The holiday season brings its own set of challenges for mental health professionals. The pressure to neatly tie up loose ends can be overwhelming, but what if the to-do list remains a bit unraveled? This is a gentle reminder that the gift of self-care, especially in the form of rest, should not be withheld, even if the year doesn't conclude as neatly as envisioned.

Once you have defined the fundamentals of your practice through its name, what it stands for, who it will be for, and your business plan, it’s time to turn your focus toward bringing your vision to life by defining what your practice will look like in action. This means refining your service offerings and setting your pricing with confidence. These steps will allow you to build a private practice that aligns with your values, supports your ideal clients, and sets the stage for a successful launch.

One of the topics I get the most questions about is marketing. It can feel like the dreaded boogeyman lurking in the shadows for new private practice owners. You’ve built your skills as a therapist, but now you’re faced with the challenge of putting on your business hat and getting the word out about your services. The idea of marketing might seem intimidating, complicated, and even a bit scary, but it doesn't have to be that way!

Within the mental health field, there are a few different options for how you make yourself available to clients. You have probably heard a lot about solo private practice or working within an established clinic, but there's another exciting option: group practice. This model not only enhances the services provided but also offers a collaborative, supportive environment for therapists, counselors, and other mental health professionals to work together.

But what exactly is a group practice, and how does it work? Let’s explore what group practice entails, its benefits, and why it could be the next step in your career as a mental health professional.

If you are to the point in your career where you are considering opening your own private practice, you likely already have the therapy part of your job down. While your education and training have equipped you with the knowledge and skills to provide effective therapy, stepping into the role of a business owner requires a completely different mindset. Launching a successful private practice means embracing both your therapeutic expertise and your ability to strategically manage a business. This can be incredibly scary, especially if you don’t know where to start.

Whether you’re specializing in counseling, therapy, psychology, or psychiatry, you will have options for how exactly you want to make yourself available to help clients. One of the many rewarding and challenging avenues you can explore is launching your own private practice. But what exactly is a private practice, and why might it be the right choice for you?

Private practice, just like any other business, will have a timing and rhythm. Your business will have seasons and change and an ebb and flow that you must learn, understand and embrace to set yourself up for long-term success. This means that your private practice journey will be full of opportunities and challenges, so learning when to move forward, when to pause, and when to pivot can make all the difference.

So, you want to have your own private practice one day? That’s amazing! Over the years, I’ve provided plenty of information on my website about launching your private practice, but the journey actually starts many years before you can open your business. And it may be more years than you think. If you have been working toward becoming a counselor, therapist, or social worker, this may be familiar to you already, but if you are just starting your path in the mental health field, follow along to get the inside scoop of how to start! Let’s take it from the top, and see where the journey to private practice ownership begins.

In the fast-paced world of mental health, whether you own a private practice or are a clinical leader, it's easy to fall into the trap of busyness without intention or direction. We often find ourselves overwhelmed by countless tasks and goals, unsure of what truly matters and how to achieve it. The myth that being busy equates to productivity can leave us feeling unfulfilled and stuck. But what if there was a way to break free from this cycle? What if, instead of reaching and grasping for success, we could work less and accomplish more?

As a mental health practitioner, defining your professional focus is crucial to your success and growth. Two terms that often come up in this context are "niche" and "expertise." While they are sometimes used interchangeably, they have distinct meanings and implications for your practice. What do each of these mean, and why is it important for you to know the difference, as well as how they interact? Let’s dig in.

Summer presents a unique opportunity to balance work and leisure. Whether you run your own private practice, or are a leader in a group practice, the summer lull offers a chance to catch up on tasks, plan ahead, and enjoy some well-deserved downtime. It can be incredibly hard to strike this balance, with many business owners and leaders (not just in the mental health field) opting to just get ahead on work, instead of resting in equal measure.

Why is that so bad? Skipping rest can lead to burnout. As a business owner and leader, avoiding burnout is crucial for both personal well-being and the sustained success of the business. And you, as a business owner, are probably not playing as hard as you think.

