Within just a few years of obtaining my license as a Licensed Professional Counselor, I began receiving invitations to grandfather in  to organizations (that I had not even heard of) to receive additional credentials.  I (wrongly) thought that since I was licensed, no other certifications would be of merit so I opted to let those opportunities (with the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors and the National Board for Certified Counselors) slip away.  Soon after the grandfathering periods expired, those two organizations mushroomed in influence and credibility and I regretted my decisions.

Since then, I’ve also received invitations to join national boards, accrue additional “degrees” and “licenses,” be included in national directories of “prominent therapists.” and receive additional certifications from other organizations.  It’s all very flattering at first glimpse. It’s also easy to see how new therapists can be particularly susceptible to the ploys of these vanity boards and diploma mills.

The truth is anyone including you can set up a board or “school,” provide training in EMDR, hypnosis or any other body of knowledge, and then provide a “certification.”  The training may have surpassed the standards in your profession

"(Fake) Certificates" by Rosered

or it may not.  My point is that if you are new to this body of work, you won’t necessarily know enough to know about the quality of the training.  And, in either case, the certification that you receive may mean nothing.

After contacting the American Counseling Association, mentors and professors across the United States, here is what I know for sure:

• Reputable certifying boards are familiar with the National Commission for Certifying Agencies and have membership in the National Organization for Competency Assurance.  Check this out first.
• The certifying board should include prominent individuals in your field and you should be able to research them.
• Reputable boards function to actually meet the needs of the members that they certify. You want more than just a certificate for your wall or directory listing for your money.
• Reputable boards function independently.  Certification is NOT contingent upon joining a particular organization; however, they are closely affiliated with professional associations that you belong to. If your professional association does not refer to a certifying board as a resource, you should question why.
  
• They are typically not-for-profit.  Ask and verify.
• Reputable certifying agencies are transparent.  They are easy to research including their policies and procedures, established complaint and grievance processes, and codes of ethics / conduct.  If you can’t research on line or get a phone call returned in a timely manner, you should be questioning the veracity of this  organization.
• Fees for certification should be comparable to those charged by similar certifying bodies.
• Legitimate certifying bodies typically require you to provide proof of attaining certain levels of education and experience.  They don’t just take your word for it!
• They often require an exam or submission of a sample of your work to verify that you possess the requisite body of knowledge.

You should question the credibility and motivation of any organization that claims to provide certifications or similar statements of worth but fail to adhere to the above standards.  Such organizations are often shams — more interested in your credit card than your profession and they are known as vanity boards or diploma mills.

Whether you stumble into them unknowingly or choose to use them to pad your vita and boost your ego, the end result is the same.  The general public is misled and you are at risk of tripping on your professional code of ethics . As a professional in the field of mental health, you are required to display only credentials that mean something.  As such, you need to do your research before thoughtlessly passing along your credit card for another certificate to post on your “Look At Me” wall.

Tags: Credential, Diploma Mill, Fee, Grandfather, Vanity Board

Students (K-12) often  perceive their needs to be different than teacher’s perceptions of students’ needs.  Polls commonly report students’ concerns focusing on violence and other issues of safety.  If you are interested in working with children or adolescents, you may be able to begin meeting some students’ needs by creating workshops that address gang violence, date rape, intimidation and bullying.

"Kids in the Classroom" by Chris Suderman

What other ideas can you come up with to support students and draw them into your practice?

Related Posts

Back-to-School Marketing for Your Private Practice

Tags: School, Workshop

For those of you who have been struggling with how to get clients and market your practice in a comfortable and effective way, you may want to check out the 2009 Annual Series of Private Practice from the Inside Out.

The 2009 Annual Tele-Series begins October 21, 2009 from 10-11:30 am.  The remaining eleven sessions will be held at the same time on the following Wednesdays: November 11, December 9 and 30, 2009, January 6 and 27, February 17, March 10 and 31, April 21, May 12, June 2 and June 23, 2010.  You can get more details here.

