How Life Coaches Can Grow Faster With A Virtual Office
Virtual office spaces can assist a lot of professionals in the health and wellness field - but for those professionals that can work with clients outside of the state they are licensed/certified in - working online with clients and utilizing a virtual office can greatly impact your growth potential as a business owner.
Now of course you will want to check in with your certification program on specific guidelines, rules and regulations and if you have a licensing board to of course abide by and follow their guidance on working across state lines or with clients in different countries.
But for the most part life coaches have the ability to have clients across the state, nation and world and are not limited to only serving their immediate communities. Therefore, it would be beneficial to your business to see clients online allowing you to cast this wider net.
If seeing more people online - a lot of business owners will prefer to do this work at home for maximum autonomy and flexibly of their schedule and overhead expenses.
You of course can still see clients in person as well so if you are wanting that face to face connection - don’t worry! A lot of practices are now utilizing the hybrid method (online and in person clients) to meet more clients needs and stay safe during times of COVID/cold and flu season.
So if you are wanting to still see people in person - but also wanting to do majority of your work online to cast a wider net - what do you do?
We know you are not wanting to blow a lot of your monthly income on a full time office rental and wanting to keep as much money in your pocket as much as possible - but how do you do this when you also want a professional business location but also the flexibility.
If doing the hybrid style, you get the perks of being able to meet your clients online or anywhere in person you choose but you still need to make sure you have a professional presence. If in the surrounding Louisville, KY area - b.mindful Louisville has just that! The virtual membership we provide allows you to pay a low monthly fee, get tons of professional benefits such as online directory exposure, address for your practice that is not a PO box or your home address, and many more. If in Nashville, maybe check out Therapy Space or if in New York check out Alma or if in another city - check out other co working spaces in your location to see if they have a plan that would meet your needs.
Virtual offices:
allow you to keep your overhead lower - therefore pocketing more of your profits opposed to paying full time rent somewhere
provide you with a professional office address (that is not a PO box) and mail forwarding options
may give you access to other amenities such as fax machine access, community events, networking and more…
will likely provide you with a community that can be helpful when being an entrepreneur who works mostly online
may connect you with other like minded professionals for networking and referrals
and more…
In summary - having a virtual office space is going to give you all the support you need to come across to your clients as legit and professional and also provide you with the confidence and security to focus on what you do best - helping your clients! Let us help you keep more of your hard earned money in your pocket and structure your work life schedule in a way that works better for you.
Whether you are local to Louisville or not - check out our blogs and free content created to assist those in independent practice grow their businesses. If you are local to Louisville or Kentucky - check out our membership plans and see if our workshops or consultations would be of any benefit to you and your ideas for growth.
If you are a mental health or wellness provider in KY needing community and resources to assist you in growing your practice - you are in the right place! Check our our practice building blogs, resources and office rentals.
First 10 Steps to Private Practice in KY
These are not the only things that need to be done to open your practice, but this list will get you on the right path to starting your practice.
1. Licensure
Make sure you are properly licensed for private practice. Certain states/licenses dictate a certain amount of post graduate hours before hanging your own shingle. Check with your state board. Kentucky Professional Licensing Directory click here.
2. Why
Why do I want to do private practice? How do I hope it will make me feel? What will I do if it doesn’t make me feel that way? How will I measure my accomplishments throughout the process? How will I adjust and shift to make sure my work and life goals are still in alignment?
3. Structure
Find what structure fits your current needs best. Solo model, Co-Op model, Contract model, Group model, Sublease model, Employment model, Non traditional services model...
4. Guru
No need to reinvent the wheel when others have paved the path before you! You don’t have to pay for all their goodies but some of them can be helpful to follow, join their FB communities and if you are into podcasts lots of them have great podcasts to follow!
Selling The Couch and more...
5. NPI #
You’d think you would know if you had one, but you would be surprised by the number of people that have one that never knew. So, see if you already have one here. If not, apply here (it's free)
6. Business Entity
LLC, PLLC, Sole Proprietor, Partnerships, Corportations, Non-profits. The most common ones in Kentucky are going to be sole proprietorship, LLC, or PLLC. Click here to learn more about the differing options
7. Start Business
·This can be done by a trusted attorney, with the assistance of an attorney or on your own. It doesn’t take long, and it should be around $50 to set up an LLC. To get a step by step guide with interactive links, click here. More specifically, if you want to start an LLC, click here and follow all these steps.
8. EIN #
Suggested to obtain an EIN for all business entities to have an added protection against identify fraud (because if not you would have to use your social on all paperwork and some that may be distributed to your clients). Click here to apply (it’s free)
9. Office Space
Be intentional about this and think about your needs. Do you do all in person work? Some online? Some in home or out of office work? Do you want to share an office with someone? Have your own space? Work near home or out of your neighborhood?
10. Cover Your Ass
Hope it never comes to it - but you will be happy to have insurance coverage if it does! Professional liability, general liability and property coverage/renters insurance are all necessary items to have to cover your practices ass from potential lawsuits.
BONUS: Want more?
b.mindful Louisville offers 1-1 practice building consultations, trainings, office rentals and more. We are here to assist you and your practice in all the days! Reach out today to learn more about us and our membership options. Learn more about our memberships here.
DISCLAIMER: These are not the only things that need to be done to open your practice, but this list will get you on the right path to starting your practice. Disclaimer: This is not legal or tax advice. This information is for educational purposes only. You should consult with an attorney and a CPA to determine which type of business will best meet your needs. Each state will have varying needs and requirements, please check with your individual state to ensure you are checking all the appropriate boxes.
New Clinicians in PP and Virtual Offices
Virtual office space is not just for tech gurus. Mental health and wellness professionals can use it to. Check out what professionals would benefit best from b.mindful Louisville affordable virtual office membership plan.
Why human helpers new to private practice should rent a virtual office…
Most of us make money by butt in seat client hours. When you are just starting out, you may not have a lot if any clients to put you butt in a seat for.
Translation - you are bringing in zero or not a lot of cash flow each month and still required to pay your basic business expenses.
YUCK.
So solution 1 - get more clients or lower your expenses. — But issues arise with this because getting more clients isn’t 100% in your control nor easy to do.
But something that is in your control is lowering your expenses - so let’s focus on that one.
Most new clinicians have already thought long and hard about their financial overhead knowing starting a private practice can be a slow build. Maybe they’ve even got it down the the essentials *rent, supplies, EHR, 2 chairs and a clock*
So how can you make that even lower?
Most would think you can’t and just accept the months without a profit and write it off as a cost of starting a new business. But I am here with another option.
Virtual office space rentals
For individuals who predominantly work online, this can be a great option.
For example, b.mindful Louisville allows all virtual members practice building resources, community, marketing assistance and lots of other other amenities all for an affordable monthly cost.
These added amenities will greatly benefit your practice and allow you to come off to your clients as more professional and polished without any of the hard work.
Then once you get more clients you can upgrade your plan and move into a more long term stable part time or full time in person lease if needed.
Learn more about virtual office spaces and if it would be a good match for you :) Reach out with any questions at info@bmindfullouisville.com or call at 502-528-1363
If you are a mental health or wellness provider in KY needing community and resources to assist you in growing your practice - you are in the right place! Check our our practice building blogs, resources and office rentals.
About b.mindful Louisville virtual offices plans
We are here to make your life easier by providing the following amenities in our virtual office package. Including but not limited to a mailing address, ability to rent in person office space when needed, built in like minded community, practice building resources and support and more.
At b.mindful Louisville, we know that as business owners you can pick and choose where you would like to work and how you would like to deliver your services to your clients. Since everyone doesn’t want to deliver their services in person - we have a plan for those of you who do the majority of your work online via tele-health.
We also recognize many health and wellness professionals are not formally trained in business and practice building so we support our members in that department as well!
We are here to make your life easier by providing the following amenities in our virtual office package.
Included in your virtual office plan is:
Business Mailing Address
For increased privacy and professionalism, you can use our address for your business on all official paperwork.
