Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
What are the potential markers that you need to look out for to move from a solo practice to a group practice? How do you find and hire great clinicians? What are the simple tricks to hugely boosting your marketing efforts?
In this podcast episode from the Level Up Series, Joe Sanok speaks about how to start a group practice with panelists.
Podcast Sponsor: Alma
As a clinician, you probably chose this field because you wanted to support people in navigating challenges and finding personal growth. But many mental health care providers end up spending almost as much time on billing, insurance, and other documentation as you do in sessions with clients.
That’s where Alma can help.
Alma supports clinicians in building rewarding private practices—with simplified insurance credentialing in under 45 days, enhanced reimbursement rates, and guaranteed two-week payback.
Plus, a free profile in their searchable, filterable directory—making it easy for clients who are the right fit for your practice to find you.
Learn more about how Alma could support you in building a thriving private practice at helloalma.com/joe.
Meet Vicki Anagnostopoulos
Dr. Vicki provides active support through guidance and feedback to help address short- or long-term challenges. She specializes in treating adults with anxiety, perfectionism, sport- or performance-related concerns, and burnout. Dr. Vicki often sees clients who don’t feel “good enough,” have family-of-origin or multicultural concerns, experience relationship challenges, or are going through life transitions. Additionally, she strives to provide a secure environment where one can develop insight to better understand and ideally change patterns that interfere with happiness and fulfillment. Visit The Perfect Therapy Group and connect on Psychology Today.
Meet Coralis Solomon
As the heart behind Self-Compassion Pathways, Carolis has envisioned a sanctuary where individuals can gracefully navigate life’s challenges with kindness as their compass. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with over a decade of experience. Carolis has had the privilege of providing therapy to adults and couples, guiding them towards healing and growth. Visit Self-Compasion Pathways and connect on Psychology Today.
Meet Todd Bockarie
Todd Bockarie is currently a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of New Jersey. He’s been working in the Mental Health field since 2013 and now currently specializing in working with Athletes that live with Depression, Anxiety, Behavioral/Adjustment Disorders and other common Mental Health Disorders. Visit Elite Mental Wellness and connect on Psychology Today.
Meet Christina Blanton
Christina Blanton is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist. She works with kids, teens and women. Christina specializes in working with those who struggle with anxiety and can offer Christian counseling to those who request it.
Christina uses person-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, play therapy and a touch of sarcasm when working with clients. She enjoys meeting people where they are and as they are.
Visit Connected Families Counseling and connect on Psychology Today.
Meet Dr. Milo Wilson
Milo Wilson is the founder of Transformations Counseling and a licensed clinical psychologist in Virginia. He received my PhD in Clinical Psychology from Ohio University and completed his postdoctoral fellowship in LGBT Veteran Healthcare at the Milwaukee Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He started Transformations as a part-time practice in 2018 and has enjoyed growing the practice over the years.
Visit Transformations Counseling and connect on Psychology Today.
- Spotting the potential to scale and level up
- Smart decisions early on to help you grow well
- Marketing the new group practice
- How soon to bring on admin assistance
- How to find and hire clinicians
- Panelists’ advice to listeners
Spotting the potential to scale and level up
Last summer, my practice filled up really fast, to the point where I had to start slowing down my marketing and slowing down the intakes I was doing, because I didn’t have enough time, you know? (Todd Bockarie)
Todd knew that he was working in his niche and that it was time for him to expand when he just kept filling up – to the point where he had to reduce his marketing efforts because he was running out of slots to fill clients into.
Once he was building up a waiting list and referring clients, he knew that he had to broaden and expand his practice to take on more clients.
For Coralis, it was more of a personal desire to expand professionally.
I also was inspired by a colleague of mine that had taken those steps … She gave me that inspiration and jump that I needed to do [it]. For me, it was about accessibility, and for people to reach me and use their insurance. (Coralis Solomon)
Smart decisions early on to help you grow well
Even though every decision will teach you something, it does help to learn from others and to be selective about your choices so that you don’t have to run through the same problems that everybody else has.
