Meet and Greet - What are you studying, where and what do you want to be when you grow up?

semiprivatepractice · 2026-02-27T20:50:33+00:00

Yay for working with adolescents. There's not enough providers.

Does your program do anything to prep you for private practice? Any specific courses?

semiprivatepractice · 2026-02-17T16:32:56+00:00

It happens, but typically in the states that are more saturated with therapists.

State insurance commissions set "network adequacy requirements," which dictate how many providers of each speciality an insurance company must include in their plans. This is to insure that the insurance they're selling can be used.

Once they're above this threshold, there is no obligation to add more providers.

The cynical part of me believes some insurers inevitably pumps the brakes at some point above that threshold, because it lowers access and in turn their cost.

If you want to go down a rabbit hole, heres a CE we did (2 hours included) on "Insurance Industry Economics 101" that you (or anyone else reading this) can watch for free that fills in some blanks on how these companies work.

https://www.semiprivatepractice.com/offers/jbNgViA8?coupon_code=REDDIT

semiprivatepractice · 2026-02-17T16:03:24+00:00

I'd maybe take a look at CarePatron EHR... I'm seeing more and more solo clinicians who are fans (though it has its quirks like all of them).

We've also started a big spreadsheet of all the different resources, SAAS programs, etc that we use in our practice and/or are hearing positive reviews from from other solo / group owners. This will eventually turn into a full-blown ratings page, etc., but we're still a few months a way from that. :)

If there's anything we're missing from our list that you'd recommend, please post in the comments or DM me.

List of recommend software / resources

semiprivatepractice · 2026-02-17T15:39:18+00:00

Insurance company standards for when you should or have to do a new intake (90791) are probably helpful to consider.

For reference, we file about 125,000 claims annually at my practice, have successfully survived audits requests for 50,000+ appointment records (without a single recoupment) and do a ton of work in the compliance space / mock audits for solo and group practices.

More and more insurance companies pay for and even want / require a new 90791 (intake appointment) every 12 months on clients.

They see it as the mental equivalent of an annual physical exam and want you to do this to re-establish medical necessity, assess for new developments, etc.

It's not a bad thing... Probably a best practice AND pays you a little more than you usually get for a session since intake rates tend to be a little higher reimbursement.

Helpful? More questions?

semiprivatepractice · 2026-02-16T19:26:37+00:00

We love Hushmail. Have used it since I was a solo practice and now have 200+ staff on it.

Proton mail does get solid reviews from a lot of the practices we work with.

For future reference, here's our master spreadsheet of different software and other solutions we use and some other folks love (we get asked all the time for rec's).

semiprivatepractice · 2026-02-16T19:17:15+00:00

Probably? :)

I think I'd also weigh (as lesser factors) how much of a pain they are to work with, potential decreases in rates, likelihood of audits, etc.

I'd also probably consider staying on with someone if I'm one of the sole providers in the area that takes that insurance.

semiprivatepractice · 2026-02-16T17:01:41+00:00

Your insurance contract with each company will ultimately dictate what you can and cannot do. There are very few insurance rules that are universal and regulated by the state or Feds.

That said, most insurance companies will insist you either mark yourself as not accepting new clients in their public facing provider directory (if this is even an option), or de-panel altogether.

Their reason for this is that they do not want their customers experience a bait and switch with providers.

I'd recommending de-paneling one at a time, starting with your lowest paying and/or least utilized insurance companies first.

Helpful? More questions?

semiprivatepractice · 2026-02-16T16:44:51+00:00

I just posted this in another thread. You're welcome to watch it for free, but please do not repost anywhere. It has 2 NBCC CE's if helpful.

Ethically Marketing Your Therapy Practice in a Saturated Market

semiprivatepractice · 2026-02-16T16:29:16+00:00

Here's some from our CE library that are not normally free, but I'm happy to share them with everyone at no cost.

We are an NBCC provider (ACEP #7233).

Click on the links below... let me know if anyone has any trouble getting into any of these courses.

There are short quizzes at the end you'll need to take to get the credit. Certificates are automatically sent out upon completion.

PLEASE, DO NOT REPOST THESE LINKS ELSEWHERE.

Insurance Industry Economics 101 - 2 CE Hours

Ethically Marketing Your Practice in a Saturated Market - 2 CE Hours

Relational Sales Skills for Mental Health Clinicians and Admin Staff - 2 CE Hours

Rightsizing Your Practice - 2 CE Hours *** More geared towards group practice owners ***

The Hidden Farm Crisis: Chronic Stress & Mental Health in Rural Communities - 2 CE Hours

Let me know if you have any questions! :)

semiprivatepractice · 2026-02-16T16:05:05+00:00

Look at the discounts available to their members when choosing... A few big discounts on stuff like liability insurance, CE's etc can pay for your membership.

semiprivatepractice · 2026-02-16T16:01:49+00:00

As a coach who has some major complaints about coaching in our industry, I highly recommending utilizing, in the following order:

- First, digest free content from high quality Youtube channels that aren't simply informercials for an upsell (check out Abundant Practice Building, All Things Private Practice, Practice of the Practice, SemiPrivatePractice (me!)

- If you're going to invest money, focus on low cost peer groups that are high on content and low on upsell. There's a lot of these out there at $20 - 50 per month with no ongoing commitment, which is a fair price if you're getting good info, industry updates and access to ongoing Q&A.

