How to open an office of a private practice specialist (psychologist, speech therapist or teacher)

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* The calculations use average data for Russia

Recently, more and more often, specialists in various helping professions are thinking about starting their own business. On our Openbusiness portal you will find many articles on this topic, which are addressed to budding entrepreneurs. Nevertheless, the topic does not lose its popularity, and our readers often ask questions that relate to various organizational nuances. This material was prepared with the participation of a large number of entrepreneurs from different regions of our country, who willingly share their experience, talking about the pitfalls that a specialist planning to enter private practice may encounter, and the secrets that will help achieve success in this endeavor.

Where to start?

So, you are a qualified and experienced specialist in the field of psychology, speech therapy, early development or tutoring... All such professions give you the rare opportunity to work for yourself, choosing your own schedule and combining work with household chores and hobbies. Opening your own office or small center provides obvious advantages. Working for yourself, you do not depend on the will of other people, you can independently determine your workload, set prices for your services, choose lesson programs, plan your vacation (or even more than one during the year) and create a convenient work schedule. Of course, there are also some downsides. “First of all, forget about working days and weekends. When you work for yourself, you will no longer have days off. Even if you work only five days a week, the remaining two days you will solve current organizational issues, do accounting, purchase office supplies, draw up client files, develop programs for subsequent work, select teaching materials, print test forms... During the working week on There will be no time to resolve these issues, so you either have to sit up at night or spend your “legal” weekends on resolving current and pressing issues.”

(Maria S., practicing psychologist, Suzdal).

But the first disadvantage of working for yourself is the need for investment at the first stage of work. True, their size can vary significantly. The average amount required to open your own office or class is from 150 thousand rubles, excluding organizational expenses (for registering an individual entrepreneur, making a seal, etc.). This amount can be an order of magnitude greater if you plan to open an entire center, or less if you are sufficiently prudent and began preparing for the organization of your office in advance.

Entrepreneur Anatoly, who opened a psychologist’s office, and soon an entire psychological center in the city of Rostov-on-Don, counted on expanding his business from the very beginning: “When choosing premises for my office, where I could receive clients and conduct trainings, and also to gather therapeutic groups, I immediately counted on more than one room, which would be enough for me alone. However, having drawn up a business plan with all the calculations, I realized that the profitability of the project in this case would be low, and, therefore, one cannot count on high profits. I had to invest not only my own, but also borrowed funds to open my center. The total investment amounted to about 400 thousand rubles. And this is not at all as much as it might seem. We rent premises in the historical center of the city. On the one hand, there are practically no office buildings here, but we often work with corporate clients on the road, so the distance from the business center is not a disadvantage. But it’s convenient to get to us from any part of the city. In addition, just the sign above the entrance to the building where the center is located works as outdoor advertising. Rent of premises with a total area of ​​60 sq. meters with two offices and a hall for group classes costs me 35 thousand rubles per month. We are talking about a million-plus city. In my opinion, this is a very good price, and I was lucky to find this option. But at the beginning of the work it was difficult. When I worked alone (since there was no longer enough “start-up money” to pay other employees), my income was barely enough to cover the cost of rent. Fortunately, I opened my center in February and by the summer I had found a partner - a psychologist like me, with whom we shared the cost of rent. By the fall, we were also able to hire an administrator (aka advertising and client search manager) and a trainer. Now almost no room in our center is empty for more than three hours a day. We alternately conduct consultations, seminars, master classes and trainings, go to corporate clients and by next summer we plan to look for a child psychologist who can conduct classes with schoolchildren during the summer holidays.”

