Article archive / March 1, 2013
Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 7. Source pages: 13, 14.
I’m diverging from my usual review of a book by a Louisiana author because Wiley sent me what I consider a must read for professionals in private practice.
Anyone in the human service industry who is going through a transition of one type or another, due to government cutbacks, changing health care industry, or the economy, may find a lot of help and inspiration in Stout’s Getting Better at Private Practice, a wonderfully fresh, comprehensive, and courageous and look at modern business development for those in private practice and human services.
The editor is Chris E. Stout, PsyD, MBA. He seems like the real McCoy with his list of credentials, including more creative, innovative, and entrepreneurial achievements than is typical.
Wiley notes that Stout is a licensed clinical psychologist. He is the founding director of the Center for Global Initiatives. He is Clinical Professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and Director of Research at the Athletic and Therapy Institute. He has published over thirty books including two bestsellers on practice management. He is a Fellow in three divisions of the American Psychological Association and also past-president of the Illinois Psychological Association. He is a Distinguished Practitioner in the National Academies of Practice. He has been interviewed by CNBC, CNN, NBC, PBS, NPR, Oprah, Time, the Chicago Tribune, and the New York Times. He has won four Humanitarian Awards for his work on behalf of the not-for-profit organization Center for Global Initiatives.
What can you say?
There are 27 contributors to Getting Better at Private Practice. While I couldn’t find a signal one who was from Louisiana, this group is a forward-thinking and inspirational lot. They say what they mean and don’t pull punches when it comes to giving necessary advice.
I was delighted and impressed by how well Stout and his contributors were able to mesh the time-honored ethical warnings and concerns with a modern, “get out there and tell people what you can offer” style for present day. They understand and appreciate the role of media, social media, and communication in today’s world.
The book is loaded with useful and innovative ideas about developing and growing a private practice, embedded in the wisdom of professionalism, competence, and concern for others.
The chapter topics and subtopics seem to cover every conceivable issue, all with very little overlap or redundancy, covering business nuts and bolts, business structures, marketing, ethical and laws, marketing, vocational choices, and what it really takes to enjoy one’s work life.
There is a general upbeat tone, that is inspiring and motivational, a tone different from the sometimes dreary and gloomy predictions from many in mental health. And, there is also a lot to inspire those readers who dislike any sort of marketing.
Every individual who is in, or going into, private practice, business, or consulting will want to read Getting Better with a yellow marker in hand. There is important guidance for those making changes in this shifting economy and uncertain human services marketplace.
The text is divided into four sections. The first is “Setting Up, Managing, and Marketing Your Practice.” These chapters provide important business information, probably not learned in any graduate school, including information about the tradition and conventional ideas practitioners need. Seasoned professionals will appreciate the review.
Chapter 1, “Differences in Business Structures and Protections in Human Service Private Practice: Which Suits Your Practice Best?” by Jonathan D. Nye, and Chapter 2, “Making Ends Meet: Financial Management in Private Practice,” by David W. Ballard, provide an excellent overview of business basics. They cover business finance issues, business structures such as LLC or sole proprietorship or corporations, and personal financial issues.
Chapter 3, “Managed Care Contracting: Strategies for Negotiating and Maintaining Relationships,” by Bridget Morehouse, who explains the basics of contracts with managed care companies. She includes specifics of contracts, payments, balanced billing, audits, and disputes, for example.
In, “Ethical and Legal Aspects of Private Practice,” Chapter 4, by Scott Hammer and Kenneth H. Kessler, readers will get invaluable straight talk about legal and ethics issues in a succinct, to-the-point discussion. Examples include preventing liability during termination, unsuccessful treatment, boundary violations and proper note taking.
In the next six chapters, authors offer some time-tested methods woven with new thinking. In unapologetic terms, they show that marketing your knowledge and enjoying your work is an important as technical expertise for being a professional in modern times.
Chapter 5, “How Writing a Column for Your Local Newspaper Can Enhance Your Private Practice,” is by Linda Sapadin. She gives a great introduction to how to write for the public and how to market yourself to a newspaper. She tells readers to develop their style, capture people’s attention, and use effective headlines. She also provides basics on writing a query letter to the local newspaper and how to deal with time constraints.
Sapadin and John Mayer continue this type of advice in Chapter 6, “How Self-Publishing Can Enhance Your Private Practice.” They describe that the success of publishing for developing a practice has it “foundation in the business world. You build brand loyalty and consumer confidence by enhancing the consumer’s life. This is called cause-based marketing,” they write, a natural way to promote one’s services and to help improve people’s lives. Pauline Walin provide readers with important insights in Chapter 7, “ Working With the Media.” She explores how to connect with journalists, what they want from experts, and how to prepare for radio, television interviews, including the ethical issues.
“The Power of Community Networking,” Chapter 8, is an extensive review by Melhim W. Restum and Joe Bavonese on networking. They give warning about old mindsets and fears, and provide tips for connecting with other professionals, present clients, media, giving public lectures, and workshops.
