3 Tips for Starting a Therapy Private Practice
Establishing a private therapy practice doesn’t have to be difficult. If you are a counselor, psychologist, or marriage and family therapist ready to make the private practice leap, this post will give you three tips to get started.
Tip One: Your Therapy Private Practice Can Start Small
Many therapists have the false belief that they must leap into full-time private practice. This limiting belief prevents many therapists from opening their practices. Remember, you can have a private practice with only one client. If you can’t quit your job, consider just seeing one or two clients in the evenings or start by offering weekend appointments.
Tip Two: Make Sure to Get Malpractice Insurance Before Starting your Private Practice
No matter how large or small your private practice is, you must have malpractice insurance when you start speaking to clients. This should be the very first thing you do when opening your private practice. I recommend using CPH and Associates for all of your malpractice insurance needs. Additionally, I recommend contacting your state license professional organization and asking who they recommend specifically for licensed professionals in your state. Many professional organizations advocate for better coverage for their members.
Tip Three: Set Time Aside Each Week to Market your Private Practice
If you want to get therapy clients, you have to market yourself. Unfortunately, this is just the reality of owning a private practice. I suggest developing a marketing schedule and sticking to it. Set aside time each week to meet other therapists for coffee, work on social media posts, sign up for therapy directories, or network with doctors. It’s never too early or too late to start networking with other mental health professionals.
This article was written by Kelley Stevens, LMFT. Kelley is a private practice business coach for therapists. Kelley specializes in helping therapists launch a cash-pay private practice from the ground up.