But psychologist Natalya from Volgograd cost much less to open her office: “According to my calculations, I spent no more than 70 thousand rubles on organizing my business (albeit small, but it’s still a business). Although, in reality, the investments were, of course, greater. But before opening the office, I invested more in myself as a specialist, and not in the premises where I planned to work. After graduating from university, I got a job at the City Psychological Center. This is a municipal organization, so we couldn’t count on big incomes. At the same time, I worked as a psychologist in a kindergarten. Fortunately, both there were part-time jobs, and schedules did not overlap. Every month I spent part of my salary either on my training or on purchasing the necessary equipment and literature. For example, I allocated 3-3.5 thousand rubles every month, which I could spend on various practical and educational aids, on test material, or on working tools. So, for example, one month I went beyond my allocated budget to purchase a Jungian sandbox for conducting sand therapy sessions, which cost me 3,700 rubles including delivery and the minimum set (3 kg of sand). Over the next 2-3 months I bought toys for sand therapy. I was lucky with this. I purchased most of the toys (wooden figurines) either secondhand (on Avito) or on joint purchasing sites, so they cost me 1.5-2 times cheaper than the retail price. When I realized that my experience and knowledge were enough to start working on my own, I began to look for premises for my office to receive clients. A suitable option was found almost immediately. Before I had time to register as an individual entrepreneur, I was offered to rent premises in one of the city districts with a convenient location and at a good price. For two rooms (the reception room and the office itself) I pay 15 thousand rubles a month, including all additional payments. In principle, it would be possible to get by at a lower cost and rent one room, but I work mainly with children, so I need a place where parents can wait for the end of classes. You can also leave your outerwear or change into replacement shoes in the reception area. As for the costs of equipment and furniture, they turned out to be small. I moved a table, a computer, shelves of books, a carpet and several chairs from home. We only had to buy a printer, a few more chairs for group classes and soft bean bags. Moreover, I purchased both equipment and furniture through advertisements. They are all in excellent condition and look like new, but they cost me two or even three times less. The decor is also of great importance: a psychologist’s office should not look like a doctor’s office, and a few little things are enough to create the right atmosphere. So, for example, I simply selected postcards with beautiful drawings on a children's theme and inserted them into ordinary frames from Ikea. It would seem like nothing at all, but it immediately changed the look from an office to a home interior. Another secret to transforming your office is replacing standard plastic blinds with fabric curtains. Moreover, the benefits from them are not only aesthetic, but also practical - during therapy sessions, relaxation, or viewing slides on a projector, you can create the necessary twilight in the room.”

Keep in mind that the requirements for the minimum area of ​​the premises may be objective: for example, to open a speech therapy office you will need from 20 sq. meters. As for furniture, then, indeed, it is quite possible to save money on it. It is quite possible that you have a suitable table and chairs at home. If not, then no problem. You can find suitable options for a low price in special groups on social networks or on free classifieds sites. There is also no need to rush into purchasing equipment. Of the entire set of office equipment, you will need, first of all, a computer (laptop) and a printer. Most likely, you already have a computer. A printer can be purchased for about 3 thousand rubles. If you need to print materials for classes in color, it is better to do this at one of the photo printing points. Print the pictures and laminate them - this way your benefits will last much longer. For the first time, you can do without a projector. An ordinary white board on which you can write with a special marker will be enough.

To help the beginning speech therapist

Approximate structure of examination of a child from 2 to 11 years old:

1. Speech therapy report;
2. personal data;
3. FULL NAME. child;
4. Date of Birth;
5. age;
6. home address;
7. home phone;
8. educational institution (kindergarten/school);
9. curriculum, what program the child is studying in;
10. duplicated the program or not, what grade (for a schoolchild).

Information about parents:

1. mother (full name, required age at the time of birth);
2. father (full name, age, heredity);
3. National language;
4. bilingualism.

General history:

1. unfavorable development factors;
2. how the pregnancy and childbirth proceeded;
3. heredity (are there any hereditary diseases);

Past illnesses:

1. up to a year;
2. after a year;
3. bruises, head injuries;
4. convulsions, whether there are convulsions at high temperatures.

Early development:

1. holds his head with... (norm from 1.5 months);
2. sits from….. (normal from 6 months);
3. crawls from ..... (normal from 6-7 months);
4. costs from .....(normal from 10-11 months);
5. walks from .....(normal from 11-12 months);
6. recognizes loved ones from ....(normal from 2.5 - 3 months);
7. the first teeth appeared from... (normally at 6-8 months);
8. number of teeth per year….(normally 8 teeth).

