The checklist
Every part of starting a counseling or therapy private practice, in the order that saves the most time. Most steps take about 10 minutes. The free version turns this into your own checklist, fitted to your license and state, and saved as you go.
Your license decides your title, your advertising limits, and what your paperwork must say. Start here.
Set up the business before the website. Name, entity, EIN, NPI, and a bank account come first, because everything else asks for them.
Choose HIPAA-ready tools once. Your EHR, email, and phone each need a signed business associate agreement (BAA).
Decide on insurance early. Credentialing is the slowest step in the whole launch, so start it right after your NPI and malpractice coverage.
Write your paperwork before your first client, using your state's consent and records rules.
Put your safety nets in place before you need them.
Virtual, in person, or both, set up so clients feel safe from the first minute.
The deadlines that sneak up after you open.
"Some of the stuff I don't know that I ever would have thought about until it was probably too late."
Free, no sign-up to start. Fitted to your license and state.
Timing
Many private-pay therapists open in 2–3 months, working part time. Taking insurance usually adds time.
A telehealth-only practice usually costs about $1,000 to $6,500 in the first year, and most land near $2,500 to $3,500. The required pieces are malpractice insurance, an EHR, and HIPAA-ready email and phone. For three full budgets, see how much it costs to start a private practice, or add up your own with the startup cost calculator.
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| EIN and NPI | Free |
| Business entity | $0–$500, by state |
| Malpractice insurance | $400–$900 a year |
| EHR | $30–$100 a month |
| HIPAA-compliant email and phone | $20–$65 a month |
What's inside
Everything above, turned into your own plan. Free, no sign-up to start, and we never ask for client information.
Who it's for
Licensed counselors (LPC, LMHC, LPCC), marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, psychologists, and psychiatric prescribers. Also associates planning ahead, clinicians leaving agency or group practice work, and therapists who are already open and want to check what they missed.
"I REALLY liked that even the smallest detail, like creating a folder, is part of your checklist. It's something I would have never thought of."Fernanda, LPC Associate · beta tester
Your board's rules, business setup (name, entity, EIN, NPI, bank account), HIPAA-ready systems, your payment model and fee, malpractice insurance, credentialing if you'll take insurance, intake paperwork, safety nets like a professional will, and a calendar of deadlines. The checklist above lists every step in order.
Check your state board's rules. Your license decides your required title, advertising limits, and what your paperwork must say, so it shapes almost every step after it.
Many private-pay therapists open in 2–3 months, working part time. Taking insurance usually adds time, because credentialing often takes 3 to 6 months.
Yes. The free checklist covers every step of opening your practice, fitted to your license and state, and it's free: no sign-up and no card to start. Paid plans add defining your practice and getting found.
Not always. Many solo therapists start as sole proprietors. Whether a PLLC makes sense depends on your state's fees and rules, so check your state and talk with a CPA.
Yes. It covers every Canadian province and territory, including registration with your college, business setup, GST/HST, privacy law, and clients' health benefits, with official links.
Business education, not legal, tax, or clinical advice. Rules vary by state and license, so each step links to the official source.
Related: How to start a private practice · Private practice rules by state · Do therapists need a PLLC or LLC? · Credentialing with insurance companies
Every step above, fitted to your license and state, with the official links. Work in 10-minute windows; it saves as you go.
Educational information only, not legal, tax, or clinical advice.
