i.e., swipe rate and keyed rate) and a variety of supplemental resources. Which one is “best” depends the current rates and your desired resources. Payment from managed care can be through check, but most choose direct deposit. You should also pay any business related expenses through your business account as well. You can “pay yourself” by transferring money from your business account to your personal account. Generally, money should only flow from your business account into other accounts, unless you are lending to your business personal money, which should be accounted for.Setting and Disclosing FeesIn order to have a viable business you need to make money. In order to make money you need to know your “value” in dollar terms. This means being comfortable with charging a fee that accurately reflects your worth within your practicing area’s market. Your fee is the primary (perhaps only) way of making money for your business. This may require comparing your fees to other counselors in your area, and even other quasi-related professions (e.g., physical therapist, massage therapist, dentist, family doctor). You will also want to review your business expenses within the context of how many billable sessions you plan on having each week. In other words, you will want to do the math based upon the context of your business expenses and external environment. On the one hand, you do not want to undersell yourself and offer an unsustainable low fee. One the other hand, you do want to alienate prospective clients by offering an impossible high fee. Of course, setting fees largely has to do with providing services for clients who pay out of pocket. When you get paneled with insurance providers you will be bound to what the payer aggress to pay. Nevertheless, you will also need to learn to be comfortable asking clients for money (e.g., fee or copay before each session), including following up with clients on late payments or fees for no-shows or late cancellations. Admittedly, it is a delicate balance between collecting fees for services while maintaining a strong therapeutic rapport.Managed Care OrganizationsUnless you plan on only working with self-pay clients you will need to work with managed care organizations (MCOs) to get reimbursed for your services. Clinical mental health counselors have a wide range of opinions about accepting health insurance in private practice. The primary (and probably only) reason why anyone decides to work with MCOs is the steady flow of clients you can receive. In other words, although you should always market your private practice, clients will also come to you through their insurance provider. On the other hand, some of the more common negative aspects of working with MCOs include additional paperwork, restrictions on length and number of sessions, spending much time sorting out claims and benefits, and often lower payment fees than for self-pay clients. Depending on your location, expertise, and competition it may be difficult to begin your practice with just self-pay clients. A common approach is to start off with accepting insurance and gradually transition to self-pay as more experience and established expertise is gained.If you want to work with health insurance clients you will need get on what is called “insurance panels.” Being a provider on an insurance panel (i.e., “credentialed”) means you have signed a contract at a negotiated lower rate of payment to have access to their members. This means you are an “in-network” provider. (“Out-of-network” is when you see a client with insurance you are not credentialed for. This is not as common as clients typically pay you upfront and it costs more to them than an in-network provider.) Typically, once you are credentialed, you can only get reimbursed for the diagnosis and treatment of a mental health disorder. It can be very difficult to get on an insurance panel without being licensed, but it is possible in rare cases. Some insurance companies also require a certain number of years of counseling experience. Another obstacle is not getting paneled because the insurance company is at full capacity. Not being accepted to an insurance due to full capacity is more common in urban areas relative to suburban or rural areas. You can reapply every 90 day to see if there is an opening. Sometimes you can appeal a rejection by highlighting your expertise and the necessity for more clinical mental health counselors in your area (i.e., they will benefit from your services). The application process for insurance panels is known to be very time-consuming due to their lengthy applications and extensive supportive documents. Before you apply you will also need to create a Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare (CAQH) profile online and apply for a National Provider Identification (NPI) number (you may already have this from your internship and other employment). Applications have also been known to get “lost” in the system… and then magically disappear. So, it is best to make copies of your applications and continuously follow-up on its status. There are also people you can hire to submit your applications due to its cumbersome and frustrating nature. Once accepted, you have to review and sign a contract that includes an agreed upon fee. Enjoy!There are also third party payers (i.e., not self-pay or insurance) that you can choose to get contracts with. Common of third party payers include: employee assistance programs, Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, Children’s Healthcare Insurance Program, and local government programs. Obtaining contracts with such provides may result in serving clients within your expertise while also diversifying your payment options.DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 8.3: The Business Side of Running a BusinessWhat are your thoughts about developing your own business plan?Do you believe you have good budgeting and financial management and planning skills? What can you do to improve upon this skill set? What are your thoughts about finances with regard to running a business?What are your thoughts about collecting money from clients? Does it make a difference if it is a copay, no-show fee, or following up on a late payment?What are your concerns about working with MCOs? Do you think the benefits outweigh these concerns? Do you think it is possible to run a successful private practice with only self-pay clients?MarketingWhether you plan on serving only clients with insurance or self-pay clients you need to market your practice. If the thought of marketing makes your cringe, remember that private practice counseling is business, and