Anthony Centore

Counselors have run cash practices since the beginning of psychoanalysis. Today, however, a wave of change is occurring wherein clients are, more than ever, demanding that their counselors accept health insurance. There are many reasons for this, but consider these three points: 1) In tough economic times, clients have less discretionary cash. 2) Mental health parity means that counseling is almost always a covered health care benefit. 3) As counseling has established itself as an important medical service, clients now see their counselors in the same light as their family physicians (who have always accepted insurance). Although these changes have been going on for years, a tipping point has taken place. Today’s clients aren’t sheepishly asking, “Will you accept my insurance?” They’re demanding it.

Medical credentialing (the process of getting on insurance panels) is a hassle for many health providers. In response to this, several credentialing software companies have popped-up over the last few years, promising that their software will make the credentialing process easier. But will it?

I’m often asked how to build a full caseload, frequently with an implicit skepticism, as in, “In this economic climate, it’s impossible!” Yet, some practices are still so full they have waiting lists. What follows are 40-plus quick tips for filling your client roster. They’re a mile wide and an inch deep, but the ideas are a good jumping off point.

I have profiles on Youtube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Digg, Reddit, Technorati, Ning, Squidoo, XING, Yahoo Answers, MySpace, Yedda, Furl, Blogger, Wordpress, StumbleUpon, del.icio.us, Yelp, Knol, Facebook, Orkut, Foursquare, and Skype… to name a few.

According to Salary.com, the average Licensed Professional Counselor working in Cambridge, Massachusetts makes $39,778 a year*. That’s beyond bleak. For a city where a 900 square foot apartment can run over $400,000, it’s dismal. Is this our fate? Financially speaking, are counselors better off getting jobs at Wal-mart? I don’t think so. With good practice planning, counselors can do better. For many, earning over $100,000 profit in year two of private practice is an obtainable goal. In this article, we’re going to look at the financial aspects of running a private counseling practice.