Speech history:

1. walking in... (normal from 2 months);
2. babbling in .... (normal from 4-6 months);
3. first words...(normal for about a year);
4. first phrases in….(Normally from 1.5 to 2 years);
5. whether speech development was interrupted and for what reason;
6. use of gestures (replacement of speech, addition of speech);
7. the attitude of family members towards the child’s speech defect;

Have you worked with a speech therapist:

1. for how long;
2. results of sessions with a speech therapist;

Examination of the articulatory apparatus:

1. lips;
2. teeth;
3. bite;
4. jaws;
5. sky;
6. language;
7. bridle;
8. uvulus.

Mobility examination:

1. lips;
2. language.

Fine Motor Skills Test:

1. For switchability
2. On hold

Hearing test

With normal hearing, the child should hear and repeat words and phrases spoken in a whisper in the residual air (after exhalation) at a distance of 6-7 meters from the auricle. When testing hearing, visual perception of speech should be excluded.

The boundaries of perception of whispered speech are determined:

The perception of a whisper at a distance of less than 3 meters indicates the need for special consultation at a hearing aid center to clarify the state of hearing.

Sound pronunciation survey:

1. vowel sounds;
2. consonants;
3. whistling, hissing, affricates;
4. sonorous;
5. voiced and voiceless;
6. fricatives.

Examination of the syllable structure of a word:

1. words are polysyllabic;
2. with a consonant cluster;
3. contain similar sounds.

Phonemic Awareness Test:

1. chain of syllables;
2. chain of words;
3. differentiation of oppositional phonemes.

Vocabulary survey:

1. subject dictionary;
2. verb dictionary;
3. selection of synonyms;
4. selection of antonyms;
5. selection of related words with the same root.

Examination of the grammatical structure of speech:

1. state of sentences or short stories;
2. use of prepositions;
3. the use of nouns in different cases;
4. the use of cases depending on numerals;
5. formation of the plural from a singular noun and vice versa;
6. formation of the genitive plural form;
7. the use of number in agreement with a noun;
8. formation of a diminutive form of a noun;
9. use of suffixes;
10. formation of adjectives from nouns;
11. use of prefixes in verbs.

Study of the sound composition of a word (from 5 years):

1. highlighting the vowel at the beginning of the word and under stress;
2. highlighting vowels in monosyllabic words;
3. highlighting the vowel at the end of a word;
4. isolating a consonant from the beginning of a word and a vowel from the end of a word;
5. independent selection of words starting with a given sound;
6. determining the place of a sound in a word;
7. definition of syllables in a word;
8. determining the number and sequence of sounds and letters;
9. identification of vowels and consonants;
10. designation of consonant letters by sound: voiced or unvoiced, soft or hard.

Writing examination (from 7 years):

1. copy words and sentences from handwritten text;
2. copy words and sentences from printed text;
3. write down lowercase and uppercase letters from dictation;
4. dictation of syllables;
5. dictation of words of different structures;
6. sentences after listening once;
7. auditory dictation.

Reading survey (from 7 years):

1. choose vowels, consonants;
2. reading syllables;
3. reading words;
4. reading phrases;
5. reading specially selected texts.

It is important to promptly determine the presence/absence of speech disorders and take all measures to overcome them.

A full diagnosis of your child and consultation with determination of the further course of action can only be obtained at a face-to-face meeting with a specialist.

No amount of online correspondence, chats on forums, or communities can provide complete information about the problem and qualified assistance to you and your child.

