WP 31 | Should I start a Christian Private Practice?
Welcome back to the Wise Practice Podcast! In this episode, Whitney Owens interviews her special guest Julia Nepini. Julia is a clinical and forensic social worker who owns Compassionate Counseling Company, a counseling practice in southeastern Massachusetts. She also runs a consulting business called Compassionate Consulting Company, where she helps clinicians start, expand, and diversify their practices. In addition, Julia hosts the Compassionate Climb Podcast, where she discusses the challenges of being successful in business while maintaining integrity.
Julia's Journey to Private Practice
Julia's passion for helping others led her to pursue a career in social work. After working in various agencies and non-profits, she realized that her values were not fully aligned with those organizations. So, she decided to start her own private practice, Compassionate Counseling, in February 2017. Starting with just herself, she gradually built a team of clinicians and created a practice that embodies her vision. Julia's consulting business grew out of her own experiences and the desire to support other clinicians on their journey. She acknowledges the challenges of running a private practice but finds it incredibly rewarding to help others navigate the same path. Her podcast, the Compassionate Climb Podcast, is a way for her to connect with like-minded professionals who value integrity and compassion.
The Dynamics of Julia's Practice
Compassionate Counseling Company is a multidisciplinary practice that serves the whole family. With 16 clinicians, including eight full-timers and eight part-timers, they provide a range of services and specialties. Julia herself is a divorce mediator and parenting coordinator, offering additional support to individuals navigating the complexities of separated parenting. The practice also runs groups and encourages ongoing growth and exploration among its clinicians.
Should You Start a Private Practice?
Many people consider starting a private practice but aren't sure if it's the right path for them. Having an entrepreneurial spirit is essential for being successful. Julia reflects on her own journey and shares valuable insights for those contemplating this decision. She emphasizes the importance of having some experience in other settings before venturing into private practice. Gaining exposure to different scenarios, clients, and issues can help therapists hone their skills and determine their ideal clients. Julia believes that having a curiosity and interest in the business side of the practice is crucial. "Curiosity and interest in the business side of practice are crucial. Shifting from a clinician mindset to a business owner mentality requires an entrepreneurial spirit and a willingness to take on additional responsibilities."Shifting from a clinician mindset to a business owner mentality requires an entrepreneurial spirit and a willingness to take on additional responsibilities.
Considerations for Starting a Private Practice
While there are many benefits to starting a private practice, it's essential to weigh the pros and cons. "Think beyond the allure of flexibility and autonomy. Consider the administrative challenges and limitations that may come with insurance-based practices."Julia advises therapists to think beyond the allure of flexibility and autonomy and consider the increased liability and responsibility that come with running a practice. Additionally, the choice between insurance-based or private-pay practice should be carefully evaluated. Insurance-based practices provide accessibility but come with limitations and administrative challenges. On the other hand, private-pay practices require a strong focus on marketing and building a reputation. Julia also highlights the potential loneliness of private practice and emphasizes the value of building a supportive team. "Don't underestimate the potential loneliness of private practice. Building a supportive team is incredibly valuable."
Thoughts about Branding Your Private Practice Christian
Personal Motivation: It starts with your own beliefs and motivations. If integrating your faith into your practice aligns with your personal values and mission, and you feel compelled to do so, it can be a valid choice.
Clear Branding and Messaging: If you decide to make your faith a part of your practice, it's important to be clear in your branding and messaging. Clearly communicate what it means to be a Christian counselor in your context and what clients can expect from your practice. This can help potential clients understand your approach and make informed decisions.
Ethical and Respectful Approach: It's crucial to approach the integration of faith with kindness, respect, and ethics. Offer an invitation rather than forcing your beliefs on clients. Make it clear that while you offer Christian counseling, it is also okay if clients prefer a different approach. Respect their choices and provide a safe space for them to explore their own beliefs and values.
Individualized Treatment: Recognize that each client may have a different understanding of what it means to have a Christian counselor. Tailor your treatment approach to the unique needs and preferences of each client, following their lead in terms of how important faith is to them. Incorporate discussions about faith as a component of the initial assessment and continue to address it throughout the treatment process based on their preferences.
