The DIY Private Practice Owner
As a solo private practice owner, we often enter business with a strong do-it-yourself mindset. Part of being an entrepreneur is being a self-starter—a go-getter, a mover and shaker. And while that drive is often what allows your dream of owning a private practice to become a reality, doing everything on your own can quickly become overwhelming.
Starting a private practice—and any business, for that matter—requires a certain level of business awareness. This includes bookkeeping, accounting, management, tracking key performance indicators, networking, marketing, blogging, search engine optimization, advertising, social media management…the list goes on.
When you look at that list, you’ll notice something important: none of those roles say counselor or therapist.
Successful Private Practice Owner= Solid Business Owner
Running a successful private practice requires more than being a great clinician. You also have to function as a business owner.
Part of being a successful business owner may mean outsourcing certain key areas of your practice—especially those you’re not passionate about, feel weak in, or simply aren’t well-informed on. Being able to admit this isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of awareness that additional support is needed from someone who knows more than you do in that area.
When It’s Time to Outsource
Much like therapy, we are experts in our own field. Someone can read a book on EMDR or The Body Keeps the Score and walk away with useful insights, but that doesn’t make them a licensed professional counselor. They haven’t gone through the years of training required to hold that role.
The same applies to specialty areas. Early on, many practice owners design their own logo using Canva. If you’ve done this, no worries—but it may be worth reaching out to a brand developer who can help refine or redefine it. Take a look at your mission, vision, and values and ensure they align with your branding. If you haven’t created a logo yet, I would strongly suggest not doing it on your own. Hire someone who understands branding and can create something sustainable—something that will last beyond a basic Canva design. And please…no lotus flowers or butterflies.
Another area to consider outsourcing is bookkeeping and accounting. If you’re in solo private practice and plan to stay there, basic bookkeeping using a platform like QuickBooks may be manageable. However, if expansion is on your radar, I highly recommend bringing in a certified bookkeeper or accountant to help keep the financial side of your business organized and under control.
Lastly, one area I truly wish I had outsourced earlier is my website and search engine optimization. While I’ve learned a great deal over time, my knowledge still doesn’t compare to that of an SEO expert. When it comes to SEO and website development, people devote years and years to learning this specialty and staying sharp in their industry. This is their niche—what they’ve built entire careers around. While you can learn quite a bit on your own, there is a method to the madness behind what happens on the back end of a website. I learned this the hard way and wish I had invested in this support much sooner.
It’s Time to Outsource
So what’s the moral of the story? Consider outsourcing.
Many of us hesitate to spend money paying someone else to do something we believe we can learn through YouTube or even ChatGPT. But the reality is this: your time is expensive. The hours spent trying to understand the difference between a heading and a subheading, a meta description, or a URL slug could be hours spent in the therapy room actually generating revenue.
Think about your hourly rate. Think about your private-pay session fee. Now consider how many hours you would save by outsourcing to someone who can do the job in half the time it would take you.
This isn’t a knock against you. It’s simply an important consideration as you decide where to invest financially—not as a risk, but as an investment—in your business.
With thoughtful investment often comes meaningful reward.