| Are you thinking about starting your own mental health | | | | your time. You can work on your schedule and create |
| practice? Maybe you are newly licensed, or have | | | | a work/family balance that you might not otherwise be |
| worked for other institutions and groups for awhile. | | | | able to achieve working for somebody else. You do, |
| From my own experience I can attest that owning | | | | however, need to be self-motivated and a self-starter |
| your own practice is a wonderful adventure that gives | | | | because no one is going to hold you accountable to be |
| you professional and personal rewards far beyond | | | | at work, or to seeing a certain number of clients a |
| working for others to earn a pay check. But starting a | | | | week. |
| practice is not for everyone. Starting up can take a | | | | 4. What is my comfort level with risk? Starting your |
| good deal of effort and faith in yourself and your skills, | | | | own practice means you are in charge of how |
| both as a mental health professional and as a business | | | | profitable you and your business are at any given time. |
| person. Here is a list of questions to ask yourself | | | | 5. Can I delegate? Entrepreneurial practice building |
| before embarking on starting your own private | | | | requires multi-tasking, but does not mean you should |
| practice. | | | | schedule your own appointments or do your own |
| 1. Am I "business minded"? Do I look at my work as a | | | | bookeeping. |
| service I provide for a fee? If you answer "no" to | | | | 6. Am I comfortable with the concept of marketing? |
| these questions, you are not ready to start your own | | | | Many mental health professionals have the notion that |
| practice. A private practice is a business that exists to | | | | marketing is "not done," in our profession. However, |
| earn a profit. You are a highly skilled therapist and the | | | | smart marketing is not only fair and ethical, it is |
| service you offer is very necessary and needed by | | | | mandatory to be a successful practice owner. |
| many, many people. However, at the end of the day | | | | 7. Am I open to learning new ways of thinking, doing |
| you are providing a service for a fee like a lawyer, an | | | | and delivering my expertise? Running a small business |
| accountant, or financial planner. To be successful, you | | | | requires flexibility in thought and action. For example |
| will need to think as a therapist AND as a business | | | | when managed care changes rates, policies or |
| person. | | | | requirements, how will you handle this? As a practice |
| 2. Am I comfortable wearing many hats and | | | | owner you need to be able to change with the |
| multi-tasking? Can I do my clinical work and focus on | | | | business realities that impact your bottom line. |
| business demands at the same time? To run a | | | | 8. Am I open to learning new things and making the |
| successful practice you will need to do two things: 1) | | | | occasional mistake? Most of us received no business |
| spend time building and running your business and 2) | | | | training in our post-graduate studies. We need to learn |
| seeing clients in your office. | | | | business strategies and steps from the ground up. Like |
| 3. Do I like to be my own boss and in control of how I | | | | learning anything new, we make mistakes. In order to |
| spend my time? Am I a self starter? Owning your | | | | be successful, you must be open to learning, accepting |
| own practice can be very liberating in how you spend | | | | the occasional mistake, learning from it and moving on. |