Lot of people visit my blog from Google searches like these:

“Private Practice Start Up”

“How to Start a Private Practice”

“Mental Health Private Practice Business”

I’m glad to see so many of you with a desire to get started on your private practice journey. Here are 10 things you should know as you consider building your own practice.

1.   A private practice is a business.  If you start from this mindset, everything else will be easier to accomplish.

2.   There are lots of administrative tasks you must do as a private practice business owner.  You will do much more than sit with clients all day.  These are time consuming and sometimes tedious.  It is all part of running a business.

3.   You will be solely responsible for the success (or failure) of your private practice.

4.   You need to market, network, and get your name out there if you have any hope of filling your practice.

5.   You will have more success as a specialist who treats specific conditions and populations.  No one wants to work with a generalist who just does “therapy.”

6.   Dealing with managed care sucks (I know that doesn’t sound professional, but there is no nice way to say it). 

7.   You will not change managed care.  They will pay you what they pay you.  The Federal Government can’t seem to change them, so you won’t either.  Accept what they are, what they pay, or don’t.  Just do not get stuck being frustrated with them.

8.   You must have a flexible business model.  Health care reform may radically change how all health care services are delivered and paid for.  Those who adhere to rigid paradigms of quality care may not survive in business for very long.

9.   Positive thought and action will serve you better than fear and frustration.  There are many, many private practice opportunities available to us. We just need to be open to implementing them. Feel stuck or overwhelmed? Adopt a problem solving mindset.

10. You will be more successful collaborating with others, rather than going it alone.  Growing a practice is work and can be overwhelming.  Joining a practice building group, business development program and/or hiring a coach can be a great way to accelerate your learning, generate more referrals and feel part of a group going through similar experiences.

Want to learn more about building your private practice?  Sign up for my free report, "8  Easy to Implement, Low Cost Ways to Market Your Private Practice."