In “The Benefits of Joining Professional Organizations,” author Lisa R. Grossman explains the value of membership in professional organizations for enriching one’s career, getting support, making friends, and what type of participation is best for different needs.
“From Vision to Mission: Building a Practice That Is Personally Satisfying and Professionally Successful,” is a chapter on personal occupational matching by Heather M. Hale. She writes that a successful practice depends on professional competence, but that a practice that is personally satisfying depends on more, including “loving what you do,” “having or developing a vision,” and “having pluck…”
Section II, “Building, Marketing, and Practicing in the Digital Age,” is a dynamic look at modern marketing.
Joe Bavonese’s chapter on websites, “Web Sites and Internet Marketing,” offers advice for website and blogs, including common mistakes. He points out that an online presence is crucial for success because more than half of people search online first for a professional.
In Chapter 12,“Building Your Online Presence as an Expert,” by Pauline Wallin, continues this theme of online marketing, showing how it is helpful to develop an expert brand. She describes blogs, website, Facebook, Twitter, and how content is the most important asset. She gives writing advice, outlines ethical pitfalls to avoid, and she makes a point of the differences between education, advice, and treatment, and explains that marketing is primarily education.
Laura Taylor lays out “Ethics and Social Networking Sites,” in Chapter 13. She provides tips and definitions for this rapidly changing area of society, especially regarding personal disclosure and evolving guidelines for professionals.
Chapter 14, “The Google Factor: Ethical Considerations for Therapists Practicing in the Digital Age,” by Ofer Zur, offers additional advice on disclosure.
The section concludes with, “Technological Tools for Therapists: List of Helpful Software and Web Sites, by William E. Benet and Chris E. Stout
Section III is an intriguing look a niche practices, “The Dream Niche Practice: Successful Stories of Specialization.”
The section begins with, “Starting and Growing Concierge Psychotherapy and Psychiatric Practices,” William R. Lynch. Concierge psychiatry, a practice tailored to meeting client needs at a very high level of responsiveness and competence, with a select client group. In the next chapter, “Developing a Practice Outside of Managed Care,” this entrepreneurial theme is continued with Steven Walfish’s recommendations on activities outside of managed care, including business psychology, consultation to organizations, forensic work, group therapy, services to government, and teaching.
In Chapter 18, Jason Seidel looks at “Using Feedback-Informed Treatment (FIT) to Build a Premium-Service, Private-Pay Practice,” another look at selective styles of practice. He reviews the new feedback-informed treatment methods, which supports this type of practice.
For Chapter 19, “The One-Stop Shop: Collaboration Beyond Psychology,” by Brian Sullivan, is a story of trial and error efforts in this niche area.
Chapter 20 explains the area of arbitration. “Psychologists in Dispute Resolution: Being Part of a Revolution!” by Amy L. Robinson outlines a practice in alternative dispute resolution methods including arbitration, mediation, and a collaborative approach, and models of divorce coaching.
Brad Saks, outlines a niche practice in weight management, in Chapter 20, “Why Wait?: Building a Stellar Practice n Weight Management,” and Heather Hale describes, “Becoming an Educational Consultant,” in Chapter 21. “Building a Successful Education Business,” by Jack Krasuski is Chapter 22.
In “Blending Treatment Innovation and Economic Success for Working With Troubled Emerging Adults: The Yellowbrick Model,” authors Jesse Viner, Laura Viner, and Chris Stout, outline the need for services in this population, noting that 75 percent of those who are to become psychiatrically ill do so in late adolescence and young adulthood. They describe treatment programs, including “Life Strategies Program,” “Interpersonal Group Therapy,” “Eating Disorders Service,” “Addictions Services.”
In “Transitioning to Executive Coaching,” Jeffrey E. Auerbach discusses the growing activity of executive coaching, the characteristics that make mental health professionals well suited to executive coaching, foundational knowledge and competencies.
The growing areas of sports is the theme of Chapter 26, “A Psychologist’s Career in Sports Administration,” by John E. Mayer, and in Chapter 27, “Working in Sport Psychology,” by Kate F. Hays. Both authors examine the core competencies needed and Hays outlines the reasons to move into sports psychology, which include working with growth/development rather than amelioration and short-term, goal-directed work with a healthier population.
In the last section, “Final Thoughts” two authors discuss personal change and challenges, career transitions, stresses and opportunity. Chapter 28. “You’re Fired! Hooray!” Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Fall Back in Love With Working in Psychology,” is by Michael Aisenberg. Chapter 29, “Why All the Enlightenment, Empowerment, and Edification Embedded in This Book May Mean Nothing to You,” is by Linda Sapadin. Sapadin lists the main thoughts that can stand in the way of change, including perfectionism, worry, and spending too much time on other things.
She writes, “In your quiet moment of truth, without pressure by anything or anyone, YOU, your executive self in harmony with your emotional self, make a solemn pledge to take the necessary and sustained steps to enhance your career.”
Getting Better seems a perfect text for updating one’s view of the business of practice, while at the same time, hanging on to time-honored issues important to us as professionals and people.
It can be purchased at Wiley, Amazon, and other sellers, including as an eBook.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.