How to start a private therapy practice
Going out on your own can come with a learning curve, especially if you’re not familiar with the business aspects involved in a private practice.
Provider Resource Center
Guides to start, grow, and run your practice
Starting a practice
View all resourcesHow to start a private therapy practice
How much does a typical therapist make?
Curious about the average salary of people in your profession? It depends on a few factors.
How to get credentialed with insurance companies
Here’s what goes on behind the scenes — and how Headway’s relationships with insurance plans help us get you credentialed faster.
How to market your practice and get more therapy clients
Growing your clientele can be a lot less complicated than you think. All you’ll need is a simple mindset shift and a couple basic strategies that help potential clients find and connect with you.
How to write a great bio for your therapy practice
As a therapist, your superpower is helping other people. So it may feel a little weird to turn the tables and talk about yourself and your accomplishments as you’re building your website, creating social media profiles, and signing up for therapist directories.
The art of the voicemail script
Your voicemail should extend the same warmth and professionalism you convey in person — while ensuring the same privacy and confidentiality someone expects from a therapy session. copy block
EHR vs. EMR: What’s better for your practice?
Electronic medical records and electronic health records may sound the same, but there are key differences in how they function.
What 3 therapists wish they knew before starting their own practice
To set yourself up for success, why not learn from people who have gone through the process before you?
How many clients do most therapists have?
How many sessions you can fit into a “full time” practice depends on several important factors, including your own capacity and your clients’ needs.
Part-time vs. full-time practice
Learn the potential downsides of each, according to private practice therapists, before making a decision.
8 welcoming therapy office design ideas
Here’s how to create a space that supports your work and therapeutic relationships.
Life as a provider
View all resources
7 ways to restore your social fuel when you talk all day, every day
Here’s how you can ensure you bring your best self to your friends and family and your clients.
7 tiny ways to build self-care into your day
Some of the most effective ways of taking care of yourself in a caring profession are small, affordable, and can be built into your work day.
Therapist burnout: Signs, causes and how to prevent it
It’s a common phenomenon in helping professions, but work-related burnout can feel debilitating.
5 ways to plan for time off in private practice
One of the most important ways to practice self-care as a therapist — and provide better support to your clients — is to schedule time off for yourself on a regular basis.
5 tips for working from home, from private practice therapists
Here are some proven ways to set up your work space for successful therapy sessions and maintain work-life balance when you shut down your computer for the day.
Student loan forgiveness for mental healthcare providers
Becoming a licensed therapist involves a lot of work, and a lot of education.
A provider's take on battling your own burnout
If you’re feeling empowered to take your burnout head-on, read on for advice on five ways you can battle burnout as a therapist.
Continuing education for mental health professionals
Acquiring CE credits helps you better serve your clients — and grow your business.
CEUs for counselors
Here’s how to find the continuing education options that are right for you.
CEUs for social workers
One important way to continue offering the best possible care to your client base is to stay current with your continuing education units.
Clinical support
View all resources
How to use a cognitive triangle worksheet with clients
Clearly illustrate the relationship between thoughts, emotion, and behavior to help your clients improve their well-being.
How to use a thought record worksheet with clients
Help your clients understand how their negative thoughts affect their emotions and behaviors.
How to use a cognitive distortions worksheet with clients
Together, you can begin to challenge biased, inaccurate, unhelpful (and often irrational) ways of thinking.
How to use a core beliefs worksheet with clients
Inspire your clients to discover the deeply ingrained, fundamental beliefs that shape their automatic thoughts.
Running a practice
Clean up your caseload
Taking the steps to keep your caseload current can be tedious — but it’s important.
Tips for conducting successful intake sessions
Be strategic and ensure you and your potential client have the information you need to start therapy on the right foot.
How to have a successful client discharge (with summary template)
Every discharge situation is different, but a few best practices can help ensure the transition and documentation process is successful.
Urgent vs. emergent: Understanding the difference
It’s your role as a mental health clinician to determine when and how to best support your clients — and when it’s appropriate to refer someone to a higher level of care.
