How I Started Treating Private Patients, My Personal Story, How I Created IndependentClinician.com
How I Started Treating Private Patients
“Do you treat privately?”
I thought the question would never come. “Yes, I do.” I said with both excitement and fear.
“How much to you charge?”
My head was spinning, I had told myself that I would say $100 but instead I said, “$80 per hour.”
“Great, when can you come? Can we see you twice a week?”
I never would have known that treating private patients was an option if it hadn’t been for two colleagues of mine. Rick and Kathryn, two highly regarded Speech-Language Pathologists with whom I worked were successfully treating “private patients.” I was always secretly excited, jealous and interested but knew that it was too early in my career for my services to be valuable.
After I had been working for almost three years, I asked Rick and Kathryn about their experiences and they told me:
- How they got started
- how they ran their businesses
- how they generated referrals
- how they dealt with money and taxes
- how the dealt with ethical issues
Both of them taught me everything I needed to feel confident about getting started. They both told me that one day a patient or family member would ask and that I should say “yes.”
I started off with that one private client and then added another. I was earning an extra $1,280 per month- pre-tax (2 clients x twice weekly visits x $80) AND helping two patients and their families out.
Healthcare professionals are “helping people” people
If you’re like me, you knew from a young age that you wanted to help people. As you began choosing your career, you likely found SLP, OT or PT because either you knew someone who had benefited from the therapy or you knew a therapist who enjoyed their job.
I started my career as a Speech-Language Pathologist to help people learn to communicate better- but I never thought I’d end up helping therapists as well. I founded the Independent Clinician as a way to not only help more patients but the people who serve them.
While we’re helping others, we need to remember to help ourselves
Chances are, you’re an OT, SLP or PT who considers themselves to be a “helper.” I love helpers, I’m a helper too- but over time, we can forget to help ourselves. We throw ourselves into our patients care and lives and do anything we can to help them succeed. Often this means long hours and worrying about our patients after work.
Treating private patients is a fantastic way to merge these two concepts:
- help more people
- make more money
Sound Interesting?
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I Kept My “Regular Job” While I Saw Private Patients
I really liked my “regular job”- I just wanted more flexibility and income. When I finally made the commitment to treat privately I decided to change my schedule around.
At first, I kept my 40 hour position but changed my hours to four, 10 hour days. Initially this was great- I had a full day off to treat privately. I tried to see patients in the mornings and afternoons. This became problematic for me however. Some patients couldn’t see me on the days I could see them. I could only offer therapy once per week. Most importantly, I was totally exhausted.
After 6 months of the four, 10 hour days I couldn’t do it anymore. My very flexible boss allowed me to reduce my schedule to 32 hours, in exchange for being at the hospital every day. I changed my schedule to 3 half days (8-12) and two 10 hour days (8-6). This allowed me to treat my private patients in the afternoons, up to 3x per week.
There were times when business was booming- I’d see up to 4 private patients each Monday, Wednesday and Friday! While I was *only* working 32 hours, I was making up for that time during my “off” afternoons. When business was slow, I would use the time to market my services, work on this website and do my own errands (ie. Get to the gym, plan my wedding, etc).
Like me and most therapists, you probably aren’t looking to leave your job, but may want to flex your schedule to accommodate more private patients. Remember, you can double or triple your regular salary by reducing your “regular jobs” hours by just a few and making up for it with private patients- that’s what I did- and it worked.
I hope you enjoy My Story and I hope it Inspires you.
Jena
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The Story behind the Creation of IndependentClinician.com
Once I had written The Independent Clinician Guide to Private Patients I decided to sell it on my website. In the early days, the website was just a picture of my book with little additional information about myself.
As time went on I kept thinking of additional information that might be beneficial to those who had already purchased the book. I began to think of The Independent Clinician Guide to Private Patients as the “blue print” with the step-by-step information to start treating privately. I decided to start a blog on the website to help occupational, speech and physical therapists move beyond the initial information and begin to interact with the material.
I also began to remember what it was like when I was first starting to treat privately: I wanted to meet others who were successfully treating patients on the side and know how they had done it.