Being smart about your decisions, by learning from a colleague or a consultant, can help you to level up much faster and more securely than if you are trying to invent the wheel and do something from the beginning at every point on the journey.
We knew that this was ultimately what we wanted to do … We found some resources that were helpful but it was a lot of Googling, and then we saw this program … And it was like, “Wow, this sounds amazing!” [with that], there’s a system in place. (Christina Blanton)
Christina signed up to do a Practice of the Practice Next Level Practice group, which helped them to skip the hurdles and do things alongside an experienced consultant.
Marketing the new group practice
Vicki’s practice has a strong niche, so marketing wasn’t a huge challenge. She was marketing to the same areas from her solo practice, just expanding it to accommodate more clients.
She also made a bigger effort in boosting her referral and network source so that more professionals in her community knew about her, and could refer clients to her practice.
I really think about it from a boots on the ground perspective, and really creating personal connections with people … [Like] doctors, physical therapists, I’ll connect with nutritionists as well, so it really depends on who are the ancillary people that my ideal client tends to interact with? So I tried to network with those folks who might be good referral sources. (Vicki Anagnostopoulos)
Vicki also adjusted her website so that her SEO was stronger and more thorough, allowing more clients to find her through Google searches.
For Milo, when he went full-time in private practice, his network was strong enough and his practice name and niche were well-known enough in the community for him to fully lean on his practice and be supported by it.
Milo got involved in some groups as well, which spread the word about his practice even further.
I think another thing that was very helpful … When I launched full-time I did a website revamp with Brighter Vision, they took care of all the SEO, and that really increased my website traffic and got a lot of more people in the door that way. (Milo Wilson)
How soon to bring on admin assistance
Let the numbers guide you; how much do you charge clients per hour session?
And how much would you pay an admin per hour? It’ll be worth it to invest in an admin assistant to answer the phone, and the emails, and manage small tasks while you do what only you can do – therapy in your private practice.
In a few sessions, your admins will have paid for themselves.
I would actually try to onboard an admin as soon as you’re looking to hire [another clinician] so you can onboard the admin and then have processes starting to get in place as best you can. So start earlier than you think you might want to! (Vicki Anagnostopoulos)
When you want to hire clinicians and you are nervous about it because you may be a new group practice owner, be transparent with them. Let them know that you’re in the process of building the practice, so they may not be coming on with an immediately full caseload.
The plan is in a month or two you might have two to three clients, and then we’ll build as time goes. What I’ve noticed is that [the clinicians] … are okay with that … So I think transparency is very important. (Todd Bockarie)
Joe and the POP team’s advice is to start looking to hire when you are 60% full.
How to find and hire clinicians
Some of Todd’s advice;
- Have the job description in order
- Have the contract written up
- Get your attorney to review the contract before starting to hire
- Market the jobs within your network or on platforms like Indeed
- Do some research on a candidate if their resume sticks out to you
- Conduct interviews with your favorable candidates, either in-person or virtual, and check their references
- Start the onboarding process
Depending on your availability, you could probably get a new clinician onboarded within two to three weeks
Panelists’ advice to listeners
Join a community that supports you and your growth. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, and you don’t need to do this on your own! There are loads of resources and professionals available to assist you.
Reach out below, or find a community near you to begin working with so that you can enjoy your path to practice success.
Sponsors Mentioned in this episode:
- Learn more about how Alma could support you in building a thriving private practice at helloalma.com/joe.
Useful links mentioned in this episode:
- Sign Up for Group Practice Launch!
- Check out Gusto!
- Find out more about POP Memberships.
Check out these additional resources:
LUW Series: From Solo Practice to Group Success | POP 1110
Events – click on the event’s dropdown
Sign up to join the free webinars and events here
Practice of the Practice Podcast Network
Free resources to help you start, grow, and scale
Apply to work with us — a decision-making matrix for your next steps
Meet Joe Sanok
Joe Sanok helps counselors to create thriving practices that are the envy of other counselors. He has helped counselors to grow their businesses by 50-500% and is proud of all the private practice owners who are growing their income, influence, and impact on the world. Click here to explore consulting with Joe.
Thanks For Listening!
Feel free to leave a comment below or share the social media below!
