| When Cheryl Dolinger Brown, CSW, headed off to | | | | best way to build a private practice. She advises new |
| social work school, she took with her a mental model | | | | practitioners to "talk to everyone you know about |
| formed while growing up with her social work | | | | what you love about your work, with specifics about |
| administrator father. She imagined that she would | | | | what you do." She tells people to put it together "like a |
| follow in his footsteps; it never occurred to her that | | | | mission statement." The goal is to get people to know |
| she had started on a path to become a therapist. | | | | you; once people get to know you, they refer to you. |
| What set her in this direction? "In social work school it | | | | Grodzki echoes Brown's advise when she coaches |
| was highly recommended that students engage in their | | | | therapists in the development of their practice. She |
| own therapy," says Brown. She "found it very helpful." | | | | advocates talking about what you are doing "with |
| Clinical social work was "satisfying" and she decided | | | | enthusiasm and passion" as the most effective way to |
| that it was more suited for her than doing community | | | | build your practice. She speaks from experience. |
| organization or administration, as she had originally | | | | When she was in social work school she sought out |
| imagined. The work resonated with why she had gone | | | | training in neurolinguistic therapy, in large part to help her |
| to social work school in the first place, which was "to | | | | own disabled son. Before she knew it, her practice |
| help people make changes in their lives." | | | | was filled with learning disabled children and families. |
| After she was graduated from social work school in | | | | She sounds a cautionary note, however. You need to |
| Minnesota, in 1973, she moved to New York and over | | | | have a vision for your practice, she says. "Even if you |
| the next twelve years attended the National | | | | haven't intentionally thought about a vision for your |
| Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis. | | | | practice it will take a certain path-it is better to decide |
| Becoming a psychoanalytic therapist entailed attending | | | | early on where you want to go rather than let |
| classes at night and being analyzed herself. She began | | | | circumstance determine it." Circumstance determined |
| a small private practice in 1981. The birth of her | | | | her initial path, but eventually she shifted her own |
| daughter intervened, but she began to build her | | | | practice from learning disabled children and their |
| practice in earnest in 1984 and hasn't stopped since. | | | | families to adults. |
| Several years ago she went back for more training in | | | | Other strategies that Brown has used to market |
| Imago Relationship Therapy, a therapeutic approach | | | | herself include public speaking and marketing letters. |
| used to work with couples. She speaks enthusiastically | | | | She suggests talking to corporations at lunchtime |
| and passionately about her West Side Manhattan | | | | seminars, speaking at a professional organization and |
| practice for couples and adults. Clearly, she has not | | | | at the local PTA as examples of venues. She has had |
| regretted for a moment her decision to pursue a | | | | success with a marketing letter sent out several times |
| career as a social worker doing private therapy. | | | | a year that included information about what she was |
| Lynn Grodzki, MSW, has had a successful career as a | | | | doing, some information about herself and an |
| private therapist since 1988, and since 1966 has also | | | | announcement of a workshop or a group that she |
| been a business coach for therapists. She has written | | | | was giving. |
| four books about the business of being a therapist and | | | | Brown believes that a niche is important and advises |
| coach. Like Brown, being in therapy was a catalyst to | | | | that new therapists pick an area where other |
| becoming a therapist herself. She was in the midst of | | | | therapists aren't comfortable, such as acting out |
| a career change from running a family business when | | | | teenagers or alcohol and addictions. She clarifies that |
| she started her own therapy. She was impressed with | | | | this "does not mean that that is what you exclusively |
| how helpful therapy was to her, and as she | | | | do, but it is a way that people get to know you. Once |
| considered a change of careers, she thought that she | | | | you get to know them, you can share with them that |
| might like to be a therapist. She enrolled in the | | | | this specialty is not what you exclusively do." |
| University of Maryland's School of Social Work. | | | | In the beginning, Brown spent much of her time |
| Grodzki also has had extensive post graduate training | | | | marketing, but now her practice is for the most part |
| -- about eight years, she estimates. Much of her | | | | self-sustaining. She believes that it is slow for someone |
| training has been in group therapy and, in addition, she | | | | starting out, because it takes time to identify the best |
| holds a certification in Gestalt therapy and a | | | | people to meet. She observes, "Successful marketing |
| certification in neurolinguistic therapy. | | | | is about building relationships-something social workers |
| Ruth Dean, Ph.D, social work professor at Simmons | | | | know very well. That means that you must devote |
| School of Social Work and chairperson of the clinical | | | | time every week, whether it is writing letters, sending |
| practice sequence, has been practicing social work | | | | out emails, or meeting people." Grodzki agrees. She |
| since she was graduated from the University of | | | | also suggests setting aside time every week for |
| Pittsburgh in 1961. To fulfill the requirements of her | | | | building up your practice -- what she calls "CEO time." |
| graduate fellowship she needed to work in a medical | | | | She estimates that 50% of the new private practice |
| setting. She practiced medical social work at Beth | | | | therapist's time needs to be devoted to building the |
| Israel Hospital in Boston, but soon found herself | | | | new business. In her opinion, you always will need to |
| providing therapy to clients through Beth Israel's | | | | devote 10% of your time to marketing because, given |
| Department of Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic. Eventually | | | | the nature of business, nobody's practice is |
| she was working almost exclusively for the | | | | consistently full. |
| Department of Psychiatry and beginning her own | | | | Grodzki also cautions new therapists that building a |
| private practice. Like Brown and Grodzki, Dean | | | | business for the long term is slow. Her experience is |
| accumulated many hours of postgraduate training, for | | | | that many therapists, because they are starting small, |
| the most part through the training opportunities at the | | | | don't think about their practice from a business |
| teaching hospital where she was working. | | | | perspective. She suggests that they consider such |
| Training Social Worker as Therapists | | | | questions as: Do I have any other cash flow coming |
