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Why Schedule A ConsultationI’m Christina Runnels, MA, LPC-S, LCDC, and I’ve been running a thriving solo practice, which is now a successful multi-location group practice, for years. I’ve also been doing my utmost to help my fellow private practitioners run their own practices well. If you’re still on the fence about whether or not you should schedule a private practice consultation with me, give me a call or send an email. We can schedule a 15-minute phone consultation to help you better understand why clinicians reach out to me for coaching and consultation services and how I can assist you on your private practice journey. Below, you’ll find information about some of the reasons other therapists have reached out to me in the past. I’m here to help your private practice thrive, but I don’t recommend waiting until you’ve hit a roadblock at a critical moment to get started. Instead, skip panic-mode altogether and reach out now!
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- Set Private Practice Goals: Before you open the doors of your new private practice, you should have a solid business plan with income goals that take into account your costs of doing business and fees you’ll charge in order to determine the number of clients you’ll need to see in order to cover the costs of doing business as well as providing an income you feel comfortable with. This may seem straightforward, but there are so many moving pieces involved, it can be hard to remember every expense. I’ve been through it, and I can help you set and plan to achieve your business goals in your first year, when you’re ready to grow into a group practice, and at any other point along the way.
- Develop Referral Streams: If you’ve been working in a large practice, hospital, or clinical setting, you may not have much experience with developing referral streams. This can involve devoting time to setting up meetings at local doctor’s offices or hospitals. You may also want to join community organizations like the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, or Kiwanis Club. I can help you set up a plan for finding referral sreams to keep your schedule full with clients you love working with.
- Develop a Marketing Strategy: This topic is often connected to finding referral streams, but you should take into account those clients who may find you on their own. If a person plugs your name or a keyword set like “therapy near me” into a search engine, will they find you online? Do you have cards and/or brochures available for your local clinics, hospitals, and other businesses or individuals who may be interested in learning more about you? I can help you to answer these questions and more in order to develop and maintain a great marketing strategy that brings in those clients you are best able to serve.
- Prepare for Insurance Processing & Credentialing: Many clients are looking for a clinician who will accept the insurance they’ve invested in. While credentialing with insurance companies can be a hassle, you’d be surprised how much of a client’s decision making process is based on whether or not the provider accepts their insurance. If you’re not going to be a credentialed provider, you should still be prepared to help your patients with claims processing, so they can receive reimbursements from their insurer to offset some of the costs of their visit. During a consultation, we can determine whether or not you should consider credentialing and how to handle insurance processing for those insurers you’re not credentialed with.
- Understand Practice Management Tools & Technologies: There are so many resources and technologies out there that promise to make your practice run like a dream, and most of them will deliver once you understand how best to utilize them. However, finding the right one and learning how to use the software or new technology can be a real struggle. I can help you with electronic health records, billing software, and more to ensure your business takes advantage of these available technologies in order to run smoothly.
- Get Feedback & Support: Sometimes, you just don’t feel 100% confident you’re on track. That’s only natural when starting out in a whole new area of practice. During consultations, we can take time to review your current plans, and I will provide feedback to help you make adjustments or just help you feel completely confident before you move forward.
- Don’t Reinvent the Wheel: Perhaps the best reason to set up a consultation appointment is avoiding doing unnecessary work. I’ve been through many of the challenges you are likely to face in private practice, and I’ve figured out how to overcome these obstacles. You can go through that same lengthy process on your own, or we can work together to create a plan for you to avoid many private practice obstacles altogether.