6 Steps for Recent Graduates in Private Practice

September 2024

^{Photo Credit: Illustrations by Michael Hoeweler}

Every issue we ask a counseling student or new professional to pose a career-related question to another counseling professional who has experience in that topic. This month, Carolyn Amayo, a counselor associate at Simply Life Counseling + Coaching in Atlanta, asks Emily Ferrara, PhD, LPC, about effective strategies that help smooth the transition from graduate school to private practice. Ferrara is the founder and director of Simply Life Counseling + Coaching.

Question: 
I thrived in graduate school with the structure, deadlines and built-in support, but now that I am in private practice, I am struggling to manage my time and responsibilities. What strategies do you recommend for effectively transitioning from the structured environment of graduate school to the self-directed nature of private practice?

Answer:
The road to working in private practice can feel incredibly daunting for new graduates, but it doesn’t have to be if we simplify the process with a few small steps:

1. Begin with the end in mind. Being in private practice is a marathon, not a sprint. If you want to make it through the marathon, you need to have a clear sense of your purpose (the “why”) and your goal (the “what”). Let your ultimate destination drive the decisions you make each day.  
2. Dress for the job you want. If you want to increase your caseload to 25 clients, then you need to be in the office 25–30 hours a week now. Don’t wait for the caseload to increase first. As one of my mentors often says, “Direction, not intention, leads to the final destination.”  
3. Make the most of your time. Time blocking is a great strategy to help you maximize your time and build the practice you want. Identify the activities you need to do, such as scheduling site visits, answering emails and attending networking meetings, and then assign a specific time for each task. Some people can switch from marketing to clinical work, while others prefer having only one type of task each day. Find out what works best for you and then review which activities brought about the biggest return at the end of each month. 
4. Find good mentors. Identify counselors who are where you want to be and ask them about their career journey. Any book, podcast or resource they recommend, get it! The private practice path might be new to you so surround yourself with people you can learn from.  
5. Break down tasks into smaller steps. You didn’t do all your school assignments on the first day, so you won’t get all of your clients in the first week either. If you want 25 clients, then set an obtainable goal such as getting two to three new clients each month. Accomplishing small, doable goals like this will help you feel motivated, especially in the early months. 
6. Be adaptive. Just like how you had to adjust your learning style based on a certain professor or class in graduate school, you will need to be flexible with your business plan. While the end goal doesn’t change, sometimes the path to get there can look vastly different from what you previously planned. So, if a training program or marketing system isn’t working after several months, let it go and get advice on other options.

DISCLAIMER

Opinions expressed and statements made in this magazine by the article authors or those quoted within articles do not necessarily represent the opinions of the editors or policies of the American Counseling Association.