The 2009 Annual (face-to-face) Series begins October 23, 2009 from 10-11:30 am.  The remaining eleven sessions will be held at the same time on the following Fridays: November 13 and December 11, 2009,   January 8 and 29, February 19, March 12, April 2 and 23, May 14, June 4 and 25, 2010.  All sessions will be  held in Park Meadows / Highlands Ranch, Colorado. You can get more details here.

Deadline for 2009 Enrollment is Friday, October 16

Tags: Private Practice from the Inside Out Annual Series

The Basics of Clinical Supervision

Lately, I’ve found myself in a lot of conversations about clinical supervision.  If you’re getting ready to graduate from your clinical program in one of the mental health professions, it’s time to start thinking about your own clinical supervision.

Prior to obtaining your license as a professional counselor, social worker, or psychologist, you will be required to obtain 1500-4000 hours under clinical supervision.   If you are fortunate enough to work in an agency, hospital, or school, it is likely that your employer will provide clinical supervision for you on site at no expense to you.  If that’s the case, consider it a benefit of the job.

However, if following graduate school you attempt to go directly into private practice (as is the option in some states) or end up working for an employer that does not provide your clinical supervision, then you will need to find a supervisor and pay for supervision on your own.  (Look for 10 Questions You Must Ask Your Potential Supervisor next week to learn more about how to find a great supervisor.)

"Money Jar" by Automania / Mike

Supervision and Money

I’m not sure why but not one of my professors in graduate school ever thought to talk with us about those additional costs that we would incur following graduation.  So . . . let me break the news to you. . . .

One of the many reasons you may want to start out working for an agency that provides your clinical supervision is that it can be expensive if you have to pay for it on your own. If you are paying out of pocket, you should expect to pay whatever a typical clinical hour costs in your geographic area.

I charge the UCR – usual and customary rates – for those working on the Front Range in Colorado.  My fees are $100 – $125 / hour for individual counseling  and $60 / hour for group counseling.  I charge the same rates / hour for clinical supervision and you will find that most reputable supervisors charge based on their hourly clinical rate as well.

Too Expensive

If  you find those rates to be objectionable, you have a right to understand why these are actually reasonable fees and that good supervisors are not simply gouging you for “easy  money” (as one new graduate noted this week on a discussion list).  Here are some things to consider . . . .

• The professional standard for clinical supervision has shifted in recent years.  Your clinical supervisor is now expected (and in many cases, required) to obtain formal training in clinical supervision at her own expense.  In the State of Texas, that requirement is a minimum of 40 hours plus ongoing continuing education in the area of supervision.
• Your clinical supervisor is legally and ethically responsible for each and every client that you come in contact with.  S/he is also responsible for every decision that you do / do not make and every action that you do / do not take.  That’s a LOT of additional responsibility.
• Your supervisor is responsible for reading every bit of your initial client assessments, progress notes, all correspondence, and termination paperwork and providing feedback as needed.  That’s a LOT of time.
• Your clinical supervisor will typically meet with you on a weekly basis for 1-2 years.  That’s additional time out of her schedule every week s/he could be using to see a client and earn her hourly fee.
• During your weekly meeting with your clinical supervisor, s/he is required to essentially develop your abilities as a mental health professional.  Her roles will alternate between teacher, mentor, consultant and evaluator.
• For every hour that your clinical supervisor spends with you, s/he is most likely spending another hour in preparation — completing paperwork, refining a plan to help develop you as a counselor, gathering materials, reviewing literature to meet your unique needs and interests.  That’s MORE TIME.
• Your clinical supervisor remains on call for you 24 hours / day.
• And, long after you have completed your hours of clinical supervision, s/he remains liable for all those decisions you made while under supervision.  Assuming you are seeing 20-30 clients / week while your supervisor is also seeing that many clients / week, her choice to supervise you, in effect, doubles her risk of being sued.

I’m sure there are other risks / costs involved in being a clinical supervisor.  If you can think of them, please share them with us here so that new graduates will have a clearer understanding of why fees are set the way they are.