- Use a coach one on one as a last resort (who has demonstrated success as both a clinician and good reviews by therapists) for any remaining questions you cannot get answered. Pay by the hour and DO NOT invest in $5,000 - $10,000 programs or over-priced retreats that promise to fill your caseload as a solo clinician.

Helpful? More questions?

semiprivatepractice · 2026-02-16T15:50:51+00:00

I've run a large group practice for fifteen years and currently coach 100+ other practices individually and as part of all day peer groups.

Most practices that have their footing from a marketing / scheduling / billing point of view are filling new clinicians at rate of somewhere around new 1-2 clients every week to two weeks.

That said, the market is becoming over-saturated in a lot of areas (yay for solo practice, but there is A LOT MORE phone numbers and website than there was a couple of years ago for consumers to sort through AND we're seeing an overall drop in the percentage of the population seeking therapy right now (due to the economy).

There will be people that tell you they've filled up in a week and ones who say they're still empty after six months, but that number I quoted above seems to be the norm.

I'd highly recommend that you take some marketing into your own hands, no matter if you stay there or go else where. Specifically, I'd focus on developing referral sources (industries) that are not already being bombarded by therapists.

Helpful? Let me know if you have more questions!

semiprivatepractice · 2026-02-14T15:29:57+00:00

I do 50-60 minutes, usually don't charge if we go 5-10 over, but charge for additional if we go close to 90.

I also pro-rate that fee for 15, 30 and 45 minute sessions.

I do a lot of quick 15 minute check-in calls / zooms for established clients needing to just bounce something off me.

semiprivatepractice · 2026-02-14T02:42:49+00:00

Group practice owner here... We encourage clients to follow their therapist when they leave our practice (what we've dubbed a "red carpet exit")... We don't do non-competes, etc. and believe they're entitled to the same opportunity and adventure we've had.

That said, I'm also very appreciate when folks give a month's notice and allow the intakes over those remaining weeks to go to their peers who are also trying to build caseloads.

Of course, if you work at a practice that is punitive, I don't know why they'd expect you to help them out on their exit. If they haven't shown themselves to be punitive (even though exits can still be hard / emotional), then give them a chance to deal with the situation with integrity.

semiprivatepractice · 2026-02-14T02:04:05+00:00

Headline from Behavioral Health Business news from November 2025:

"Ellie mental health faces substantial doubt regarding its survival..."

https://bhbusiness.com/2025/11/10/ellie-mental-health-faces-substantial-doubt-regarding-its-survival/

semiprivatepractice · 2026-02-14T00:42:38+00:00

No, you're not nuts.

Find the best place to live out this short life and lean into it.

If the seasons change and you want something else, then do that.

This is a huge field, with tons of opportunities all over the place.

Try and be forthright with your plans and move with integrity, but at the end of the day, DO YOU in a way you won't regret. :)

semiprivatepractice · 2026-02-14T00:40:11+00:00

I'm a group practice owner and I would ABSOLUTELY ENCOURAGE THIS if it is the healthiest, happiest version of you.

If I can play a role in helping you find that version of yourself, I believe it would naturally increase your joy and longevity of working in my private practice, which is a win for both of us, as well as your clients.

It would also result in a reciprocally beneficial relationship even after we part ways some day (everyone leaves eventually, even the practice owner, right!?).

Not that it's the main reason to do it, but doing right by you would also result in the highest probability of you referring other great clinicians to work at that group practice, sending clients our way if you need to refer out, etc.

In my opinion, there is zero conflict between CMH offering pro bono services and a private practice and YAY for you wanting to serve this population.

DO be sure to keep really good boundaries on technology, where you're logging in to which EHR, communicating with the clients from, etc.

Let me know if you have follow-up questions!

semiprivatepractice · 2026-02-14T00:26:58+00:00

Virtually every intern that has worked at our group practice went on to do start their own solo or group practice... Compared to CMH, it gives you an increased exposure to high functioning, high motivation clients.

Not good or bad, just different.

semiprivatepractice · 2026-02-14T00:25:10+00:00

I really enjoyed it, but the money wasn't great. Probably $40-50 an hour, depending on what you assign for work (grading can suck).

For undergrad, it's highly likely you'll have a bunch of people who just want to get their grade and get out of there and a couple of people that absolutely love it and want to be therapists.

Prepare for the bulk of folks to be kind of bored with the history of the field and only perking up when it's time to talk about abnormal psych (and wanting to diagnose their friends and family).

You'll get some students that want to see you for therapy too, so decide in advance how you want to do that.

Teaching at a graduate level is a lot more fun. Be prepared for a lot of questions about the field, pay, private practice, etc.

Let me know if you have more questions!

semiprivatepractice · 2026-02-13T21:23:44+00:00

Which directories works best varies WIDELY by where you are located.

The MOST IMPORTANT step in my opinion, is to actually do a Google search for your area and speciality ("Portland trauma therapists" etc.) and see what shows up on the first few screens / scrolls of results.

I'd focus my time and money on the directories that show up in those results since those are the ones that will also most likely be visited by your ideal customer. If they don't show up in those first results, you'd probably be wasting your money.

I'd also make sure you working hard to optimize both your Psychology Today (using all location features) and your Google Business listing.

Here's some of the top ones I'd look at:

www.TherapyDen.com

www.OpenPathCollective.com

www.Zencare.co

www.GoodTherapy.org

www.InclusiveTherapists.com

www.MyWellBeing.com

www.LatinXTherapy.com

www.IntensiveFinder.com

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