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Consultation and Practice Building Group for Early Career Psychologists (ECPs)
Currently accepting submissions of interest for this new group that will begin in the fall of 2026. This group is appropriate for early career psychologists who have been licensed for 1 - 5 years and are working in their own practice, considering making the transition to their own solo or group practice, or finishing a PostDoc and licensing hours and wondering about next steps. Drawing on his experience in university, hospital, and private practice settings, Dr. Matthew Nichols will provide practical guidance and foster peer support for clinicians at all stages of early career development who are seeking to build a successful, sustainable, and fulfilling career in private practice. We will start by assessing your readiness to start a private practice, identifying areas for growth, and helping you develop a practical checklist for launching. The mission of this group is to address everything you wanted to know about life in private practice, but were afraid to ask and to develop an ongoing support network. In this group, we will break down the business of private practice by answering questions every new practice owner has such as:
Getting Started: How do you position yourself, and what is a realistic rate for a Psychologist? How much should you have saved before opening a practice? Where do you look for an office and how do you decide what is right for you: full-time, part-time, or a shared office with a friend? How do you determine your practice’s mission, vision, values, and goals?
Boundaries: What are they and how do you set them in a profession that can feel so personal?
Running Your Practice: What does a typical week actually look like? How much time is spent on administrative work? What systems and tools can make managing your practice easier? Should you take insurance?
Growing Your Caseload: What's the best way to get your first 5-10 clients? Which marketing strategies are worth your time? What common mistakes should you avoid early on?
Building a Sustainable Business: How long does it take to become financially stable? Where do your strongest referral sources come from? How do you create a practice that's successful for the long term? How much money goes for taxes and running the business?
Taking Care of Yourself: How do you take care of yourself when you take care of others for a living? How do you use networking both as marketing and as collegial support? How do you run a values based practice that aligns with what is important to both you as a person and you as a professional? How do you monitor for signs of burnout? If imposter syndrome starts creeping in, you’re not alone; how do you identify and quiet that voice?
Details:
The group will meet monthly for 60-75 minutes (TBD) unless there is demand for more frequency.
Cost will likely be $80/group, with a 6 month commitment and the option to continue on.
The group will be limited to 6 individuals.
As we are in the beginning stages, we are open to feedback about all of these details.
Please reach out with any questions.