The biggest problem I struggled with when starting my private practice was pricing for a couple of reasons. First, I wasn’t sure what I was worth, meaning I personally struggled with feeling confident in my skills even though I had extra training and certifications outside of my MA and I was very successful in my internship. Second, I knew that I was unknown and that finding cheaper counseling could very well be appealing to new clients. I am more confident in myself, but found that offering low cost counseling does bring in more clients for the long haul. I still struggle because I do have a LAC, but not LPC or LMFT as of yet, so wonder how that should impact my pricing. My solution as of now has been to keep with low-cost counseling (generally starting at $40) just to gain experience and increase clients. I also struggle with standing out as Colorado, Denver in particular, is saturated with counselors.

Network, Network, Network! Anything you can do to get your name and card out there is worth it. Go to conferences and talk to strangers! Keep educating yourself because the more you can say you have experience with the better!

Since I am still early in my career (graduated December 2013), I would tell myself that it takes time, be patient! Keep your thoughts healthy and positive because you create your energy of attraction or on the other hand you can push potential clients away…

I do not necessarily see problems within the industry, but I see that there are a lot of therapists and counselor already practicing and graduating every year. I think the best way to handle this is to keep a mindset of abundance because along with many, many therapists, there are many, many clients and YOU will not be every persons cup-o-tea.