Open Dialogue and Check-Ins: Encourage open dialogue with clients about the integration of faith in therapy. This can be done through regular check-ins, like the care coordinator approach mentioned in the conversation, where clients can provide feedback on their experience, including how faith is being integrated and if it's working for them.
Advice on opening a Private Practice
Gain experience: Before starting a private practice, gain experience in various settings to develop your clinical skills and identify your ideal clients.
Curiosity and interest: If you're considering private practice, cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit and a willingness to take on business responsibilities.
Weight the pros and cons: Consider the benefits and challenges of private practice, such as increased liability, insurance limitations, and potential loneliness.
Build a support system: Surround yourself with a supportive team to combat.
Final Thoughts
The decision to make a private practice a Christian practice is a deeply personal one. It requires careful consideration of various factors and an understanding of how faith integration can impact the dynamics of the practice. Remember the importance of gaining experience in different settings before venturing into private practice, as it allows clinicians to hone their clinical skills, identify their ideal clients, and understand the intricacies of the profession.
Starting a private practice entails not only providing therapy but also taking on the role of a business owner. It necessitates an entrepreneurial spirit and a willingness to navigate the operational aspects of running a practice, such as marketing, credentialing, billing, and managing expenses. Additionally, practitioners must evaluate their desired level of involvement in the business operations and decide whether they have the capacity and interest to take on that responsibility. You can start your journey by contacting Whitney or Julia in the links below.
Resources
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WP 31 | Should I start a Christian Private Practice?
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Whitney Owens: Welcome back to the Ys at Practice Podcast. I'm your girl, Whitney Owens here, hanging out with you and I have got a dear friend with me, Julia Nini. So I'm proud to say her name correctly today. Woo. Um, yes, and she has the Compassionate Climb Podcast. One thing that's really fun about podcasting is getting to do 'em at the same time.
So I just recorded on her show and she's here with me. And so it's wonderful to be able to kind of share ideas and stories and learn from one another. So I'm excited to have her here on the show. And, um, let me read you her bio so that you know a little bit about her before we get going. Julia is a clinical and forensic social worker and owns a counseling practice called Compassionate Counseling Company in southeastern Massachusetts, and she owns a consulting business, compassionate, coun, compassionate consulting company where she helps clinicians start, expand and diversify their practice.
She also hosts the Compassionate Climb Podcast where she discusses the challenges of being successful in business while also maintaining integrity. Julia, thank you for coming on the show.
Julia Nepini: Whitney, I feel blessed to be here right now. That was a lot of Cs. Well done.
Whitney Owens: I know you got the alliteration there, so that's, Hey, it's a good thing.
Um, so great. So why don't you share a little bit more about you and your story to getting where you are. Um, before we kind of talk about the, the gist of the episode, we're gonna talk about should we start a private practice and like how to figure that out. But before we go there, let's talk about you.
Okay,
Julia Nepini: so used to listening to other people's stories, so here we go. I always knew that I was going to land in a helping profession. I was destined for that as a fellow Enneagram one with a wing two natural helper and nurturer. So I. Found out very early that social work was for me and pursued it all the way to independent licensure, and then started private practice after working in multiple agencies, nonprofits, a hospital similar to you, and really just feeling like I.
We were not in alignment in terms of values, so I decided that the best way to be in alignment was to be my own Bo boss and do it my own way. But within the guidelines. So I started in February, 2017, compassionate counseling. It was just me and within two years I started bringing on other. Clinicians and building a team, and I have now created the type of practice that I would want to work for.
So I'm very proud of that. Consulting came from those experiences that I had on my own journey and wanting to. Expedite the process and decrease the overwhelm for other clinicians. It is so doable, and it is one of the most gratifying things that I've ever done, but it has challenged me in more ways than I could even say.
Uh, vulnerability is a big piece. I am, you know, learning all the time. And I love that aspect of it, but it's really rewarding to be able to help others do the same. And then the podcast was just a culmination of it all. I started it because I genuinely wanted to have these conversations with other practitioners, professionals, business owners, clinicians, and be around my people.
Those that also value integrity and compassion and maintain that throughout their journey like I have.