We will text you a photo of the mail collected for you and you can let us know how you would like to receive it.
Physical mail forwarding to your current home address every other week
Secure HIPAA compliant scanning and emailing available for some mail items on per case basis
Ability to Receive Faxes
When collaborating with other healthcare professionals or dealing with health insurances, you will need access to a reliable fax line. You will be provided access to our fax number and will be able to receive faxes. But you will be unable to send them as you will not have access to the physical machine.
We will collect and sort the faxes for you.
Physical mail forwarding to your current home address every other week
Secure HIPAA compliant scanning and emailing available for some faxes on per case basis
Practice Building
Our formal clinical trainings taught us nothing about how to start a business, track expenses, keep up with social media, maintain HIPAA compliance on our own, learn the importance of networking and how to market yourself ethically, etc. We typically do a fantastic job on the clinical front (keeping up with our required CEUs, keeping up to date with recent research findings, clinical consultation, etc.) but we often lack that same mindset and support for the business side of our practices.
We aim to strengthen the mental health and wellness community in Louisville and reduce some of the many barriers of entry for clinicians who own their own business.
Access to our digital private practice building resources
Includes over 150 slides and 4+ hours of content jam packed with applicable knowledge on the logistical must haves, the clinical must haves and what you need to keep doing in order to maintain a thriving practice. It also includes scripts, templates and spreadsheets to systemize your practice and just make your life just a bit easier.
Free and discounted rates for 1-1 consultation services with Shannon Gonter, LPCC
Each BML member gets 1 free 30-minute consultation and then 20% off all other consultations and packages.
Free private practice business focused consultation groups hosted once a month
Designed out of necessity for those of us in private practice to share the wealth of knowledge with each other and support each other on the business front of what we do. With this shared knowledge and support we can strengthen the mental health and wellness community in Louisville and reduce some of the many barriers of entry for clinicians looking to start a practice on their own.
During this group, we will focus on the business side of your practice, and sharing and learning business tips, tricks and advice from other health and wellness business owners in the area.
Free access to all trainings hosted by b.mindful Louisville
Other trainings throughout the year on a variety of topics ranging from marketing tips and tricks to how to prepare for private practice while in graduate school and many more.
Community
Being in private practice is naturally isolating and being a remote worker can exacerbate the feelings of disconnection. We are a network of therapists and other wellness professionals working to grow our businesses and support each other along the way!
Private Facebook group with all the other members and tenants of b.mindful Louisville
Easy access referrals to a variety of mental health and wellness professionals
Built in like-minded support network providing you with tips and tricks to start and grow your business
Invite to our bi-monthly member socials and networking events
Marketing Exposure
We know the work you do is important and needed for our community, so we want to assist you in getting the word out.
We will create you a dedicated website URL on our platform for your business. This will increase your online presence, allow prospective clients to find you even easier and streamline the referral process between providers.
Whatever your specialty may be, content creation and blogging is a very important strategy for establishing expertise and bringing in new clients. We will share your content on our site and link it back to your site, providing you with backlinks and allowing your content to reach a wider audience.
Why is content marketing importance for your practice’s growth? Figure out the answer, here.
Our virtual office plan package is perfect for those
are just opening up shop and want an affordable way to get a business address and fax number for insurance credentialing…
are just starting out and don’t have any clients yet and are in a need of a low overhead solution to finding community, resources and support while growing their practice…
predominantly work online and do not want their home address and personal information attached to your business…
are in need of the logistical and clinical resources to plan, start and grow their private practice…
are retiring soon and do not need a full time office any longer but still need an address, etc.
…so many more! Inquire today to see if you would be a good fit for this plan.
If you are interested in learning more about our offerings, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Written by Shannon Gonter, LPCC
If you are interested in learning more about our services, rentals or looking for a like-minded community for your mental health or wellness practice contact Shannon today at 502-528-1363 or at Shannon@bmindfullouisville.com
Perks Of Having a Virtual Office Lease
Virtual offices have a lot of perks. Some of them include the low start up costs, minimal overhead, flexibility, quick setup, etc. Continue reading to learn more about the benefits of renting a virtual office.
Virtual office spaces can provide a practice owner with an all in one space to get the needs of their practice met that can’t be met at home.
Low startup costs and low overhead fees
Why pay rent at an office space when you don’t need it or only need a physical office space a few hours a week?!
If you need an office space on a more regular basis, check out co-working spaces in your area. b.mindful Louisville is a fantastic solution for human helpers in Louisville, KY in need of an office address and other perks.
Virtual office rentals are usually all inclusive low monthly rate that can fit anyones budget :)
Flexibility
If there is a minimum for signing a lease, it will usually just be a couple months. Nothing compared to the years typically needed to sign a commercial lease.
This allows you the ability to have more freedom and autonomy within your business because you no longer have to wait out a lease term to change things up or start something new in your practice.
Quick or immediate startup
Usually all it requires to sign up with a virtual office space is…
Signing a contract and reviewing the policies
Filling out some personal information
Filling out some business details
Thats about it and done in a day and ready to keep rolling!
No permanent office space
So many of us have the privilege to tele-work on the road or from our houses so again, if you don’t need office space, don’t pay for it!
Access to services when needed
Maybe it’s an office space, or practice building resources, marketing assistance, access to clinical consultations…
If you are a member of the virtual office spaces of b.mindful Louisville you will always have access to our amenities.
Professional address/phone/fax
For a business it is not desirable to have a PO box as your address or a typical residential address ending (drive, avenue, court…)
It is desirable to have a suite #
Since your business address will be publicly listed, it is nice to have it be something other than your house for increased boundaries between personal and business for those of you human helpers who need increased confidentiality.
Also, if your practice works with health insurances you are going to need a physical business address and a fax number.
No need to piece meal everything together on your own, just sign up for a virtual membership and you well get a mailing address and mail forwarding, ability to receive faxes, practice building resources, built in like minded support network and community, marketing assistance and advertisement.
Learn more about b.mindful Louisville and the office rentals we have for therapists in the greater Louisville, KY area. Reach out to Shannon Gonter ( 502-528-1363 / shannon@bmindfullouisville.com ) with any questions or to set up your tour.
Virtual Offices For Human Helpers 101
What is a virtual office? How do they work? Who uses them? What can b.mindful Louisville to assist your online mental health and wellness practice.
What is a virtual office?
A virtual office is a membership plan with a commercial rental properties that provides the entrepreneur with a physical business address and other professional amenities while allowing the business owner to continue working from home and keeping their overhead costs low. Learn more here.
How do they work?
Each and every place will have their different price plans and packages but typically you will pay a low monthly fee and have access to the provided amenities.
Who uses virtual office space?
Legal: 18%
Consulting: 16%
Finance: 9%
Technology: 9%
Healthcare: 7%
Real Estate: 6%
Numbers gathered from Office Evolution
Remote working and Louisville
There are so many different companies around Louisville and in Kentucky that provide virtual office plans, but very few of them are designed for mental health and wellness professionals. They will give you an address, answer the phone for you, allow you to rent a physical office by the hour, etc. but they may have a difficult time meeting your unique needs in regard to HIPAA compliance and confidentiality.
b.mindful Louisville’s promise to you…
Since 2020 and a lot of mental health and wellness professionals have moved to hybrid practices - doing a mix of in person and online work with clients - or are fully remote and only provide tele-health services. With this transition away from face to face sessions, several practitioners have been able to live the life that they want, on their terms and still be able to see the clients of their choice. On top of the perks of tele-health work, they have also expressed concerns about increased feelings of fear about burn out with the disconnection and isolation from their colleagues.
At b.mindful Louisville, we only serve human helping professionals and understand the oddities of the mental health and wellness fields - so we keep these special needs top of mind.
Our virtual plan is best suited for a human helper who predominantly works online, is seeking practice building resources, community, marketing assistance and other amenities for an affordable monthly cost. Provides each professional with Louisville business mailing address, ability to receive faxes, practice building resources, like-minded community, marketing exposure and many more…
Not needing an address or practice building resources - but want to be part of a community of like minded professionals? Check out our community membership plan.