Business registration

If you plan to work independently, then regardless of what activity you will be engaged in (conducting psychological counseling, speech therapy classes, or giving foreign language lessons), it is enough to register as an individual entrepreneur. However, keep in mind that you must have a higher education in the field in which you are going to work. Although, as experience shows, most of your clients are unlikely to be interested in your diploma, but it should be required. If you work as a psychologist, you must have a higher psychological education, if you are a speech therapist, you must have a higher education in the specialty “defectology” (as a rule), and if you are a tutor, then you cannot do without a teacher’s qualification.

If rarely does anyone remember about a higher education document, then the question of whether you have a license may well arise. This issue needs to be sorted out. The fact is that educational institutions that provide, for example, speech therapy services are indeed subject to mandatory licensing. After all, speech therapists, in fact, work at the intersection of medicine and pedagogy, but Order of the Ministry of Health No. 142 of April 29, 1998 (now no longer in force) determined the list of types of medical activities subject to licensing, and speech therapy was not included in that list. There was no speech therapy in the subsequent edition of licensed works and services for the provision of medical care (“Nomenclature of works and services for the provision of medical care”), which is an annex to the order (also no longer in force) of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation dated June 26, 2002 No. 238 (as amended on October 22 .2003). You will not find speech therapy in the later orders of the Ministry of Social Health Development of the Russian Federation “On approval of the procedure for organizing work...”, as well as in the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation “On approval of the regulation on licensing of medical activities”, because formally speech therapy is currently entirely within the sphere of pedagogy and education, and licensing of speech therapy activities is carried out by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, state educational authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and local government bodies vested with appropriate powers in accordance with legislation. In Moscow, licenses for speech therapy activities are issued by the City Licensing and Certification Service of the Moscow Department of Education. Therefore, to provide speech therapy services, as well as services in the field of education, a license is needed. Parents who want to check the qualifications of a specialist working with their child can inquire about his license. All information about licenses is open and available to anyone who wishes to familiarize themselves with it. However, the license is always issued in the name of the institution, and not in the name of the specialist. Information about the qualifications of a speech therapist is reflected only in his personal certification sheet. And in our case, a license may not be legally available at all. Thus, privately practicing speech therapists and teachers do not have and should not have a license, since in accordance with the Law of the Russian Federation “On Education”, individual labor teaching activities, which include, among other things, the services of a speech therapist, are not subject to licensing.

It will not force you to register an individual entrepreneur. Speech therapist Victoria M. (Moscow) shares her experience: “There are four ways to open an individual entrepreneur. The first option is self-registration. That's exactly what I used. Having spent 800 rubles on paying the state fee and a little of my time, a week after submitting the documents, I already received the status of an entrepreneur. You can also send registration documents by mail (the best option if you are registered in another city). An individual entrepreneur can be registered by power of attorney or with the help of a law firm. The last option is the most expensive. In principle, it allows you to save effort and time, but whether it is worth the money spent with limited starting capital is up to you to decide. Correctly filling out the documents for opening an individual entrepreneur is not difficult even for a beginner (which I was). Study all the information on the official website of the Tax Inspectorate. The whole process is described in great detail there, there are the latest versions of forms and documentation for beginning entrepreneurs. Reading these guides and tips will take you longer than filling out the paperwork and submitting it.”

The entire registration procedure will take about a week. Even before submitting documents, decide whether you will use financial assistance provided by the employment center (find out first whether such a program operates in your region). If yes, then your first step will be to register directly with the employment center. There you will need to register as unemployed even before registering a business, otherwise you will no longer be able to apply for financial assistance. This subsidy can be a good help for a budding entrepreneur. Another important step in the procedure for acquiring status is the selection of the type of activity indicating the code assigned to it according to the OKVED classifier. Particular attention should be paid to the type of activity that will be indicated first in the application, since it will be the main one. Don’t be afraid to specify several codes, because if in the future you decide to expand the list of services you provide, the service of adding new codes will already be paid and quite complicated.

Be prepared, upon request from the tax authorities, to provide a certificate of no criminal record if you intend to engage in educational activities or work with children.

You will also need to decide on the taxation system (an accountant will help you in this matter), as well as open a bank account and notify the tax office about the start of business activity.

