Starting a Therapy Private Practice as a New Graduate

I started my therapy career in a different place than most.

When I graduated from my masters program, I decided to start my own therapy private practice.

The majority of therapists start their careers working for mental health organizations, health care agencies, or group practices.

I was offered jobs, but the pay for new graduates was low — lower than what I had made as a high school art teacher.

For the few jobs that did pay better, the caseloads and client hour requirements were brutal. I didn’t want to start my therapy career underpaid and overworked.

A friend helped me run the numbers and it was abundantly clear I could make far more money with less hours in a private practice.

My next step was to figure out if I could legally start my own practice. I reached out to therapists and professors. I received conflicting information. Some professors informed me it was not legal, others told me to go for it, and some argued that it did not comply with governing board policies.

At first, I was enraged that there wasn’t a clear response. However, I soon learned that state laws and governing policies are constantly changing. It’s difficult to stay up with the updates, let alone the variances between different states.

I decided to research the laws within my state, as well as the guidelines for each of the therapy boards I would be reporting to. I…