By doing weekly blog posts, guest blogs, links to social media such as Facebook and Twitter, I aim to show therapists who are nervous about getting started that there is hope and that many of your peers have taken that leap.
By starting IndependentClinician.com I want to create a community of like-minded therapists who can support each other, find answers to their questions, meet fellow clinicians in their area, etc.
Treating privately is somewhat of a taboo and it shouldn’t be.
- Comment on the blogs
- write a guest post
- join us on Facebook and Twitter
Most importantly- reach out to other clinicians who are on this journey with you!
Offer Your Patients the Best Care You Can
Before you start treating private patients, you need to be an expert in particular diagnosis or therapy technique. Make sure that you have several years of experience and training in your chosen field before you offer your services for private pay.
Private pay patients are like customers; you need to offer them an excellent product at a fair price.
The patients whom you treat are paying a premium price ($75-125+ per hour) for a premium service (private therapy) and they expect you to be excellent at what you do. The truth is, by seeking out your “ideal private patients” you’re more likely to treat patients for whom their diagnosis or necessary treatment is your specialty.
For example, I have no interest in treating children. I always say, “I love to play with kids; not do therapy with them.” I am not an expert (or comfortable for that matter) with pediatrics so I would not charge a kiddos family for my services. Just because I’m a trained Speech-Language Pathologist and have treated some kids in my lifetime doesn’t mean my services are worth the private pay fee – and the therapy won’t be as fulfilling to me. Don’t neglect your quality of life.
Look at Your Own Professional and Personal Goals
Have you always wanted to have a private practice? Interested in the autonomy and income that comes along with one?
I don’t know a single therapist that didn’t at some point think about owning their own practice. As time goes on a people realize how much time and energy are spent figure out billing, leasing property, hiring/firing employees, etc. the daydreams evaporate.
Personally, I didn’t go into the field of Speech-Language Pathology to make money, but the truth is, I do wish our fields paid better. We all have bills to pay and families to feed and the 2% raises just don’t come quick enough.
Starting to treat private patients is a great way to meet your professional goal of owning your own practice – with much of the income and without the headaches.
If You’re Ready to Start Treating Private Patients…
Then start.
There is no perfect time. You’ll always be worried that you don’t know enough but if you don’t just jump into it, you’ll never get started. Don’t forget, you have hundreds of Independent Clinicians on the website, Facebook page, Twitter, etc. to ask for advice and bounce ideas off of each other.
Carpe diem.
As helping professionals we don’t like to admit that money matters to us, but it does.
You already have the clinical skills. The goal of the Independent Clinician is to provide you with the resources and confidence you need to help more people while making more money for yourself.
How much money do you make each year? How much do you WISH you could make or NEED to be making?
Sit down with a calculator and figure out exactly how much extra money you need each month and see how many private patients it would take to make up the difference. When I first got started, the extra $1,280 per month was mind-boggling. It allowed me to build those 6 months of savings that everyone tells you that you need to have. From there I was able to save for my wedding and now I’m saving for a house and my future children.
What would an extra $1,000 per month mean to you?
I Was Able to “take the leap” and You Can Too
“Do you treat private patients?”
One day a patient or family member is going to ask you this question, just like they asked me. I was lucky- I had Rick and Kathryn to tell me everything I needed to know about private patients before I was asked that important question.
I was scared to make a mistake too.
I won’t let you make a mistake. If you read the book and the blog posts and interact with your peers through the website you’ll become part of a community of SLP’s, OT’s and PT’s who have already taken the leap to treating privately and are reaping the benefits.
Let me be the one to educate, empower and prepare you to treat privately.
The key elements to my success would have to be:
Provide Value, Inspire Your Patients, Work Hard and Be The Best Therapist You Can Be!
To Your Private Patient Success,
Jena H. Casbon, MS CCC-SLP
PS. Really if you’re ready to make this change in your life- now is the time to TAKE ACTION and start!
If you’re ready to start treating privately, all you have to do is enter your e-mail address:
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