Starting and Sustaining a Private Practice in Holistic Health

Article for Tone - March 2005

Twenty two years ago this summer I quit my last nine to five job. I had just given birth to my second daughter, and was a new home owner in the middle of renovations. I wanted the flexibility to be at home with my children and it was an imperative to bring in at least a part-time income. I took the leap and quit my job. I didn't have a plan or even much of an idea as to how I was going to succeed. It wasn't a very good way to begin a career as a self-employed person but I knew I had some marketable skills and as I look back, I see that I had the impulsive, courage of youth and an earlier life steeped in the culture of the entrepreneur.

My father and most of my extended family were self-employed. Tax time in my house was memorable as my father, with his proverbial shoe box, labored over his accounting books. I remember going to the bank with him and the long waits, sitting on the bench outside the manager's office, as my dad conversed at length about something very important called his "line of credit". I also remember that my father worked hard and believed in giving his very best to the job at hand. He took great pride in a job well done. By today's standards or perhaps even by those of his era, he wasn't a very sophisticated businessman nor did he retire exceptionally rich. But he loved the work he did and lived a life style that pleased him. For this legacy I am very grateful to him.

The first 7 years of my self-employed life weren't particularly noteworthy. At first I did contract work and then started a small catering business. In hindsight I recognize I was about as successful as the amount of time and attention that I could put into my business while also raising little kids. But I did manage to fulfill my goals of having more time with them, and bringing in a part-time income. As my children grew, my work started to gravitate around my real passion - health and wellness.

About 15 years ago I began to envision having a private practice, working with clients in a holistic way. It still took a couple of years for it to evolve into the form it takes today, holistic psychotherapy. Along the way I was learning about my uniqueness - the skills and qualities that seemed to flow most easily from me. From very early on I intuitively understood that this was essentially valuable to my work. I was also developing my skill base, strengthening my capacity for self-discipline and devotion to the tasks at hand. Acquiring some basic business skills was helpful too. These four elements form the back-bone of any successful venture.

At some point I came upon the work of Marsha Sinetar. She writes and teaches about self-actualization and living meaningfully. She is a strong advocate of self-employment and in particular the spiritual dimensions of entrepreneurial life. When I found her work in the mid- 90's, it became a lifeline. Sinetar put into words what I was doing intuitively but her articulation helped me to claim what I knew, and to focus my efforts.

Her concepts allowed me to frame my evolving work life in the context of a creative process. We learn so much from just doing things and seeing what happens. We all know so much more than we realize. As Sinetar would say "We learn gradually by remaining alert and just doing". (p.123) A lot of business is common sense, and yet just following a formulaic path won't guarantee success. To build work that you love, is like creating a beautiful piece of art - one needs basic skills but from there it's about the application, experimentation, observance and perseverance which prepares the soil for the grace of inspiritation.

The role of intuition is invaluable to self-created work. As I developed my private practice I had the experience of being nudged along each step of the way, by what I have came to call the guiding spirit of my work. It is an inner voice that speaks with confidence and knows when something will work out even though my conscious mind doesn't know all the details. I believe we all have a guiding spirit whither we are consciously attuned to it or not. This inner voice, that shows itself in varied ways, is our most valuable resource. It helps us work with the challenges that inevitably come our way. One of the most useful first steps in developing self-employment is to focus on clearly identifying and following the voice of your guiding spirit.

From the outset it's important to find and articulate your unique gifts and to define your particular niche. This is partly about your specific training and experience. To be successful you need to be good at what you do. You need to be clear about what you have to offer. You have to work within the range of your expertise. It's death to try to be all things to all people. But more importantly your unique niche reflects your values, unique qualities, the sum of your life experience, as well as what you love, what comes with ease and feels most natural to you. All of these elements reflect the voice of your guiding spirit and help you to know that you are on the right track.

It's also helpful to know that you don't have to have it all together before you can begin. A lot of what we need can only be acquired through "on the job training". Sinetar offers "To create work we must cross over a threshold of inner development; consciousness is our doorway to the answers we want - we need enough creative depth to support our ambitions, to intuit, "this is want I must do" and to reason our way along". (p.17)

While we don't have to know everything to begin, there are some basic tools and elements that go along way to help ensure success. Creating a comprehensive business plan is one such tool. A business plan is a forum to conceptualize both the start-up and the future scope of your practice. A good business plan forces you to consider all the practical elements of your venture. It helps move a dream into the realm of reality. As the plan unfolds, of course one has to be open to the co-create dance that we are always doing with life. The plan will need to be adjusted accordingly, but at least it gives us a place to allow the creative process to begin.

It's often commented that people who are most naturally drawn to earn their living in a helping profession may be the ones least likely to have the interest or inclination towards the skills that are required to run a business. While this may be true, this is where I believe devotion to the art comes in. If we truly love what we do, we will know our practice needs a home to be nurtured in. So we discipline ourselves to learn some basic business skills which provide a loving container for your healing practice. From the outset this may mean confronting your squeamishness about money, organization, administration, self-promotion, or planning. Developing these skills will pay off by allowing you to do the work you love, be of service in the world, and live a lifestyle that supports you.

Sinetar, Marsha. 1995. To Build the Life You Want, Create the Work You Love: The Spiritual Dimension of Entrepreneuring. St. Martin's Griffen, N.Y.

Madeline Dietrich M.A. is a holistic psychotherapist. She has run a successful private practice in Ottawa for the last 15 years. She comes from an entrpeneural family and loves mentoring, coaching and sharing with people just coming into the field, as well as established practitioners, about the challenging and rewarding experience of self-empolyment in the holistic health field. This spring she is offering a three day workshop for those just starting out.