Starting a Private Practice: The Complete Guide for Aspiring Business Owners

How to Start a Private Therapy Practice

You deserve a private practice that’s aligned with your values and provides you with the financial means to live the life of your dreams. But what if you don’t know how to get started?

Being a business owner has the potential to be extremely fulfilling and impactful — both for you and the people you serve — and at the same time, reaching that potential requires a complete understanding of how to start a private practice.

In other words, you need to know everything from defining your vision to marketing your services for value-aligned clients who you genuinely look forward to supporting.

To help get you started, here’s our complete guide for how to start a private practice and make sure to download this interactive checklist to help keep you on track to meet your goals and walk you through this whole process.

Ultimate Checklist to Get Your Private Practice Going

Create Your Private Practice Vision

When you’re getting started, you need to establish the business vision you’re working toward. Clarify what you want your practice to look like and how your perfect day would be set up.

If you’re already a business owner, this will also involve evaluating your current practice.

Once you’ve determined a clear vision, then it’s time to think about business boundaries and the limiting thoughts (head trash) that are impacting your ability to thrive.

Click here to access the FREE Private Practice Vision training!

• Download your Private Practice Vision Checklist

• Complete an analysis of your current business

• Explore these questions about business boundaries

• Identify your limiting beliefs + change your mindset

Start Private Practice Business Planning

The next step for how to start a private practice is all about business planning!

You’ll need to know the must-haves for a business AND the mistakes to avoid to ensure the plan for your practice is moving you in the right direction. From there, you’ll identify the space for a physical office (unless you’re interested in being telehealth-exclusive) and name your practice.

If you’re interested in a virtual practice, check out these resources:

• Transitioning to Telehealth

• Transitioning Back to In-Office Therapy

Click here to access the FREE Business Planning training!

• Check out these startup tips for your private practice

• Review and complete the Office Space Checklist

• Learn more about choosing a name for your business

Set Yourself Up for Financial Success in Private Practice

Finances may be an uncomfortable topic for you, but with a shift in mindset and a better understanding of money and how it’s directly related to your business, you can move forward with confidence in your financial decisions.

To create a sustainable practice, set fees that allow you to thrive personally and financially rather than defaulting to sliding scale fees or pro bono sessions.

After your fees are adjusted to support your lifestyle and business, take time to learn about taxes and accounting as they relate to your private practice.

Then, once you’re in a good financial position and well-informed about all things money as a business owner, you have the option to consider adding more streams of income.

Click here to access the FREE Money in Private Practice training!

• Set fees aligned with your ideal life and business

• Calculate the costs of starting a private practice

• Get an overview of a typical practice’s startup costs

Market Your Private Practice

Now that you’ve learned a lot about how to start a private practice, it’s time to prepare for marketing your services to the type of clients who you’re excited to support!

Before you can start marketing, however, it’s worth exploring your identity and values and choosing a niche that meets your needs and allows you to do meaningful work.

With all that established, you’ll be ready to create and execute a marketing plan, build referrals, design a targeted website for your audience, and grow a list of engaged subscribers.

Click here to access the FREE Marketing Your Private Practice training!

• Gain a clear understanding of your identity and values

• Define a niche that feels right for your life and business

• Check out all the ways you can start building referrals

• Learn more about your options for creating a website

• Figure out how much a private practice website will cost

Check out our Free Trainings for Therapists

Learning how to start a private practice and taking the steps necessary to create a thriving business requires a lot of upfront time and effort.

If you’re looking for free trainings for therapists to support you on your journey, you’re invited to check out our free trainings for therapists.

Are you looking for some inspiration before you start a thriving practice?

We completely understand if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed…and at the same time, we’re confident that you can create the life and practice of your dreams! But if you’re still not feeling sure about the process, here are some stories from clinicians who built successful practices:

• Gaining Confidence and Celebrating Success with Nikki

• Personal and Professional Transformations in Private Practice

• Burnout to a Stable Life as a Therapist

• Overcoming Shame and Reveling in your Unique Self

• Finding Solace in Private Practice Amidst Chronic Illness

• Reclaimed her Professional Identity as a Foreign Trained Therapist

• Shifting from Agency Work to Private Practice After 13 Years

• Achieving Stability and Success Amidst Family Crisis with Heather