Learn more about b.mindful Louisville and the office rentals we have for therapists in the greater Louisville, KY area. Reach out to Shannon Gonter ( 502-528-1363 / shannon@bmindfullouisville.com ) with any questions or to set up your tour.
Why Speech Language Pathologists Should Rent Furnished Offices
Unlike other solo entrepreneurs who can hang their shingle at any local Louisville coffee shop or out of their house, as health professionals we don’t have that same luxury. In order to abide by HIPAA and/or maintain confidentiality for our clients we have to have a private, safe and neutral space to meet with them in. This barrier can add a lot of additional costs and stress onto our plates, which quite honestly turns away a lot of clinicians from getting into private practice in the first place.
Unlike other solo entrepreneurs who can hang their shingle at any local Louisville coffee shop or out of their house, as speech and language health care professionals we don’t have that same luxury. In order to abide by HIPAA and maintain confidentiality for our clients we have to have a private, safe and neutral space to meet with them in. This barrier can add a lot of additional costs and stress onto our plates. Unfortunately, this fact quite honestly turns away a lot of clinicians from getting into private practice in the first place which is why therapists and other mental health professionals should rent furnished offices!
Going through the office hunt process = headache
Signing a long-term commercial lease (2-5 years on average) = Yikes! Most of us don’t have clients when we are first opening up shop (therefore no income), so committing to a lease for that long can be hard to wrap your head around
Furnishing said office = $$$
Upkeeping said office = Décor, cleaning, trash, restocking supplies, paying bills, etc.
Why Speech Language Pathologists Should Rent Furnished Offices
Ease
Instead of having to worry about all the items listed above, you can spend more time focusing on your clients. All you have to do is start your practice, market your services, come in, do your work and leave because the rest will be taken care of for you :)
Low startup costs
If you aren’t having to put down a hefty security deposit, and furnish an office and waiting area, your startup costs are going to be drastically lower. Therefore, allowing you to start a practice for hundreds, and not thousands of dollars .
Design
If you are renting a furnished space, it is advised to rent a space that is used or has been designed by a like minded individual.
Best to rent another professionals office when he/she isn’t using it or from an office suite such as b.mindful Louisville that has offices for rent by the hour or by the day and was designed by a counselor with others in the field in mind.
By doing this you will avoid renting a furnished space with a huge conference table in it, or a very large desk with a chair on either side of it and get a space with comfortable seating for you and your clients, soft lighting opposed to harsh overhead lighting, multiple clocks to be seen by all, calming décor, sound machines and more.
Possible amenities
Dependent on the furnished office you are looking at renting, some of them may come with amenities such as printer/scanner/fax machine, WIFI, address for your business, onsite parking, private waiting room, complimentary drinks, etc.
Time
If you are like most professionals starting your own practice, this isn’t your only gig. Maybe you work full or part time at an agency or hospital and/or you are a mother/father or caregiver for someone else, maybe you are dealing with your own health issues and the list goes on and on as to what takes up time in our day to day lives.
So, if you want to throw some love your way, save yourself the headache and time of having to get your own office, and rent one that is already set up, designed with you in mind and ready for you to come in and do the work you were trained to do.
Smart
You don’t work 24/7 (and if you do, stop that! #selfcare), so don’t rent and pay for an office 24/7. There are 168 hours in a week and most of us are only needing an office for about 20 or so hours (dependent on your case load- the average case load for a full-time private practice therapist is approximately 20 individuals seen on a weekly basis).
Perks of the digital age is that our documentation, marketing, expense tracking and other business-related tasks can be done anywhere. So be smart with your money and invest it where it counts the most. Rent an office for your client appointments by the hour or by the day, and do the rest of your work from home, in a shared break area, or from your favorite Louisville coffee shop or establishment.
Learn more about b.mindful Louisville and the office rentals we have for therapists in the greater Louisville, KY area. Reach out to Shannon Gonter ( 502-528-1363 / shannon@bmindfullouisville.com ) with any questions or to set up your tour.
Why Therapists Should Rent Furnished Offices
Unlike other solo entrepreneurs who can hang their shingle at any local Louisville coffee shop or out of their house, as therapists we don’t have that same luxury. In order to abide by HIPAA and/or maintain confidentiality for our clients we have to have a private, safe and neutral space to meet with them in. This barrier can add a lot of additional costs and stress onto our plates, which quite honestly turns away a lot of clinicians from getting into private practice in the first place.
Unlike other solo entrepreneurs who can hang their shingle at any local Louisville coffee shop or out of their house, as therapists we don’t have that same luxury. In order to abide by HIPAA and maintain confidentiality for our clients we have to have a private, safe and neutral space to meet with them in. This barrier can add a lot of additional costs and stress onto our plates. Unfortunately, this fact quite honestly turns away a lot of clinicians from getting into private practice in the first place which is why therapists and other mental health professionals should rent furnished offices!
Going through the office hunt process = headache
Signing a long-term commercial lease (2-5 years on average) = Yikes! Most of us don’t have clients when we are first opening up shop (therefore no income), so committing to a lease for that long can be hard to wrap your head around
Furnishing said office = $$$
Upkeeping said office = Décor, cleaning, trash, restocking supplies, paying bills, etc.
Why Therapists Should Rent Furnished Offices
Ease
Instead of having to worry about all the items listed above, you can spend more time focusing on your clients. All you have to do is market your services, come in, do your work and leave because the rest will be taken care of for you :)
Low startup costs
If you aren’t having to put down a hefty security deposit, and furnish an office and waiting area, your startup costs are going to be drastically lower. Therefore, allowing you to start a practice for hundreds, and not thousands of dollars .
Design
If you are renting a furnished space, it is advised to rent a space that is used or has been designed by a like minded individual.
Best to rent another therapists or mental health professionals office when he/she isn’t using it or from an office suite such as b.mindful Louisville that has offices for rent by the hour or by the day and was designed by a counselor with others in the field in mind.
By doing this you will avoid renting a furnished space with a huge conference table in it, or a very large desk with a chair on either side of it and get a space with comfortable seating for you and your clients, soft lighting opposed to harsh overhead lighting, multiple clocks to be seen by all, calming décor, sound machines and more.
Possible amenities
Dependent on the furnished office you are looking at renting, some of them may come with amenities such as printer/scanner/fax machine, WIFI, address for your business, onsite parking, private waiting room, complimentary drinks, etc.
Time
If you are like most therapists starting your own practice, this isn’t your only gig. Maybe you work full or part time at an agency or hospital and/or you are a mother/father or caregiver for someone else, maybe you are dealing with your own health issues and the list goes on and on as to what takes up time in our day to day lives.
So, if you want to throw some love your way, save yourself the headache and time of having to get your own office, and rent one that is already set up, designed with you in mind and ready for you to come in and do the work you were trained to do.
Smart
You don’t work 24/7 (and if you do, stop that! #selfcare), so don’t rent and pay for an office 24/7. There are 168 hours in a week and most of us are only needing an office for about 20 or so hours (dependent on your case load- the average case load for a full-time private practice therapist is approximately 20 individuals seen on a weekly basis).
Perks of the digital age is that our documentation, marketing, expense tracking and other business-related tasks can be done anywhere. So be smart with your money and invest it where it counts the most. Rent an office for your client appointments by the hour or by the day, and do the rest of your work from home, in a shared break area, or from your favorite Louisville coffee shop or establishment.
Learn more about b.mindful Louisville and the office rentals we have for therapists in the greater Louisville, KY area. Reach out to Shannon Gonter ( 502-528-1363 / shannon@bmindfullouisville.com ) with any questions or to set up your tour.
Personal Route To Private Practice
I am a licensed professional clinical counselor in part time private practice, and the founder of b.mindful Louisville which is Louisville’s first shared workspace in Louisville, KY for mental health and wellness professionals. I split my time between the two businesses and wouldn’t have it any other way. I thank myself for having the courage to follow my dreams and I thank my friends and family for all the support, love and assistance they have thrown my way throughout this journey.
