Series 2 Episode 3. Starting out in Private Practice

In this encounter we navigate the potentially tricky, nerve-racking but also exciting moment of starting out in private practice as a therapist. If you are just starting out, and negotiating what that means to you, we hope this is one of the conversations you’ll want to hear. 

Rachael speaks to Jacob Wiles (he/his), a researcher, musician and person-centred psychotherapist.

Rachael writes: I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Jacob for several years through tPCA’s Gender, Sexuality and Relationship Community of Practice group. Given our connection, I was curious to engage with his specific experience of starting out in private practice. 

In our conversations, Jacob described his private practice as ‘marinating,’ which illustrates how learning can emerge through time in unique ways. Jacob’s experience also highlights how there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to building a private practice, particularly for person-centred therapists. Yet within our idiosyncrasies, we still need connection, support and the space for learning from others who have more experience. As Jacob pointed out, spaces for learning and knowledge sharing can often reside behind paywalls. The notion of the paywall (literally and figuratively) stirred a lot in me in terms of how we welcome new generations of person-centred therapists into the world of private practice.

I hope Jacob’s experience proves to be connecting and illuminating for listeners, irrespective of years in private practice.