Annual refresh checklist for therapists
Here are 7 of the most important housekeeping tasks to keep on your to-do list as a therapist in private practice.
What do therapists have to report, as mandated reporters?
While you as a therapist have an essential responsibility as a mandated reporter, the process can be challenging to navigate.
Benefits and standards of electronic prescribing
E-prescribing is a standard of practice across healthcare fields, including psychiatry.
Compliance and documentation
View all resources
Compliance — a Headway Guide
Navigating compliance can be time-consuming and stressful. We’re committed to changing that.
What are therapy intake assessments?
The intake assessment is your chance to get a deep understanding of your patient — and maybe connect some elements from their journey that they wouldn’t connect themselves.
How to write a mental health treatment plan
Whenever you want to change the goal of your therapy care, or the path you want to take with the client to reach that goal, you’ll want to document a treatment plan.
How to write progress notes
Progress notes are the core piece of documentation a mental health care provider should write after each session with a client, but it’s more than just a record of what happened in the session.
The golden thread of therapy documentation
The “golden thread” helps connect the dots between your clinical and administrative work.
How to write SOAP notes
Here’s how SOAP notes can help you write better, faster notes — and effectively document your work as a clinician.
Writing effective progress notes for family and group therapy sessions
When it comes to family therapy and group therapy, progress notes can become more complex due to the multiple parties involved.
10 insurer requirements commonly missing from notes
Based on our conversations with insurers, here are 10 of the items most commonly missing from charting documentation, including examples of what it takes to meet the requirements for each.
How to use the PHQ-9 to assess depression
The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 helps screen for, diagnose, and track progress with depression.
How to use the GAD-7 for anxiety assessment
The GAD-7 can help you narrow down a diagnosis if your client is experiencing anxiety symptoms, along with allowing you to track their progress over time.
How to use the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) assessment
Learn more about the ISI assessment and how you can incorporate it into your practice.
What you need to know about medical necessity in mental health
Here’s what you need to know about medical necessity — like how to make sure your 90837 and 99205 notes are compliant.
How to use the PCL-5 to assess PTSD
Learn more about the PCL-5 assessment and how you can incorporate it into your practice.
How to use the WHO-5 to assess wellbeing
Learn more about the World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index and how you can use it in your practice.
Billing and coding
View all resources
The 10 most common CPT codes (and how to use them)
Understand the ins and outs of CPT codes to help make documentation and billing more efficient — and give you more time to focus on other areas of your practice.
How to bill insurance for therapy
If you accept health insurance, you’ll likely have the opportunity to help more people, and to build a thriving business in the process.
How to use CPT code 90837
The 90837 CPT code is often understood to be the standard of a therapy session among providers. However, insurers have a tendency to flag 90837 more frequently than other codes.
How to use CPT Code 90791
Code 90791 is officially deemed a “diagnostic evaluation,” but you might know it better as an initial assessment. It typically happens in your first session with a client.
ICD-10 codes for ADHD
A client presenting the symptoms of ADHD will most commonly be diagnosed with a specifier code that provides detail about how their symptoms present.
ICD-10 codes for depression
Here are some of the most common ICD-10 codes associated with depressive symptoms, with different criteria for frequency, severity, and other features.
ICD-10 codes for anxiety
There are many ICD-10 codes associated with anxiety disorders. Generalized Anxiety Disorder is most common, but there may be a more precise code that documents your diagnosis more effectively.
Billing group psychotherapy with CPT code 90853
Here’s how to properly document and bill group therapy sessions.
The 13 most common psychiatry CPT codes (and how to use them)
Understand the ins and outs of CPT codes to help make documentation and billing more efficient — and give you more time to focus on other areas of your practice.
About Headway
Getting started with Headway in 30 days
If the journey of one thousand miles begins with a single step, then the journey to starting or streamlining your insurance practice begins with a single call.
Why Headway doesn’t charge a membership fee
Our vast network of providers like you makes it possible to secure better rates for everyone — without charging a membership fee to use our platform.
Meet Headway's clinical leadership team
Headway’s clinical team helps to build systems and processes that empower clinicians and their practices while offering high-quality clinical guidance.