My personal route to private practice
Hey! I’m Shannon. A native Floridian who found herself moving to Kentucky for graduate school in 2014. Prior to moving, I graduated from Florida State University in 2013 with an elementary education degree and aspirations of attending graduate school and becoming a school counselor. During the research phase of various programs and graduate schools, I stumbled across the “community mental health” track that ran parallel to the school counseling track at several of the programs I was looking into.
I was immediately more drawn to this route but had a difficult time grappling with the concept of not “using” my undergraduate degree. After several hours on the computer Googling and multiple conversations with friends and family members, I decided to follow my gut and sign up for the required prerequisite undergraduate courses (since I hadn’t taken a psychology course since high school) needed to apply for the community mental health counseling tracks. After several applications were sent in and interviews were had, I landed on University of Louisville and attended their graduate program for clinical mental health counseling.
Never in a million years did I think I would live in Kentucky, and at the time I was highly motivated to move here to be near family that had recently moved to Louisville. To my surprise, I fell in love with the city very quickly and after graduation in 2016 I decided to put down some roots and I now call Louisville, Kentucky my home.
Throughout schooling I interned at various community mental health agencies and ended my internship at a local psychiatric hospital. After graduation, I was hired on at this hospital as a full-time therapist in the children’s outpatient partial hospitalization program and started racking up the direct clinical hours needed for my full licensure requirements.
About a year after graduation I received a scholarship to attend the Wayne Institute of Advanced Psychotherapy certification program where I depended my knowledge base of psychodynamic therapy and heightened my clinical expertise as a treatment provider. This year long program assisted me in doing this by collaborating with a diverse group of professionals from around the world and with an interactive learning environment with hands on experience, vivid study material and group discussions.
Another very important thing this program did for me was re-open my eyes to the world of private practice. I hadn’t thought about it in quite some time and honestly forgot that at the beginning of graduate school I wanted to open my own practice. I just never took the time to pause and see that along the way my dreams and visions for the future shifted based off fear of inconsistent pay and that shear fact that private practice was painted by my professors as something that we might get to do at the end of our times in the field but definitely not something that should be done immediately after graduation.
Anyways, back to the postgraduate work I did and how given the structure of psychodynamic therapy and its long-term components, the clients I currently had at the hospital were not always the best fit for the case consultations due to the programs short term nature. Therefore, during the program I started seeing 1-2 clients in the evenings in a colleague’s office for purposes of the program and to fully learn, digest and apply the material we were studying.
At time it I was just so caught up in life, working full time and keeping up with the course materials that I didn’t even realize that I had opened up a private practice (or “hung my own shingle” as one of my graduate professors used to always say). Though it was small and not quite structured in the ways it should have been, it was mine. I quickly learned that I LOVED the work I was doing with my private practice clients and having full autonomy (with respect to my licensing board, ha) of what was and what wasn’t part of my practice .
After the completion of the program, I decided to pick up a few more private practice clients and “legitimize” my practice with a name, business entity, website, and so forth. After my full-time gig was over, I would head to my colleagues private practice office that she let me rent by the hour and I saw a handful of private practice clients then went home. Sleep. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
After a handful of months, I noticed more and more of my thoughts were becoming consumed with private practice this private practice that. I loved the energy that this new venture was giving me. At the same time, this made me realize that the work I was doing at the hospital was not hitting me in the same way it used to. Not that the work I was doing there wasn’t meaningful or needed (because it was very much both of those) but I just knew private practice was sitting with me in a different way, and that I liked that feeling.
I am a firm believer of following your dreams (whatever they may be) and getting there in whatever fashion suits you best. For me that looked like switching from full time to PRN at the hospital after completing my supervision and receiving my full licensure and spending more of my time and energy on my private practice. During this time, I started to look for my own office and really took a deep dive into practice building. I read just about every blog I could find and listened to all of Allison Puryear and Joe Sanok’s podcast episodes on the ins and outs of building and maintaining a practice.
Even though I knew this was the path I wanted and needed to take I couldn’t help but feel that I was doing something “wrong” or that I hadn’t “paid my dues” long enough. This wasn’t because I was making the wrong decision or that the individuals around me weren’t supportive, but more so something I just felt like I “should” feel because I was doing something “out of the norm”. What I quickly realized, was that this feeling was (unfortunately) often felt by many young therapists and that its roots were ingrained deep into some larger systemic issues within our field.
Once I was able to separate myself from others and stop the comparison game, I noticed a complete shift and it wasn’t long before my entrepreneurial brain took over. This led to the idea to create a shared workspace for mental health and wellness professionals. Learn more about how that idea came to be and how I turned that dream into a reality here.
Anyways, nowadays I am a licensed professional clinical counselor in part time private practice, and the founder of b.mindful Louisville which is Louisville’s first shared workspace in Louisville, KY for mental health and wellness professionals. I split my time between the two businesses and wouldn’t have it any other way. I thank myself for having the courage to follow my dreams and I thank my friends and family for all the support, love and assistance they have thrown my way throughout this journey.
Peace and love.
XOX
Shannon
“I want clinicians to feel empowered in the work that they do so they can bring their best selves to sessions and provide for their clients in the best ways possible.”
Learn more about the shared workspace and offices of b.mindful Louisville or reach out to Shannon Gonter if you are a human helper in the greater Louisville , KY area.
How To Open Up Mental Health Private Practice
Not the only things that have to be done, but to start down the road to private practice make sure you have the proper licensure, figure out why you want to do private practice, Find a business structure that meets your needs, follow business coaches & download their free resources, apply for an NPI #, research business entities and find one that works for you, apply for an EIN #, Find an office, make sure your practice is covered with all the appropriate insurances…
Lots of steps to hanging your own shingle. Below you will find the 9 logistical steps to opening a private practice for you mental health or wellness practice. These are not the only things that need to be done, but this will get you on the right path.
1.Proper Licensure
Make sure you are properly licensed for private practice
Certain states/licenses dictate a certain amount of post graduate hours before hanging your own shingle.
Check with your state board
Kentucky Professional Licensing Directory click here
2.Figure out the answer to:
Why do I want to do private practice?
How do I hope it will make me feel?
What will I do if it doesn’t make me feel that way?
How will I measure my accomplishments throughout the process?
How will I adjust and shift to make sure my work and life goals are still in alignment?
Whether it be 10 pages long, or one paragraph, put it down on paper and make it fit your current business goals.
Allow yourself to alter it along the way as needed.
3.Business Structures
Pick what structure works for you and your business. Pick one that suits your needs now and know that this can always be shifted down the road to accommodate for growing needs and dreams.
4.Find a private practice guru (there are tons) and sign up for their freebies!
No need to reinvent the wheel when others have paved the path before you!
Allison Puryear with Abundance Practice Builders
Joe Sanok with Practice of the Practice
Kate & Katie with Private Practice Startup
Gordon with Practice of Therapy
Laura with Your Badass Therapy Practice
Kelly + Miranda with Private Practice Experts
Lynn Grodzki with Private Practice Success
5.NPI #
The National Provider Identifier (NPI) is a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Administrative Standard. An NPI is a unique identification number for covered health care providers, created to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of electronic transmission of health information. Covered health care providers and all health plans and health care clearinghouses must use NPIs in their administrative and financial transactions.
You’d think you would know if you had one, but you would be surprised by the number of people that have one that never knew. So, see if you already have one here.
If not, apply here (its free)
6.Business Entities
Click here to learn more about the options
Most common ones in Kentucky are going to be sole proprietorship, LLC, or PLLC
7.EIN
A federal employer identification number (EIN) is a nine-digit number the IRS assigns to businesses for tax filing and reporting purposes.
Sole proprietors are the only business entity that are allowed to not obtain an EIN and use their SS#l instead.
Suggested to obtain an EIN for all business entities to have an added protection against identify fraud (because if not you would have to use your social on all paperwork and some that may be distributed to your clients).