And, if you are a new or soon-to-be-new graduate who is considering clinical supervision, let me know if any of this is new information for you.

Tags: Clinical Supervision / Consultation, Consultation, Fee, On Call, Paperwork, UCR

This is part of an episodic series, The Therapist’s Networking Guide.
To see the previous one in this series, click here.

Your network is your lifeline.  These are the people that know you best.  These are the ones that can vouch for you and sing your praises!  They are the people who will refer clients to you.  And, they are the ones that you can most influence. . . . Are you helping your network take really good care of you? Here are some things that I do . . . .

• Stay in touch. Have you heard the old saying, “Out of site, out of mind”?  It’s definitely true when you are wanting referrals.   You can send them a note, pick up the phone and call, or make a visit to their businesses.  Find reasons and creative ways to stay in their thoughts. Research shows that when office managers make a referral, they typical refer to the last name that they ran across — a business card, a newsletter, a person, etc.  Remember, “Last name in, first name out.”

• Pay attention. When someone in my network receives recognition, I congratulate them.  If they’ve written a new book, I make an effort to read it.  And, if they are looking stressed or a little worn out, I try to offer a little support — offer to cover their on call duty for the weekend or just let them vent.  If there is a death in their family, I offer condolences and make sure I send a card.  Don’t ignore your network’s challenges and triumphs.

• Be generous. Your time, talents, and resources are no more or less valuable than your networks’ time, talents, and resources so share them liberally!  By doing so, you will build good will, great friends, and a better world.

• Make referrals. Make sure that your network knows that you have their personal and professional best interests at heart by making appropriate referrals to their businesses.  You don’t want to develop a reputation for always wanting referrals and never reciprocating.

Take Time to Say Thank You

• Say “thank you.” I do not do business with professionals who fail to say “thank you” and you shouldn’t either.  Gratitude is an attitude that is cultivated and I pride myself on cultivating many ways to say it.  I write notes, send cards, bake baskets of cookies, send flowers, give small token gifts, and write public articles of gratitude.  It costs me very little to tip my hat to those that have been kind to me / my business and I make a point to not forget.

• Be transparent. Transparency is not about wearing your feelings on your sleeve.  However, being transparent is about being committed to the truth and honesty.  It’s really about your level of integrity.  If you are nervous about working with a new client that has been referred to you because you haven’t worked with their presenting issues before, don’t fake it.  Let your referral source and your client know that you will be seeking consultation while working with them or refer them to a different therapist.  Don’t pretend that you know it all.  Your clients and your referral sources will appreciate you being willing to admit your limitations.  And, in doing so, you give them permission to do the same.

• Ask for what you need. Your network thrives when the relationships in it are reciprocal rather than lopsided.  In order for a network to work for you, you need to be willing to ask for what you need.  I have, at different times, asked my network for help securing office space, community resources for my clients, and to be a sounding board for a new project, etc.  If you can’t ask for what you need, then you need a new network!

So, what is it that you are doing to help your network take better care of you?  And, what is it that you can commit to doing better?

The next post in this episodic series is

Tags: Network

It took me years in private practice before I learned how to effectively handle clients who stood me up or canceled with less than 24 hours notice.

It took me about the same amount of time to learn how to not open a new issue with a client too close to the end of a session and then end on time.

And, then there were the boundary challenges related to money!

Today, I’m wondering . . . what challenges / solutions have you navigated concerning your boundaries in business?

Tags: Boundaries, Red Thread

This is part of an episodic series, The Therapist’s Networking Guide.
To see the previous post in this series, click here.

On Monday, in the The Therapist’s Networking Guide I talked about the difference between strategic and shotgun networking.  Today, I want to stress that networking includes much more than just showing up at a monthly meeting with your business cards in one hand and your other hand outstretched (asking for business).  If that’s your idea of networking, you may want to re-think your understanding.

Real networking . . .. strategic networking is much more effective when it is about you creating and extending an ever-expanding circle of contacts that may have the ability to refer clients / referrals to you, provide resources to inform you, share ideas to inspire you and information to support you.