all businesses need at least some form of marketing to survive. You do not have to like it, but you do have to do it. The days of hanging a shingle and waiting for clients to come walking through your door are long over (as in 30+ years ago). What strategies you will use will vary greatly on the location of your practice, types of clients served, and your own personality/style. One thing that has definitely changed is the ease of advertising due to the Internet. Although print advertisements still have their place, much of your advertising will be done online. It can also help to step away from your computer and go outside your door and interact directly with those in your community.Develop a Marketing PlanTechnically, marketing is much more than advertising. How you simply present yourself on a day-to-day basis is a form of marketing for your business. This can be a good or a bad thing. Rather than fighting it accept that how you present yourself and your business (formal or informal) will have impact on your success. Knowing that marketing is unavoidable, it is best to at least be purposeful in your approach. Some counselors have found it helpful to develop a formal marketing plan before moving forward: (a) evaluate opportunities and threats of your external environment (e.g., competition, economics, politics), (b) evaluate opportunities and threats to your internal environment (e.g., financial standing, technology, informational), (c) analyze marketing opportunity (e.g., existing or new clients/markets you can serve, needs of the community), (d) where do you see your practice in the future (e.g., could include mission statement), (e) performance objectives (e.g., benchmarks to track progress), and (f) strategic marketing plan (e.g., techniques, means of advertising, cost – time and money). Ultimately, you will need to determine your clients’ needs and the best way to engage and communicate with them in order to be a viable option to provide them your services. Stated differently, you want a marketing plan that helps potential clients understand who you are and that you offer valuable services that they can benefit from. This requires an ability to articulate what you have to offer, including a possible niche for your practice. Develop a Niche for Your PracticeBefore formally advertising, you ideally want to develop a niche for your practice. Specialty niches are known to provide the best income for your time and energy. This should be a combination of your expertise and knowing the needs of your local community. Do you best to track the social, economic, and political trends of your service area. In many cases, you will be setting up a private practice where there are other practicing mental health professionals. If you can “sell yourself” as someone who has an expertise in a few specific areas than can meet the needs of your community, you have a better chance of standing out from other practitioners (i.e., “competition”). This does not mean you cannot still have a generalist approach with regard to disorders treated and clients served. It simply means that you can try to sell yourself as an expert in particular areas (e.g., CBT for trauma [e.g., for veterans or sexual assault], LGBTQ+ care, anger management for teens). Some argue that having a pure niche (i.e., no generalist components) is the way to go, but this really depends on your own expertise and what is best for your practice. Overall, the safest approach is to often start off more generalist in nature (this is good for professional development as well) and specialize over time as you gain more skills, develop the identity of your practice, and understand your community more.If you decide to develop a niche, be sure to learn as much as you can about your chosen area of expertise. This includes keeping up with the current literature, participating in trainings, attending workshops/seminars, taking classes, and consulting with other established experts. It will take time to develop your expertise. You will not be the “best” counselor for every potential client, but you can be at least one of the best for your niche. As you gain more skills and provide successful counseling for clients your reputation will naturally catch on as being an expert. Some of your best marketing can come from clients you have successfully treated. Happy clients will talk about you and refer other potential clients. This will be especially true if you are successfully offering services that no other counselor (or very few) is providing in your community. This will make marketing and advertising your services much easier.“Direct Forms” of AdvertisingDirect forms of advertising here simply means a modality that identifies your practice and how to contact you for services. One of the most common approaches is to post online advertisements to various websites. Of course, online advertising is not cheap. Similarly, it is highly suggested that you develop your own website for your practice. This is where you can “advertise” your services, contact information, and provide any links related to your practice. Another highly suggested option is to get your practice info published in Psychology Today’s directory (or other related online directories). You can state your area of expertise, populations served, and provide a link to your website. You can also have a Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter account solely dedicated to the advertising of your practice. Yes, you can still leave ads in newspapers and newsletters (as in actual paper). Also in paper format are business cards and brochures, which are easy to distribute and can have other advertising content (website, address, email, phone). “Indirect Forms” of AdvertisingIndirect forms of advertising is when you post content relevant to your practice, but it is not the primary function (at least not on the surface). Ways you can do this is to write blogs, articles, or newsletters about topics you are knowledgeable (i.e., expert) about and geared toward your desired populations. You can even write for such mental health outlets as Psychology Today or Good Therapy. Similarly, instead of writing, you can post videos (i.e., vlogs) or audio recordings (i.e., podcasts) of yourself talking about relevant topics. Although Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter were mentioned as a direct form of marketing, it can also be an indirect form by posting interesting content (either found elsewhere or written yourself) that may be relevant to your practice. Much of this content can also be posted within or linked to your website and/or YouTube. Overall, this will give