The Full Story
ABOUT PRIVATE PRACTICE
No matter if a practitioner has just a few patients or triple digits; if they've been in practice a few weeks or several years, the way a private practitioner feels about their work varies widely. If you are planning a new practice, trying to decide if you want to expand, or just to get the lay of the industry from inside, read below to help you consider your way.
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And if you would like to put your thoughts out there for your fellow practitioners to take into consideration, please Contact Us. Responses are always posted anonymously.
6 months, 65 patients
I have been in practice for less than 6 months, and I am still learning what number of clients equates to what type of schedule and what sort of income. I can say that advertising on Psychology Today and having a website has exponentially grown my practice. I do practice solo, and that can get intimidating and lonely, but it is also liberating at times. I schedule in an "Admin Day", have two in-person office days, and one telehealth day from home. Having the resources in place like billing and administrative help has been absolutely necessary for me and does allow me to focus on my practice and clients more. I do feel burned out on some days, but that is likely to practicing alone. I think it would be wise to think through whether you want to be solo or at least have one other provider that works with you for many reasons. That being said, I am thankful for how far I have come in such a short time period, and, at the end of the day, I'm honored and proud to be in private practice!
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- PMHNP-BC
1 Year, 150 Patients
I have to say that being in private practice is the best decision I made for myself. I love the independence, ability to schedule my clients how and when I want, and I have the final determination of what client’s I want to work with. Believe me when I say that there are plenty of people looking for psychiatric providers, the challenge can be being visible to them and having your credentialing and billing set up so you can take care of them.
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My biggest hurtle was billing and credentialing. If this is something that is new to you, I highly suggest you hire someone to do this for you. Be sure to not sell yourself short. Charge for the letters, extra paperwork (disability or worker’s comp) and even chart requests as they build up quickly. Another piece of advice is to consult with other private practice psychiatric practitioners.
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Know when to get help. I have pretty much topped out for how many clients I can handle on my own and am considering additional help for administrative duties. I am also considering adding an additional service to my private practice, TMS or even expanding my practice to include additional practitioners. That is the beauty of all of this. You are in charge; you can go as big or as small as you want to.
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- PFMNHNP-BC
(RN 12 years, 3 1/2 Years
Community Mental Health)
"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty."
- Maya Angelou