Click here to apply (its free)
8.Find An Office
Make sure that it is private and that you, your clients and their information is safe. Don’t rush into signing a lease because it’s the first one you found. Do your research and take your time.
Confidentiality thoughts
Entrance/exit for clients
If possible, have these be separate for heightened confidentiality
Waiting area for clients
Things to think about when designing yours
File storage
Check with your board to ensure you are complying with their guidelines
Sound between office walls
Steps to take to assist in lowering the noise travel
To get all of this and more, check out shared workspaces such as Alma, Therapy Space and b.mindful Louisville. These locations are designed with mental health professionals specifically in mind to ensure meeting all the unique needs this field has.
9.Make Sure Your Practice Is Covered With Appropriate Insurance
Professional Liability
Professional liability insurance helps protect professional advice- and service-providing individuals and companies from bearing the full cost of defending against a negligence claim made by a client, and damages awarded in such a civil lawsuit. Learn more here.
General Liability
General liability insurance often referred to as business liability insurance, is coverage that can protect you from a variety of claims including bodily injury, property damage, personal injury and others that can arise from your business operations. Learn more here.
Property Coverage/Renters Insurance
Your landlord’s insurance will typically only cover physical damage to the space and not your physical items in the space. So, let’s say there is a break in at your office, your landlord’s insurance would cover the broken windows, doors, or damage to the physical property but not your personal items that were taken. That is where your renter’s insurance would step in and cover your computer, office supplies, telephones that were stolen. Learn more here.
If you want to start your practice on the right foot, have a nice furnished space and have access to additional practice building resources, and a close knit community check out b.mindful Louisville. We have had tons of clinicians start their private practices in our offices and have grown their practice quite quickly with our low overhead costs, amenities and support provided. Reach out to Shannon Gonter at 502-528-1363 or at Shannon@bmindfullouisville.com for more details.
Written by Shannon Gonter, Owner, Founder of b.mindful Louisville and professional counselor with Therapy by Shannon
Disclaimer: This is not legal or tax advice. This information is for educational purposes only. You should consult with an attorney and a CPA to determine which type of business will best meet your needs.
Disclaimer: Each state will have varying needs and requirements, please check with your individual state to ensure you are checking all the boxes!
Private Practice Fee Setting
First thing to do when setting fees is figure out what services you provide. Do you see individuals? Couples? Children? Families? Groups? Workshops? Webinars? A little bit of everything? Do you do longer intake appointments? Will you have options for clients to do 50-minute, 60-minute or 90-minute sessions?
All clinicians need to set fees for their services (yes, yes even those insurance-based practices). Clinicians who accept insurance need to set fees because not everyone who wants to see you is going to have insurance, want to use their insurance or maybe you just aren’t paneled with their insurance company.
First thing to do when setting fees is figure out what services you provide. Do you see individuals? Couples? Children? Families? Groups? Workshops? Webinars? A little bit of everything? Do you do longer intake appointments? Will you have options for clients to do 50-minute, 60-minute or 90-minute sessions?
Think of all the options out there and paint a clear picture of what you want your practice to look like.
After this, set prices for each individual service and become comfortable with stating your prices. This is a very important step because we need to be confident in our prices so when we get prospective client calls we aren’t fumbling all over our words and reducing our fees for everyone just because we aren’t comfortable with the amount we have set.
For the services we provide, this process can look different than with other goods (tangible items) because we are essentially pricing ourselves. For the bulk of us, our service is our knowledge, compassion and skills.
Also, the mental health and wellness fields as a whole don’t do a good job at empowering us to explore our worth. We often tie it to what we hear so often “there isn’t any money in this field” or that “we are here to serve not to make money”.
For most individuals in private practice our fees and hourly rate is going to be higher, if not significantly higher, than what our hourly rate was when we were in a different setting.
These higher rates often make the clinician uncomfortable (fear of judgement from other clinicians, prospective clients, their loved ones, imposter syndrome…) and sometimes leads to clinicians setting their hourly rate quite low to begin with. This can be problematic because it may not be taking into account self-employment taxes, business expenses and lifestyle expenses.
For example, a counselor who is used to working at an agency where they approximately made $16 an hour (gross annual of about $33,000.00) charges $40 per 50-minute session in private practice thinking they will more than double their annual salary.
$40 per session x 40 hrs per week = $1600 a week x 49 weeks (3 weeks off for vacation) = $78,400 gross a year
Issue with this thinking is that full time private practice work is not 40 clinical (billable) hours a week, it is typically closer to 20.
So, it would look more like $40 per session x 20 hrs per week = $800 a week x 49 weeks (3 weeks off for vacation) = $39,200 gross a year
Which is not a lot more than the agency salary and we still haven’t paid self-employment tax or our business expenses yet.
So, let’s factor in our expenses (self-employment tax, rent, and other expenses of doing business) into our session fees.
If your monthly expenses are $1,800.00 and you typically have 20 sessions a week so 80 sessions in a 4-week month you know that $22.50 (1800 divided by 80) of each session is going straight towards expenses. Therefore, out of your $40 fee to your clients you are only seeing $17.50 of that.
Hmm…what the crap. So, what now?
1. Remember that being in private practice is a commitment to having inconsistent pay at times, so factor this in from the get-go. Maybe you raise your rates a little to account for this, maybe you see less clients per week to allow time for your side hustle, maybe you diversify your income and do groups, workshops, or something nonclinical that brings in “steady” money.
2. Know that your rates for services wont all be the same. Maybe you are doing couples and individual work and charge differently for those or maybe it’s the difference between your self pay rate, insurance-based rate and sliding scale rate. Account for these variances.
3. Don’t forget about your business expenses.
4. Remember that the services that you offer are special and needed in this world and that customers (yes your clients are consumers) expect to pay for services.
So, to figure out this “fee setting thing” let’s start with what you need to sustain your lifestyle. Maybe its $30,000.00 a year or maybe it’s $100,000.00.
Spend some time figuring this out and make sure you are factoring in all your current expenses but also accounting for having extra to save for the future (home buying, family growth, retirement, vacations, home renovations…).
After this figure out how many weeks you need off for vacation each year (I would say a minimum of 3).
Then figure out your business expenses (actual or estimated). Checklist here.
Now it’s time for the math. See full example here.
As human helping private practice owners we often forget that we are a business (because we are here to help) and that we need to make a livelihood. With not switching our therapist hat in for our business owner hat we can get in the way of our business surviving and thriving. Therefore, we need to slip our business hat on every once in awhile and make sure we are factoring expenses into the costs that we charge our clients.
Want to make $60,000 a year
Need 4 weeks off a year
Business expenses of $1200 a month
$1200 monthly business expenses x 12 months = $14,400 yearly business expenses
So, need to gross $74,400 a year to cover the expenses and bring home $60,000
If working 48 weeks a year then we need to divide $74,400 by 48 to get our weekly amount ($1550.00)
Then we can divide $1550 by the cost per session to see how many sessions we will need each week.
Ex)
$1550 divided by $60 = 26 sessions per week
$1550 divided by $80 = 19 sessions per week
$1550 divided by $90 = 17 sessions per week
$1550 divided by $100 = 15.5 sessions per week
$1550 divided by $150 = 10 sessions per week
Looking at the graphic below we see that the national averages for cost of counseling are between $75-$250 a session.
Information collected by Simple Practice
These higher hourly rates that often make people uncomfortable and lead to clinicians setting lower rates to begin with can hopefully now be looked at through a different lens. A lens that assists us in creating a fruitful life for ourselves outside the office, all while making sound business decisions and allowing us to provide the services we want to our communities.
Here at b.mindful Louisville, we not only provide our tenants with a comfortable, modern and safe space to practice out of but we also like to have an open dialogue around these topics and more. We have structured consultation hours to frame the conversation but also just find it beneficial to be open and transparent with one another about best clinical and business practices to assist each other in tackling the world of private practice. We are better together, if one of us succeeds we all succeed.
Written by: Shannon Gonter, Founder, LPCC
To learn more about the shared workspace of b.mindful Louisville click here, or call Shannon Gonter at 502-528-1363 to book your tour today.
