At iCouch, new and experienced therapists ask us very often how to start an online therapy practice. This post is to provide a very simple answer to that question. If you would like to read a more detailed post on how to add it to your current practice, read our How to Add Online Counseling to Your Existing Therapy Practice publication. But, for the sake of simplicity, here's a summary of the steps you'll need to follow.
This post doesn't go into the “why, just the “how”. Do you want to participate in online counseling? Q&A was part of Next Level Practice, the most supportive community for therapists starting a private practice. In this video, Joe answers the question based on how to conduct an online counseling practice. Clay Cockrell talks about consulting with Joe.
Once all of your company's technical needs have been addressed, it's time to get your name out there. The first step to establishing yourself as a professional online therapy practice is to launch a website. You can share your articles on online forums such as Quora, Reddit, or Facebook groups to answer questions potential clients may have related to therapy. To successfully operate your online therapy practice, you'll need an office management tool that serves as a hub for your business.
If you don't know where to start, here's a step-by-step guide to everything you need to conduct your online therapy consultation. In other words, you can only offer your online therapy service to residents of the state for which you are licensed to practice. When a friend of mine, Carol O'Saben, set out to start her own online therapy practice, she worried she couldn't earn enough money to support herself and wondered where she would find clients. In launching their internships, both she and Thompson relied on online peers to help answer questions through the Location Independent Therapists and Online Therapists Group Facebook groups, which primarily serve mental health professionals who have chosen 100% virtual business models by choice.
Some of your clients may also be confined to home, and online therapy is their only option to meet with you. A friend of mine had asked me to meet with her and discuss the starting blocks of a thriving online therapy practice. But for your clients, it's definitely an advantage and a benefit you can advertise by promoting your therapy online. In your email, list the benefits of your online therapy sessions (such as convenience, anonymity, and lower costs).
Starting your online therapy practice will help you future-proof your business, meet patient demands, and scale to connect with patients around the world.