Here’s the beginning of a list of the many ways you can begin to build / expand your network:

• Attending meetings and workshops.
• Keep up with what is going on in your field.
• Share your services and skills by volunteering in your community.
• Join a leads or networking group.
• Mentor new professionals.
• Seek out professionals who are interested in building reciprocal referring relationships.
• Gather information about other professionals, clinics, and treatment facilities that can support you now and in the future.
• Offer classes related to your professional interests.
• Refer clients (when appropriate) to allied health professionals.
• Get involved in your civic / religious community.
• Collaborate on projects.
• Join an on line community -  a discussion list, a blog community, or other social media.
• Stay connected to former employers and college instructors.
• Create / join a consultation group.
• Exchange resources with other professionals.
• Serve on committees.
• Meet colleagues for coffee or lunch.

These are just a few of the many ways that you can start to grow your network.  Can you help me expand this list?  What is it that you are doing to create / expand your professional network?  And, what is it that you can commit to start doing today to increase your circle of contacts?

The next post in this episodic series is The Therapist’s Networking Guide:  Are You Helping Your Network Take Care Of You?

Tags: Consultation, Network

You have a new opportunity to market your services to meet the needs of your community now that educators and children are back in school.  Marketing to the educational community includes addressing the needs of many different groups including:

• administrators,
• educators,
• support staff,
• students (of all ages),
• parents,
• and the greater community.
  

  "Hold It Kids" by Jeffrey Errick

As you start to consider back-to-school marketing, begin by selecting  just one of the groups above to initially target.  Then, select a point of entry for that group.  You might choose an age group i.e. pre-school / kindergarten, elementary, junior high, or senior high school.  Or it could be an organizational entry point like the local Parent-Teacher Association, the American School Counselors Association, or the National Association for Music Educators.

By selecting a single point of entry into education, you will be able to efficiently learn about this particular group’s culture and political history.  For example, teachers’ responsibilities, salaries, and schedules can vary from one school to another.  Becoming familiar with one particular group within your school system you will strengthen your marketing position among them.

Check out these Fast Facts for additional Back To School statistics.

Tags: School

If you are a psychotherapist who is considering extending credit to your client i.e. allowing them to post-date a check or allowing them to pay you later by accruing a balance, you might want to re-think that decision. Check out this article,  “The Red Flags Rule,” written by attorney Richard S. Leslie, J.D.

Tags: Billing, Fraud

Thought everyone might need a little stress buster today.  Hope it makes you smile!

Tags: Stress Buster

This is part of an episodic series, The Therapist’s Networking Guide.  It began here.

One of the best ways for you to build your private practice is to network strategically rather than in a shotgun-like approach.  By that I mean that it is much more effective to go deeply into an organization rather than move more superficially among several organizations.

Strategic networking requires that you do more than show up for the monthly meeting.  Instead, it means you would  join an organization and then join a committee or two — an active committee that meets on a regular basis –  to do the work of the group.  Perhaps, over time, you would run for a position on the Board of Directors — building your credibility and your visibility.

"Drip Drops and the Spider Web" by bitzcelt / Mike Bitzenhofer

On the other hand, shotgun networking is just that.  It’s scattered, unfocused and lacks purpose.  It’s just showing up with no forethought and assuming that the business will follow you.  It won’t follow you.  It never does.  Not without you taking a more intentional and focused approach.

Have you found your networking to be mostly ineffective to date?  If so, here’s some tips to network in a more strategic way:

• Find an organization that you can be excited about.  That means that you may need to shop around.  It doesn’t have to be an organization that is related to your profession.  It may be a networking group, like the National Association of Women Business Owners or your local chamber of commerce.  Or, it may be something that appeals to your personal interests such as the Sierra Club or to your political interests such as the Democratic National Convention or the Republican National Convention.  Perhaps you can get excited about your religious community or a charity such as the National Center for Victims of Crime.  Who you get involved with matters mostly because if you cannot get excited about the purpose of the group, you’ll really struggle to be committed to the work they do.