What Can I Do In Graduate School To Prepare For Private Practice?
What can you be doing as a graduate student to prepare for your future as a mental health professional in private practice?
When I was in graduate school private practice was not something on my radar. I knew it was an option of course, but it just seemed like something I would do when I was 50 not when I was 25. I really do wish my professors talked about it more, or that we had a class or speaker or even a handout on it at some point.
Long story short. I graduated with my masters in 2016, landed a job at my internship site, opened a part time practice in 2017 and left my full-time job in 2019 to pursue the self-employment life.
Once I started working at a local psychiatric hospital after graduation, I quickly noticed I had significantly less free time, and definitely less energy at the end of my days then compared to when I was in graduate school. I was fortunate enough to not have to work throughout graduate school and therefore had a good bit of free time on my hands while I was not in class, studying or writing papers. I wish I could have used that free time to research and plan for my private practice future.
But you can’t do what you don’t know. So I am here to get you in the know so if you want to take action you can start now!
What can you be doing in graduate school to prepare for private practice?
Take advantage of all things FREE
Download Freebies
Join Facebook Groups
Louisville Therapy Networking Group
Kent School of Social Work Group
Professional Organization Groups (KCA, KPA…)
Listen to Podcasts
Modern Therapist Survival Guide
Think about your ideal client
Right now it is okay to be broad with your ideal client population. IE) teenagers, young adults, children, new moms….but when you are licensed and start practicing you are going to want to dive deep into the specifics of who your ideal client is. Reason being, so your marketing efforts can speak directly to them and you can be sure to call in the individuals you do your best work with.
To figure that out, ask yourself:
• What am I passionate about?
• What traits in people do I highly value?
• Am I more active? Passive? Confrontational? Calm?
• Are there any holes in my areas current counseling market?
• Are there areas of counseling that I definitely DON’T want to work with?
• What does my ideal client look like? (be specific from age, race, interests, career…)
• How does my ideal client show their pain? (not sleeping, irritable moods, erratic bx…)
Be as detailed and specific as possible. The clearer the image in your minds eye, the easier it'll be to draw in that clientele.
Build an audience on social media
Everyone from the pope, to your aunt, to the president uses it, and so should your business (or future business)! Important to note that this is something that is separate than your personal social media profiles. Maybe you create another Instagram dedicated to mental health quotes and positive messages allowing yourself to build a professional audience and then when you are licensed and have a business you can swap your name to “therapybyshannon” or “LouisvilleCounselor” etc. and continue sharing with your already jump started community.
Reasons why: It is free! How amazing, right!? These days you don’t run into a lot of marketing strategies that are free, so take advantage of it.
There are so many different platforms to join so if you hate one of them, then you don’t have to use it. Try Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Reddit, YouTube, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Flickr etc. Important to think about who you are wanting to attract and where they are hanging out. You want to meet your clients where they are. Meaning if you want to work with adults 40+ you will most likely find best success using Facebook. But if you want to work with adolescents or young adults, Instagram, Twitter or Reddit will probably be a better platform for you to reach your ideal population. No need to have a presence on all of them, work within your comfort zone and pick one or two of them and start building your platform!
Create content
In graduate school you are already creating a lot of content (it is just in the format of research and formatted papers). During this time while you are in the “writing” phase, crank out some content that is less clinical and more for the masses. The idea of content creation is to get your work out there in a variety of formats to build your audience, and give you credibility. Maybe it’s a blog, vlog, podcast, audio recording, or infographic. Whatever it is, make sure to focus on topics that your ideal client would be searching for to draw in the right crowd.
Network
Why do it?
It’s free (or low cost)
No need to spend hundreds when you don’t even need clients now. Just be yourself, be genuine and get out there and meet people!
Builds your confidence
Know that networking doesn’t come easy to anyone (even those that make it look easy). The more you do it the more comfortable it will become.
Create connections
It gets you out into the community and making connections for potential jobs, business building assistance, and just general plug ins to the Louisville mental health community happenings. A great place to start doing this is inside your practicum and internship placements
If you want to start your practice on the right foot, have a nice furnished space and have access to practice building resources, and a close knit community check out b.mindful Louisville. We have had tons of clinicians start their private practices in our offices and have grown their practice quite quickly with our low overhead costs and support provided. Reach out to Shannon Gonter at 502-528-1363 or at Shannon@bmindfullouisville.com for more details.
Have additional questions? Feel free to message me and ask!
Shannon Gonter, Founder and Owner of b.mindful Louisville
I’m Shannon, a professional counselor and understand the importance of having a safe space to practice in, consulting, networking, having a solid referral list, and being around other like-minded professionals.
4 Tips To Save Big When Opening Your Practice
When considering opening a business, one of the first obstacles you face may be the required financial investment. This doesn’t have to be a barrier to starting your private practice though. I have compiled 4 tips to save money when starting a business that can help ease some of the financial investment of a start up.
Opening a business is obviously going to require a financial investment on your end, and that reality can really suck sometimes. A recent article I read stated that:
“I learned that it is possible to pursue business ownership with around $15,000. To go big places, you’ll always need more money. But you can start out with very little as long as you take care of some careful planning and are passionate about your company.”
Great words of wisdom, but a majority of mental health and wellness professionals don’t have an extra $15,000 laying around (sure would be nice though!). Heck, most people don’t even have an extra $1,000 hanging out in the bank.
So, what do you do when you have limited financial backing but still really want to open up shop?
Unfortunately, a lot of people’s answer to this is to not start their private practice because they think you need to have thousands to do so.
This reality doesn’t settle well with me because I am a firm believer that everyone should be able to follow their dreams and get there in whatever fashion suits them best. Remember that being in private practice is a commitment to be an entrepreneur and being an entrepreneur is a commitment to thinking outside the box.
If you are having a hard time thinking outside the box on money saving tactics, keep reading and I will connect you with resources so you how you can lower your overhead costs and turn a profit even faster.
4 Tips To Save Big When Opening Your Practice
Use shared office space
b.mindful Louisville Group Room (Moberly Photography)
When another therapist isn’t using their office, you could use it! No one works 24/7, therefore freeing up some time that an office is sitting empty and could be subleased out to another clinician. Similar to this, there are specific companies, like b.mindful Louisville, that are dedicated to supplying mental health and wellness professionals with safe, clean, modern and practical offices to use for their practices. These are great cost-efficient options for those just starting out or for those that don’t want to hassle with the big investment of first/last month’s rent, furnishing, decorating and upkeep of an office.
Skip the advertising
A big mistake people make in the beginning stages of opening their private practice is funneling a lot of money into marketing, and frankly this just isn’t necessary right at the start. In order to have an effective advertising campaign one must have a clear marketing message, have disposable income to test what works and what doesn’t, and have the goal of bringing in the masses.
For most mental health and wellness professionals we don’t have a clear marketing message in the beginning, don’t have tons of extra cash flow (hence why you find yourself reading this blog) and don’t need to bring in 1000s of clients. Instead of spending money on advertising right now, what you should do is hone in on your marketing message. You can do this by attending networking events, clinical trainings, and talking with other professionals about what it is you do and taking note on how they respond. With this data, you can then tweak your message and elevator speech to ensure it is clear and to the point.
Use social media
In order to have a good website and maintain your SEO appropriately you will either have to hire out (and spend hundreds or thousands of dollars) or you will have to dedicate time out of your weeks to build out and maintain your site. If you have the extra $ to hire out, go for it, or if you have the drive and excitement to build out your site and learn the ins and outs of SEO for yourself, go for it. But if you are strapped for cash and aren’t digitally savvy or have any desire in learning SEO take advantage of the free online tools that are already out there!
Google+: Allows you to add your business so you’ll pop up in Google local searches.
Facebook: Allows you to create a professional looking business page that other professionals and clients can interact with all while keeping your personal page private. Also it is very easy to link your FB and Instagram accounts so everything posted on Instagram is automatically posted to Facebook.
