This guest post is written by Ashley Eder, LPC. Ashley is a counselor and supervisor who believes we each have the potential to create a more satisfying life. Located in Boulder, CO, she works with clients and therapists through curiosity, self-awareness, and acceptance in order to create lasting change.

A successful private practice is not just defined by how many clients you see or how much income you generate. One critical stream of non-monetary compensation is the satisfaction your practice brings you.

That’s right--as a business owner in an inherently flexible field, part of your “payment” is the freedom to create a work week that works for you.

Whether your workload is in its sweet spot or not is a personal measure; what feels nourishing and sustainable for another clinician might be either under-stimulating or exhausting for you given your temperament and the other responsibilities in your life.

Ask yourself the following questions to start creating your own ideal work week:

Are you excited to go to work?
Do you enjoy your clients?
Can you maintain your personal relationships?
Do you have time for self-care?
Do you feel satisfied and complete at the end of the day?
Are you resentment-free?
Are you intellectually stimulated?
Have you stopped doing the things you dread?

Yes, you really can expect to have a practice that is that satisfying. If you found yourself shaking your head “no” to some of the questions above, it’s time to re-evaluate how you spend your work week. Take time now to explore these questions in detail. Be honest. Where are you solid in your business satisfaction and where could you use more work? What would your life look like if you were able to answer “yes” to these questions? Can you be specific now, or will it take some soul-searching to figure that out?

Check back for part 2 of Creating Your Perfect Work Week for concrete suggestions on ways to build satisfaction with your business. My suggestions will help you narrow the gap between where you are now and where you would like to be. Expect to revisit these areas throughout your career in private practice, especially as you advance in your career and skills, experience personal life changes in relationships and parenting, and do your own work in personal therapy.

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Do you have a Facebook page for your private practice? If not, read these articles first:

How To Set Up A Facebook Page and Facebook Pages For Therapists: Some Risks And Benefits

If you already have a practice Facebook page but there's very little interaction going on here are a few tips to revive your page. If people aren't visiting your page and interacting on it, what's the point of having it, right?

7 Facebook strategies that boost interaction on Facebook:

1) Post on weekends and afternoon/evening

According the Entrepreneur.com, weekends and late afternoons are the times when page admins are least likely to add a new post and those posts that receive the highest interaction rates.

2) If you're going to take a day off, pick Thursday

Thursdays have the highest number of posts with the lowest interaction rate.

3) Post photos

Photos evoke emotion and grab attention. They generate the highest interaction rate, above status updates, video, music & links. When you post a question or status update, post it with a photo.

4) Ask for a comments and "likes"

Call for actions on Facebook pages actually works. Don't be afraid to ask for likes, comments, and shares. People will respond.

5) Be long-winded

Did you know that page interaction goes up with longer status updates? Don't feel like you have to limit your update to the 140 characters, like on Twitter.

6) Post more frequently

Since not all followers will see every post, posting more frequently will catch the eye of more followers. Half of those who are going to click on your link or update will have done so within the first hour of posting. The other half will interact during the next 9 hours. Keep an eye on your unsubscribe rates to find the "sweet spot" for your page's ideal number of posts.

7) Post interesting content

The best way to boost interaction on your page is to post good, interesting, helpful information.

Sources: http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/220166 http://www.hellobloggerz.com/social-media/facebook-posting-techniques

What strategies have you used to improve your Facebook Page interaction?

EHR "SimplePractice" to Add Group Practice Option

As healers, we genuinely like to do our work. Guiding clients through the therapy process and seeing them make progress is why we do what we do. But if you're in private practice, you know there's a lot going on in the back end and that it's crucial to run an efficient and organized business.

How to Write Compelling Website Copy: Interview with Website Whisperer Nicole Bonsol

I recently had the opportunity to interview Nicole Bonsol, a writing, branding, and graphic designer for healers. She helps therapists create an inviting and powerful website and best craft their message to engage with their viewers. I was fascinated at what Nicole had to say, especially because of her unique role in the process of helping clinicians reach their audience. Here are some highlights of our discussion:

Private Practice Website: Should You Hire a Pro or DIY?

As therapists in 2016, we understand that having a functioning, informational, and attractive website isn’t just a good idea-it’s a necessity. But if you’re just starting out in private practice, it can be intimidating to build one from the ground up. How do you design your home page so a user can easily navigate and find what they need? How do you present information in a way that isn’t overwhelming or too “busy”? What’s the best way to make sure your content is mobile-friendly? And even when you figure out the answers to these questions, how do you make the vision in your head actually become reality on a website?

Creating Your Perfect Work Week (part 1)