Myths about Private Practice

There are some big beliefs/fears about private practice that could be holding you back...

I want you to analyze where you are right now so you can see where you are headed...

Where are you right now in your decision to start your own private practice?

1. Not even out of the starting gate
   1. Maybe you haven’t even thought you could possibly have a private practice
   2. Maybe you are just feeling trapped in your current job
2. Thinking of going private but feeling completely overwhelmed
   1. Wondering if private practice is an option for you
   2. Wondering how to fit it into your schedule
   3. Beginning to realize that starting a private practice can be an option for you today and not some distant day in the future
3. Already on the way
   1. Seeing private clients on the side while working for someone else
   2. Seeing private clients exclusively as your main source of income

1. 1. Fear of failure
2. 2. Fear of being sue
3. 3. Fear of not being able to pay bills / bankruptcy
4. 4. Fear of not getting clients

REALITY: There are easy ways to minimize the risks involved.

1. Recognize that all people in any business and any industry face the same fears - this is a shared experience. The worst that could happen is you fail, but what does failure really mean? Does it take away your years of training? With how we recommend starting a private practice failure doesn’t even mean you lost your job! We recommend you begin a practice slowly on the side so that you still have a steady income to rely on while you grow your practice. This also pretty much guarantees that you can’t fail since cash flow is usually the biggest cause for failure.
2. Put in the correct protections - liability & malpractice insurance -  Protect yourself and then provide high-quality care to your clients and know that there is very little chance of your fears becoming a reality. And really, this is a ‘risk’ in employed practice just as much as it is in private practice.
3. You do NOT have to go big right away and rent an office space and hire employees  - there are lots of different options - for example you could see clients in their homes by having portable equipment. Check out our podcast Two Tier Canada where we interview different clinicians to see how they started out and where they are now.
4. You do not have to have tons of clients at the start - you only need one or two extra clients a week to get word out there and gradually build your clientele. Because you are providing quality care, word of mouth alone will often bring in more than enough work.

Like we mentioned above. Lots of clinicians across Canada have a private practice “on the side” while working a full or part-time job. Changing your belief system can change your options.  Be honest and transparent with your employer to make sure there are no real or perceived conflicts of interest. Start by treating a few clients on the side then slowly increase your practice until you are able to cut back on being employed.

You don’t have to wait till near the end of your career to start forming a private practice.  You can develop some expertise by working for an employer in a few short years and then use this experience to your benefit while building your own private practice. Clients and families benefit from this experience. There is great value to experience and you need to become an expert in whatever field where your professional training is.

You can get post graduate specialized training in niche areas - advanced techniques that your clients are searching for - that make your skill set more valuable.

And really you wouldn’t have a license to practice if you weren’t competent at what you do! You can go into private practice right out of school, I am officially giving you permission right now.

Limiting Beliefs and Fears can immobilize you, but facing your fears with knowledge can be liberating.

You can have a successful and fulfilling private practice so the big question is - what’s holding you back?

Sincerely,

Joy Watson