As a therapist in solo private practice, maximizing your tax deductions is a smart way to keep more of your hard-earned income while ensuring your business runs smoothly. To help you navigate this with confidence, here’s a handy list of common deductions tailored to your unique needs as a mental health professional.

Discover why prioritizing rest in January sets the stage for sustainable success. Learn how taking time to recharge can lead to clearer goals, better health, and long-term productivity.

Running a private practice can be demanding, but rest isn’t optional—it’s essential. Discover eight powerful ways to recharge your body, mind, and spirit in the new year and show up as your best self for both your clients and yourself.

Discover how to design a balanced schedule for your solo private practice. Learn tips for managing client sessions, admin work, and personal time to avoid burnout and thrive as a therapist.

Learn about the recent injunction blocking the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) filing requirements. Find out what this means for therapists, whether you should file now or wait, and access helpful resources to stay compliant.

As a therapist in private practice, you might feel like a generous Santa Claus, handing out emotional support and wisdom to your clients without a second thought. But let’s face it: even Santa needs a break from the North Pole hustle! If you’re finding yourself giving away everything but the kitchen sink (and maybe even that, too), it’s time for a reality check. In this list, we’ll explore 15 things you absolutely need to stop giving away. Because, spoiler alert: you can’t help others effectively when your own well is running dry. So, let’s dive in and reclaim some of that precious time, energy, and sanity!

As a therapist in private practice, you're likely used to giving—whether it's your time, emotional energy, or expertise—to support your clients. But it’s important to remember that you can't pour from an empty cup. Just as you guide your clients to take care of themselves, you need to receive certain things to keep your practice thriving and to maintain your own well-being. In this post, we’ll explore the key forms of support that every therapist needs to receive, from emotional backing to professional guidance, and why they’re essential to sustaining a successful and balanced practice.

In this upcoming winter season, there is an extreme focus on giving. While it is important for us to give and giveback, as a private practice therapist, your work revolves around caring for others, but it's easy to fall into the habit of giving without receiving. While helping clients is rewarding, constantly pouring out without replenishing your own emotional and professional reserves can lead to unintended consequences that impact both your well-being and the quality of care you provide. In this list, we’ll explore the potential pitfalls of always giving but never receiving and why it's essential to find balance for both your personal health and the success of your practice.

As I currently have 3 guests evacuated from the Panhandle due to Hurricane Helene, inclement weather policies have been on my mind. The policy or lack thereof doesn’t have to be as scary as the storm. I’m sure there are several ways to implement an inclement weather policy but here is the one that I do.

This title should be read in the voice of the song “Monster Mash” if you didn’t already sing it in your head. IMO two of the largest problems in private practice are 1) overwhelm and 2) isolation. We are going to be focusing on isolation and how to overcome. First, why is isolation such a common complaint from private practice owners:

Being scared about starting a private practice often stems from the fear of the unknown and the challenges ahead, which can be managed with preparation and support, whereas deciding you shouldn’t do it usually indicates a deeper misalignment with your values, goals, or current life circumstances that may not be resolvable through overcoming fear alone. Some considerations you need before taking the leap:

As I’m currently in the research stage of deciding whether or not I want to try note taking AI software, I thought I would share my links for my research rabbit hole (can anyone tell my hyperfocus:)). I’ll keep adding to this as I find helpful resources during my decision making process and keep you updated.

I’ll say it again, private practice is not for everyone. I get super annoyed in facebook groups when folks are like “just leave and start a private practice it’s so easy.” Private practice is not the pinnacle of our career, but it can be the right move for you at the right time. Starting a private practice can be daunting for clinicians due to several factors:

Here are some tools and technologies that can help streamline practice management, reduce administrative burdens, and allow private practitioners to focus more on client care:

A private practice is more that just providing therapy, it’s running a business. And even more so if you are a solo private practice-you are wearing every hat. Now, I don’t know about you but I didn’t take any courses on business management, marketing, or accounting in my grad school program-I’m so thankful for the internet. While in general I consider myself scrappy and want to save the most money, sometimes it is more economical to outsource our labor. One way I like to think about labor is, how much does it cost for me to do this task, and how much would it cost for me to have someone else do this task.

Why is the history of Labor Day important for therapists? We labor too. Though I don’t have the numbers to support this claim, I’m going to make it anyways…I believe many people leave jobs due to poor labor practices in the work place. But we don’t feel better if we don’t improve the labor practices in our private practice. It is vital that we establish safe labor practices in private practices in order to prevent burnout, ensure appropriate client care, and to make a livable wage with appropriate retirement planning.

When considering whether private practice is right for you, think about where you are in your life right now. For me, private practice is feasible because my spouse has a W2 job with great health benefits. My body requires more than basic insurance, so if that ever changes, I'll be seeking out a federal W2 job. The key is to evaluate what truly serves you best at this stage in your life.

In the fast-paced world of private practice, therapists often set lofty outcome goals, such as expanding their client base or achieving financial stability. While these end results are crucial, focusing solely on them can sometimes lead to frustration and burnout. The journey can be especially challenging for solo practitioners, who may face feelings of loneliness and overwhelm as they navigate the complexities of running a practice independently. Instead, prioritizing process goals—those small, daily actions that contribute to long-term success—can create a more sustainable and satisfying path to achieving your aspirations. By shifting your focus to the steps you can control, you'll not only enhance your professional growth but also improve the quality of care you provide to your clients. In this blog post, we'll explore why embracing process goals over outcome goals can transform your private practice and lead to more meaningful and consistent progress.

In the world of mental health, diversity and inclusion are more than buzzwords—they are vital components that enhance the quality of care and enrich the therapeutic experience for clients and professionals alike. One significant, yet often overlooked, aspect of this diversity is the inclusion of disabled therapists. As we strive to create a more inclusive society, it’s time we recognize and actively support the unique and invaluable contributions that therapists with disabilities bring to the field of mental health. FYI: disability is not a bad word, many people prefer identity first language but some prefer person first. Defer to the person on how they prefer to be referred to but for the most part people do not like the terms differently abled, special, or other euphemisms-so please refrain from that unless specifically asked. For this article, I will alternate between disabled clinician and clinician/individual with disability.

For clinical mental health counselors with dynamic disabilities, managing their practice effectively while prioritizing their health and well-being is crucial. Here are several accommodations that can help counselors maintain a successful private practice: