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Do you feel pressured to start a group practice because everyone is telling you to? Instead of chasing shiny objects, have you stopped to consider what is best for you? How can you take the next right step based on where you are and where YOU want to go?
In this podcast episode, LaToya Smith speaks about whether you should start a group practice with Allison Puryear.
Podcast Sponsor: Pillars of Practice
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Meet Allison Puryear
Allison Puryear (rhymes with “career”) is a therapist who burned out on agency work & then built successful private practices in 3 wildly different markets. After her caseloads grew faster in each “saturated” market, Allison realized that practice building is not rocket science when you have clarity, confidence, & a figured-out formula. So, Allison started Abundance Practice Building to help other therapists build their own full & happy private practices – because a happy therapist is a better therapist, y’all!
Visit Abundance Practice Building and connect on Facebook and Instagram.
In This Podcast
- Is a group practice right for you?
- Do you want more money for less work?
- Contribute sustainably
Is a group practice right for you?
Always be careful about following the crowd and don’t be fooled into doing something that doesn’t fully align with you just because everyone around you is doing it. This also includes how you run your business.
Group practice is great for some therapists, and can very well be the next logical step for them in their process, but it doesn’t mean that it’s the right choice for therapists across the board.
If you’re responsible for somebody’s livelihood, there are going to be certain expectations on you, and I don’t want any group practice owner – whether they’re there with a clear intention or whether they fell into it – to be contributing to this huge problem we have in the mental health field of toxic work environments.
Allison Puryear
Don’t contribute to an already potentially stressful environment just because people tell you to.
You need to sit down with your dreams, ambitions, and desires to figure out what it is that you actually want to do, and whether it would be beneficial for you, your clients, and your potential staff.
Do you want more money for less work?
Many people step into private practice because they believe that they can make more money with less work.
You must realize that private practice is not “less work”, it’s actually a lot of work! Perhaps fewer hours directly in-session with clients, but not fewer hours working overall.
If you do want to earn more money for less work, there are other ways that you can do that without starting a private practice, such as:
- Consulting
- Selling products
- Working with groups
You don’t have to monetize [everything] … you can if you want, but I think therapists also need to learn how to chill out and do things for [themselves] that are fun.
Allison Puryear
Contribute sustainably
We live in an age where there are so many options, so you can definitely decide where you want to go based on what you want to do.
Whatever it is that you decide to spend your time doing, it needs to be sustainable. Burning yourself out in the name of success is not a success, it’s a short-term win with long-term disadvantages.
You’re hungry to do more because you want to contribute in some way and how you contribute is really important. It’s not just that you contribute, it’s how, because it’s got to be sustainable or you’ll resent the whole thing you set up.
Allison Puryear
What is your “why”? Because if you are just chasing money, it’s a never-ending journey. Having a “why” helps you to set out achievable goals.
Whatever reason makes you stand out, blow that up … that’s you, and you can have an audience for what you do.
LaToya Smith
Let some numbers be part of the guidelines, but add a structure that’s different from just money so that you don’t work without an end in sight.
Useful links mentioned in this episode:
- What’s your phase of practice? Click here to get full access, totally free!
- Visit Abundance Practice Building and connect on Facebook and Instagram.
Check out these additional resources:
- High Achieving Black Women in Practice with Dr. Mēgan Pickens | GP 170
- Practice of the Practice Network
- Group Practice Launch
- Group Practice Boss: www.practiceofthepractice.com/grouppracticeboss $149 a month
- PoP Group Practice Owners Facebook Group
- Free resources to help you start, grow, and scale
- Work with us
- Practice of the Practice Network
Meet LaToya Smith
LaToya is a consultant with Practice of the Practice and the owner of LCS Counseling and Consulting Agency in Fortworth Texas. She firmly believes that people don’t have to remain stuck in their pain or the place they became wounded. In addition to this, LaToya encourages her clients to be active in their treatment and work towards their desired outcomes.
She has also launched Strong Witness which is a platform designed to connect, transform, and heal communities through the power of storytelling.
Visit LaToya’s website. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Strong Witness Instagram, and Twitter.
Email her at [email protected]
