Four tips to help you build your ideal private practice

21 May 2025

Starting private practice is exciting but can feel very daunting. Imposter syndrome, riskiness of self employment, business mindset, solo working – so much to contend with! The blocks can feel so overwhelming, it can be hard to just get started. Another blog on tackling these will be coming soon, but in the meantime, here are four tips to hold in mind while you’re setting up.

(1) Stay on track – identify your why

This might seem incredibly simple, but a key thing that kept me going when I was starting my private practice, and what I’d urge you to do as well, is identify your why. This is your motivation, your driving force. Knowing your ‘why’ will help get you started and keep you going.

So, spend some time reflecting on these questions: What is your why for setting up private practice? What excites you about doing this? What will it bring you? What could it change for you?

Whether you write them on post it notes around your laptop, stick ‘em on your wall, have pop ups on your phone, or just hold the thought of them, keep these whys at the front of your mind.

(2) Build the practice you want – decide your ideal schedule and hold that boundary.

Sometimes you might only have specific times outside of other commitments to offer sessions and it can take time to work towards what your ideal schedule looks like. But often what drives new therapists’ scheduling choices is a combination of fear, a scarcity mindset and a ‘rescuer’ mentality; fear that they won’t get clients unless they work at certain times; a worry that this might be the only enquiry they get, so have to say yes; and a pull to offer everyone who enquiries a session because they want to help. All these can lead to you ending up with a schedule that doesn’t really work for you, that takes away from how you want to be spending your time, and that can eventually lead to burning out.

A key thing of moving into private practice and being my own boss, was the autonomy to work when and how I wanted. Knowing myself, my needs and when I was at my best, is really important in order to hold the intent focus and emotional space needed for this work. My energy and time are so important to me, and I want to listen to and honour them.

If you’re newly in private practice or thinking of starting, set boundaries that work for you and align with what you want your practice to look like. If your boundaries don't work for clients, it means they're not an ideal client (for you), not that your boundaries are wrong.

(3) Dream big – what does your future life in private practice look like?

Sometimes it’s a financial and practical necessity to just get the bare basics of private practice up and running and letting the rest unfold from there. However, I think there is also value in taking a little more time and space to imagine what you want your practice to look like down the line. I say this as someone who didn’t do this (because of the aforementioned practicalities and financial needs) but wishes they had. I know that I like doing multiple things and having various projects, and in hindsight realise that had I thought ahead, even just a little, to what I might want my practice to become, I could’ve made different choices and saved time when it came to making those things happen. I heard someone say recently to plant ideas to the size of the container you want them to grow to, and I love that.

(4) Connect – find community

Finally, solo working in private practice can be a lonely place. I was lucky to be setting up my practice alongside peers from my training to share the highs and lows with. However, not everyone has this. If that’s true for you, I’d suggest finding this support elsewhere – local therapist groups or online facebook communities can be a good place to start.

Also, my coworking sessions! These are a space specifically for therapists and counsellors currently setting up, or thinking of setting up, their private practice. You might be about to qualify, newly qualified, or have been working in an employed role and now feel ready to start your own practice. Whatever stage of the setting up journey you're at, you are welcome to join. (The sessions are free but you have to sign up).