3 tips for starting your private practice
So you are thinking of venturing into the world or private practice?
First off
CONGRATULATIONS!
But with all the excitement you might be feeling super overwhelmed?
And I have a guess why…
Grad school taught you nothing about starting or running a business.
And that’s not your fault.
Hi, I’m Kyrsti. Ex-CPA turned therapist. When I was in grad school for my M.S. in MFT I quickly realized we were going to get no education on opening a private practice. Even though that was my end goal (and most of my colleagues).
So I decided to help other mental health professionals get that business knowledge they were never provided.
Here are 3 low-cost start up tips for going into private practice
(and I can’t believe I am giving these away for free, but I can’t gate-keep them 🤫)
EHR System
Sessions Health: $39/month after you have 3 clients (the first 3 are FREE)
I have used Simple Practice, Theranest, & Therapy Notes and honestly love Sessions Health the best. It is the cheapest for what you get. It is clean and simple to use.
Pros: Google calendar sync, automatic billing, automatic appointment reminders, simple user interface, HIPAA compliant client portal, intake/consent form bank, superbilling capabilities & more
Cons: I think you can only email/chat online with customer service
HIPAA Compliance
Google Workspace (with a BAA agreement): $7.20/month for 1 user
Includes: Gmail with an @yourdomain email, Calendar, Drive, Google Meets & more. Can easily add other users or email addresses. Bonus: can add on Google Voice for $10/month for HIPAA compliant phone service.
I have a video on how to sign a BAA agreement here to make you HIPAA compliant.
What is a BAA agreement?: a legally binding contract between a HIPAA-covered entity and a business associate that ensures the protection of personal health information (PHI).
3. Psychology today: 6 month free trial!
Use code: AMHCA. If that doesn’t work, try Googling the 6 month free trial code, there seems to always be one going around.
Make sure to come back to check out my future post on 3 tips to attract clients on psychology today!
