How to Have a Successful Counseling Private Practice

Begin outlining a business plan for your counseling private practice by assessing your goals and needs. Write down the answers to the following questions: How much do you need to earn? How much will you charge per session? How many clients can you reasonably expect to see per week? What type of clients do you want to work with? What specialty areas are you most interested in? How much time will you need to devote to managing your business? Will you accept insurance? Do you currently have any clients? What is your client turnover rate? Do you have established relationships with other providers or organizations that will provide ongoing referrals to your practice? What relationships could you develop to establish ongoing referrals to your practice? Be certain to reassess your practice and goals at least monthly to stay on target.
Establish a network of potential referral sources to your counseling private practice. One way to establish a referral base is to make referrals to others. Sending new clients to other providers will open the door to future reciprocal referrals. Ask other providers for referrals. Contact organizations and providers you know or that work within your area of specialty and ask for referrals. Set up meetings with potential referral sources to discuss their needs and how you might be able to help. Maintaining good relationships with current referral sources and continuing to develop new referral sources will be critical to the success of your counseling private practice.
Decide early on whether or not you will accept insurance. Living off co-payments while waiting for reimbursement from insurance companies can intensify the challenges of starting a private counseling practice. Do you have enough savings reserved to see you through until you have an established clientele? Accepting insurance also means incurring additional costs to handle coding, billing and following up to collect payments. Accepting insurance may also mean accepting a lower rate for your services. Be certain you weigh the long-terms costs of filling your practice with low-paying insurance agreements. Expect to hire an experienced individual or company to handle your billing and bookkeeping. Establish and clearly communicate your rates and payment terms to clients during your initial conversation with them. Maintain clear boundaries when it comes to payments. Bending your rules repeatedly to accommodate patients who do not pay can have damaging therapeutic results, in addition to impacting your income.
Spend less than you earn and always spend less than you budget. The spacious office in the swanky office park might feel good, but it increases the amount you will be required to earn and collect each month. Aim for a quality space that is less than what you have budgeted, never more. Shop for furnishings at home stores, not office supply stores. If you do not want to work alone in your office, consider sharing office space with other professionals before hiring a receptionist you might not need. Carefully consider the need for hiring employees and understand the full cost of salaries, benefits, employment taxes and payroll preparation. Question each business expenditure and the underlying reason for it before you purchase. Avoid long-term financial commitments for business services until they have proved to be essential.
Provide excellent care to your clients and thank them for the hard work they put into their own counseling. The quality of care that your clients receive from you is your greatest strength in creating and sustaining a successful counseling private practice. Consider placing a sign in the waiting room thanking clients for their confidence by referring others. Clients may not know that it is okay to refer family and friends. Providing excellent care in your counseling private practice also strengthens relationships with referral sources as clients report back to them the high quality of care they are receiving. Be certain to keep in touch with referral sources by providing regular progress reports. Always thank your referral sources and update them on your availability.
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