How do I start a private practice as a clinical social worker?

August 24, 2008 5:31 PM

I am a clinical social worker looking to start a private practice. Are there any good books that cover the basics on how to do this? if you are in private practice, how did you start? What are the main things I should know? Is it possible to make a living doing this? Should managed care be avoided?

I have worked as a school social worker for many years. I specialize in adolescents and addictions counseling. Can I make a living without having to have another job? How many hours do you work as a therapist? Is it isolating? Boring? Emotionally taxing? (More than agency work?)
How do you market and promote your practice? I took a seminar about this and it turned out to be a shill for becoming a life coach - that is something I do not want to do.
I would like to do something with online/distance therapy - does anyone have any experience doing this?
If you are in therapy, what made you choose your therapist?

posted by marlys27 to work & money (4 comments total)

follow-up from a MeFite who would prefer to remain anonymous.

For what its worth; a number of our agency therapists seemingly don't make the cut as cleanly as they would like. Many of them come back (within a year), continue doing temp work, or work at another agency that will offer more flexibility and a clean cut from our agency.

A few do seem to make the cut cleanly, but take existing clients with them. It doesn't appear very ethical, and I question where they will end up with standards like that.

posted by jessamyn at 6:07 PM on August 24, 2008

I am not any kind of therapist or doctor. However, I know a few and their headaches in this area.

Go to your friendly neighborhood library and do some basic small business research and also find out your best local resources for understanding the market where you are. If you have any mentors from your school days, reach out to them - they may have friends with advice for you.

Sorry about the life-coach thing - sounds awful. If the business ref desk at a library sent you that way, well, all that we know is at an end.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 8:30 PM on August 24, 2008

My therapist is on my insurance, and when I did not have insurance was flexible about payment and willing to work with me in that regard. He had a regular schedule and was able to guarantee that I could go every Thursday at 2:15 for the foreseeable future, and let me know his vacation schedule very far in advance. After our first meeting, he let me take time to decide if I wanted to see him regularly, and didn't try to force the issue. He was upfront about his training and background (old school Freudian) but demonstrated that he was up-to-date with research and willing to try various approaches to help me get better.

The rest had to do more with personal compatibility, and wouldn't really apply to your situation.
posted by sondrialiac at 11:01 AM on August 25, 2008

I recently heard a talk by Casey Truffo. Her website is called Be A Wealthy Therapist. I know that she does a lot of work with MFT's (including some free speeches and articles) but the same things would apply to private practice social worker..
posted by metahawk at 8:41 PM on September 3, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]