How to construct the best possible psychotherapist employment contract
Most mental health practices develop a psychotherapist employment contract. However, before hiring an attorney, let’s think about what you want that contract to do for you. And to clarify, this […]
Eight excellent reasons NOT to start a new practice
There are reasons to start a new practice and reasons not to. Here we look at eight reasons not to create a new mental health practice. The consequences of a […]
Four hallmarks of a wonderful, nearly-perfect practice
Most of us begin our professional lives hoping to find and work in the nearly-perfect practice. However, many have similar experiences to mine. Early in my career, I despaired of […]
The ultimate guide to starting your own practice
Here is the ultimate guide to starting your own practice. Here we focus on the essential areas for starting a practice. Additionally, you are guided to more detailed discussions on […]
The ultimate guide to building your staff and culture
Congratulations! You are ready to hire some people, build your staff, and create the culture you want at the office. I say congrats, because if you are here, then I […]
Why therapists should not outsource marketing: We do it better
For the first 20 years of practice, I thought there might be a way to outsource our marketing. Why couldn’t I hire someone to take that burden off me? After […]
Making Opening Day a marketing event
We have only one Opening Day and you want to use it as a first draft of a series of marketing campaigns. Unfortunately, there are so many distracting details to […]
Building your practice infrastructure: Tech, legal, and financial structure
Your practice infrastructure supports your business. In fact, your technology, legal, and financial structure hold your business together and lay the foundation for your daily work. For example, your technology, […]
Assembling your team of practice advisors
Selecting your team of practice advisors is critical to your success. No one can build a practice alone. The team we select will be in the thick of things with […]
Selecting a practice management system
These days, everyone should use a practice management system to organize many functions of a practice. But evaluating and selecting one is no small task. Additionally, the wrong choice can […]
Developing an excellent practice website
Every mental health practice needs a practice website. Yet, most of us dread the idea of building one. We are often put off by either the technical or the artistic […]
How to set up your first office space
Once you have signed a lease for your initial office, you are ready to set up your first office space. What an exciting time! All your preparation is paying off, […]
Picking the best option: Independent Contracting vs Employing
According to the Internal Revenue Service, there are only two employment types: independent contractors (1099-employees) and regular employees (W-2 employees). Who pays which taxes is determined by this legal distinction. […]
Why create another mental health practice?
Why would one set out to create a mental health practice? My story may shed some useful light. I did not start out thinking I was going to own a […]
How to grow consistent community marketing: Community Connection Plan
For the first 20 years of my practice, we struggled with our marketing our mental health practice. We needed to find a community marketing system that we all could embrace […]
Ten steps to starting a strong mental health practice
Starting a mental health practice is no small task. Where does one begin? What are the steps to starting a mental health practice? How does one build a good foundation? […]
Psychotherapy office space: Rent, lease, or purchase?
There are many factors to consider when looking at office space for psychotherapy practice. Is it best to think in terms of renting, leasing, or purchasing psychotherapy office space? The […]
Eight steps to adding the right office space
Adding office space may seem like a no brainer. It isn’t. There is much at stake and many factors to consider. In fact, I get more requests for consultation on […]
Reflections on therapy office design
A client comes to your therapy office for the first time. What impressions does your office design suggest? What does my therapy office design say about who I am and […]
3 Steps to Starting a Private Practice
Many think about starting a private practice but are unsure how to go about it. This post lays out 3 steps to starting a private practice and points you toward […]
Types of mental health organizations
There are several types of mental health organizations employing psychotherapists. Many of these organizations are built by, managed, or owned by mental health providers. In this article, I will look […]
Avoiding these partnership issues saves you down the line
When people form a partnership, there are always issues to work through. We have all heard the saying, “taking a business partner is like taking a marriage partner” and it […]
Psychiatrist and non-psychiatrist ownership
There are profound differences between a psychiatrist and non-psychiatrist ownership. The largest practices tend to be owned by psychiatrists. They then hire other mental health providers as employees in the […]
How clinicians end up with the right clients
I believe that we end up with the clients we are meant to have at every stage of our development as a clinician. Somehow the therapist fit is surprisingly good […]
