When I first opened my private practice, I quickly realized that being a clinician and being a business owner are two entirely different worlds. I was confident in my ability to help clients, but the “business” side of things felt overwhelming and, at times, isolating. That’s why building a network of supportive colleagues has been so important to me. One of those colleagues, Heather, introduced me to PracticeVital, and it has been truly impactful in the way I run my practice.
Discovering PracticeVital: The Perfect Solution
Heather has been part of my professional journey since opening my practice. As we checked in with each other through the ups and downs of private practice ownership, she encouraged me to check out PracticeVital. I visited their website, joined their Facebook group, and started learning more about how this platform could help me manage my practice.
Around the same time, I completed the Goldman Sachs program, where I heard the phrase “know your numbers” over and over again. It became clear that if I wanted to run a thriving business, I needed tools to better understand the financial and operational side of things. When I joined a PracticeVital info session and heard Tory’s story about how the platform came to life, I knew this was what I needed—not just for myself but for my staff as well.
Facing Pre-Implementation Challenges
Before implementing PracticeVital, I struggled to keep track of the data that truly mattered in my practice. Things like client retention and overall operational efficiency were difficult to measure and manage. I often felt like I was playing catch-up, and it was hard to know what changes would have the biggest impact.
Insights and Discoveries with PracticeVital
One of the most exciting parts of using PracticeVital has been uncovering insights about my practice that I hadn’t fully considered before. The platform’s intuitive design makes it easy to visualize key data points, helping me understand trends and identify areas for improvement.
For example, I was surprised to see the data regarding our retention numbers and staff utilization numbers.
Changes That Made a Difference
With the data and insights from PracticeVital, I’ve made several changes to our operations. I share their numbers with my staff once a month to give them a better understanding of their performance from a retention standpoint. We now ensure that we schedule our clients at the end of each session rather than following up or waiting until the client requests an appointment. We also use the data to help clients stay in therapy past the eight sessions.
Timely Notes and Personal Accountability
It was rewarding to see that we do a great job with notes completion. This is an area that we do not have any issues with from staff, which I am grateful!
Final Thoughts
Discovering PracticeVital has been a pivotal moment in my journey as a private practice owner. It’s not just a tool; it’s a partner in helping me run my business effectively while staying true to my mission of providing high-quality care.
If you’re a private practice owner looking for ways to streamline your operations, support your staff, and better understand your practice, I can’t recommend PracticeVital enough. It’s made all the difference for me, and I’m confident it can do the same for others.
Sherri S. Wick, LCPC, NCC (she/her/hers)
Owner & Founder, Holistically Divine Counseling