| Looking back over their extensive careers as social | | | | in? What needs to be in place to effect a consistent |
| workers in private practice, each practitioner agrees | | | | amount of growth? How much of my time is going to |
| that postgraduate training is absolutely essential. Each | | | | be marketing? How much of it is going to be delivering |
| of them also advises acquiring a broad array of | | | | services? |
| training techniques. Brown suggests that getting a | | | | Grodzki advises new therapists to "double the number |
| "smattering" of techniques in the beginning helps | | | | of people that you know in a year." She has found |
| novices in the field of therapy learn what works for | | | | that most therapists and coaches tend to be introverts. |
| them. "It is not one size fits all." In addition, most states | | | | She observes that this makes you good at your craft |
| now require postgraduate training for social workers | | | | but not at your business. Citing observations from |
| who want to be licensed in private therapy practice. | | | | Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point , she says, "Isolation is |
| Dean reinforces the importance of postgraduate | | | | the new poverty. Most small business people tend to |
| training. She says, "Most social work schools, including | | | | be impoverished in that way specifically-they just don't |
| the program at Simmons School of Social Work, are | | | | know enough people. " Gladwell found that there is |
| training people for agency practice rather than private | | | | strength in "weak ties." You don't have to know people |
| practice. They are preparing students for work with | | | | well. In fact it is better if you don't, because |
| vulnerable populations, which is not necessarily the | | | | acquaintances occupy different worlds from your |
| typical private therapy practice client." She advises that | | | | friends. In the end, the research shows that it is not |
| a social work student who is preparing for a career in | | | | whom you know, or how well you know them, but |
| private practice should be sure to take the classes | | | | how many you know. |
| offered in social work programs concerning trauma, | | | | Introverts should not be discouraged about their |
| issues of family violence and addiction. In her view, | | | | potential to develop a successful private practice. |
| these courses provide an important foundation for all | | | | Grodzki believes that they can be taught the behaviors |
| forms of practice, including a private practice. In | | | | of extraverts. She coaches new therapists that they |
| addition, there are many practice-focused courses in | | | | need "an engine that you can repeat over and over |
| clinical work that are relevant. Simmons School of | | | | again with very little effort, something that is known |
| Social Work, for example, offers courses in couples | | | | and comfortable to you." Examples of practice building |
| therapy, family therapy, group therapy, and brief | | | | engines may be a certain type of writing, a certain |
| therapy. | | | | type of networking, presenting, or advertising. This |
| The Role of Supervision | | | | engine needs to generate a flow of referrals to deal |
| Supervision is a critical element for any successful | | | | with the vicissitudes of practice. New therapists need |
| private therapy practitioner and usually a requirement | | | | more in the engine. Through coaching, Grodzki helps |
| for licensure. Brown admits that she has "very, very | | | | therapists to look at what is most comfortable for |
| strong views about that. I believe you should not be in | | | | them. She says, "There is not just one way to market, |
| any kind of private practice unless you are in | | | | it is a question of determining what is best for them |
| supervision and that it is unethical to be in private | | | | and what shows them off." Patience and persistence |
| practice unsupervised." She suggests that there are | | | | are required because it takes a while for something to |
| many ways to acquire appropriate supervision. She | | | | work. For example, experts say that it takes 6-10 |
| was in a supervision group for 10 years, she now is in | | | | exposures to an advertisement to move a consumer |
| a supervision group with Imago Relationship Therapy | | | | to action, and half a dozen times for a workshop to be |
| therapists and she also does peer supervision. Brown | | | | offered before it fills up. "You have to build an |
| is so adamant about the importance of supervision | | | | audience and to do that, you have to build on the long |
| because she feels that "you must bounce your ideas | | | | view," concludes Grodzki. |
| off of someone else." Her experience has been that | | | | Is it Worth It? |
| "common transference issues come up all the time | | | | The path to becoming a successful social worker in |
| and that you can learn by talking it out with other | | | | private practice requires hard work, business acumen, |
| people. You can never get too smart or too | | | | training and supervision. It takes time to build a practice |
| experienced." | | | | and to get the required training and supervision for |
| Grozki had ongoing weekly supervision for the first ten | | | | licensure. But for those who are interested in this |
| years she was in private practice. She believes that | | | | career path, there are job opportunities. According to |
| this is a key to being a good therapist, and also the | | | | the US Department of Labor, job opportunities for |
| best way to build a practice. According to Grodzki, | | | | social workers in private practice are expanding, in |
| "Building a successful private practice depends on | | | | large part because of the growing popularity of |
| doing the best work that you can." Because the work | | | | employee assistance programs. These programs are |
| never gets easier, she believes that supervision also | | | | expected to spur demand for private practitioners. |
| helps protect against burnout. | | | | Some of these practitioners will provide social work |
| Ruth Dean, Ph.D., advises students who are planning to | | | | services to corporations on a contractual basis. The |
| develop a private therapy practice to join a peer | | | | challenges for social workers who are pursuing a |
| supervision group when they graduate as part of their | | | | career in private practice include the fluctuation of the |
| ongoing education and support network. She herself | | | | popularity of employee assistance programs as a |
| has been a member of a peer supervision group for | | | | consequence of business cycles and the managed |
| 20 years. She suggests that these groups also | | | | care organizations who restrict mental health services. |
| become referral networksbecause "people tend to | | | | But once established, the social worker in private |
| refer to people whose work they know very well and | | | | practice has the potential for a stable, lucrative career. |
| not to others." | | | | As Brown says, "I love this field because you can |
| Building a Private Practice | | | | keep working as long as you have your mind -- and |
| Brown who has written about how to market a | | | | you just get wiser. |
| private practice believes that marketing yourself is the | | | | |