Pillars of Private Practice
In the "Ignite" program, we clarify your career path, create a plan for bringing it into your reality, and clear the obstacles that are in your way. However, if you are crystal clear that running a private practice is your path, then Pillars of Private Practice 1~1 Consultation Service is for you. Read on.
Running a massage therapy private practice can be an exhilarating experience; a powerful way to flow through your days!
It gives you the freedom to express yourself and shape your work world in a way that is authentically you. You make your own rules and live on your terms. You set your policies and procedures, your schedule and your fees, and the earning potential is so much more than that of an employee.
But that does not mean that it is easy!
If you are thinking about opening your own practice, you probably have a million questions and lots of doubts running through your mind.
If you are already running your own practice, is it filling you with joy? Or is your client load is inconsistent? Are you feeling lonely and isolated? Are you wondering whether or not you should continue, or give it up and get a job?
Whether you are thinking about opening a private practice or need support to grow your current one, I can be of service to you.
I ran my own private practice for most of my 26-year MT career. I experienced the highs and lows, the challenges and the blessings. And I learned to run my practice from the inside out, instead of conforming my practice to the expectations or desires of others. From this paradigm, I created a full schedule and a practice that lit me up.
And that is the paradigm that I offer you with the Pillars of Private Practice Consultation Service: The opportunity to create the private practice that is authentically you so that you can love your work life, impact your world, and boost your income.
You Are In Charge 
As a massage therapist in private practice, the buck stops with you. Yes, you get to make all the decisions, but that also means that you get to take responsibility for them.
You get to answer questions such as:
❓How much do I charge for an hour? How about 90 minutes or two hours?
❓How do I know when it is time to raise my rates?
❓Do I ask for payment before or after the massage?
❓Will I offer packages (the client purchases a certain number of massages upfront and gets a discount).
❓What does my intake form look like?
❓What legal paperwork should I have clients sign?
❓How much time should I leave between clients?
❓How many clients in a day and week will I see?
❓What are my work hours?
❓What is my cancellation and no-show policy?
❓What is my late client policy?
❓Will I work on family and friends?
❓Will I barter for other goods and services?
❓How do I hold professional boundaries that respect my clients and myself?
❓Should I run a home practice or get an office?
❓How do I keep myself safe in my space?
❓Should I seek an office mate or have my own office?
❓Should I hire other therapists or offer other services?
❓Should I sell products? If so, which ones?
❓How should I decorate my space?
❓What equipment do I need?
❓Should I hire a sheet service or do my own laundry?
❓What business skills and/or education do I need?
❓Will I do my own bookkeeping and taxes or hire them out?
❓How will I handle charting—on paper or digitally?
❓Should I create a website? If so, should I do it myself or pay someone?
❓And probably the biggest question: How will I get clients???
Those are some of the questions that you, as the boss, get to answer.
Outer Research & Inner Inquiry: The Best Way to Answer These Questions
There are no right or wrong answers to the all the questions above. No one way to run a practice. There is only the way that works best for you.
With me as your guide, we work together to explore those questions and--with kindness--break through hidden obstacles. From this place, we arrive at crystal clarity, so that you create a private practice that is authentically you~one that you love💖!
Example: Let’s consider the question of how much to charge. The simple answer might be “whatever the market bears. Find out what other MTs in your area are charging and match their rates.”
This is important to consider, but it is not the whole picture, because you may not be comfortable with that amount. Perhaps you feel as though your skills, training, and experience are worth more than the going rate in your area. Perhaps in your heart, you want to set a higher rate, but imposter syndrome rises up and you say to yourself “who am I to charge more?”
Self-limiting distorted thoughts like these (we all have them, BTW) lurk in the subconscious mind and can sabotage our best efforts. Thus, it is imperative that you uncover them as you decide what to charge. Otherwise, you may set your rate lower and end up resenting it, which is a quick road to burnout.
So, in answering the question “what should I charge?”, we use:
⚙︎ Outer research: What are people in your area charging?
⚙︎ Inner inquiry – what would you really like to charge? What number feels right to you? And what stops you from charging it?
Through this process, we arrive at the number that feels authentic to you. And this is the way that we answer all of the questions that you have as you shape your practice.
This process may be more uncomfortable than simply answering all of your questions based only on what everyone else is doing or what you think you "should" do; but I promise you, it will be SO much more rewarding and worth it in the long run!
Do it with conscious consideration and give yourself a greater chance to thrive and prosper. Otherwise, you’ll likely burn out sooner rather than later.
If you are already running your own practice
Is it filling you with joy and a sense of purpose? Are you earning what you want to earn? Or are you experiencing the following challenges?
💢Awkward moments with clients as you struggle to hold boundaries.
💢A financial roller coaster—when times are lean and your client load is down, so is your income.
💢Loneliness. Being the boss can be great, but it often means that you have nobody to turn to for support.
💢Lack of structure and accountability. You are the only one to keep you on task.
💢Confusion~no real vision for the practice that you truly want to create from your heart and soul.
💢Feeling burdened and stuck in the rut of sameness--the same routine over and over.
💢You've lost the passion that brought you to massage, and you're thinking of giving it up.
If you answered yes to any of the above, you are not alone, and all is not lost! You do not have to suffer through another day of drudgery. With kindness, courage, and guidance from me, you can take your practice down a different path~the path of your heart and soul~and regain the flow and exhilaration that you felt when you first opened your practice.
Investment or Cost?
As I've shared elsewhere on this website, if you've read this far, you are clearly intrigued, or more. Maybe you feel warm in your belly, the buzz of inspiration in your chest, and a "Yes!" in your mind.
And now we come to the money, the sticking point where so many dreams go to die. You may be thinking, "This sounds great, but how much is this going to cost me?" As if that alone should dictate your actions.
Believe me, I understand this thinking! Of course, finances matter; if you can't pay rent or buy food, then this is not the right time to schedule a consultation with me.
But, I invite you to broaden your horizons. Instead of seeing it as a cost, see this service as an investment--in your present wellbeing and future earning power. When's the last time you really tended to your own needs and invested in yourself?
So, rather than simply ask "What's it going to cost me?" ask instead: "What is the investment?" In other words, "What can I gain from this consultation service? How can this elevate the trajectory of my career and life?" And, most important, "What is the cost if I don't do it?" More months--or years--of misery? Of struggle and confusion?
Drumroll please! The investment for a Pillars of Private Practice Consultation is $175 for a 60-75-minute session. That's it. You may need only 1 session, you may need several, it depends on your circumstances.
No doubt, you invested way more than that on your MT education! This is your opportunity to maximize that investment and create the private practice of your dreams!
Note: If you have graduated from MT school with the last 12 months, you get a 30% discount. Click here for more on this.
Whether you are about to venture out on your own or are already in practice, I would be honored to support you in creating the private practice that you truly love.
If you'd like to connect with me and learn more, click here to email me with any questions or here to schedule a complimentary 30-minute Discovery Session over Zoom. I promise you that this is not a sales tactic. It's simply a conversation, a way for me to be of service to you.
If your heart leaps forward and says "I am in!", then follow that inclination and click here to schedule a "Pillars of Private Practice" Consultation with me. I am here to be of service to you.
Whether you choose to work with me or not, I send you blessings for the private practice of your dreams!
