Starting and Running a Therapy Practice in Louisiana

You've done the training and earned the license. I help Louisiana therapists build private practices that hold up, from the first day of planning through hiring, partnerships, and growth.

Text me to talk

Text (504) 356-9678 and we'll set up a time to talk within one business day. The first conversation is free, and I don't ask for retainers. Just send your name and a good time to reach you; no details needed by text.

I help therapists start their own practices all the time, and it's some of my favorite work. Opening a practice means making dozens of legal and business decisions at once, usually while you're still seeing clients somewhere else. Most therapists try to piece it together themselves from templates and advice from colleagues, and many don't find the gaps until something goes wrong.

Getting the foundation right at the start costs far less than fixing it later. And once your practice is up and running, new questions come up as you grow. I'm here for both.

Starting your practice

Business setup. Choosing and forming the right business entity, and putting the basic agreements in place.
Intake and client documents. Informed consent, your Declaration of Practices and Procedures, financial policies, telehealth consents, and release forms that reflect current law and how you actually practice.
HIPAA from day one. A privacy and security plan, a Notice of Privacy Practices, and business associate agreements with your EHR, telehealth, and billing vendors.
Insurance or private pay. Whether to join insurance panels, what to look for in payer contracts, and, for private-pay clients, the Good Faith Estimates federal law requires for many self-pay and uninsured clients.
Office space. Leases, subleases, and shared office arrangements, including how to protect confidentiality in shared space.

Running and growing your practice

Employees or contractors? Many group practices bring therapists on as 1099 contractors. That can work, but only when the relationship actually meets the legal test. If you set their schedules, require them to use your systems, and treat them like staff, the law may see them as employees, and getting that wrong can be costly.
Supervising provisional licensees. Bringing on PLPCs or other provisionally licensed clinicians adds supervision requirements, documentation, and responsibility for their work. Your agreements and policies should reflect that.
When a clinician leaves. Who keeps the client relationships? What happens to the records? Clients have the right to choose who they see, and ethics rules limit what either side can do. Your contractor and employment agreements should address departures clearly, before anyone gives notice.
Partners and co-owners. Starting a practice with a colleague is exciting, until you disagree. An operating agreement that covers decision-making, money, and what happens if one of you wants out protects the practice and the friendship.
Insurance payers and audits. Billing rules are complicated, and audits and overpayment demands can come years after the fact. I've taught on fraudulent records and billing issues, and I know where documentation and billing practices tend to fall short.
Selling, closing, or stepping away. If you retire, sell, or have to step away unexpectedly, your clients and records still need care. Planning ahead protects them, and you.

Why therapists work with me

I've practiced healthcare and business law for more than 17 years, and helping therapists start and grow their practices is a big part of my work. After many years as in-house counsel, I served as COO of a healthcare agency with more than 200 employees, so I understand what it takes to run a clinical practice day to day, not just what the law requires on paper.

My own background is in psychology, with a special interest in applied neuroscience, so I understand your world and share your goals: caring for your clients and protecting the practice you've built.

No retainer. Payment plans that fit your budget.

Most women starting a business don't have extra cash set aside for legal work, so they try to piece it together on their own: an online template here, a borrowed contract there. The problem is that the most important legal work happens at the very beginning, when you're forming your company, writing your contracts, and setting up how your business will run. Mistakes made then are the hardest and most expensive to fix later.

So I've made it easier to get it right from the start. I don't ask for retainers. I bill only for work I've completed, and you can set up a payment plan that fits your needs. I believe every woman building something of her own deserves sound legal counsel, not just the women who can pay for it all up front.

Build the practice you've been planning.

Whether you're just starting to plan or ready to grow, let's talk about what your practice needs. Consultations are available by phone, video, or in person across Louisiana.