04 Feb Private Practice Made Simple

My review of “Private Practice Made Simple” by Randy J. Paterson, PhD:

There are plenty of books and websites out there offering advice to mental health professionals who want to know how to establish their own private practice. With this new release Randy J. Paterson, PhD offers his own comprehensive take on this popular topic, promising to provide “everything you need to know to set up and manage a successful mental health practice,” from “getting client referrals and creating a positive and comfortable office atmosphere to building a strong and thriving therapy practice that can serve both you and your clients.”

As the 2008 recipient of the Canadian Psychological Association’s Distinguished Practitioner Award, and the owner of a private multiple-provider outpatient practice in Vancouver, Paterson certainly seems to write with a wealth of personal experience in this area. Indeed, what differentiates this book from so many of the others available on the market is that personal touch, as Paterson shares his own journey into private practice, and the lessons learned along the way, explaining that:

“No one really teaches you how to manage a mental health or counseling practice. As clinicians we stumble through our careers, gradually picking up shortcuts and strategies that make our lives (or those of our clients) a lot easier. Many of these useful ideas aren’t rocket science and could have been taught to us in an afternoon if anyone had thought about it. That’s what this book is for: it’s nothing more than a collection of useful basic tips … The emphasis of the book is on quick and easy strategies that can save a lot of headaches.”

This light, conversational style typifies Paterson’s everyman approach to the topic, ensuring that the book is easy to read and full of accessible ideas for anyone contemplating the possibility of working in private practice.

While some other books might launch straight into the practical side of running a private practice, Paterson predicates this by starting his book with a chapter focusing on the importance of weighing up the pros and cons of running this kind of business in the first place. Paterson lists his ten most frequently-heard arguments both for and against private practice, and I can guarantee that any mental health professional will be able to relate to at least some of this debate.

The arguments in favor are listed as:

1. No Big-Organization Hassles
2. Getting Away from the Medical Model of Distress
3. Increased Accessibility for Clients
4. You Get to See Whom You Want
5. More Money
6. Supplement Your Salaried Income
7. Flexible Hours and Holidays
8. Work Fewer Hours
9. No Commute!
10. A Service Based on Your Own Vision

Whilst the arguments against are:

1. You’ll Never Get Clients
2. You’re No Good at Networking or Marketing
3. Uncertainty About Income from Month to Month
4. You Hate All the Clerical and Business Demands
5. You Don’t Know Enough to Practice Independently
6. Dealing with Fees will be a Huge Hassle
7. You’ll be Helpless in the Face of Insurers or Funders
8. No Retirement Plan or Benefits
9. You’ll Burn Out and Won’t Have a Safety Net
10. You Won’t have a Sense of Meaning in Your Work

Paterson follows this up with a considered appraisal of what is truly involved in the day-to-day running of a successful private practice, and then allows you to make up your own mind as to whether you’re really suited to this type of business. Assuming that you are, this book then serves as a comprehensive guide to everything involved in setting up and maintaining your practice, from such subtle nuances as the ‘olfactory environment’ and placement of clocks, to website design and finance tips.

As Paterson says, many of the ideas in this book aren’t rocket science, and might initially just seem like common sense, but don’t let this be a deterrent. As you make your way through the book you’ll realize there are also countless suggestions here which will leave you wondering “Why didn’t I ever think of that before?” and feeling enlightened. One such example is the section on ‘The Client’s View,’where Paterson explains the importance of the contents of the therapist’s bookcase:

“Look at your own bookshelf from the client’s position. Notice where your eye naturally falls. These are the most salient shelves. Banish books that imply you are having significant problems yourself (Avoiding Burnout, The Wounded Healer), your introductory psychology textbooks, the trashy novels you secretly read at lunch, the books on handling problem clients, the self-help books you wouldn’t recommend to your worst enemy, and all the books on managing the finances of your private practice (including this book). Shift those books upward or downward, and replace them with scholarly books on your specialty areas of practice, books on diversity, a book or two on sexuality (this subtly gives clients to put such issues on the table), the self-help books you most frequently recommend, high-level books on practice and therapy, and other books that communicate your expertise, interests, and breadth of knowledge.”

Once you’ve thought about it this seems so obvious, but I have seen plenty of counseling rooms where this advice had clearly been sorely missed, and where business may have suffered as a result.

It is these kinds of subtle tips which can make a huge amount of difference to the way a private practice is run, and which might distinguish an outstanding business from a mediocre one. Having all of these ideas listed in one simple book is truly invaluable, and will surely offer numerous benefits to anyone in the mental health profession. I couldn’t think of anything which Paterson had missed from this book, and he even includes a link to free downloads of practice worksheets and sample forms to help you on your way. If you’ve ever considered setting up a private practice, or you’re running one already, then this book’s for you.

3 out of 5 stars.