LinkedIn: Perfect to connect with other professionals and also provides a free blogging platform.
Instagram, Twitter, Reddit: Depending on the age of your ideal clientele, it may be beneficial to have one of these accounts as well in order to meet your clients where they are hanging out.
YouTube: Fantastic, free video platform to post Q&A, interviews with other professionals, and provides a great space to reach your ideal clients via video.
Take advantage of the free incentives that directory sites offer
Majority of the online directories will offer between 1 - 6 months free if you were referred by a current member, so be sure to take advantage of this! Reminder to take your time when writing your profile, and don’t rush through it to get something posted quickly. This may be the first interaction a prospective client has with you and you want to ensure you come off as calm, professional, competent, welcoming and approachable. If you are having a hard time figuring out how to do all of this, check out this amazing resource!
Final Takeaways
There are many ways to save when starting your private practice, and I decided to just touch on 4 of the most important ones in order to not overwhelm the most likely already overwhelmed business owner!
The difference between been an entrepreneur and a smart, long-lasting entrepreneur is the ability to know when to pull back and allow others to assist you and when to jump in and get your hands dirty doing it yourself. If you feel like you are stuck in the middle and don’t know where to turn, don’t hesitate to reach out to Shannon with b.mindful Louisville and see how our office rentals, supportive community, and business building resources can assist you and your business.
But remember that you can do it and that you aren’t alone!
Shannon Gonter, LPCC, Owner and Founder of b.mindful Louisville
7 Mistakes Made By Seasoned Clinicians in Private Practice And What They Would Do Differently Now
New to private practice and needing some guidance? Well we’ve got some for you, along with advice from seasoned clinicians in private practice on the mistakes they wish they could re do when starting their practices.
New to private practice and needing some guidance? Well we’ve got some for you, along with advice from seasoned clinicians in private practice on the mistakes they wish they could have avoided when starting their practices.
Okay so let’s dive right into it.
Mistake 1: Not starting out with electronic health records (EHR) from the get-go.
Benefits of having electronic records for your mental health practice includes, but is not limited to, the ability to streamline scheduling, automated reminders for client sessions, clinical documentation, billing software, and revenue management and reporting.
Most recommended platforms for mental health professionals are:
“My life would have been a lot easier back in the day if I could have streamlined everything to be online.”
“I would have saved a lot of trees along the way if I used an EHR from the beginning.”
“I thought it was too pricey at first when I only had 2 clients but looking back, the price would have been worth my sanity!”
“It was a pain in my &*% having to switch over all my clients from paper-based filing to an EHR once I had a full caseload.”
Mistake 2: Renting an entire office
Do you work 24/7? No. So why sign a traditional 24/7 lease? Sharing an office space can lead to lower costs, fewer responsibilities, more networking opportunities, smaller commitments, and more support for you and your growing practice. Companies like b.mindful Louisville provide safe, clean, practical and modern offices for mental health and wellness professionals in private practice. By entering a community like this you will be provided with a like-minded support network, as well as all the furnishing and amenities to support your growing practice.
“Would have been in a better space financially if I could have just rented a space to practice for 1-2 days a week.”
“Wasted a lot of time trying to find someone to sublease my office when I wasn’t there, and that time could have been spent on my clients or with my family.”
“Wouldn’t have gone right into renting an office on my own honestly.”
“I was so stressed at the beginning and my overhead costs were so expensive. It was tough having to juggle rent, utilities, supplies, and marketing all while building up my caseload. Would have been a lot better for me to share an office at first.”
Mistake 3: Not networking
At its most basic form, networking is about building and maintaining relationships with people which may lead to a mutually beneficial exchange at some point in the future. Think about your ideal client and where they go, what they listen to, who they seek guidance from and build your networking strategy around that. These can be other therapists, physicians, other wellness providers, attorneys etc.
“Wish I would have networked with others in the field sooner.”
“Wish I would have just got out there and done it. It can be scary at first, but the more you do it the better you’ll become at it.”
“Wish I asked the stupid questions and wasn’t afraid to be the newbie.”
“If only I knew how beneficial it was to market with other clinicians in the same niche. People always need someone they trust to refer to when they are full and vice versa!”
Mistake 4: Ignoring my finances
Not a lot of therapists come from a background in finance, so don’t shy away from seeking advice from professionals in order to keep your finances in order. Last thing you want is to get yourself into is financial struggles at the beginning of your private practice journey.
“Pay myself. I always forgot to do this at the beginning because I was so worried about having enough to cover the expenses. ”
“Make people pay up front for sessions and not at the end of the sessions because I always forgot to collect the payments!”
“Talked to an accountant much sooner.”
“Learned how to keep up with billing better. ”
Mistake 5: Not filing for an LLC
In order to protect your personal assets, it is advised to keep your business and personal liability separate. One way to do this is to form a limited liability company. Talk with your advisors to see what will be best for your practice and learn more here about forming an LLC for your business.
“Getting legal isn’t fun, but neither is getting sued. So protect your earnings and your family.”
“Thank goodness I never got into legal trouble, but just start with an LLC from the beginning to ensure highest levels of security for your personal and business assets.”
“Just do it, its the smart thing to do. You can do it by yourself or hire a lawyer to do it, whatever you are comfortable with.”
“It’s not exactly ‘harder’ to form an LLC once your practice is grown, but I just found that I didn’t have the time to do it like I did in the beginning when I was building my practice.”
Mistake 6: Not having an online presence
Online marketing should be at the top of our ‘to do’ list. It is one of the most cost-effective ways to reach thousands of people within seconds. Websites and social media platforms are excellent ways to target your ideal clients.
“If you are not comfortable with a website right at first, at least have a Facebook page for your business”
“I have received so many complements from clients and other professionals on my site and how much more ‘official’ it makes me look. I think that would have helped build my confidence faster when I was first starting out.”
“Having an online presence is vital to your success today, if you aren’t able to be found on Google, you might as well be a ghost.”
“Just build a website, even just a basic one.”
“You are not an expert at everything, so rely on those for help to fill in the gaps where you lag the skills for success.”
“Don’t rework the wheel, just do your research and use whats already out there. ”
“I wish I would have known about the private practice support groups and boot camps out there because all of their free resources are so helpful. ”
“Would have had a lot fewer tears if I opened up and allowed help in at the beginning. Part of it was understanding that it can still be ‘my business’ and that I can still take credit for the hard work put into it but that I don’t have to struggle alone during the process. ”
Shannon Gonter, LPCC, Owner and Founder of b.mindful Louisville
Have additional questions? Feel free to message me and ask!
I’m a professional counselor and understand the importance of having a safe space to practice in, consulting, networking, having a solid referral list, and being around other like-minded professionals.
3 Tips For Life Coaches Who Are Just Starting Out
Seemingly due to the growing complexity of the world, life coaching has become an increasing career choice for many. It sometimes seems that you might have advice or heuristics that another person is in search for. A skilled life coach can help other individuals follow a path that is good for their health and career.
Seemingly due to the growing complexity of the world, life coaching has become an increasing career choice for many. It sometimes seems that you might have advice or heuristics that another person is in search for. A skilled life coach can help other individuals follow a path that is good for their health and career. And coaching is not just for individuals; big corporations also hire life coaches for their top employees to help them get through rough patches and bring about solutions for their work projects. Now, if you are in the coaching field and have suddenly realized that you are not going anywhere and the work is slow, then chances are you are doing something wrong. Here are the top three tips that every life coach needs to follow.
1. Provide Solutions & Social Proof
Here is the first do and don’ts of becoming a life-coach. Your aim should be to provide solutions and remedies for a problem. Most life coaches try to be service providers, but that should not be the case. It is all about turning your coaching into a business not just dabble in it for some extra cash. To hone this skill you have and be consistent, you have to make it a business that has solutions not just services. By providing solutions, you will be able to keep a good client list. You will need to make a good brand image. Make your clients feel like you are the ONE whom they can count on in times of need. It is important for your incoming clients to know where you are reachable and can check past client testimonials. Starting any business requires a good brand image and consistency. People should know the name or at least have heard it somewhere; it will automatically bring them closer towards trusting you and your solutions.
