LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR YOUR PRIVATE PRACTICE
A workbook for mental health professionals
The perfect companion for any therapist seeking to start their own private practice.
With 80+ pages of practical exercises and worksheets that cover everything from writing your Mission and Vision Statements to exploring the practicalities of your financials, this guides you through each stage of the process.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Taking her experience over the years of mentoring many therapists as they begin their entrepreneurial journey to launch their private practices, Vanessa compiled her most valuable advice and practical steps into Laying the Foundation for Your Private Practice. It is her passion to support as many mental health professionals as possible to build sustainable, equitable, profitable and values-based businesses so that together, we may shift the mental health industry.
If you are looking to take the step to launch your private practice, allow this to be your guide—offering heartfelt, mindful, and practical resources that will support you through the entire launch process.
MAKES A GREAT GIFT FOR SUPERVISEES AND NEW PRACTICE OWNERS!
“Don’t talk yourself out of creating something just because you don’t know how it’s going to happen.”
— MARYAM HASNAA
THIS WORKBOOK IS FOR YOU IF…
You haven’t launched yet…
You have been stuck working a 9-5 agency job not getting paid your worth and you are eager to own your worth and build a life centered around what you’re passionate about while also having financial freedom.
You need to get your money right! We all have our own money story that gets in the way. This book helps you dig deeper into what that is and how that perpetuates the scarcity mindset.
You have limited resources but a burning desire to get started.
You know nothing about starting a business but you are capable, ready and willing to do the work.
or…
You’ve already launched, but…
You’ve started a private practice in the middle of the pandemic and feel unclear about the heart of your business and how to move forward.
You’re new to private practice and are not clear how to brand yourself or market yourself because you don’t know the identity of your business.
You have recently started a practice and could use some support on honing in or getting clarity on what the identity of your business is before you continue on your journey.
You already have been in private practice for a few months, even years, and could use some help pushing the reset button or getting clear on your why before moving forward as you think about "what's next" for your business.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Meet Vanessa Newton. Mom, Wife, Leader, Entrepreneur, Recovering Perfectionist and Proud Gemini.
She started her private practice with no financial backing and no savings. Vanessa has built her career (and her life!) brick by brick. She ardently believes in herself and gathered the resources through community building and networking to build a business that represents the kind of world she wants future generations to be a part of.
As a Latina woman, she believes in representation and wants to shift the narrative that you have to look, act or be a certain way in order to have access to what is already yours.
Through her own hard work, dedication and perseverance, she has built a 6-figure group practice in under 4 years AND a 7-figure revenue stream through direct practice, business consultation, leadership coaching, and passive income.
You can, too.
It is this desire to reframe what is possible that drives her. Vanessa is on a mission to support the liberation of mental health professionals through business consultation, leadership coaching and clinical supervision.
This workbook is merely one more step on her life’s path. She poured her heart, soul, and hard-won lessons into this workbook so that you, too, may build a business based on your values. Because when we do, we will shift the entire paradigm of the mental health industry.
Who’s with her?
“I've been in private practice for 1.5 years and I often leaned on Vanessa to guide me through the entrepreneurial struggles. I had the ideas and motivation but I needed support to enforce a clear vision for my practice. Vanessa provided me with a boost in confidence and reassurance that I needed to strengthen my journey. Vanessa has a successful practice and I wanted to learn from the best at navigating and executing my goals. As my practice continues to grow, it is important for me to have Vanessa as my business mentor as she provides insight and direction to next-level challenges.”
valerie m. rivera, LCSW-S, CCTP
“In her role as a group practice and community leader, Vanessa embodies boldness in pursuit of social justice and equitability for service-users and providers. Her wisdom and compassion run deep, paving the way for emerging therapists embarking on clinical and/or entrepreneurial journeys that center collective wellness. It is an honor to lean on, dream with, and draw inspiration from my fierce Latina friend and colleague.”
Melody Li, founder of Inclusive Therapists and Mental Health Liberation
“I first connected with Vanessa in August of 2017 when a sweet note arrived in my inbox asking me out for coffee. As a fellow private practice owner, I was elated at the opportunity to sit down with a nearby female entrepreneur who shared a similar passion for inclusive healing in our community of Austin. From that morning on, a beautiful friendship blossomed filled with vulnerability, encouragement, support, and compassion. Vanessa’s innate leadership, risk-taking abilities, and authenticity inspired me to grow my own private practice, Ensemble Therapy, into the values-driven group practice it is today. Vanessa is generous with her knowledge and brings together business owners in a society where scarcity mindset and competitive individualism run rampant. She continues to curate a collaborative community filled with grace and I feel lucky to have her as my friend, colleague, and mentor in these constantly shifting times.”
