The Essential Skills For Setting Up A Counselling And Psychotherapy Practice

by McMahon; Gladeana

• ISBN13: 9780415197762
• ISBN10: 0415197767
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2005-07-19
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Many practitioners consider setting up in private practice at some point in their career, whether full-time or alongside other employment.The Essential Skills for Setting Up a Counselling and Psychotherapy Practiceprovides comprehensive yet accessible coverage of all the major skills needed to succeed. Based on the authors' extensive experience, this book provides a valuable insight into how to minimize the risks associated with working privately, offering practical advice on how to keep a balance between self-development, personal health and meeting the needs of clients, whilst maintaining high standards and making a reasonable living. Acknowledging the fact that being a good therapist may not, in itself, be sufficient to be successful in self-employment, the authors discuss the need for sound business skills, professional development, self-knowledge and motivation. Divided into three sections, the book covers all the essential business, professional and personal skills and includes discussion ofsubjects such as insurance, finance, legal issues, marketing, stress management, security and retirement planning. The focus on skills and how to acquire and develop them makes this book an invaluable reference for all mental health professionals who are considering setting up their own private practice. This book will prove to be an invaluable reference for all mental health professionals who are considering setting up their own private practice.

Author Biography

Gladeana McMahon is Co-Director of the Centre for Stress Management and a psychotherapist in private practice Stephen Palmer is Director of the Centre for Stress Management and Honorary Professor of Psychology, City University, London, UK Christine Wilding is a CBT Psychotherapist in the private and corporate sectors

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Introduction	1	(4)
Who is the book for?	1	(1)
Emphasis on skills and practice	1	(1)
Conflicts involved in private practice	2	(1)
The need for preparation to avoid disappointment and bankruptcy	2	(3)
1 The business skills	5	(62)
What makes some businesses successful and others fail?	5	(7)
Why practices fail	5	(4)
The personal characteristics of a successful business person	9	(3)
Starting your business	12	(18)
Who can help?	12	(3)
A Business Plan	15	(15)
The type of practice	30	(3)
The alternatives	30	(3)
Finance	33	(13)
Systems and administrative principles	37	(3)
Systems and administration some detail	40	(6)
Marketing	46	(10)
Market research	46	(3)
Advertising and publicity	49	(3)
Image	52	(2)
How to get clients	54	(1)
Fees	55	(1)
Summary	55	(1)
Security and confidentiality	56	(1)
Premises	56	(5)
Working from home	56	(1)
Renting premises	57	(1)
Basic equipment needs	58	(1)
Insurance	59	(2)
Retirement planning	61	(6)
Pension provision for self-employed people	62	(2)
Other considerations	64	(3)
2 The professional skills	67	(36)
Legal requirements	67	(16)
Confidentiality and the law	68	(1)
Fees	69	(2)
Contracts	71	(3)
Right to practise-professional expectations	74	(3)
Using the Small Claims Court	77	(1)
Producing reports and attending court	78	(2)
Additional recordkeeping (e.g. storage, letters, ethical systems)	80	(3)
Competency	83	(6)
Minimum training requirements	83	(1)
The role of personal therapy	84	(1)
Evaluation and auditing of the practice	84	(4)
The role of experience	88	(1)
The European dimension	89	(1)
Professional bodies	89	(3)
Why join a professional body?	89	(1)
Accreditation	90	(2)
Professional administration	92	(2)
Note-taking	92	(1)
Supporting documentation (e.g. Client Information Sheet)	93	(1)
Written communications (e.g. how to write a referral letter)	93	(1)
Supervision	94	(2)
The special needs of those in private practice	94	(1)
Types of supervision	95	(1)
Networking	96	(2)
How and why?	96	(2)
Medical/psychiatric backup	98	(1)
Knowing where to refer a client on to	98	(1)
Personal security	99	(1)
Client security	100	(3)
The suicidal client	100	(3)
3 Personal self-management skills	103	(32)
Why do I want to run a private practice?	103	(4)
Do I have enough stamina?	107	(1)
The stresses of private practice	107	(2)
Are you working at your optimum or experiencing burnout or rustout?	109	(1)
Cognitive thinking skills for positive action, motivation and stress management	110	(16)
Thinking errors and thinking skills	110	(15)
Imagery exercises	125	(1)
Time management	126	(3)
Relaxation	129	(5)
Benson relaxation technique	129	(1)
Relaxation imagery	130	(1)
Multimodal relaxation technique	130	(4)
Retirement	134	(1)
Conclusion	134	(1)
Postscript	135	(2)
References	137	(2)
Recommended reading	139	(2)
Useful addresses	141	(4)
Index	145