Most therapists were never taught how private practice actually works.

Graduate and certificate programs prepare us somewhat to sit with clients,  but many clinicians enter private practice without clear guidance on things like: • documentation that reflects clinical reasoning • communicating fees and cancellation policies • navigating ethical dilemmas in real practice • balancing empathy with sustainable boundaries • translating therapy work into language systems recognize As a result, many therapists spend their first years in practice figuring things out through trial and error. This course was created to make that transition clearer.

This course bridges the gap between graduate training and real-world counselling practice.

You will learn more about how to: • translate theoretical training into practical private practice skills • stay grounded and attuned with clients during sessions • apply ethical decision-making frameworks to real clinical dilemmas • write clear, efficient and defensible session notes that reflect your clinical thinking • communicate fees, policies, and boundaries with clarity and care • navigate BC/Canadian privacy and legal frameworks in documentation and consent • maintain sustainable boundaries and avoid emotional burnout • develop a professional growth plan for your first years in practice

Curriculum

8 Chapters · 56 Lessons

  1. 1

    Introductions + Course Objectives

    1. Course Overview and Welcome from Becky Palmer, RCC Free preview
    2. Course Objectives Free preview
  2. 2

    The Transition From Practicum to On-Your-Own: Recalibrating Your Independent Compass

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Bridging Theory and Private Practice Reality

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      What "Clinical Presence" Actually Looks Like

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      How to Stop Over-preparing and Start Attuning

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Differentiating Helping vs Holding

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Imposter Syndrome vs. Ethical Humility

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 2 Workbook

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      From Learning to Living the Work

  3. 3

    Holding Complexity Beyond the Textbook: Learning to Think Like a Private Practice Clinician

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      When Clients Don’t Fit the Model

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Making Sense of Complexity Without Over-pathologizing

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      How to Name What you See and Document It

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Clinical Reasoning Flowchart

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Practicing Objective Observation

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 3 Workbook

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      When the Case Doesn’t Fit the Model

  4. 4

    Boundaries, Money, and Meaning: Ethical and Emotional Fluency around Fees and Policies

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Managing Guilt, Projection and Over-responsibility

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      When Empathy Blurs with Enabling

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      The Emotional Roots of Fee Discomfort

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Charging for No-Shows and Late Cancellations

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Landing Consult Calls: Ethics, Energy, and Conversion Without Performance

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Consult Call Framework & Sample Scripts

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Boundaries Script Pack: Money, Time, and Client Responsibility.

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 4 Workbook

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Thinking Boundaries Through, Together

  5. 5

    Documentation that Holds Up: Clinical Clarity Meets Ethical Protection

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      How to Write Notes that are Human, Clear and Defensible

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Translating the Moment: Observation, Assessment, Intervention, Rationale, Plan

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Common Errors in Early Documentation

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Notes as a Mirror of Clinical Reasoning

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      What Clinical Notes Can and Cannot Show, A Study

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Documentation Cheat Sheet

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      OAIRP-based EMR template

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Using AI to Support Clinical Documentation

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Resource List: Ethics Codes for Documentation in British Columbia

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 5 Workbook

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Let Your Notes Reflect Clear Thinking

  6. 6

    Staying the Course: Clinical Sustainability & Self as Instrument

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Nervous System Literacy and Emotional Pacing

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Peer Consultation, Supervision and Boundaries with Sefl

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Vicarious Trauma vs. Empathetic Resonance

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Reframing Success in the First 2 years of Practice

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      First Two Years Checklist

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Self-as-Instrument Reflection Deck

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 6 Workbook

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Regulation Thrives in Relationship

  7. 7

    Private Practice in British Columbia: What You Need to Know as you Start

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Understanding the BC Context

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Legal and Privacy Essentials

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Working With Funders: Translating Therapy Into Systems

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Ethical Anchors in BC Practice

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Chapter 7 Workbook

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Ethical Clarity Is Strengthened in Community

  8. 8

    Review & Integration

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Key Takeaways Recap

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Confidence in Practice: Self-Assessment Checklist

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Final Quiz

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Course Reflection & Learning Feedback

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      CE Credits: Instructions for certificate, self-reflection question, and CE logging

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Let This Be the Beginning, Not the End

Who this course is for

This course is designed for therapists who: • are considering starting private practice in BC or Canada • have recently started and want more clarity • want stronger documentation and ethical decision-making skills • want guidance from someone currently working in the field, with a full caseload and clinical experience

This Course is NOT

This course is NOT about: • aggressive marketing strategies • building a large practice quickly • maximizing profit at the expense of clinical values • how to get licensed or registered in BC Instead, the focus is building a thoughtful, ethical, and sustainable practice.

Meet Your Instructor

Becky Palmer, Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) Becky Palmer is an RCC in British Columbia and clinical lead of a group practice who regularly supports clinicians through supervision, audits, consultation, documentation review, and ethical decision-making. Her work focuses on helping therapists strengthen ethical reasoning, documentation clarity, and sustainable practice.

Common Questions

What if I’m still deciding whether private practice is right for me? Many clinicians take this course while exploring private practice so they can understand what is involved before making the transition. ⸻ What if I’ve already started my practice? This course can help clarify policies, documentation practices, and ethical considerations that often emerge in the early years of practice. ⸻ Is this a business or marketing course? No. The focus is on ethical foundations, documentation, boundaries, and sustainable practice. ⸻ CONTINUING EDUCATION Upon completing the course and final quiz, you will receive a Certificate of Completion for 5 ethics CE credits, which may be submitted to your governing body. Therapists often take this course when they are asking: • “Am I ready to start private practice?” • “How should I structure my documentation?” • “What policies do I need in place?” • “How do I build a practice that won’t burn me out?” If you want a clearer understanding of how to build a private practice in BC that reflects both professional ethics and sustainable clinical work, this course was created to support that process. EARLYPROFESSIONALRATE for 50% off (coupon code at checkout to access)

$490.00

Access the Course Free preview

Disclaimer

This course is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, clinical advice, or formal supervision. Participation in this course does not create a supervisory, clinical, or legal relationship. For matters requiring legal counsel, clinical judgment, or professional supervision, participants are encouraged to consult a qualified lawyer, clinical supervisor, or regulatory body. We are not affiliated with any regulatory college, association, or governing body. The views expressed in this course are solely our own and reflect our personal and professional perspectives. While we aim to align with ethical best practices, participants should always refer to their own professional standards, codes of ethics, and licensing requirements when applying course content to their work.