Jaclyn sepp, MA, LPC-S, RPT-S, NCC, RYT200
What you’ll learn inside these pages:
Identify Your “Why”
We all decide to go into private practice for different reasons. Being clear about WHY you are choosing the path of entrepreneurship is crucial to create a solid foundation for everything that comes next. Take as long as you need to nail this down. It’s that important!
Define Your Values
Every decision you make in your business should be grounded in your values. When you are clear about what those are as a person and business owner, then you have clarity about your priorities. Where you choose to spend your time, energy and resources must align with your values or it’s a clear no.
Craft a Mission and Vision Statement
We all believe in something. And yet it can be a real challenge to translate what’s in our deepest heart into words. This lesson empowers you to find those words and to clearly communicate what that is to your community and potential clients.
Imagine Your Ideal Client
You are not the therapist for everybody, and that’s okay. This lesson gives you space to dream up your ideal client so that when you’re marketing and branding your business, you know exactly who you’re talking to. Manifesting your ideal client is possible!
Unpack Your Money Story
We all have one. Our money stories can be packed with emotions, experiences, and narratives from childhood. No matter what your story is, the financial freedom you seek is held in that story. Give yourself the gift of unpacking it and processing it. Doing so is vital as you start to explore the inevitable —how much do you charge?
Identify Your Streams of Revenue
Healing is not linear. There are many ways people seek support in their lives. When you think about financial freedom and profitability, you have to think outside the box. Don’t limit yourself to one stream of revenue which tends to be 1:1 therapy. You have power over how much revenue comes into your business!
What is the “Menu” for Your Business?
Just because you can do all the things doesn’t mean you have to. Once you get expansive to think about all of the options, then we get to narrow it down to what will really work FOR you. How can you turn your passions and skills into offerings? Give people a full course of curated options to choose from!
Establish Your Brand Identity & Positioning
No one can tell whether or not you’re a good therapist by looking at your credentials. Who you are and how you show up within different platforms is crucial to building the identity of your business. People want to know what you believe in and why you do what you do. Tell them!
Set Boundaries Like a Boss!
This work is all consuming. When you say yes to something, you’re saying no to something else. Support the sustainability of your business and work by getting clear on where you choose to spend your time and energy. Burnout is real and you are way too valuable to negotiate that.
Engage in Radical Self-Care
Learn to make no apologies for the ways you show up for yourself FIRST! Do not be a martyr to your business. Schedule that week off on a quarterly basis, charge that no show fee, take yourself on a lunch date. Self-Care is not bubble baths and spa days, it is also making hard decisions for your business as a way to support you (the human!) in this work.
Commit to Next Steps
You’ve done the work. You’ve pieced together what you want your dream business to look like. What does maintenance look like for you? How do you ensure that what you’re doing is in line with your values and your boundaries? Make a plan to come back to this work consistently.
Utilize Your Resources
We are not meant to do this work alone. There are plenty of resources available to you when you learn to seek them out. Don’t be shy. More times than not, you’ll find that the other person is looking for the same thing. Community, collaboration and connection.
THE PRACTICE YOU DREAM OF IS POSSIBLE.
LET’S TURN THAT DREAM INTO A REALITY!
Allow this workbook to be that first step, a supportive companion with you the entire way.
READY TO GET STARTED?
Workbook includes:
over 10 exercises on building a practice surrounding topics of brand identity, money, boundary setting and so much more!
meditation and grounding exercises
creative journal and reflection pages
a ton of business resources to support the launch and continued growth of your business
Workbook includes:
over 10 exercises on building a practice surrounding topics of brand identity, money, boundary setting and so much more!
meditation and grounding exercises
creative journal and reflection pages
a ton of business resources to support the launch and continued growth of your business
Custom Brave & Well softcover journal (your choice of tan or black)
Light and flexible on-the-go notebook
Center sewn binding
60 pages of dotted paper
Limited while supplies last
Custom Brave & Well softcover journal (your choice of tan or black)
Light and flexible on-the-go notebook
Center sewn binding
60 pages of dotted paper
Limited while supplies last