Wondering About Setting Up a Private Psychotherapy Practice? 4 Questions to Ask Yourself

 

Working for yourself and running your own private psychotherapy practice is a dream that many therapists acknowledge but feel unable to pursue. The prospect of managing your own time and working the hours you choose to suit your personal lifestyle is very appealing, but taking those first steps towards self-employment can seem too daunting to many, and so, often, the dream remains a frustrating "if only". If you are one of those contemplating the move out of the public sector, for example from working within the National Health Service (NHS) to working for yourself as a self-employed private therapist, here are a few questions that you might wish to consider as you work your way through the decision-making process towards your goal. family therapy

Where are you now? Maybe you are a recently-qualified or about-to-qualify therapist or clinical psychologist pondering your options in an ever-more-difficult employment market. Or perhaps you have been working in your role for a number of years now but you are feeling dissatisfied, frustrated or limited by the work you are able to undertake within your organisation. Ask yourself this: have you options for change within your current role that would allow you to feel more positively about your career prospects within your organisation, or do you feel that the only alternative is to move on? family therapy near me

Self-employment does appear to offer some attractive options: you choose when you work and with what client population; freedom from ever-changing, often unreasonable management demands that interfere with you being the helping professional that you came into the industry to be; the potential to take responsibility for your professional life without always having to seek approval from a manager about what training you undertake or what type of service you provide for your clients. Sounds good, doesn't it? So why haven't you taken this further? Depression treatment

Why would you want to? Self-employment means more than just doing what you want to do, though, doesn't it? There is the small matter of earning a living from it. Mortgages have to be paid, families clothed and watered, food put on the table. marriage counseling near me

In your employed position, however frustrated you might be within it, at least at the end of each month, your employer has the good grace to pay you. They also probably contribute to a pension fund for you and, if you are unfortunate enough to fall ill, will pay you for a period of time while you recover. There are other benefits too, like paid holidays and the provision of a workspace at no cost to you, so why would you want to give up on this and put yourself in the position of having to cover all these costs and more? existential psychotherapy

What would it mean to you? This is the nub of matter, really: what would it mean to you to be the person responsible for your future income and career development? You would take responsibility for finding your own (paying) clients, the premises in which to see them, your supervision, insurances and pensions, your phone bills and your stationery. Challenges, yes. But you would also get to choose when you work, how you spend your time when you do, and with what client group. Want to do more training? You choose what training courses you go on. You do have to fund them yourself, but you are not limited by someone else's view of what you should be doing; instead you can train in those areas that interest you and link into your clinical preferences. And the costs are tax deductible too! antisocial personality disorder test

Being your own boss places a lot of demands on you, but there is also a huge amount of professional freedom and personal satisfaction from being in charge of your own path. So now ask yourself this: have you got what it takes to manage the risks of self-employment and the uncertainty that comes with creating something new; do you have the resilience to cope with the challenges that you will inevitably face as your work to establish your practice? If, after considering all the points raised here, your answer to these questions is still a resounding "YES", then maybe it is time to begin taking the first important steps into private practice. online marriage counseling

When can you start? If you feel that you still want to enter private practice, you need to begin the planning process for making the break. While some may choose to act quickly on this and look to start "yesterday", this should not be an impulse decision; for a secure future, you need to ensure that you have laid a sound foundation that will allow you to build your new practice over time so that you have the greatest chance of creating a long-lasting enterprise. Take some time to research your specialist field, learn how to access referral agencies and develop support networks that you can call on as you grow. Psychotherapy

Private practice can be a rewarding place to be. It is not for everyone, but if, after considering the questions raised here and others that you may have been prompted to ask yourself after reading this piece, you still feel this is the right path for you, then go for it: it may just be the best decision you will make!