But all the formalities have been completed, and the cherished documents certifying your status as an entrepreneur are in your hands. What's next?

Cheat sheet for speech therapist

Cheat sheet for speech therapist

Brain -
hemispheres
The trunk includes the medulla oblongata, the midbrain - the cerebral peduncles.

The hemispheres are connected to the brainstem by the trigeminal medulla.

The medulla oblongata is a vital node, the respiratory center, which regulates all organs and systems. Damage due to hypoxia in newborns is cervical: the cervical spine is affected (7 pieces) - children sleep poorly, cry - neuropathy syndrome.

When the 12th pair of the hypoglossal nerve is damaged,
paralysis
occurs (as a rule, sound pronunciation is impaired, dysarthria).

10 pair

The vagus nerve innervates the vocal cords in the larynx:

Phonation is a violation of the background of the voice. Dysphonia - hoarse voice.

Aphonia is the complete absence of voice.

9 pair

- glossopharyngeal nerve - innervates the soft palate

Bulbar paralysis (nuclei on both sides are affected - hypoxia). With bulbar palsy, there is no tone, the tongue is flattened in the oral cavity, and the muscles atrophy. Children quickly die and cannot breathe.

Midbrain.

Innervates the superior oblique muscle of the eye. In case of defeat:

Divergent strabismus, disruption of the reticular formation.

Diencephalon

In case of defeat:

The tubercles of the diencephalon - the collection and processing of information is disrupted since the tubercles are responsible for the formation of lower emotions.

Imbalance of neurotransmitter metabolism, consequences of RDA, lesions of the limbic system, schizophrenia.

Hypothalamus-

subtuberculous region, highest vegetative center.

When the hypothalamus is shaken, obesity can occur. This is the center for regulating homeostasis.

Pituitary

-submits to the hypothalamus, is responsible for growth hormone.

Epithalamus

represented
by the epiphysis.
Control over puberty, biorhythms (menstrual cycle)

Methothalamus

(geniculate bodies) is responsible for receiving and processing information and maintaining homeostasis.

Damage to the striatal system: tics, tremors

-all children have a neurotic background.

Organic-

death of neurons.

Neurosis

— the cells are alive, but they don’t work well.

Chorea

- with cerebral palsy (there is hereditary Gettington's chorea).

Athetosis

-slow movements (brush)

Cortex.

Frontal

- responsible for motor function (writing, fine motor skills), according to Luria 3 block of regulation of all mental activity: motivation, planning

The frontal lobe is most often affected (example: no motivation)

Causes:

-fetal hypoxia

Frontal cortex.

Broca's center

— software control of articulation. Fine motor control center.

Pseudobulbar dysarthria occurs when the pyramidal tract of the corticonuclear trunk is damaged.

As a result: high tone, soft palate, high gag reflex.

Parietal cortex

All information from the skin and muscles passes through

Occipital cortex

Responsible for visual functions, visual gnosis (shape, color, volume, distance). Word formation, the use of prepositions (in, on, under), visual agnosia suffers - does not recognize loved ones (severe case in adults)

Temporal cortex

Responsible for the sense of smell and the vestibular apparatus. By birth, taste gnosis exists; newborns distinguish sweet water from milk. The sense of smell develops towards the end of the first week of life.

Auditory gnosis - reacts to intonation. At 4 months, the mother's voice is distinguished. Then phonemic gnosis is constantly formed.

Wernicke's area.

If it is affected, sensory alalia and sensorineural hearing loss occurs. The zone is responsible for vestibular gnosis - awareness of the torso and head in space.

Perinatal pathology consequences

Apgar score 6-7 points - mild hypoxia

It is forbidden to give birth with a hemoglobin of 80.

Oxygen starvation - retinal damage - retinopathy.

As a consequence of mild hypoxia, increased neuroreflex excitability and regurgitation.

Consequences:

- attention disorders

- memory impairment

-ADHD

-chronic headaches (due to irritation of the pia mater).

