Q: I am a counselor who will be licensed in the next year and am trying to start my own practice. Can you give me resources about getting my practice up and running, from getting a tax ID number to everything else?

A: Yours is a good question. The answer could be several pages, if not chapters, long. We will give you two resources that should help. The first directs you to the federal tax ID information you need. Go to the Internal Revenue Service website, where you can download a free application or apply online at www.irs.gov/businesses/
small/article/0,,id=98350,00.html.

The second resource provides helpful information for starting a practice. It is written especially for the counselor who is just starting out or for those who want to expand a small practice. This plan was formulated by trial, error and success. Following the steps should enable a licensed counselor to begin a limited small practice in a relatively short amount of time. This information can be found on the American Counseling Association website. From the home page at www.counseling.org, click on “Counselors” and then click on “Private Practice Pointers.” We hope this information helps you get started!

Q: I am presently pursuing a master’s degree in counseling. There are social workers working in my agency. I have still not learned what the difference is (between the two degrees). I think both can bill for services. Please clear up this issue for me.

A: We did some groundwork, and most managed care and insurance companies now recognize both licensed counselors and licensed social workers. You should check the managed care and insurance company policies in your particular state for the credentials needed for inclusion to their panels. Some states, such as Illinois, have freedom of choice laws which mandate that all qualified providers be allowed to bill insurance. A list of all the major managed care and insurance companies that accept licensed counselors can be found at www.counseling.org/Counselors/PrivatePracticePointers.aspx under the “Provider Relations Contact List.” Good luck!

Q: My professional goal for 2006 is to start my private practice. I have thought about it for years. What is my first step?

A: Actually, you are asking about your second step. The first step is making the decision to go for it. Most counselors dream of having their own private practice, but few make the decision and even fewer act on it.

We find that the biggest barrier for counselors to go into business for themselves is a lack of confidence. Yet as counselors, what do we advise our clients to do? Take risks — go outside their comfort zone and risk failure. Sometimes we need to take our own advice and pursue the dream.

Counselors are well-trained clinicians who have the skill set necessary to practice independently. But without the belief that it is possible, one is doomed to fail. As we travel throughout the country, we look in the yellow pages under “counseling” and see more and more LPC and LCPCs in private practice than ever before. This is in part thanks to ACA and the lobbying efforts on your behalf to practice, but it is also the result of our resolve as counselors to take our rightful place to practice in the mental health field.

Editor’s note: The American Counseling Association has partnered with Robert J. Walsh and Norman C. Dasenbrook, authors of The Complete Guide to Private Practice for Mental Health Professionals (see www.counseling-private practice.com) to provide information on private practice issues. ACA members can e-mail their questions to walshgasp@aol.com. In addition, ACA members can access a series of free bulletins on various private practice topics. From the ACA website at www.counseling.org, click on “Counselors” and then click on “Private Practice Pointers.”