Pathfinder: Creating a Path to Your Ideal Private Practice

About Course

Whether you’re dreaming of private practice or already have one foot out the agency door, Pathfinder for Therapists is your guide to building a practice that truly fits your life, not just your license.

This 8-module course helps you move from uncertainty to clarity by walking you through every step of the process: from deciding if you’re really ready, to attracting clients you actually want to work with, to creating the schedule, space, and systems that support your best work.

Designed by a seasoned therapist for other therapists, Pathfinder is equal parts strategy and soul – with honest talk about self-care, boundaries, money, and the behind-the-scenes stuff no one tells you in grad school.

If you’re ready to build a practice that feels good on paper and in real life, this is where you start.

✅ By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
-Decide whether private practice is truly the right next step for you - and if not now, when.
-Define who you want to work with (and who you don’t), so you can build a practice that energizes you.
-Learn exactly how to attract your ideal clients - without spending hours on social media.
-Build a referral network that feels authentic and aligned with your values.
-Understand how your professional image shapes the client experience - and how to align it with your strengths.
-Set up boundaries, scheduling systems, and financial practices that help you stay grounded and avoid burnout.
-Approach money conversations (and transactions) with clarity, ease, and professionalism.
-Cultivate strong relationships with clients and colleagues - and know what to do when things get tricky.

Course Content

Introduction to Pathfinder: Creating a Path to Your Ideal Private Practice

Welcome to Pathfinder! Let’s get started building your ideal private practice.

00:00

How do you know if you’re ready to go into private practice?
Personal qualities: So, you’ve decided you want to be in private practice, but how do you know if you’re ready? There are some basic personal qualities that will be invaluable to you as you embark on this journey.

How to identify and attract your ideal clients and your ideal work
One of the best things about being in private practice is the privilege of working with your ideal clients, and doing this in the manner you most enjoy. Sometimes in an agency or corporate setting we have little control over whom we work with and even how we work with them, but in your own business you can attract and work with your best possible clientele and you can do it in the way that feels most suitable for you.

How to bring clients into your practice
Now that you know you’re ready to go into private practice and you’ve identified some important things about your ideal clients, it’s time to figure out how to draw them to you.

Image Management and Ways of Behaving with Clients

How to incorporate self-care into your life as a private practitioner
Being in private practice can be one of the most rewarding jobs imaginable. Practitioners are able to do the work they love, with clients they enjoy, on a schedule of their own choosing. However, owning a business can also be stressful. There are demands that don’t exist in a salaried job, and these can take a toll on the mental and physical health of the clinician. Self-care can seem like a luxury when you are managing the various facets of your practice. You may believe taking time for yourself is giving you less opportunity for productivity, but in the long run I assure you it is worth the investment. Self-care helps prevent the burnout that is so common among helping professionals. It allows you to rejuvenate so you are happier and more energetic when it is time to engage in your craft. Your regimen should account for your physical, mental, and emotional well being, taking care to refresh the particular dimensions that may have a tendency to become depleted in your line of work. While the practice of self-care may look different for each of us, here are some common essentials.

About Course

What Will You Learn?

Course Content

Introduction to Pathfinder: Creating a Path to Your Ideal Private Practice

Welcome to Pathfinder! Let’s get started building your ideal private practice.

How do you know if you’re ready to go into private practice? Personal qualities: So, you’ve decided you want to be in private practice, but how do you know if you’re ready? There are some basic personal qualities that will be invaluable to you as you embark on this journey.

Questions to Consider

Exercises to Complete

Questions to Consider

Exercises to Complete

How to bring clients into your practice Now that you know you’re ready to go into private practice and you’ve identified some important things about your ideal clients, it’s time to figure out how to draw them to you.

Ideas to Consider

Concrete Steps to Bring Clients Into Your Practice

Non Tangible Ways to Bring in Clients

Exercises to Complete

Image Management and Ways of Behaving with Clients

What Kind of Practicioner Do You Want to Be?

How do you want to present yourself to clients?

Ways of Behaving With Clients

How to Bring the Session to a Close

Being “on”; staying present:

Offering your clients something when they leave the session:

Exercises to Complete

Schedule time for yourself

Practice physical self-care

Practice mental and emotional self-care

Take some down time

Do your own work in therapy

Explore your beliefs about what it means to be in therapy

Exercises to Complete

Creating Your Space and Your Schedule

Creating Your Space

Creating Your Schedule

Exercises to Complete

Handling financial transactions comfortably and professionally

Handling financial transactions comfortably and professionally

Pros and Cons of Insurance

Exercises to Complete

Maintaining your business relationships with clients and colleagues

Setting and enforcing your policies

Relationships outside the office

Relationships with Colleagues

Exercises to Complete

Conclusion

Thank you!

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© Zessio

How do you know if you’re ready to go into private practice?
Personal qualities: So, you’ve decided you want to be in private practice, but how do you know if you’re ready? There are some basic personal qualities that will be invaluable to you as you embark on this journey.

How to bring clients into your practice
Now that you know you’re ready to go into private practice and you’ve identified some important things about your ideal clients, it’s time to figure out how to draw them to you.