Are you currently in Grad School, but are wanting to go into private practice when you graduate? Q&A was part of Next Level Practice, the most supportive community for therapists starting a private practice. In this video, Joe answers the question based on how to prepare for private practice in grad school.

Question: How to Prepare for Private Practice in Grad School?

Mike: I’m just about to start Grad School and I know that private practice is something I want to do at some point. I’ve got kind of a varied background: I’ve got a degree in public relations, and I’m finishing up an accounting program. So I’m just trying to pull together all these things that I’m interested in and how to best utilize them to grow.

Preparing for Private Practice in Grad School Answer

Joe: What kind of practice do you think you want to eventually open?

Mike: I think it probably wouldn’t be kids, I don’t really feel that’s my jam. But it would probably be young adults, high school students, college students, and adults.

Joe: Okay, so I would start to ask yourself right now, ‘What’s a problem that high school students or young adults are dealing with, that you could help with?’ And so, that may be that you offer a coaching or consulting program, or case management program that helps people in that area. For a while, we actually had a Bachelor’s level Social Worker that worked at Mental Wellness Counseling as a coach, and she would help with basically becoming an adult. So she would teach kids how to shop for groceries as well as what the basics are of becoming an adult. Then, they would also talk through kind of blockades from a coaching, not a counseling, perspective. You can start to create content, like blog posts or Facebook lives, around that. Start to build an audience and some clients so that when you become a fully licensed counselor, or a limited licensed counselor, you already have a built-in network. You also then already know a lot of the referral sources that are in town.

Joseph R. Sanok, MA, LLP, LPC, NCC

Joe Sanok is an ambitious results expert. He is a private practice business consultant and counselor that helps small businesses and counselors in private practice to increase revenue and have more fun! He helps owners with website design, vision, growth, and using their time to create income through being a private practice consultant. Joe was frustrated with his lack of business and marketing skills when he left graduate school. He loved helping people through counseling, but felt that often people couldn’t find him. Over the past few years he has grown his skills, income, and ability to lead others, while still maintaining an active private practice in Traverse City, MI. To link to Joe’s Google+ .