I have recently begun my own private practice, and it\u2019s not been easy. I joined with a friend who had already taken care of most of the initial requirements for a start-up business. So the hard part was already over- so I thought. The process of getting my name out as an associate of the practice began to make me feel as if I am putting myself out there like in online dating. You know; have a catchy tag line about myself, briefly describe myself and the services I provide, my history of practice experience along with education, etc. It was quite uncomfortable initially. I hesitated telling people that I had started a new venture. I felt self-conscious and wondered if I was capable of doing the job I had set out to do. I wondered if I would get any \u2018interests\u2019, as it is referred to in the online dating world. Just as people browse through your profile online, so too did people ask about the practice. But getting that \u2018like\u2019 or \u2018expressed interest\u2019 was not easy. The more time that went by, the more I began to question the decision. Finally, a referral came through, and I had my first client. I had to be on my \u201cA Game\u201d, because this person could potentially give out good or bad reviews. It could either become a long term relationship, or one short lived- and we would both go our separate ways. At this point, a light bulb came on- I realized that in order to present the best part of me, I just had to be confident and real. I am not perfect, and I don\u2019t know everything, but I needed to show that I was capable of providing the service. Scratch that, I KNOW I am capable. Just like meeting someone from the online world for a coffee or dinner, we put our best foot forward, so too would I need to in the private practice realm. And, if the rapport is there, a clinical relationship can be built. If the fit isn\u2019t right, understanding that it\u2019s okay and others will come. It\u2019s just a matter of time. People will peruse through credentials and professional experience, and if they feel they can relate or click, they\u2019ll connect. If not, they\u2019ll continue to the next profile.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I have recently begun my own private practice, and it\u2019s not been easy. I joined with a friend who had already taken care of most of the initial requirements for a start-up business. So the hard part was already over- so I thought. The process of getting my name out as an associate of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1001027,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[409],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-privatepractice"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n