Building A Private Practice
Apr 12-13 & Oct 11-12, 2024
You Can Be A Therapist And Live Your Dream Life
You’ve heard it countless times: “Oh, you’re a therapist, you’ll (live a life of poverty and selfless sacrifice, get burned out, develop some weird tic, etc. etc.).”
The story varies, but so many people – especially therapists – tell you that this job begins with noble intentions, gets doused with poverty, self-sacrifice, hostile work environments and schedules and clients not of your choosing, then ends with you as a quivering lump of vicarious trauma trying to eke some joy out of gardening or yoga or something.
The best you can hope for, they imply, is a career you can counterbalance with self-care and/or numbing out. But at least you’ll be noble!
But at the same time, you see a few therapists who seem to be really happy.
They love their work
Their clients get better
They make good money
They work when and how often they want
They’re always doing cool stuff
Their practice accentuates their life. It accentuates their client’s lives. Their career isn’t something they balance with self-care – it is a valued part of a life that is self care.
The thing is, building that type of a life as a therapist is easier, less expensive, and more morally congruent than it seems. There is no secret code to crack or pricey club to join. You will need to build a thriving fee-for-service private practice, but that’s easier than it sounds once you master a few basic business management principles.
Which is where this class comes in. But first a little about us.
Meet Your Professors
Sean Davis, PhD
When I moved to California in 2006 I was broke.
We’d just finished my postdoc, and my wife and I were expecting our fourth child. I was excited to start my job as an Assistant Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy at Alliant International University, but the starting salary was shamefully low, especially for California. If we were going to make it, I’d need a pretty major side hustle.
Survival was the goal. Thriving wasn’t even on the radar.
I didn’t know anything about running a business, so I just hopped in and figured it out on the fly. It wasn’t easy. I had no money. I felt way in over my head for years. There was a lot of trial and error along the way, and endless hours of meeting with marketing professionals, accountants, lawyers, and successful colleagues.
And slowly but surely, it started to work! Our situation improved dramatically, and my practice went from being something I had to do to something I wanted to do. Today it is amazing – I work with clients I enjoy on a schedule that fits my life. And while life is by no means perfect, my practice has given me a life far better than I could have dreamed of all those years ago!
These days, those trial and error years are a distant memory. I know how to reach people that I’m best able to help, and I know how to help others do the same quickly and on a budget. I’m fortunate enough to have grown my small practice into The Davis Group Counseling and Wellness Services, one of Northern California’s most respected clinical groups.
Now that I’m established, I enjoy giving back. This class is a labor of love – a way to pay forward all the mentoring I received over the years. For this reason I keep the cost of the course low, give you everything you need to succeed in a day and a half, and nothing you don’t. There’s no signing you up for my down line, convincing you to buy some random nonsense you don’t need, or any of the other annoying practices so common these days.
Kelsey Thompson, MA
I initially joined The Davis Group as a young therapist, bringing years of diverse experience from working at an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), non-profit, and for a private practice therapist . As destiny would have it, I assumed the role of Chief Operations Officer at The Davis Group, a position I’ve held with dedication for the past couple of years.
Despite my graduate training in working with clients, therapeutic theories, and laws and ethics, the absence of formal education on running a business intrigued me. Witnessing the struggles of colleagues, friends and family members attempting to establish successful small businesses sparked my passion to learn more about the business side of therapy. I have been able to help others get their small businesses off the ground from all I have learned as the COO of the Davis Group. My passion for demystifying the challenges associated with launching and maintaining a private or group practice drew me to teach The Davis Group’s private practice course.
I take pride in my role at The Davis Group to not only contribute to its success but also extend a helping hand to aspiring therapists looking to navigate the complexities of starting and running a thriving practice. I am looking forward to helping you build your dream private practice!
Class Structure
Section 1: Envision
Section 2: Build
Section 3: Market
Section 4: Maintain
Section 5: Enjoy!
Guest Lecturers
What Others Are Saying
Building a successful practice is not hard. We’ll show you how.
Registration & Course Information
We don’t teach this course very often – usually just once a year, sometimes less. Sometimes more if people start getting restless. So if a big enough group of you are interested, let us know and we can usually put one together. Otherwise the next scheduled course is below. We’d love to see you there!
Want More Personalized Attention?
Many people get what they need from the class, whereas others want continued personalized help. We have your back! Kelsey Harter has a limited number of personal coaching spots available. She can help you as much or as little as you want. You can learn more about her services or reach out to her directly for more information.