• Once you find the right organization for you, join it and get involved.  Determine where your talents and interests will serve the group best.  It does no one any good if you hate all aspects of writing / publishing / editing and yet join the Newsletter Committee.  On the other hand, if you are an extrovert who likes meeting new people and you put other people at ease quickly, then you may be a huge asset to the Greeting Committee or the Membership Committee.

• However, remember that even if you have a natural strength that the organization needs, from a strategic networking perspective, you don’t want to get stuck working solo on a task that provides you no opportunities for visibility or relationship building.

• By now you should be attending the group’s monthly general meetings like clockwork.  Why?  For two reasons.  First, you want to appear dependable.  (It reflects directly on your work ethic.) And, second, you need to be showing up at every event possible for the purpose of building relationships.  Your business and mine depend upon relationships.

Looking for other ways to engage in professional and strategic networking?  The next post in this episodic series is The Therapist’s Networking Guide:  More Than Just A Meeting.

Tags: Network

Much of Private Practice from the Inside Out is focused on establishing effective habits of networking to build your circle of influence.  In fact, therapists approach me so often who have so many questions (and myths and baggage) surrounding this topic that I’ve included it in both the PPIO Annual Series and the Practice Upgrades & Accountability Modules!

With that in mind, I’ve decided to begin an ongoing series on networking.  Look for future posts that begin with “The Therapist’s Networking Guide.“  Send me your questions  / concerns / dilemmas / solutions for networking and I’ll post them as quickly as I can!

Tags: Circle of Influence

"Curioso Elemento El Tiempo" by leoplus

If your work takes you across time zones (either physically or electronically),

check out this easy-to-use time converter to help you schedule your appointments and meetings accurately.

Got a better tool for converting across time zones?  Share it with us here!

Tags: Appointments, Schedule

Fast Company just sent me their online newsletter with an article (well, really a slide show)  titled, “The Kanye Curriculum: 7 Ways to Be a Success.”  According to Kanye West, the very first key to success is “Know your worth.” I agree.

For psychotherapists, artists, and healing arts professionals, knowing what you’re worth is key to attracting your ideal client and building a strong practice.

If you don’t know what your services are worth,

"Money Grab" by Steve Wampler

here are four ways to find out:

• Call your state licensing board and ask them what the UCR, Usual and Customary Rate, is for someone with your credentials.  When I moved to Colorado, I called the Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners to ask what LPC’s charge.  (In 2002, their response was ” between $80 and $125 per hour.”)
• Poll the professionals in your geographic area.  Call them up, introduce yourself and explain that you are doing a survey of your profession’s fees in the area.  Ask them what they charge for their hourly fee. (And, offer to share your results with them.  Better yet, offer to share it with us here at All Things Private Practice)
• Check out Psychotherapy Finances.  They poll their subscribers each year and do the work for you!
• Contact the state division of your professional association.  For me, that’s the Colorado Counseling Association. Most state organizations will have this type of information available to share with the general public.

And, do the rest of us a favor . . . let us know what you learn about UCRs in your geographic area and tell us where you got your information.

Tags: Fee, UCR

OK, gang!  I know some of you have been secretly lurking on the sidelines and peeking in to help me with last minute tweaking of this blog.  As of this week, it’s  official!  We’ve finally launched my blog for Private Practice from the Inside Out!

Yes, as I mentioned earlier, I have been quietly posting for a couple of months building up my courage, fine tuning my know-how, and learning the rhythm of writing and posting.

If you like the idea of having a place to land on line to connect with others in health care who are committed to building their practices along side of you, then I hope you will check back and chime in by commenting often.  Let me know what you want to hear about; share resources you may know about; and, help us build a stronger and more vibrant community of  health care practices!  (And, if you are not in health care but find Private Practice from the Inside Out to be a useful blog community for you, then you, too, are welcome here!  The more the merrier!)

Tags: Launch