Whitney Owens: That's wonderful. I, I told Julia before we jumped on here, she's got the knack for podcasting, um, and interviewing. So I enjoy that. And you have a great voice, so I'm happy to be listening. Yes, yes. Um, okay.
So tell us a little bit more about your practice. Um, kind of the dynamic, how many clients that you are, like therapists, clinicians, how mm-hmm. How many clinicians you have, and then like your specialties within that, or what kind of clients that you serve. Sure. Yeah.
Julia Nepini: So we are a multidisciplinary practice who serves the whole family?
We are insurance-based and we have 16 clinicians right now, eight full-timers and eight part-timers. And so we also have taken on interns in the past. We run groups. I am a divorce mediator and a parenting coordinator. So we add that additional element of helping those individuals who. Our parents, but no longer together navigate the dynamics of that relationship.
And it's an incredible group. We have, like I said, multi-specialty, uh, and definitely encourage continued like growth and exploration and people figuring out what they genuinely enjoy. So it's been a lot of fun.
Whitney Owens: Yes. Thank you for that. Yeah. Mm-hmm. So, you know, a lot of people aren't sure if private practice is the place for them.
Um, potentially those that are in graduate school thinking about it or those that are working somewhere else other than a private practice or for those that are in a group practice or not really sure if they should take that leap to private practice. Um, would love to have that discussion today with you on how do we know if private practice is for us?
Julia Nepini: So thinking back, I wish that I had had the opportunity for some business courses throughout my graduate program. Mm-hmm. I wish that I had heard from someone, maybe a guest lecturer that was in private practice to hear more of what it's like. I also wish that at that time I knew that consulting or forensic social work could be a thing.
I mean, what I'm doing right now is literally beyond my wildest dreams. I've truly just created one foot in front of the other kind of building upon. The same skillset, but doing it in so many different ways that keep things dynamic and fun and fresh. And so that's actually one of my missions in life. So stay tuned.
We'll see. I would love to teach a course at the graduate level. Where I can provide that exposure. But I think in starting a private practice, for me, I am so grateful. I had the experience of community mental health and working in other agencies and a group practice that was not my own because it was so important to me.
And not that you need this necessarily, but to learn all the behind the scenes stuff to start off in practice with not having to worry about referrals. Marketing, credentialing, billing, collecting payments, the space, the expenses. I was able to really just hone my clinical skills, get exposure to all different people and issues, and really figure out who my ideal clients were, who I did my best work with, and who I was not meant to work with.
And that's okay. Who would be better served with someone else? And then in the group practice, I learned a lot more about. All of those behind the scenes, things that I didn't necessarily have to worry about in community mental health and started to feel like I could do some of this. The idea of those processes and procedures and more interaction with clients and navigating the business side intrigued me, and I think that's a big piece to consider.
Do you have any interest in that at all? Because you now take that clinician hat and it's there, but it's not at the forefront anymore. If you're gonna have a successful business, you lead with that. And that's been a process for me. It didn't come automatically. And so I think that's the first major consideration.
What is your desired level of involvement in the operations? Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit and do you think you can kind of shift and pivot into that business owner mentality? First and foremost.
Whitney Owens: Mm-hmm. Yeah. All such good content there. Um, I mean, the first thing I kind of was hearing you say was not requirement, but pretty good to have some experience in other settings instead of just going straight outta grad school and starting your own private practice.
It sounds like you really honed in on who you are and who you wanna see because of those experiences.
Julia Nepini: Yeah, for me personally, it was very helpful and I can see it being the same for other people. And not to say that there aren't those individuals who just know private practice is where I wanna be one-to-one counseling and they just go straight for it.
But I think if that's the case, they'll probably be more likely to seek out earlier on a lot of those resources. Mm-hmm. And yeah, that information, yeah.
Whitney Owens: Yeah. And so I love this, um, dynamic you must have had in your group practice where you were learning the business side while you were a therapist outta practice.
How were you able to do that? Like did the owner just start telling you things or how did that happen?
Julia Nepini: No, I think it was more just me being the kind of perceptive person that I am. They had an administrative assistant who was just a lovely human. So I found myself spending time with her in between sessions and.
