We recently connected with Staci Schnell and have shared our conversation below.
Staci, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.
I started a small private practice working one day a week out of someone else’s office and quickly was full. I had a website, social media, paperwork, malpractice insurance, and a phone number to start. I was getting calls for things I didn’t specialize in and was starting to refer to other therapists. I built a nice referral network within the community. That’s when I came up with the idea of having a large group practice with multiple therapists with different specialties. So then I had to find the office space and the therapists, which I did in 2015. I then had to furnish the office, get office supplies, internet, power, and register with the city and county. By the end of 2018 I expanded my space and made room for more therapists. I have around 20 therapists now.
I was very lucky and have a wonderful husband that helped me with the business side of starting the practice, but I highly recommend anyone starting out should understand the business end of things. Starting a practice isn’t just a great website and social media, it’s understanding taxes, city, county, and state rules, finances, and more.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
only thing I would do differently is I would have continued on an gotten my doctorate, I don’t need it to be a successful therapist and private practice.
If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?
NO! I would for sure do it again! The only thing I would do differently is I would have continued on an gotten my doctorate, I don’t need it to be a successful therapist and private practice owner. But I love supervising so much that I would have loved to been able to teach practicums. I also took some time off to be a stay at home mom and we lived in Seattle for 6 years, I should have taken that opportunity to study live with the Gottmans.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cwcsf.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/cwcsf
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cwcsf
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacischnell/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/StaciSchnell