One of the main reasons that people leave the public health sector in order to start their own private practice is to take back control of their time. Hospitals and other medical facilities are extraordinarily demanding, often with long hours day and night and work that does not last or end through a typical 9 to 5 shift.
But that doesn’t mean starting a new practice is “easy.” There is still work that will need to be done, not only treating clients but also managing billing, marketing, staying in contact with “leads,” and more. As you’re starting out, you’re going to learn all the different components that are needed to run a business successfully, and – through our coaching sessions – you will be taught what they are and how to manage them.
Yet, something that new private practice therapists will also need to remember is that you do not have to do everything yourself. Nor should you.
Micromanaging Your Practice
You are a therapist. You were trained as a therapist. You are likely not an expert in accounting, advertising, IT, or even answering phones.
Many new therapists, upon starting their private practice, become a sort of jane of all trades as they take on all those tasks for the first time. They feel like they need to be the ones to handle all of those tasks at once, by themselves, for reasons that include:
- Money – Many clients, justifiably, worry about money when starting their own practice. They are concerned that it may be too expensive to pay other people to manage parts of the business for them.
- Control – We all want to be in control of our name, our brand, our clients, and so on. We often have a vision for how we want to present ourselves, and the best way to do that is to handle everything ourselves.
- Direction – We don’t know what we don’t know. We may not know what services we need, where to look to find them, and the value that those services can bring to our practice.
We’re all guilty of this. I’m guilty of some of these myself. I know what my vision is, and sometimes I feel like I need to be the one to execute it.
But it is important to remind ourselves that there are other people that can do this, and other experts that can help us with the tasks that may not be our priority or the ones we know the least about. We can find people that can:
- Manage Money – There are part time accountants available that can handle all of our financial requirements, insurance billing, and taxes.
- Run Operations – There are virtual admins that can support our time management efforts, or marketing companies that can help us with website management, newsletters, and ads.
- Contacting Clients – There are tools that we can use to make it easier to stay in contact with clients or address insurance problems.
Not only are there people that can help manage these things, but there are affordable technology tools as well for those that are not yet financially ready for a larger investment. I, myself, use a wide range of very affordable and sometimes free business management tools, like Trello, to manage projects and stay up to date with my operational needs.
Why Save Time?
When you try to handle everything yourself, you are going to find you run into many issues.
First, you’re probably not an expert in these things, which means they’re going to take you longer and may not be completed correctly.
Second, you’re going to lose out on even more time in the day, which will make running a practice more overwhelming and take you away from better tasks.
Finally, you just shouldn’t have to. You are a therapist. You are a business owner. But you are not an accountant, marketer, advertising agent, call center staff, etc. There are other people that can support you to take more of that work off of your plate.
Learn About Tools, People, and More with PsychFusion
PsychFusion, as a private practice coach and consultant, can help you learn what you need to manage, direct you to the tools that work best, and even help you implement them. We can provide you with the guidance and direction you need to create a thriving private practice that frees you from the extended hours and burdens of the public healthcare system.
And, if you already have a private practice, we can help you grow it and provide direction to build a thriving and successful practice that will withstand the ups and downs of the mental health marketplace. Get started today by contacting PsychFusion, and start taking some of that work off of your plate.