Finding a great supervisor is an absolute non-negotiable…

…and that may not always be possible in your current work environment. You may have a work supervisor who is checking your notes, reviewing treatment plans, and meeting with you as required by the state, but they may not truly have you’re long term professional development in mind. Unfortunately, they may simply see supervision as a necessary component of their role leaving you feeling under supported. Even if you have a wonderful work supervisor, it may not be appropriate (or wise) to explore your long-term desire to own your own practice one day!

That’s where outside supervision can come in to support you. Supplemental supervision still counts towards your 3000 hours, but we will focus on different areas of your professional development while you continue meeting with your work supervisor to review your notes, treatment plans, and work load (1 hour of supervision for every 2 hours of direct client contact). We can still review and discuss clinical conceptualization, interventions, diagnostic considerations, and documentation, but we will prioritize your long-term goals and well being as well.

What if I want to own a private practice right from the start? Can I do that?

The short answer is YES! In Ohio, an LPC can own their own private practice, as long as they are working under the clinical supervision of an LPCC-S. Now there are several things to consider prior to making a decision like this as a new clinician.

Considerations may include:

Financial: Many new counselors learn little to nothing about owning a business in graduate school. The idea of a lighter clinical load and more autonomy is a common reason for wanting to own you own practice. Many clinicians do not know how to price their services, don’t realize they can not accept insurance until independently licensed, and may struggle with the normal ebbs and flows of client work. A solo practice owner has to save for taxes, find their own health insurance, if not covered by a partner’s employer, cover the overhead of the business, and then pay themselves.

Clinical: In many larger group practices, agencies, and hospital environment, your are buffered by the team approach to care, CEU trainings, and direct, even daily access to your supervisor. This can have many advantages and provide a wonderful foundation from which to grow. However, good clinical support in solo practice as a new LPC is also possible with careful planning and devoted support from someone like me. We will need to add the note and treatment plan review and approval process to your supervision agreement and establish the role in the EHR system you intend to use (I use Sessions Health and can share a link). Many EHRs allow you to establish yourself as a supervisee and will push notices to your supervisor to review and approve your notes.

Life: Building a business is no joke! It takes a lot of dedication and commitment. Building takes time. Marketing in the current environment of AI and SEO can feel like you’re never going to be seen much less found by your ideal clients. There may be times you can’t pay yourself and managing all the triggers around self-worth, money, and abundance can be hard. This is why being in therapy early in your career is so helpful! While we can discuss the ins and outs of owning a practice, I highly recommend working with a therapist to work through deeper issues stemming from money, family of origin issues, and the stress of carving your own path in this industry. You may also have other areas of life that you are trying to balance like new parenthood, aging parents, physical challenges, and your own mental health that are needing your attention.

While certainly not impossible, add in being a new clinician, and it’s A LOT to weigh.

The Positives of Private Practice

However, there are lots of positives as well and I’ve known several early professionals who started this way and now own thriving, large, group practices! There is no rule that says you have to weather low paying, agency job with a ridiculous case load just because graduate schools tend to funnel everyone there (which in so many ways doesn’t even make sense, but I digress). Getting your early experience in a group practice or taking the plunge to own your own business can be a wonderful path especially with good support.