Starting Your Private Practice
Kim Lareau, founder of Steady Hope Counseling in Atlanta, GA, has been a therapist for 12+ years, and is coming up on her 3rd anniversary of launching her private practice. 🥳
When Kim knew she was ready to take the leap into starting her own practice, she had already proactively set up her bank accounts, formed an LLC, and honed her most effective marketing strategies to fill her client load, which allowed her to focus on these top 3 administrative priorities:
Setting up a robust and easy-to-navigate website
Selecting an EHR system and paperwork process
And establishing a HIPAA-compliant email
For her, she anticipated that various operational obstacles would arise, so she wanted to be well-researched on the front end and make sure her day-to-day workflows were an asset, not a liability.
“I did tons of research related to paperwork and knew that I wanted an easy and seamless way to share intake documents online, [as well as] one spot for running credit cards, scheduling clients, and storing notes.”
Other than her natural skills in organization and research, Kim accredits much of her success to stretching herself to get out there and network.
As she shares with all therapists looking to start a private practice: “Network. Network. Network. Connecting with other therapists, community organizations, non-profits, and schools will make it feel so much easier to launch well and set your practice up for continual growth.”
Some of Kim’s final tips for those starting or currently leading a private practice:
Be adaptable. “It’s okay to create one system or structure and then change it again.”
Time Block. “Schedule time blocks for clients, for business building, for networking, and yes, for lunch.”
Join a consultation group. “This is HUGE! It can be such a valuable place to learn, bounce off ideas, feel less alone, and get referrals! It has been one of the best gifts of the last few years to meet once a month and have a text chain with my group.”
Don’t compare yourself to other practices.
Consider a practice building course or hiring a coach in the early days.
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