Connecting with a lot of the other therapists that were in the practice. So it was a group practice of independent contractors. So we weren't W two s and I was there on a part-time basis and we didn't really come together on a regular basis and talk and connect. So I had to seek that out. And I think more just, I was more interested, I was more intrigued, um, you know, so the website and how they were generating referrals and who they were marketing to, I really just kind of learned through observation.
Whitney Owens: Mm-hmm. Oh yeah. That's great. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Okay. And so you said the first thing to really think about is do you have the entrepreneurial spirit? Um, what are some other things to be thinking about in potentially starting a private practice?
Julia Nepini: So I think it's very easy to focus on the pros, and there are many, the flexibility, the autonomy, working with your ideal client, having a lot more say and really structuring your work life.
In a way that works for you, but there are also some cons that I think are so important to consider. There is so much more increased liability, responsibility, and. There's a lot of benefit to working for someone else for a period of time, and obviously getting that supervision and having that multidisciplinary team and working with other providers so that you can really build up those skills because there is so much gray area in our profession.
Right. Whitney? I mean, we can follow the guidelines and the ethics and you know, there were some really clear cut scenarios and then there are others where you could. Line up several practitioners and every single one would fall in a different place on the spectrum. And I love those conversations and coming together and really kind of brainstorming and how have you handled this and how would you handle this?
So really thinking about that weight being on your shoulders and then whether or not you're gonna be in, in insurance or private pay practice. So I think that both definitely come with many benefits. I think with insurance you have that accessibility. For a lot of clients who maybe would not be able to afford the service, but you're dealing with insurance companies, there's a glass ceiling you hit where you're only able to make so much, and you have to work within that framework.
And the only way to make more is to see more clients, which is not something I would recommend for everyone. And then there's also all that is the insurance world, right? I mean, you have to find a way to, you have to get credentialed. Submit those claims, track those claims follow up when there are de denials, and likely hire a biller, which is gonna be an expense with private pay.
And I'm sure you can speak more to this. I would say marketing is much more of a focal point and building that reputation and that foundation and knowing that those services, if you're gonna pay for them, are valuable and a return on that investment that people are making. But there's so many benefits I'm sure to that motivation and it is an investment so, I think making that determination an insurance company can be a downside.
And then I think beyond that, it can get really lonely. Hence why I built a team and probably why you did too. Mm-hmm. So just some of the things to think about.
Whitney Owens: Definitely. I, I co totally agree with you on so many of those. Um, the loneliest definitely a factor. Um, you know, and you kinda spoke to this a little at the beginning that I kind of wanted to hone in on is this idea of.
Hmm. It's, it seems like a shiny object, but it's not always as great and fantastic as you think it's gonna be, at least not for a little while. Yes. Um, like I, you were making, as you were talking, all these memories were coming back of like, I. I remember just trying to answer those calls at the craziest times, right?
Because it was maybe a client calling and I needed more clients. And so you are almost doing whatever you have to do to get clients at the beginning because you need them. So I would work evenings, even though I didn't wanna work evenings or work Fridays, and I didn't wanna work Fridays, or I'd take on a client maybe wasn't ideal because I just needed to build a caseload, get a reputation going, you know?
And. My fees were lower than I wanted them to be. In fact, I think in some situations being in a group practice, a therapist might make more than starting their own practice just because of all those fees and setups and, you know, you're talking about the insurance piece. Like that's another huge one that, um, to consider.
In fact, someone just reached out to me for a job and she was talking about, well, I make this at my private practice, but this is, you know, what I make with insurance. And I'm like, well, you come work for me. You're actually probably gonna make more. Mm-hmm. You know? Um, so I just, um, thinking through those challenges when you first start, you were reminding me of those as you were sharing,
Julia Nepini: and I experienced every single one you just described, and you did ask that like how to kind of build the practice while you are also seeing clients and really in the business and, mm-hmm.
It wasn't long before I had to make that really challenging decision to no longer see clients. So as of October, 2021, it's been a little over a year, I transitioned my caseload to the clinicians in the practice and had to make that decision that being in that practice own a role in order to be able to do all of those things that I needed to do well.
