This article is offered as part of Lesson #3 in the Private Client Mini Course.
To get full access to the FREE course, click here to sign up.
To get full access to the FREE course, click here to sign up.
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I've always loved the saying:
You learn something new everyday As a naturally curious person, I learn several new things a day. I often say that if I won the lottery, I would love to spend my time traveling and taking adult education courses (especially courses on cooking and photography!) I love learning new things just as much as I love watching other people learn new things. I was recently talking to my friend Amanda...who knew I had a private practice - but didn't know that I blogged and wrote books about it.
She said that she saw one of my articles while she was on Pinterest and read a few articles before realizing something. She said, "I've always thought about having a private practice someday but never EVER thought about having one early in my career. 
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Pin me!
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I've been doing this for 10 years. Sometimes it's hard for me to remember the time before I knew about all of the options for private practitioners.
Turns out, there are some big myths about private practice...
Here are three of the biggest:
Turns out, there are some big myths about private practice...
Here are three of the biggest:
Myth #1: There Is a Ton of Risk Involved in Starting a Private Practice
Fact #1: There Are Easy Ways to Minimize Risk
When I talk to clinicians interested in private practice, they often list fear of "failure" or "getting sued" as something that keeps them up at night.
Any business owner (in ANY industry) faces the same fears.
Restaurant owners are afraid of food poisoning. Accountants are afraid of errors on tax returns. Chiropractors are afraid of malpractice suits.
When you work in private practice, there are certain protections that you need to have in place. Once you have those however, as long as your providing high-quality, evidence-based therapy and making sure not to harm your clients in any way, the chances of your biggest fears coming true is relatively small.
Most people think that in order to start a private practice they need to quit their jobs and open a brick and mortar clinic with a waiting room, employees and a billing specialist in order to be successful.
Any business owner (in ANY industry) faces the same fears.
Restaurant owners are afraid of food poisoning. Accountants are afraid of errors on tax returns. Chiropractors are afraid of malpractice suits.
When you work in private practice, there are certain protections that you need to have in place. Once you have those however, as long as your providing high-quality, evidence-based therapy and making sure not to harm your clients in any way, the chances of your biggest fears coming true is relatively small.
Most people think that in order to start a private practice they need to quit their jobs and open a brick and mortar clinic with a waiting room, employees and a billing specialist in order to be successful.
Instead, many clinicians maintain smaller and more manageable private practices by treating a few clients a week "on the side" of their regular jobs in order to help more people - but on their own terms
Myth #2: Your Private Practice Must Be Your Only Job
Fact #2: Most Private Practitioners Work in Private Practice Part-Time
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Until I learned about the option for part-time private practice, I thought that people were either "in private practice" or didn't have one at all. I had NO CLUE that treating clients "on the side" of a regular job counted as private practice.
In fact, according to the ASHA SLP 2015 Heath Care Survey, 64% of private practitioners work in private practice part-time. (MIND BLOWN.) Did you have any idea that the number was that high?
Does this change you perspective on what can be done? and the biggest myth of all... |
http://www.asha.org/uploadedFiles/2015-SLP-Health-Care-Survey-Private-Practice.pdf
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Myth #3: You Should Wait Until The End Of Your Career To Start Your Private Practice
Fact #3: You Can Start Your Private Practice As Soon As You're Ready
Back when I was in grad school, I remember my dad saying, "Jena, I bet one day you'll have a private practice. It'll be a nice thing to do one day."
I agreed with him but thought it would happen "one day." One day in the future. The distant future. Towards the end of my career.
When I realized that many clinicians start their own private practices early in their careers (but after they've developed some expertise!) I knew that I wanted to start much earlier than I (or my dad) could have ever imagined.
Now - a huge benefit of being a private practice owner with 20 or 30+ years of experience is that clients and families value experience. The longer people have been in their chosen field, the more experience they have. People often equate that experience = value.
If you're going to start treating private clients - even on the side - you need to be an expert in whatever you're treating.
If you're not an expert yet, consider getting certified in advanced therapy techniques that clients are searching for, such as PROMPT (treatment approach for kids with apraxia) or LSVT (Lee Silverman Voice Treatment; approach for increasing loudness in people with Parkinson's).
Just like myself - and my friend Amanda - maybe you always assumed that you'd have a private practice "someday." After reading this, has your timeline shrunk at all?
I agreed with him but thought it would happen "one day." One day in the future. The distant future. Towards the end of my career.
When I realized that many clinicians start their own private practices early in their careers (but after they've developed some expertise!) I knew that I wanted to start much earlier than I (or my dad) could have ever imagined.
Now - a huge benefit of being a private practice owner with 20 or 30+ years of experience is that clients and families value experience. The longer people have been in their chosen field, the more experience they have. People often equate that experience = value.
If you're going to start treating private clients - even on the side - you need to be an expert in whatever you're treating.
If you're not an expert yet, consider getting certified in advanced therapy techniques that clients are searching for, such as PROMPT (treatment approach for kids with apraxia) or LSVT (Lee Silverman Voice Treatment; approach for increasing loudness in people with Parkinson's).
Just like myself - and my friend Amanda - maybe you always assumed that you'd have a private practice "someday." After reading this, has your timeline shrunk at all?
Now You Know
Remember at the beginning of the post where I said that "you learn something new every day?"
Today you learned that:
Today you learned that:
- You can minimize risk by being organized.
- You can treat private clients "on the side" of your regular job.
- You don't have to wait until the end of your career to start a private practice.
Now that you realize that you can have a successful and fulfilling private practice, are you interested?
A solution to help you get started exists. Click here to learn how to finally start your own private practice, the smart way.
A solution to help you get started exists. Click here to learn how to finally start your own private practice, the smart way.
This article is offered as part of Lesson #3 in the Private Client Mini Course.
To get full access to the FREE course, click here to sign up.
To get full access to the FREE course, click here to sign up.
Leave a Comment:
Did you believe any of these myths? If so, which ones - and how has this shifted your mindset?
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Jena H. Casbon, MS CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist and private practice consultant. She started her own speech therapy private practice in 2006. She is the founder of The Independent Clinician and author of The Guide to Private Patients and The Guide to Creating a Web Presence for Your Private Practice. Since 2008, she has helped thousands of clinicians get the flexibility, income and freedom they desire from starting their own private speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy practices.
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