Looking to set up your private counselling or psychotherapy practice? Let’s get your consulting room sorted
If you are a counsellor, psychotherapist, psychologist or other mental health practitioner looking to establish your private practice, then perhaps the top of your list of things to sort out is where you will base yourself. And for a good reason. The space in which you practice communicates so much about you and your work; it’s crucial to get this right for yourself and your clients.
The room you use for your therapy practice is a visual indicator to everyone who steps inside of the type of therapist you are, but also your levels of professionalism and how seriously you take your work. A well-maintained, clean and beautiful space demonstrates care and attention, and subliminally your clients will sense that they will receive the same level of care. It makes sense and is evident at a certain level. Unfortunately, we still hear stories about therapy being practised in settings that are not suitable.
Choosing a room for your therapy practice goes much further than decor and aesthetics: there are accessibility, safety, lone working and other factors to take into account. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to consider when selecting your space to make a well-informed choice and avoid the pitfalls.
Finding a therapy room to rent – what to consider
Many practitioners choose to work online or will dedicate a specific room in their house – or even a garden room – to seeing private clients. All of these options have their benefits and pitfalls – for example, working online or at home can save on travel costs and enable you to set up the space exactly as you want to. Conversely, in today’s economic climate, you might find that what you save on petrol is offset by rising energy costs.
Similarly, choosing to work at home or remotely can mean you will need to work harder to promote yourself. By being part of an established therapy practice, you can benefit from the marketing efforts of the clinic or practice and ultimately find more work than if you operated alone.
It’s all going to depend on your personal preference and whether you prefer to be around like-minded professionals or if you are someone who enjoys or likes to work alone. Only you will know this.
“Not only is the Brightstone Clinic a beautiful space to work from, central to amenities, but the support provided by Ann and Jessica is outstanding. This was particularly important to me at the start of my therapeutic career. No question is considered silly, and there is always a prompt response. I would highly recommend working with the Brightstone team”. ~ Clair Atkinson, Psychotherapist at Brightstone Clinic
COVID considerations
Although it feels like we are over the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of the restrictions it has placed on our lives, it is still worth being aware of COVID when choosing where to practice. At an absolute minimum, you’re going to want to find a space that will allow for adequate social distancing to take place, should restrictions come back into force. It’s important to have bright, airy spaces with adequate ventilation and windows that open to allow for a breeze to come through.
Likewise, you’ll want to ensure that there are hand washing facilities and access to antibacterial hand wash and hot/warm water.
Something else to watch out for is a therapy room or space that has excellent WiFi or broadband, should you quickly need to switch to Zoom or other online platforms to host your sessions.
All of Brightstone’s therapeutic spaces allow for adequate social distancing. Our rooms are bright and airy, and we have invested in super-fast broadband to ensure that anyone practising online can maintain the right quality of service and connection for their clients. We have ensured that there is always hand sanitiser at the door and at the entrance, as well as additional sanitiser in each room and all of our toilets.
Access for those with mobility issues
Suppose you’re thinking of dedicating a room in your home or garden to your therapy work. In that case, it is worth considering whether it is accessible for people with mobility issues or restrictions. Are the doors wide enough for a wheelchair to easily go through? Is your front door accessible, or is there a step that might be a barrier for some people?
Brightstone Clinic is fortunate to have fully accessible facilities for people with mobility issues, including a large car park, a lift to the first floor and accessible toilets on both floors too. Our large rooms and corridors ensure that wheelchairs or mobility scooters can turn without restrictions. These features – which of course, need to be standard – make a massive difference to the experiences of everyone who comes for therapy at our clinic.
Handling the everyday interruptions
If you choose to work from home, are your family members entirely on board with being quiet during your appointments? And how will you handle unexpected interruptions like parcels arriving for your next-door neighbour that needs to be signed for? It is worth thinking about all of these things from the outset, in terms of how you will manage the various scenarios that can (and will) arise, as well as how to ensure your partner and any children you have will manage too.
This is where having a dedicated space outside of the home comes into its own: by renting a room in a managed therapy practice, you can be free from almost all of the interruptions that life at home can bring.
Working in a dedicated therapeutic environment can also help create that all-important distance between home and work life, which means you are not always on duty. Some of our therapists at Brightstone have shared with us that even a short commute on foot or in the car allows them to let go of the day and enjoy their home life. If you do decide to work from home, then it might be worth considering a small ritual for yourself: a walk at the end of each day before going into your family space to let go of the stresses of the day and begin to switch off. It doesn’t need to be a big walk, just something that allows your mind and body to know a change has happened and that it’s time to rest.
Growing your practice
Brightstone offers all therapists the opportunity to opt into a referral system whereby they can receive a steady stream of clients via the clinic to help build their practice. We have successfully helped many therapists fill up their schedules over the years. This is because we benefit from being a clinic that offers a wide range of support to people locally and because we have built a strong reputation in the community. We also have a clinic manager who takes care of all social media, PR, search engine optimisation and website, which is a full-time job.
Although it is possible to build a thriving practice from home, it can be beneficial to be part of a clinic or practice that can help with all these things.
“Since becoming an associate therapist with Brightstone, I have been provided with new opportunities in relation to the therapy I offer. It has enabled connection and support from other therapists and there has also been helpful ‘in-house’ training offered. There is a high level of respect and professionalism throughout and excellent communication. I have always felt very valued and supported by Ann and Jessica”.~ Diane Styne, Associate Psychotherapist at Brightstone Clinic
Safety, privacy and lone working
It’s rare: however, there may be times in your work as a therapist where you would feel more comfortable knowing that other people are around. This may be because you’ve identified that a client brings an element of risk, especially if we are working with issues such as addiction, anger or self-harm. It can be reassuring to know that there is someone else working just down the corridor, and for particularly risky situations, you can choose to see clients on days when there will be a lot of people around. It is also true that no matter how beautiful our therapy rooms if we are working from home, we have to give up a certain degree of privacy.
Working from a clinic enables us to maintain a degree of personal privacy, and work-related post can even be addressed to the clinic, adding another layer of security for those who need it in their practice.
The other benefits of working from a rented therapy room – the community
Meeting other like-minded therapists and healers. Working from home has so many benefits, but many of the people who rent rooms at Brightstone Clinic talk about the sense of community they feel and the enjoyment they get from sharing a space with like-minded professionals. It can offer the opportunity to build friendships and therapeutic alliances where you can make and receive referrals if needed.
Hopefully, this article has provided you with some food for thought and helped you to explore the options available to you as a therapist.
Next steps? Interested in talking to us about room rental? Get in touch by emailing our clinic manager, Ann, at info@brightstoneclinic.co.uk or take a virtual tour of our clinic and find out more here.