Mm-hmm. And consult and do forensic social work that I wasn't able to see that caseload any longer. And so that was. Very pivotal for me because that's such a huge part of my identity. But I'm still using all of those skills in providing supervision. We do consultation groups. Yes, those skills are still inherent in the forensic social work.
So helping those co-parents navigate that relationship. And then in the consulting too, I mean you're, you're ultimately kind of, Focusing on those dual roles of business owner and clinician and trying to blend them together and helping people through that piece. So those skills are all still there. But I personally had found that in order to do all of that, I no longer could carry a caseload of clients for therapy.
Yeah,
Whitney Owens: so I think you're speaking to something so important for any phase is figuring out what we want and doing what we want. And if that means starting your own practice or not, if it means seeing clients or you know, just owning the business, like that's a lot to take on. And so I think for people that are just starting their private practice, what I hear you saying is them figuring out what kind of practice they wanna have, how invested, how many clients they wanna see in working out those numbers.
Julia Nepini: And it can be really hard if you haven't had that experience somewhere else. Because so much of that for me came from knowing how many clients was my cap for the day. Mm. And how many hours I needed to work in order to live, but to also still have a life. And you know, flexibility is great, but like you said, you can.
Stretch those boundaries a little bit in the beginning because it is your business and you do wanna build a reputation you want and need those referral sources, and it never feels good to turn someone away. So to get through that challenging piece, it can be extremely worthwhile. But I would say to be successful, there are several key components that are very important to think about at the outset.
So as we talked about before we started recording, I created. Actually, this was the advice of Laura Long, so I can't necessarily take full credit for this. We had done a consulting call and she had said to me, girl, make a survey. Like send it out there, starting a private practice. How do you know you're ready?
And I literally took all the steps that I take consulting clients through from, you know, are you independently licensed all the way through? Business entity and business plan. And do you have your attorney identified to go over your consent forms and you know, are you gonna be insurance based or private pay?
Are you gonna be strictly virtual or in person or a hybrid model? On and on and on. It's about 20 questions and by the end of it you'll get a score and recommendations. And so yeah, that was really helpful. And then I did the same for expanding to group practice and determining whether or not you're ready.
So it really gets you thinking about those pieces that we're talking about. Yeah, well,
Whitney Owens: we'll definitely have that in the show notes, but can you tell us, for anyone who's just listening in the car or whatever, where do they get that
Julia Nepini: access? Sure. They can head over to compassionate consulting company.com and it is right there along with some other really helpful resources.
So all of the podcast episodes are there for Compassionate Climb. You know, it walks you through what our process is. So kind of how I take consulting clients through their process and. Yeah, it's been really rewarding. I mean, I'm sure you can speak to this, where you have someone who is highly motivated, skilled, educated, and a lot of times just needs a little bit of a nudge, a boost, guidance, direction, a system, and they mm-hmm.
Soar. Mm-hmm. And it's such a beautiful thing to watch that, and you know that they're going to be helping more people. And the ripple effect that comes with that, it's been incredible. Oh
Whitney Owens: yeah. A hundred percent, definitely. Mm-hmm. All right, so let's, um, just change a little bit here. We're talking about starting a private practice.
So I have people say, should I make my private practice Christian or not? Hmm. So I would love to hear your advice would be to someone asking that question.
Julia Nepini: Well, I think thanks to you, this is something that I've considered a lot more than I had prior to knowing you. I think you really beautifully blend those two worlds, and I can absolutely understand how it's something that may cause someone in that position to pause and reflect.
Reflect, because you could probably speak to this more than me. There's a lot of challenges I'm sure that come with it. Not everyone is as open-minded, is as receptive, and even if faith is a part of their life, I think you can open yourself up potentially. To maybe a little bit more like scrutiny or maybe that need to kind of have clear direction and boundaries and, um, so for me personally in my practice, what I've done is discussing someone's faith is always a component of our assessment at the outset when we're first meeting with someone and then we follow their lead throughout the treatment process in terms of like what degree their faith is, I.
Important to them. Mm-hmm. And so, um, yeah, for me, I, I can definitely understand how that's a question that comes up and something that I've given more consideration to in learning about your journey.
Whitney Owens: Oh, well thank you for that. Yeah. And so do you have any other thoughts on if someone's thinking, should I make my faith a part of my brand, a part of my name?
