Many psychologists and counsellors are interested in establishing themselves in private practice either full-time or part-time but are unsure of how to proceed. In this course a psychologist in private practice will overview the essential requirements and possible pitfalls that need to be addressed for the establishment of a successful private practice. This valuable course covers location, set-up costs, legal and ethical issues, insurance, record-keeping, business structures, accounting, marketing and advertising.

Course Content

The course will give a general overview the following topics:

• Introduction to the micro business sector
• Building a business plan
• Establishing a vision
• The entrepreneurial and business mindset
• Marketing and advertising
• Push versus pull marketing
• Diversifying and adding value
• Financial planning and accounting
• Professional, legal and ethical issues
• Ongoing maintenance

Participants need to be aware that the course is designed to be an introduction to the general aspects of establishing a private practice and not just the Better Access to Mental Health Care initiative under Medicare.

Having canvassed the needs of all participants the presenter may chose to cover some topics in more details depending on the needs of the group.

Course Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will have developed:

• Knowledge of the laws surrounding client work for psychologists/counsellors
• An appreciation of the ethical issues involved in private work
• Skills in appropriate record-keeping and accounting
• An understanding of appropriate business structures
• Marketing strategies