You're planning to launch your private practice in the next 6 months to a year, but you may be feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work ahead of you. Many therapists find themselves surprised by the amount of effort and planning that goes into opening a private practice. There are marketing strategies like writing website copy and learning how to advertise, administrative tasks like selecting an EHR system and setting up payments, paperwork to complete, and legal requirements to consider.

These tasks often require more time than we anticipate and it can be hard to know where to start. Don't panic! The good news is there are small and even big steps you can take today to set yourself up for success. With Audrey’s comprehensive Private Practice Quick Start Program, you get the help and support you need to accomplish your goals!

Narrow Down to a Niche

This is an important step that other steps build upon and your branding will depend on going forward. It can often take time to figure out your niche, or even three, but thinking about it will help you create your brand and the message your practice is trying to send. It will also establish a structure for your practice.

Often therapists are afraid to choose a niche. They worry they will lose out on potential clients. But when you speak to everyone, you talk to no one. Choosing a niche (or 3) allows you to hone your messaging and really attract the ideal clients you do your best work!

Begin Drafting YourCopy

Now that you have your niche or even niches picked out, it's time to start drafting up the copy for your website. This step often takes more time than you think, so give yourself plenty of time to get your copy just right. Start making notes about how your ideal clients describe their reason for seeking therapy in THEIR words. What are they struggling with? What do they want to achieve? 

Framing it from your ideal clients’ point of view can help your copy reflect the brand you’re trying to create and attract your ideal clients. Also, prewriting your copy, even roughly, will make it much easier for you. Doing this ahead of time will especially make creating your website much easier in the long run.

Publish a One-Page Website

This step may seem a bit early, but the point of this step is to gain traction with Google. Start with a one-page website with a small blurb about your niches, yourself, and when you fully plan on launching your practice. It can have a statement such as "Coming Fall 2023". Doing this will give you a boost in your website search engine optimization (SEO) when you get the full website up. I’ve got a mighty $9 training that can help you do just that!

Start Talking About Your Practice

You should start telling everyone you know about your plans to open a private practice. Talk to your doctor, dentist, and other mentors about what your plans are. Meet with other therapists to start growing your referral network. You can even start sending them referrals when they come up. This way when your practice's doors open your referral network will be ready to send people your way!

Use Social Media to Talk About Your Practice

If you're planning to use social media for marketing, you can start doing that right away! You can start by posting psychoeducational content and growing your audience. So when it's time for your practice to launch, you already have an audience of potential clients to announce it to.

Social media can be tricky and can take at least a year to grow an audience. There may also be a learning curve as you gain the skills and learn the ever-evolving trends.  So this is the perfect time to start if you plan on using social media to help market your practice.

Make a Plan 

Having a sense of what you want to do and helping you prioritize what needs to be done first is essential to a smooth start to your private practice. Knowing the order of the tasks and when to complete them will save you a lot of time and stress. It can help you create a plan of when and how to execute the tasks ahead. Having a checklist of tasks to complete can help bring you peace of mind and will make the process run smoother. I created a free startup checklist that you can use to help you stay organized and plan out your next steps.

Begin Designing Your Ideal Schedule

You might not know how you want your schedule to look at this moment but this is a great place to start. You'll want to create a schedule that works with your life and helps you set boundaries for yourself. I created this free Balanced Schedule mini-training to help you map out a schedule that works for you. A bonus is that once you have your ideal schedule mapped out, you can calculate your fee based on a foundation of sustainability and self-care.

It's Time To Do Your Money Work

Being in business for yourself means you will be getting intimate with your finances. It makes you confront all of your money stuff. Once you have calculated your fee based on the goals you have set, it's time to do some money work. This is where I recommend using a tracking app for your finances so that you can see what comes and goes in real time. I use Mint.com (I am not affiliated, I just love them) and it helps me to feel more in control of my money. By doing this, it helps me to understand the impact my actions have on my bank account.

Start Your Practice Off Right With Business Coaching for Private Practice Owners in Sacramento, CA, and Nationwide!

Launching a private practice has a lot of moving pieces, so starting early and staying organized is key. At Balanced Private Practice, we want to help you design a practice that fits your life. Not the other way around. Through connection, community, and coaching, we equip therapists with both lifestyle and business tools that allow them to prioritize their needs, increase their income, and show up fully in both their personal & professional lives. Together we can launch a successful and sustainable private practice. So, if you're interested in preparing to launch your private practice, reach out and we can chat about how we can work together. If you're interested in beginning:

• Apply to Work with Me

• Learn More About Me and My Programs

• Start Preparing for Your Launch Day!

Other Business Programs Offered at Balanced Private Practice

You may be an already established business owner, or a new one getting ready to launch. Regardless of where you are in your business journey, I invite you to explore my other programs. I offer a range of programs for therapists to help them in their practice, from marketing coaching and training to business planning and consulting. This way you can begin building your private practice on your terms or restructuring it to fit your reality. The programs I provide are Private Practice Mentorship, Private Practice Quick Start, and Fee Setting Success.  If you're looking to gain clarity and direction on how to build a thriving private practice, I'm here to help. Let's do this damn thing!

About the Author

Meet Audrey Schoen, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), business consultant, and entrepreneur, who has successfully launched her private practice. Audrey empowers private practice owners preparing to launch their practice, helping them avoid common mistakes and overcome challenges. Drawing from her years of experience in business development and marketing, Audrey specializes in simplifying complex information into clear, actionable steps. As a mother of twins and private practice owner, Audrey knows firsthand the struggle of balancing work, parenthood, and self-care. This inspired her to design a practice that fits her life, not the other way around. She's passionate about sharing her knowledge and experience to help other private practice owners launch their practices with confidence, avoid costly mistakes, and achieve their dreams.