Life as a provider
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.
Working from home as a therapist comes with a lot of perks: You can reduce your overhead costs by saving money on office space, save time on a daily commute, and design your space just as you want it.
But offices outside the home have perks of their own. For example, it might be easier to set boundaries with work when your office isn’t down the hall from the living room, and you can use your drive home to decompress from your day spent supporting clients. Plus, if you work in a group practice or office building, you can connect (and network with!) other professionals.
So it makes sense that to get the most out of those WFH perks, you’ll need to be a bit strategic.
Below, find tips from private practice therapists about how to set up your work space for successful therapy sessions and maintain work-life balance when you shut down your computer for the day.
1. Create an end-of-day ritual
When you work outside the home, your commute serves as a cue that you’re done for the day. Without this concrete cue, it might be tempting to stay in “therapist mode” after you see your last client. Alex Oliver-Gans, a private practice therapist in San Francisco, suggests creating a ritual that marks the end of the workday, whether you clean up your desk, go for a walk, or meditate for a few minutes. Whatever it is, try to be consistent.
2. Use a change of clothes as a mental shift
One great perk of telehealth? No one will see if you have sweatpants on. That said, Kara Lissy, a private practice therapist in New York City, recommends changing clothes before and after work every day to help you shift gears from home to work and vice versa. “I’ve learned it sets a nice boundary to have my ‘work clothes’ separate from my ‘down-time clothes,’” she says. “It helps set off a little signal in my brain that it’s time to unwind at the end of the work day.”
3. Make your space comfortable
You’ve probably considered how to design your office so it looks professional and welcoming to clients on a screen, but it’s also important to optimize the space for your well-being. It’s easy to cut down on costs by keeping your home office simple, but remember: You’ll be able to serve your clients more effectively when you’re more comfortable. That’s why Oliver-Gans suggests taking a few simple steps to make your space more comfortable, like investing in an adjustable standing desk, an ergonomic chair, or noise-cancelling headphones. “All of these investments can be written off as business expenses,” he says.
4. Set working hours on a calendar
Another simple way to keep boundaries between home and work: Put your working hours on a virtual or paper calendar, and honor the time you’ve scheduled for your practice rather than doing chores at home. “It can be tempting to spend your ten minutes between clients moving clothes from the washer to the dryer or washing the dishes, but I think the task switching takes a toll,” explains Oliver-Gans. “Sticking to ‘working hours’ versus ‘home hours’ can help reduce the overwhelm.” Plus, you’ll likely be more productive with practice-related tasks, like documentation, billing, and marketing.
5. Find IRL community
Working from home as a therapist can be isolating, so it’s important to find people you can meet with regularly. To make sure you have the support you need as a human — and to get support for client cases — be sure to prioritize in-person relationships with other therapists. “If you are feeling siloed in your practice, look around for local therapist meet-ups via a listserv, Facebook group, or your professional board website,” suggests Lissy.
To cut down on feelings of isolation, and add some much-needed variety to the day, Oliver-Gans suggests scheduling time to do non-clinical tasks outside the home. For example, you could go to a cafe or the library for a few hours once a week to catch up on emails. Either way, prioritizing connection with other humans will help reduce the odds of burnout — so you can be the best therapist possible for your clients, no matter where your office is.