you a good social media presence (i.e., good search engine optimization) as your name and practice gets linked to various mental health and counseling workingOne of the best ways to get referrals is through networking. Establishing personal connections with other providers and professionals in the community can go a long way. Networking does take time and effort (and courage), but it is worth the investment. It is okay to do some explicit self-promotion with other professionals. There is nothing wrong with informing others that you are in private practice and you have some openings that you are looking to fill, especially with colleagues and other professionals you know. Of course, there may be many other professionals you do not know (at least not personally) and you will have to use alternative means to reaching out.One quick way to start networking is to develop a LinkedIn account. This form of social media focuses on the professional aspects of your life. (Look at it as the Facebook of the professional world.) After developing your profile you can try to “link” to other professionals in your community. This provides an initial opportunity to learn about potential referral sources. However, this is only a start. You need to use more direct means to expand your network. One effective approach to networking is simply to directly reach out to other practitioners and professionals in your community. This can include physicians, attorneys, physical therapists, accountants, ministers-clergy, educators, nurses (including school), and even other counselors. It is wise to reach out to these individuals in a personal way. Send them an email and a letter (yes, by mail) explaining who you are, what services you provide, and how you can be helpful to their clients/patients. Also, whenever possible, a face-to-face meeting (e.g., coffee or lunch) can be even more impactful. Many professionals do not feel comfortable sending their clients/patients to people they do not know. They need to see a face and get a sense of your personality. It is always important to be sure that you emphasize what they can gain by establishing a relationship with you. (It is already clear what you are looking for [i.e., more clients].) You want to take the time to learn about them and show genuine interest in them and what they do. If there is a good connection and they seem interested in what you do, then you can elaborate further on your practice and desire for client referrals. Just a few good referral sources can result in more clients than traditional munity WorkIn some ways online advertising may not be very intimidating because you do not have to interact face-to-face with other providers and potential clients. However, marketing yourself in the community can be a very effective way to attract attention to your practice. You may not know this, but you might actually be an expert on a few topics (or at least more knowledgeable than most). This provides an opportunity to give talks to groups and associations at their meetings/conferences/events. You can even reach out to your local community and see if their needs match your expertise. You could start broad and offer a free seminar or workshop (perhaps a topic of your choice) at a community resource center or public library. You could also contact local agencies to assess their needs: police/fire department coping with PTSD, school system trying to manage disruptive behaviors and/or depressed/suicidal students, or physicians with patients dealing with chronic pain. Not only do these talks give you the opportunity to provide a service to your local community, you can also use this approach as a subtle way to expand awareness of your practice. There is nothing wrong by telling your audience that you have a private practice while also providing “leave behinds” (e.g., business cards, brochures, flyers, or pens with contact information). As a nice bonus, if you get a positive reputation, some of these talks could result in making additional income as well. Some counselors will also sponsor local charities and participate in community volunteer work. Overall, you want to give yourself a presence in your community while being genuine in who you are as person and a professional.DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 8.4: Selling Yourself (Your Business)What are your thoughts about having to market your private practice? Can you still be a competent and professional counselor while marketing your services?Although early in your career, what are some possible niches for your private practice? What are your thoughts and feelings about referring to yourself as an expert in advertising your services?How successful do you think you can be networking with other providers in your community? Can you think of an potential obstacles (internal or environmental)?What could you do in your community as an alternative form of marketing?Concluding CommentsSo, do you still think private practice is right for you? As stated at the beginning of the chapter, this review of basic private practice components is by no means exhaustive. There are many more key components to private practice and those components covered here could each be worthy of a separate chapter in a book fully dedicated to private practice. Nevertheless, this primer on private practice was provided to at least get you thinking about this professional career option after getting licensed. It can be a very autonomous and rewarding experience; you just have to put the time and energy into it. The chapter was informed by some excellent resources with full citations provided in the References section below (Aronoff, 2017; Baumgarten, 2017; DaSilva, 2018; Grodzki, 2015). If you are still interested in private practice it is never too early to start researching (and dreaming). Check out the sources cited here, but also take the time to find additional literature and peruse reputable websites as well. There is much to learn about private practice, but you will want to develop your own unique approach.ReferencesAronoff, K. (2017). Best practice: Everything you need to know about starting your successful private therapy practice. n.p.: Author.Baumgarten, H. (2017). Private practice essentials: Business tools for mental health professionals. Eau Claire, WI: PESI Publishing.DaSilva, M. (2018). The profitable private practice: How to start, run, and grow a therapy practice. n.p.: Author.Grodzki, L. (2015). Building your ideal private practice: A guide for therapists and other healing professionals (2nd ed.). New York: Norton & Company. ................
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