When you decide to run a therapy private practice there are many decisions to be made and lots of questions that will be asked. I argue that there is one question to start with that will help make all the others easier to figure out. Why? Vibrant therapists ask themselves “Why?” to center themselves on their vision of a vibrant practice.
Begin with asking yourself “Why?” as you dream into and plan for your private practice. Come back to the question “Why?” many times over the years of your private practice journey when you find yourself ready for some shifts, but aren’t sure which direction to go.
Finding Your Why
You can start with these questions:
- Why is private practice the right setting for you right now?
- Why and how will private practice allow you to do your best work while also nurturing your own well-being?
Here are some follow up questions that can help you tease out more clarity for yourself:
- How do you imagine offering support to your clients and community through your practice?
- Who do you hope to see within your practice?
- How can you do your work in a way that is truly sustainable?
- How do you want your practice to fit in with your life outside of the therapy office?
- When you envision your therapy practice in five years, what do you see and how do you feel?
Write it out. Get really clear about your why. Get really clear about your vision.
If therapists have had bad experiences in previous workplaces, it’s easy to get sucked into focusing on what we don’t want. However, I encourage you to flip that around and focus more on what you do want. What have you learned is an important part of a vibrant and sustainable therapy practice? Use this information to guide your decision making as you build your vibrant practice.
Vibrant Therapists Use Their Why to Guide Their Decisions
When you are very clear about your why it makes it easier to make all the other decisions that accompany opening and running a private practice.
For example; therapists with differing answers to the why questions and differing visions for their practice may make different choices about the following areas:
- Business structure
- Insurance vs. private pay
- Online vs. in person
- Choice of electronic health records systems
- Marketing avenues pursued
Differing decisions are completely ok, as long as we are focused on making the decisions that are in alignment with our why. With our vision. The clearer we are about our vision the clearer we can be with experts and colleagues we may seek advice from; allowing them to offer better guidance. The clearer we are about our own vision the easier it is to seek feedback from those who can best help us make our vision a reality, instead of leading us towards making someone else’s vision our reality.
Being grounded in your why and using tools and strategies to help you stay organized will allow you to establish a therapy practice that is your version of a vibrant practice.
Coming Back to Your Why
Your why and your vision can and will evolve over the years which is why I suggest revisiting this topic regularly, especially if you are feeling ready for a shift.
Every time that I have felt overwhelmed in the past eight+ years of my private practice, I have found that coming back to my why helps me refocus and identify the changes that I need to make to find more ease and vibrance.
I’m here to help you clarify your vision, to identify and implement the strategy and systems you need to build or re-vision your vibrant practice. Let me know how I can help! Claim a complimentary 20-minute Vibrant Therapist Clarity Call here.