How I started an SLP Private Practice

A speech pathologist's story of starting a private practice, and what she learned along the way.

Guest post by Jena H. Casbon, MS CCC-SLP of The Independent Clinician

I remember it like it was yesterday.
"Do you treat clients privately?" she asked.
I had already said 'no' to several previous offers because I didn't feel ready, but this time was different.

"Yes, I do." I said with confidence.

And so it began.

It's been almost ten years since I first started treating my own private clients. Back in 2006, I was working at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, MA and was lucky to have two colleagues / mentors that had small private practices "on the side." They taught me everything I needed to know to get started with confidence.

I started with one client, then two, then three all while working full-time. As my small private practice begin to grow, I shifted my hours at my "regular" job to part-time and started treating even more clients.

After years of creating my own systems for billing, marketing, taxes, etc. (and learning from some mistakes!) I decided to take my knowledge,  experience and systems and turn everything I had learned into a resource for my fellow SLPs to start their own private practices.

When I launched The Independent Clinician website in late 2008, I had no idea how many clinicians needed information about getting started with private clients. Thousands of clinicians have read my materials and used them to start their own speech therapy private practices.

Nearly every speech-language pathologist I speak to has been approached about treating privately, but clinicians are terrified about making mistakes when getting started.

If you're interested in treating your own private clients, here are a few of the most important steps when just starting out:

5 Essential Steps For Starting a Private Practice 

1. Make Sure You're Protected
   If you're interested in starting your own private practice (even seeing a few clients "on the side"), the first step is to get professional liability insurance through a company like HPSO or Proliability.
2. You Need a System for Documentation 
   From there, you need to set up a HIPAA-compliant system for documentation. All paper documentation must be locked and electronic documentation must be password protected and encrypted.
3. Figure Out How You'll Be Paid
   Before you figure out how you'll get paid, you need to decide on an hourly rate that is based on the value that you provide clients. Then, you need to determine how you'll be paid (i.e. private pay only or becoming a health insurance provider).
4. Track Your Income and Expenses
   You need to pay income taxes on all earnings but the good news is that expenses like therapy materials, office supplies, mileage, etc. are all tax deductible. 
5. Spread the Word
   Once you have a solid foundation and are ready to start treating clients, start by telling your colleagues, friends and family members that you have your own private practice. If you want to grow quickly, consider setting up a website and creating marketing materials such as business cards and flyers. 
   

If you've been asked to treat privately and said "no" - just like I did at the beginning of my private practice journey, consider following the above steps and getting yourself ready so that next time you’re asked about treating private clients you can say "Yes!"

Learn more about starting your own Private Practice

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