Anthony Centore

While some counselors today are reaching for their pens and notepads, others are reaching for their laptops. With the help of Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Practice Management (PM) software, counselors are trashing their metal filing cabinets and announcing that they’re “going green!” Eco-friendship aside, a good EHR-PM program can help a practice to organize files, improve treatment planning, measure client sessions and attrition, monitor client balances and accounts relievable, track authorizations, file insurance claims, schedule appointments, and more…or at least that’s what it says on the box!

I don’t like risk, and the risks of opening a new practice are many. We need the right location, the right staff, the right operations, the right credentialing, and even the right marketing. The failure of any one of these key areas will cripple the project. While risk abounds, I try not to fear it, and over the years I’ve improved (perhaps only slightly) in my ability to access and manage it. In this column, I’ll write what I know about risk as it relates to business in the counseling profession.

A question I’m often asked by counselors is whether they should specialize. That is, should they focus their counseling practice in a specific area? It’s a hard question to answer, as even successful business people disagree. In this column, I’ll describe four ways that counselors can specialize, and offer some insights into how specializing can help (or hurt) a counseling practice.

Benjamin Franklin is known for his strict schedule. His personal notes show that he was asleep at 10pm, awake at 5am—and he spent most of his waking hours working, or reviewing his tasks. Starting a counseling practice isn’t a 40-hour a week job. Successful entrepreneurs either “Do the Franklin,” or burn the midnight oil. Or both! This is because an aspiring counselor-entrepreneur must stay relevant with the practice of counseling while learning (and executing) the myriad aspects of running a business (e.g., enacting a business plan, managing finances, setting up an office, getting the word out, etc.).

I often talk about the benefits of starting a private practice. However, owning your own business isn’t for everyone, and working for a counseling agency is not an inferior alternative. Listed below are 4 reasons to not start a private practice. If any one of the following applies to you, starting a practice may be a bad fit. 1) I need money now!