private practice consulting for therapists: starting and growing a group practice
Build a private practice that reflects your vision, values, and clinical approach.
Starting a private practice or growing an existing group practice involves much more than being a skilled clinician. From establishing your business model and setting fees to developing a referral network, hiring clinicians, and creating systems that support sustainable growth, there are countless decisions to navigate along the way.
Consultations are led by Dr. Melissa Johnson, co-director and co-owner of Groundwork Therapy, a growing group psychotherapy practice based in Brooklyn, New York.
Drawing on her experience founding, building, and leading Groundwork Therapy, Dr. Johnson helps mental health professionals think strategically about their practices, navigate the challenges of practice ownership, and make informed decisions that align with their clinical values and professional goals.
Consultation is available to mental health professionals throughout the United States. You do not need to be located in New York to work with us.
Private Practice Consulting
for Therapists at Every Stage
Whether you are preparing to leave an agency or hospital setting, opening your first private practice, or looking to grow an established practice into a group practice, consultation can help you approach the process with greater clarity and confidence.
We offer individualized guidance tailored to your circumstances, priorities, and vision for your practice. Depending on your needs, we can focus on a specific question or work together on a broader plan for building and sustaining your business.
Consultation may be helpful if you are:
Starting a private practice: Thinking through the transition from employment to practice ownership, identifying your ideal client population, setting fees, and developing a plan for attracting clients.
Building a group practice: Determining when and how to hire clinicians, developing a compensation model, and creating the operational infrastructure needed to support a growing team.
Growing an existing practice: Strengthening referral networks, refining your practice's positioning, expanding services, and identifying opportunities for sustainable growth.
Learning to lead and manage a team: Navigating the transition from clinician to employer, setting expectations and boundaries, protecting your practice, and managing employer-employee challenges.
Navigating the business side of practice ownership: Thinking through policies, workflows, scheduling, billing processes, administrative responsibilities, and other systems that support day-to-day operations.
Making strategic decisions about the future: Evaluating growth opportunities, balancing clinical work with leadership responsibilities, and considering how to build a practice that remains manageable as it expands.
Learn From the Experience of Building Groundwork Therapy
Groundwork Therapy was built around a vision for thoughtful, relational psychotherapy and a practice environment that supports both clients and clinicians. Since its founding, the practice has grown substantially, developing a multidisciplinary team and expanding its services to meet a wide range of clinical needs.
As co-director and co-owner, Dr. Melissa Johnson has firsthand experience with the decisions involved in building a psychotherapy practice, from shaping its clinical identity and developing referral relationships to hiring clinicians, managing operations, and supporting continued growth.
Groundwork Therapy offers individual psychotherapy, couples therapy, group psychotherapy, psychological evaluations, and specialized services for diverse populations. Our clinical work includes supporting LGBTQ+ individuals and couples, people navigating questions of gender and sexuality, couples in consensually nonmonogamous relationships, adolescents, and individuals and families navigating a range of life transitions and mental health concerns.
This breadth of clinical experience informs our understanding of how a practice can develop a distinctive identity while responding to the needs of its community.
We also understand that a successful group practice requires more than a steady stream of referrals. It involves building systems, making thoughtful hiring decisions, establishing clear expectations, and balancing financial sustainability with a commitment to high-quality clinical care.
Our consulting approach brings these clinical and operational considerations together. Rather than offering a generic formula for success, Dr. Johnson works with you to consider what makes sense for your particular practice, professional goals, and circumstances.
Our Approach to Building a Private Practice
There is no single right way to build a private practice. Some clinicians want a small, independent practice that allows for autonomy and flexibility. Others envision a larger group practice with multiple clinicians, specialized services, and a collaborative clinical culture.
Our consultations are tailored to your goals rather than organized around a predetermined growth model.
We can help you think through questions such as:
What kind of practice do I want to build, and what will it take to get there?
How should I structure my services and fees?
How can I reach the clients and referral sources who are the best fit for my practice?
What should I prioritize when developing my website and online presence?
When does it make sense to hire another clinician?
How can I develop a compensation structure and operational systems for a group practice?
What responsibilities should I retain, and what might I delegate as the practice grows?
How can I build a practice that is financially sustainable and consistent with my clinical values?
Whether you are looking for help with one immediate decision or a more comprehensive plan, consultation offers dedicated time to think through these questions with someone who understands the clinical and business dimensions of practice ownership.
One-Time Consultation or Ongoing Practice Support
We offer flexible consultation arrangements based on your needs.
One-time consultation: Meet with Dr. Johnson to work through a specific question, explore a new business idea, or develop a plan for an upcoming transition. An extended session may be particularly useful if you are preparing to open a practice or want to address several interconnected decisions at once.
Ongoing consultation: Meet on a regular basis as you develop your practice, navigate challenges, or work toward longer-term goals. Recurring consultations can provide a space to assess progress, revisit decisions, and think strategically about your next steps.
You can begin with a single consultation and decide later whether additional meetings would be helpful. There is no requirement to commit to an ongoing arrangement.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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A 60-minute consultation with Dr. Melissa Johnson is $400, and a 30-minute consultation is $200. You can schedule a one-time consultation or arrange ongoing support, depending on your needs.
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Consultation is available to therapists, psychologists, and other mental health professionals at different stages of practice ownership. Whether you are preparing to open a solo practice, transitioning to a group practice model, or looking to strengthen an established practice, we can tailor our work to your goals and questions.
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Yes. Consultation can address the practical and strategic decisions involved in building a group practice, including hiring clinicians, developing compensation structures, establishing operational systems, strengthening referral networks, and planning for sustainable growth.
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Yes. Moving from clinician to practice owner often involves learning how to lead and manage a team. Consultation can help you think through employer-employee challenges, establish clear expectations and boundaries, develop policies, address workplace conflicts, and protect your practice's interests as you make decisions about staffing and management.
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No. Consultations are available virtually to mental health professionals throughout the United States, subject to applicable professional and legal requirements.
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No. Consultation is intended to offer guidance and help you make informed decisions about your practice, but we cannot guarantee specific financial outcomes, profitability, or business results. Our consultations do not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. We recommend consulting with a qualified attorney or CPA for guidance specific to your legal, tax, and accounting needs.
Schedule a Private Practice Consultation
Building a private practice can be professionally rewarding, but it also involves decisions that may feel unfamiliar when your training has focused primarily on clinical work. You do not have to figure out every aspect of practice ownership on your own.
Whether you are preparing to open your first practice, considering the transition to a group model, or looking for ways to strengthen an established practice, Dr. Melissa Johnson can help you clarify your goals and identify practical next steps.
Contact Groundwork Therapy to inquire about private practice consulting and schedule a 30- or 60-minute consultation.
Build a practice that works for you, your clinicians, and the clients you serve.
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