How overt do I wanna make this? Do you have any mm-hmm. Um, considerations for them?
Julia Nepini: So I think a big one. Is it ultimately, uh, Starts with you. If that's a big part of your why and your mission and you feel compelled to do it, and you can have that be there when it may get challenging and there might be questions to fall back on, then I think you absolutely can do it.
And I think you're a testament to that, but I think someone has to be really solid in their own faith and their motivation behind why they're integrating those two worlds.
Whitney Owens: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I definitely hear that. Um, and, and even another thing to be thinking about is that they're being kind and ethical when they share their faith, you know?
Yes. And that we're not forcing it on people, but that we're bringing an invitation, like, if you wanna see a Christian counselor, here's a place to come, but it's okay to not want a Christian counselor, you know, and, and in your branding, making it clear. What that is, what that looks like. Mm-hmm. And in your messaging on your website, you know, Hey, Christian counseling means blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Mm-hmm. You know? Mm-hmm. Because everyone, I mean, you probably agree, everyone has a different idea of what it means to be a Christian counselor. Right.
Julia Nepini: Yeah, and I think that that's similar. I mean, even when I started consulting, in addition to counseling, like separate websites and being really clear, I think what you're speaking to is important.
Like when someone's seeking out a therapist and comes to your site to know that that's an option, but to be really clear about what that means for your particular practice, what can they expect? What is that process gonna look like? And it sounds like offering that choice that it doesn't necessarily have to.
Do, I mean, you can go either way. I'm sure you can have a strictly, you know, um, Christian practice or maybe have the option. But yeah, I think being really clear about that, the outset sets you up for success.
Whitney Owens: Mm-hmm. Definitely. Yeah. There's, um, a couple of practices that I've known that they, you know, are adamant that Bible's gonna be in every session and we're gonna pray at the end of the appointments, and I'm praying for you between the appointments, you know, and so I think for those practices, making that clear on the website when we say Christian practice, this is what we meet, you know?
And so for other practice, Says it means what you said earlier, inviting people into that conversation, figuring out their background in the intake appointment, and then bringing that in. Mm-hmm. So making that clear at the beginning, what that looks like, so that our clients know what to expect.
Julia Nepini: Right.
Absolutely. Yeah. And I think having those conversations early on, I mean, just like your consent forms, just like yes, you know, you're setting the clear parameters so that they know what to expect. You've opened up that dialogue and it can be a continued check-in throughout what we've recently started doing or are going to start doing.
We just talked about this as our leadership team is doing a check. It actually, this was a Dawn Gabriel suggestion. Shout out to her. That she has a care coordinator on her team, and three sessions in, we'll reach out and check in as this neutral person to say, how is therapy going? Are you feeling optimistic so far?
Do you feel like you were matched with the right therapist? And I think that that piece can also be added into that, you know, how do you feel that faith is being integrated? Mm-hmm. And is that working for you? Yeah.
Whitney Owens: That's great. Mm-hmm. Wonderful. Well, Julia, is there anything that we didn't cover that you wanted to make sure to mention in starting a private practice or specifically a Christian private practice?
Julia Nepini: No, I think that you and I are both open to serving as resources to people, and I appreciate the opportunity to give a little bit of background and delve a little bit deeper into that topic. So, no, I feel really good about what we covered today.
Whitney Owens: Awesome. Yeah. And so if you're wanting to touch base with Julia, um, Let's see.
Your website is compassionate. You've got several websites, so why don't you tell us what they are.
Julia Nepini: So Compassionate Consulting Company is where you can get information about starting, expanding, or diversifying a practice and also find the link to the Compassionate Climb Podcast and then the counseling practice.
If anyone is in Massachusetts or Rhode Island and looking for therapy, it's compassionate counseling company.
Whitney Owens: Awesome. Well, and I'm looking forward to people taking these quizzes, so make sure you jump on the website and do that and listen to the podcast, um, because it's wonderful. So Julia, thank you so much for coming on the show today.
Julia Nepini: Thank you for having me, Whitney. I appreciate all you do.
Show Notes and Audio Production by James Marland