Summer is nearly here! Sunshine, longer days, and less client facing time are in our immediate futures. With that in mind, it’s important to stay on top of your to-do list during this season of leisure. And yes, that to-do list does need to include some leisure too. If you own a private practice, or you’re in a leadership role, you’ll need to employ some time management skills to ensure your practice and team keeps thriving through the Summer Lull.

I want you to take a second to go back to the beginning. Think back to when you first started your road in mental health. What was your vision for your career? Have you been pressured to pursue certain trajectories for your career just because they are considered the “best” way to succeed? In today's business culture, there is a large push to always be expanding, striving for the next big step, and growing our businesses. And most mental health practitioners are told, in one way or another, that the next step after solo practice is to start your own group practice and step into clinical leadership. Which just isn’t true.

Clinical leadership and clinical supervision are both critical components of the mental health profession and the terms may appear at first glance to be used interchangeably, but they may have more differences than you think! While there is some overlap, clinical supervision and leadership serve different purposes within the mental health field, and have different scopes of responsibilities.

Let’s dive into the similarities and differences!

When you were studying and training to be a counselor, therapist, social worker, or any other role within the mental health field, you were hopefully taught the importance of being trauma-informed. Trauma Informed care helps create a safe container for your clients to delve into any trauma they may have experienced while minimizing the potential for causing more harm in the process, and it is a great approach to better serve your clients.

However, it is less likely that the importance of trauma informed approaches was reiterated to you if you made the transition from clinician to clinical leader or supervisor. Is trauma informed communication necessary for effective clinical leadership?

I tend to use the term “Clinical Leadership” a lot in my content. So, what do I mean when I say it? Clinical leadership in mental health refers to the role of individuals who provide guidance, direction, and inspiration within the mental health field to achieve organizational goals, improve patient outcomes, and promote excellence in clinical practice. Clinical leaders in mental health settings may include psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, clinical supervisors, directors, and other mental health professionals who have assumed leadership positions within their organizations. Think team leaders, department heads, people with positions of prominence and leadership within their field who coordinate teams and systems. But there is so much more to Clinical Leadership than simply being the one who is in charge.

Communication is the heart of effective leadership in clinical settings. For mental health professionals who take on leadership roles, the ability to communicate effectively is a powerful tool for building connection, trust, and empowerment for both individuals and teams. While we may think we are communicating well, it’s important that we are actually communicating effectively and consistently. If you are a Clinical Leader (or any leader, really) there is always room for improvement when it comes to communicating effectively.

Let’s explore practical strategies to enhance our communication!

What is Clinical Supervision?

Clinical supervision in the field of mental health is a structured and collaborative professional relationship between a supervisor and a supervisee, typically involving mental health practitioners such as counselors, therapists, psychologists, or social workers. This relationship is rooted in mutual trust, respect, and a shared commitment to enhancing clinical practice. Over the course of time, clinical supervision has become seen as a specialty with specific training and requirements set forth by each state.

Imposter syndrome, that persistent feeling of inadequacy despite accomplishments, is a significant obstacle faced by many professionals in their career journey. When it comes to clinical leadership, where expectations and responsibilities are exceptionally high, imposter syndrome can be twofold. Clinical leaders may be experiencing imposter syndrome of their own within their position, while simultaneously needing to help clinicians under their supervision navigate imposter syndrome. How you face these obstacles will affect your overall leadership success. So, how do you recognize these challenges and what can be done to navigate them?

Mental Health Private Practice Consultation serves as a specialized service crafted to empower mental health professionals in navigating the intricacies of the business side of their private practice journey. While mental health professionals are adeptly trained in clinical practice, they often receive no formal training in the role of a business owner. The purpose of Private Practice Consultation is to fill this gap in knowledge, support identity development, and share the value of business development and how to do it. This consultative approach offers practitioners personalized guidance, strategic insights, and educational support at various stages of their careers, catering to those in the initial phases of establishing their private practice, as well as, those seeking to refine their existing practice.