A Step by Step Guide to Opening a Private Counselling Practice in Canada
Opening a Private Counselling Practice can certainly feel confusing and overwhelming!
There are so many steps and options as to how to open a business and many paths to reach private practice success and it is not ‘a one size fits all’ approach.
One of the first steps to consider after completion of graduate school and becoming a registered and licensed counsellor is to determine if you want to build a solo practice, or join an established group counselling practice. This can be a tricky decision- pros and cons certainly can exist for both options and this is a common area new graduates need support.
A group practice can be very supportive and already have systems in place to easily begin private fee for service counselling. Sometimes supervision is included in a group practice setting and it can feel like a ‘turn key’ business- meaning you just show up and work and have many referrals and or even a full schedule with minimal personal marketing efforts.
Some of the limitations could include lack of a focused client population, less pay (than working for yourself) and less flexibility over your schedule.
A solo private practice can certainly feel very autonomous and empowering. You can make all of the decisions around who you want to work with (and who you don’t) and you can make more money per session than in a group practice.
The drawback of being on your own is having all of the responsabilty of running your own business and generating your own referrals. You also need to consider how to create a connection to community with other health professionals and where to see supervision.
If you decide to venture out into a solo practice there are many exciting decisions to make such as deciding on a business name, finding an office to practice, and branding your business- including creating a website and developing marketing materials.
Regardless if you decide to get started on your own or join a group there are many decisions that will need to be considered. If you need some help in getting started in the process consider reaching out to me to book a one to one session here.