2. Loyalty & Marketing
Every brand and business knows how important it is to create a customer loyalty factor. These customers will be the ones that are most satisfied with your services and will continuously return to you because they trust you and you are giving them exactly what they need. It is the best way to grow a business because these clients will tell the people they know how much they like you and how good you are for them. Good word-of-mouth can take a business places! It will automatically increase your client list. So, it is necessary that you treat every client with the utmost care and importance. Always start with a few clients and make sure that they are satisfied to the fullest. Use Social Media. You can create a Facebook group and Instagram page where you can start with by posting a few details of what you do and see how people respond. If your idea clicks with them then there will be no limits and people will be attracted automatically. You can post testimonials and create your brand name. Start being an exclusive coach, not just a catch-all type. Then slowly build your way up and accept more clients.
3. Rent An Office Space or Coworking Space
The third tip and the most importantly the last on our list to help you kick-start your life coaching career is to rent an office. This office should be your private space that represents your style and coaching theme. It should be a welcoming venue for your clients, who should get the feeling that you are professionally capable of helping them with their problems and are worth their time and money. The ambiance of the office should be aesthetically pleasing. Clients should feel like being 'at home.' This will enable them to open up and help you as a coach to better understand their problem. When looking at the type of offices that life coaches actually rent local to us in Louisville, KY the general opinion is that there are a few factors that really make an office a success. The list goes decor and design, location, commute, and pricing. It has to be a hip looking location so it’s stunning for potential or incoming clients. It also has easily accessible. People who are having issues in their lives don’t need to add trouble parking to their list of worries. However, when looking for a place to rent, we advise you avoid a shared space with the wrong type of businesses. Those ‘wrong type’ of businesses include things that require more office work and have a more corporate feel. In other words, it may be a bad idea to practice alongside insurance companies, financial consultants, etc. The space has to match the mood. However, practicing along other health and wellness practitioners can be a big advantage for your business. For one, you have an environment of like-minded individuals who understand the type of work you do. And if you take into account the fact that a shared space with other health and wellness professionals, it should be apparent why it’s an advantage. And this is especially true when you are first starting.
So, these were the top three tips that will help you move forward in your life-coaching career. Remember, these are just the basic tips that are almost required when someone decides to launch a life coaching career. And especially in a profession that is centered around people’s changing needs. And if you need a coworking space tailored for your exact needs, b.mindful Louisville is specifically designed and set up for life coaching businesses. Call or text us at 502-528-1363 for a tour of our space, or Click Here to schedule a walk-through.
Shannon Gonter, LPCC, Owner and Founder of b.mindful Louisville
Have additional questions? Feel free to message me and ask!
Private Practice Doesn’t Have To Live In Never Never Land
But this is why I am here to tell you that everyone (well only if you want to, swear you won’t be forced into opening a private practice by reading this blog) should dip their toes into private practice. Choose to dip a toe into it or take the leap, whatever works best for your life.
Throughout graduate school, it was always a dream of mine to “hang my own shingles” and start my private practice. My professors always painted it as something I MIGHT get to do in a land far, far away but definitely not anytime soon after graduation. In my graduate studies, it was so rarely talked about that I didn't even know all that went into private practice therapy and owning my own business.
So when I decided that I wanted to venture into the private practice world just 2 years after graduation, I was honestly quite lost and felt that I was doing something “wrong” or that I hadn’t “paid my dues” long enough. Thank goodness for my amazing therapy networking community here in Louisville and for all the assistance they provided me (both on the business side, and therapeutically).
I have a feeling this is a similar experience as to what you are going through now or what you went through (or you probably wouldn’t be reading this)!
But this is why I am here to tell you that you (well only if you want to, swear you won’t be forced into opening a private practice by reading this blog) should dip your toes into private practice. Choose to dip a toe into it or take the leap, whatever works best for your life.
Whatever you chose to do, know that opening a private practice is a big move and can surely be intimidating (I mean you are starting your own business, how exciting, but also terrifying…I mean what does that even mean to own a business?!).
This might be something you have never done before, and something you’ll be doing on your own (new topic and doing it alone- real power couple right there, ha). But I am here to tell you that this is something you can do and that it doesn’t have to be so intimidating!
I think a lot of people stop thinking about hanging their own shingle right after having the realization that it is going to be something foreign and that you may be tackling it alone. But the thoughts don’t have to end there. Don’t let the fear of something new stop you from following your dreams and providing needed services to a community that desperately needs them.
I am writing this to help you over the hump, because trust me, private practice is worth it!
Private practice is…
liberating, freeing, and rewarding!
Throughout your journey with private practice, you will find out all sorts of new things about yourself (the good, the bad, and the ugly), and grow as a clinician and person in ways you didn’t see coming.
So, if you have been pondering about starting private practice, either part time or full time, take some time to do your research and be smart about your future moves because the planning and intentionality matter.
Here are some steps you can take during your research phase.
Step #1. Pick your colleague's brain who is in private practice.
These individuals can be the best resources out there. Use it as an excuse to go grab a drink or go to dinner and talk about their beginning days in private practice. 1) everyone likes to drink/eat, and 2) everyone loves to talk about themselves! Also, remember that we are all therapists here, so helping others out is second nature to us.
Step #2. Join mental health practice building Facebook groups.
I know, I know Facebook smacebook. But trust me when I say that this can be a very valuable tool for practice building! You have the option to be as active as you want and Facebook makes it easy for you to search all the past posts so you can find answers to your questions quickly. Your city should have a local networking page for therapists (if it doesn’t then be the one to start it) and there are also national pages as well. Some of my favorite are: Louisville Therapy Networking Group, Abundance Practice Builders, Therapists in Private Practice, Amber Lyda(specializes in online therapy) and Practice of the Practice.
Step #3. Listen to podcasts.
If you haven’t jumped on the podcast bandwagon yet, then hurry up and jump on! You are missing out. This is a great, easy way to get information and learn about all sorts of things (clinical and non-clinical topics). Some of my favorite practice building podcasts are: The Abundance Practice Podcast with Allison Puryear, The Ask Juliet & Clinton Show with Juliet Austin & Clinton Power, and Practice of Being Seen with Rebecca Wong.
Step #4. Find your community.
Whether it be at your current job, at the gym, or in your home. Just make sure you have your group and they are ready to rally. Feel that you don’t have a community? Or thinking of leaving your current place of work to pursue private practice and feeling like you have no one to talk to there? Well then maybe try to find a space to practice in that fosters the community you are looking for. Shared office spaces and communitties like b.mindful Louisville are great for this. By becoming a part of a community such as b.mindful Louisville, you will be provided with the like-minded support network that you so desperately need in this field, as well as all the furnishings and amenities to support your thriving practice.
Step #5. Talk with your “rock”
We’ve all got someone who is our go to, ride or die partner in crime. Don’t care if it is your mom, dad, partner, friend, therapist, or dog. Just talk to someone else about your thoughts of opening a business. I know it always helps me sort through things if I have someone I trust listening to me and providing advice where needed. It can be tough doing it all alone, so remember YOU DON’T HAVE TO!
Step #6. Trust your gut!
Trust your gut (easier said than done, ha). But honestly, if this is something you have been thinking about for a long time, just do it! But, to break that process down for you over-thinkers out there (cough cough not me…)
1) breathe in and relax your muscles
2) ask yourself “what is my gut saying?”
3) explore those thoughts (alone or with a friend)
4) then declare your choice out loud and tell your gut what your choice is.
Just remember that these are just the first steps and doing the initial research will pay off in the long run. I know it can be overwhelming because there are SO MANY places to start and so much information to gather, but just take it slow and remember to rely on your community for support.
Have additional questions? Feel free to message me and ask!
Shannon Gonter, LPCC, Owner and Founder of b.mindful Louisville
I’m a professional counselor and understand the importance of having a safe space to practice in, consulting, networking, having a solid referral list, and being around other like-minded professionals.