Back in April, I wrote about things to consider when working from home. Sharon Lauby at Work Shifting wrote a post identifying other areas 
you need to consider entitled 7 Considerations for Setting Up a Home Office.
If you area health care professional already working from home, I hope you’ll add your thoughts about what’s working for you and what’s challenging for you right now. Drop in, introduce yourself, and join our conversation!
Favorite readers, I know this is a blog focused on helping you build a vibrant private practice but I’ve had so many new mental health professionals contact me asking for job leads in the State of Colorado so here’s what I can tell you . . . .
Colorado is geographically challenged with 90% of it’s population living up and down the I-25 corridor.
For nonprofit employers, check out 
Colorado Nonprofit Association. This is a fabulous resource. Take some time to roam around the site. There’s a job board, a resume board, and an events board embedded in the site. They hold a fall conference that has lots of networking potential. They also offer training that can be of interest to nonprofits, board development, and individuals.
Here is a list of Colorado Colleges and Career Schools. I don’t know what type of job you are looking for (and, obviously, this list includes many schools that do not have programs that teach mental health professionals). However, if you are looking to teach in higher education, it’s a jumping off place to check out their human resources departments and needs. And, of course, don’t forget to check out HigherEdJobs.com in Colorado.
Don’t forget to hook up with the Colorado Counseling Association. The professional organization is more active than ever and is looking for ways to support licensed counselors across the state.
Colorado Health Foundation Jobs lists volunteer opportunities (great for networking) as well as job openings.
If you are relocating to the state, by all means, feel free to touch base with me at Tamara at TamaraSuttle dot com. I’m happy to help you meet the mental health professionals here in Colorado as we build our mental health community!
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"The Painting" by Ken Douglas
I was researching on line last week when I ran across Dave Dufour’s blog post of 50 Phrases That Kill Creativity. It made me wonder . . . . Which of these phrases keep your business from growing?
Here’a The Original White Christmas with Santa & His Reindeer to wish you each a wonderful Christmas and a prosperous new year in your private practice!
Community service is a terrific way to build name recognition for your business
"Long Gnome's Long Nose" by Orin Optiglot / Orin Zebest
while doing good works for your home town. Ken Pope, Ph.D. was generous enough to pass along a link to this post about an Alzheimer’s Cafe in the United Kingdom.
As you are considering the many ways that your time may be used in the pursuit of more clients, consider volunteering in your own community. The possibilities are endless.
Are you already volunteering in your community? Drop us a note here to let us know where! (Consider it bragging rights for your practice!)
You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.” ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach ~
Given the changing face of health care,
"Red Thread at WSDP Nepal" by Sara Parker
the roller coaster economy, and the general upheaval in the world, it’s easy to focus on our fears and frustrations. However, what I know is that most of us still have much to be grateful for.
At our house, we are celebrating our first Thanksgiving with our puppy, Opie, and yet another Thanksgiving with our two older dogs, Punky and Taylor; I am grateful for an ever-growing circle of friends and family, a strong business with a steady stream of clients and referral sources, and continued opportunities to teach; I am grateful for my partner of 14 years and I am grateful for you who takes the time to drop in here.
Today, what is it that you are thankful for?
I frequently work with clients post-divorce who
"Up, Up and Away! 236 / 365" by mollyjolly / Maria Johnson
continue to run into difficulties with their ex-spouses. One of my current clients has introduced me to an email tracking system called DidTheyReadIt. This system has helped her verify to the court that she has made appropriate efforts to communicate with her ex-spouse concerning custody issues.
According to the website,
When you use DidTheyReadIt, e-mails that you send are automatically and invisibly tracked. The instant the recipient opens your message, DidTheyReadIt automatically notifies you.”
The email receipt that you receive tells you what time your email was opened, how long it remained open, and where geographically it was viewed. Here is a sample of the receipt they send.
If you or your client has a need to “prove” compliance with timely email communication, this tool may be a useful option.
Ken Pope, Ph.D. has posted an excellent article about psychologists’ use of therapy.
"Shrinking Jeremy" by deltaMike / Mike Renlund
You can find the article here.
Did you know that insurance companies sometimes consider being a victim of domestic violence as a pre-existing and exclusionary condition? In eight different states (ID, MS, NC, ND,
"The Cost of Domestic Violence" by The Advocacy Project
OK, SD, SC, and WY) plus the District of Columbia, that designation satisfies an option to exclude coverage under health, life or disability insurance.
If you would like to know more about this issue, check out When Getting Beaten by Your Husband is a Pre-Existing Condition or The Insurance Industry’s Heartless Logic: Getting Beaten by Your Husband is an Excuse to Deny Coverage.
If you are still reluctant to step into the midst of the Social Media Revolution, check out this quick video.
Then, drop me a note here and let’s talk about how this influences our work in private practice.
The American Counseling Association is currently seeking a full time Director, Ethics & Professional Standards to work at our Headquarters office in Alexandria, VA.
Responsibilities include serving as ACA’s Ethics Officer and providing ethics consultation on the ACA Code of Ethics, directing and monitoring the ethical adjudication process, advising and assisting the Chair or Co-Chairs of ACA’s Ethics Committee as appropriate, maintaining accurate and appropriate records, serving as the central resource for inquiries related to state licensure and developing materials to assist counselors in the advocacy of the counseling profession.
Requirements include a graduate degree in counseling (state license and/or national certification a plus), experience as a practitioner and an identity as a professional counselor. Publications/presentations in the area of
ethics and professional standards are a plus.
The ideal candidate will have knowledge of the 2005 ACA Code of Ethics plus knowledge of professional counseling, licensure and reimbursement issues. You will also possess an ability and interest in helping professional counselors from all specialties and have excellent written and verbal skills, along with superior organizational abilities.
To apply send letter of application, vita, complete contact information of three references and salary history to Cindy Welch, Chief of Staff, ACA, 5999 Stevenson Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304; cwelch@counseling.org; fax 703-823-0953.
Background checks are required. ACA is an AA/EOE organization and encourages minorities and women to apply. The position will be filled when the appropriate candidate is identified.
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The Red Thread is an ancient Chinese metaphor that symbolizes that which connects us all — each one to another.
"Red Thread at WSDP Nepal" by Sara Parker
It is my hope that by offering Red Thread opportunities to you throughout this blog, you will offer and find your connection to other professionals, other ideas, and other ways of being in private practice.
Previous opportunities for Red Thread dialogue may be found here, and here.
I hope you will introduce yourself and join in.
Just sitting here today wondering what your best and worst experiences in private practice were this week . . . . Care to share?
As a new sole proprietor in the field of mental health, it can be easy to feel like a tiny little business surrounded by well-established (read “big dog”) clinics and group practices.
Today I was reading a post by Andrea Meyer, the CEO of Working Knowledge, who offers a few pointers on how to leverage your “little guy” position. Check out her blog post, How to Out-Compete a Larger Company, to see if there is a useful tip for you.
All health care providers who are covered entities under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) are required to obtain and use a National Provider Identifier (NPI). If your client files for reimbursement from her insurance company (or you file on her behalf), the insurance company will require that you provide your NPI.
If you are new to private practice, you can find out how to apply for your NPI at the National Plan & Provider Enumeration System.
Tamara G. Suttle, M.Ed., LPC has maintained a private clinical practice since 1991 and founded Private Practice from the Inside Out in 2003. She has spent almost 20 years consulting and teaching marketing strategies to health care professionals like you. You can learn more about her clinical practice at her website.
Email Tamara
