3 Things You Must Do Before Seeing Your First Client

Launching your private practice is an incredibly exciting time! 

Becoming an entrepreneur and doing work that you are passionate about is a rewarding experience but there are a few things you’ll need to cross off of your to-do list before seeing your first client.

While the work you will do (therapy, counselling, etc.) will likely be familiar to you, some aspects of running a practice are what many private practitioners struggle with. It’s important to remember that you will have to wear both your therapist hat and entrepreneur hat interchangeably in order to run a successful private practice.

Read on for a list of 3 things you MUST do before seeing your first client in your practice.

Register with a governing body

Depending on your location and scope of practice, you will need to ensure that you have registered with the appropriate governing body. Not only will this provide you with opportunity for continuing education and other professional resources, but being a member of an accredited organization ensures that your work meets a specific professional standard which will give your clients peace of mind and confidence in your services.

Membership with a governing body will also allow you access to a variety of resources including codes of ethics, special events, and, in some cases, reduced rates for professional liability insurance (which is also a must-have when launching your private practice!)

Create a website

In today’s highly digitized world, a website is a MUST. 

This is where your prospective clients will get to know you before booking a consultation or appointment. Your website should include information on your areas of expertise, an ‘About Me’ section that showcases why you are the right therapist for your ideal client, and a strong call to action.

You will want your website to ask your audience to take a specific action (in most cases, booking an appointment). This is as simple as including details about how to contact you to set up an appointment or including a link to your scheduling page if you will be using an automated system.

Your website can be a single page highlighting the most pertinent information or can include multiple pages that showcase your different services, and an online space to share blog posts or other resources.

The information on your website should allow your audience to determine whether or not your services are meant for them and answer any frequently asked questions (such as ‘do you offer online counselling services’ or ‘can my insurance be auto-billed’, etc.)

Check out BYPP’s Niche & Copy Crash Course for further assistance!

Develop Your Standard Operating Procedures

Outlining how will run your business is a key component of launching your private practice. 

As a skilled therapist, working with clients will likely be the more natural aspect of working in your private practice but it’s important to remember to think like an entrepreneur!

Consider how you will invoice your clients, track your appointments, and deal with cancellations. Having these details worked out before launching your practice will allow you to focus on showing up as the best version of you for your clients without having to fumble through double-booking appointments, forgetting to collect a payment, or tracking your expenses!

Map out what tasks need to be completed on the back end of your practice and create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure that you never miss a step. Developing SOPs is also a great way to prepare to outsource to a virtual assistant, bookkeeper, or accountant.

If you’re preparing to launch your practice and need guidance, sign up for our Launch Your Practice Program to help you get started the right way!