(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) Welcome to Ask Allison. Y'all ask the questions about having a fun and thriving practice and I answer them. We have a worksheet for you today so you can bring this answer into your life. You can access that at abundancepracticebuilding.com slash links where you'll also be able to ask any questions you have for Ask Allison. If you want more support, we've got some free trainings in there too.
If you can't get enough Ask Allison, check out our YouTube channel for our entire Ask Allison library. Welcome back to Ask Allison. Here's today's question. I've worked for agencies my entire life, so the whole process is daunting to me. Any words of wisdom to help me not be nervous? So let's talk about this because it is such a common feeling and a totally normal one. Before we dive in, I want to thank TherapyNotes for sponsoring Ask Allison. I've talked about them for years.
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I would love to hear your experience because they're fantastic. All right, so let's dive in. First of all, if you weren't nervous, I would be concerned. This is a really big life change. It's like that feeling before you start college or a new job or your very first therapy session. You are stepping into a new chapter and you're counting on yourself in a way that you have not had to before. It is exciting, but it's also scary and that's okay. Here's the truth.
Nervousness, fear, anxiety, these come with the territory, but the great news is that you already have the skills to tolerate it. Think about all the things you tell your clients, how to sit with discomfort, take manageable steps forward, and trust the process. You get to apply that to yourself now. Yay. Back in my late teens and early 20s, I was in pretty intensive therapy and my mantra became feel the fear and do it anyway.
I have said that to myself probably a million times since, and it has carried me through moments just like the one you're facing. Starting a private practice isn't about competing for a spot in the NBA or winning an Oscar. There is no cutthroat competition where thousands of people are vying for the same role. In fact, here's the reality. Most of us in private practice are drowning in client demand. We're full, the phone keeps ringing, and a lot of the therapists I know and trust are full too.
People are seeking therapy at unprecedented rates and there is more than enough room for you in private practice. Now, are you going to fill your practice overnight? No, you're not. But if you take consistent steps and you follow a marketing plan, you're going to get there. Marketing might push your buttons, but here's the thing. It's simple. It's not always easy, but it's simple.
Those early administrative tasks that happen in a practice like getting your business license, setting up your EIN, those are simple and they're easy. They're just boring. Here's my advice. Don't let those tasks or your anxiety hold you back. You're going to find excuses to put them off, but trust me, it is really worth powering through and you're going to feel so much more powerful having done so.
The one regret I hear over and over from therapists who have made the leap is, I wish I'd done this sooner. And I think you're going to feel the same way. So let me say this a little early. Welcome to the private practice club. We have all been here nervous, filled with self-doubt, wondering if we made the right choice, but you're in really great company and you're on the right path. So just keep doing the next right thing. If you are feeling stuck or overwhelmed, I got resources to help you.
You can DM me the word checklist to get my getting started checklist for free. That's going to get you moving with confidence on those simple, easy, albeit boring tasks that you need to do to get your private practice going and going in the legal and ethical ways. You need to get it going. You've got this. I am cheering you on until next time. Take care. Bye for now. If you're ready for a much easier practice, therapy notes is the way to go.
Go to therapynotes.com and use the promo code abundant for two months free. I hope that helped. If you have questions for ask Alison, or you want to get your hands on the worksheet for this episode, go to abundancepracticebuilding.com slash links.