HIPCNS - cerebral edema, increased internal pressure. The consequences do not always appear immediately, at primary school age - difficulties in mastering writing, agraphia, OHP.

on the Apgar scale 5-6 points - moderate hypoxia

The child is cyanotic, bradycardia, high intracranial pressure, arrhythmic breathing, reflexes are suppressed. Syndromes observed:

Hypertension syndrome - the fontanelle bulges.

Hydrocephalic-hypertensive syndrome, as a consequence of developmental delay, alalia, convulsive syndrome.

on the Apgar scale 1-4 points - severe hypoxia

Apnea, arrhythmic breathing, cerebral palsy, alalia, mental retardation, convulsive syndrome. Cerebral asthenia, absent newborn reflexes. Thus, the causes of hypoxia: low maternal hemoglobin, heart and respiratory diseases. Birth injuries: narrow pelvis, weakness of labor, incorrect location of the placenta. During a caesarean section, the child experiences a load of 760 atmospheres.

We are looking for clients and promoting our personal brand

When opening your own office, from the very first days, perceive as a brand not your company (your office or center), but yourself. Only a specialist who is not only an expert in his field, but also positions himself as such, can count on success. This doesn't mean you shouldn't strive to be the best in your segment. Constantly improve your skills, undergo additional training, attend courses, seminars, and trainings. Feel free to display your diplomas and certificates in a prominent place in your office. All this makes people more trusting of you as a specialist. Study books on marketing and PR that talk about ways to build a personal brand. Try to get your name out there. If you have the opportunity (time and, most importantly, interesting material), write and publish your articles in magazines or even books. It is not at all necessary to do this at your own expense. Offer your works to various book publishers, and there is a high probability that someone will definitely be interested in them. Don't be afraid to share your experience. Theoretical knowledge quickly becomes outdated or becomes known to a wide circle of people, and each specialist will have to acquire practical skills independently. You don’t lose anything by sharing your experience, but you gain fame (albeit in a narrow circle, but that’s quite enough).

Don't forget about online promotion. Ideally, it is best that you have your own website. Let it be simple, with a minimum of design, but with a maximum of information and, most importantly, your contacts. Update the information on it from time to time, post your articles and invest money in promotion. Groups on social networks also work great. True, to work in all directions at once requires a lot of time, effort and knowledge. These investments (perhaps the most impressive among other expense items) will definitely pay off, but not immediately. There are also free options for promoting on the Internet. For example, you can act as a consultant on various websites and forums in your city. Experience shows that at least 50% of people who receive advice on the Internet then try to get to this specialist for a “face-to-face” appointment, which is not so small. As for other methods of advertising, they are not so effective.

At first, while you don’t have many visitors, you will be able to combine work in your office with work on the Internet. In the future, it’s worth thinking about finding an assistant who will take on advertising placement, promotion, posting content on the website and in groups, and interacting with potential clients.

Post information about yourself on various specialized sites. There are resources where you can find a tutor in a subject of interest, a doctor, psychologist or psychotherapist, and learn about interesting trainings and seminars. Recently, many psychologists and other specialists are selling their services through so-called joint procurement projects. There they gather groups of people who can receive a significant discount on classes or consultations that interest them. Initially, you should not set the lowest possible prices for your services, but selling your services through a joint venture will allow, on the one hand, to attract new clients with the help of discounts, and on the other hand, it will not devalue your work or spoil your reputation.

When promoting yourself on the Internet, the main thing is not to give up ahead of time. And even if this happens, your potential clients should always be able to easily find you. “At the very beginning of my private practice, I created a commercial topic on a local forum for parents,” says tutor Sergei V. from St. Petersburg. – I regularly posted useful materials there, answered users’ questions, and talked about my services. But, as it turned out later, I chose the wrong time to open the topic. It was April, when schoolchildren were already thinking only about the holidays, and graduates no longer had time to properly prepare for exams. My topic existed for four months, after which I decided that paying 1.5 thousand rubles a month for something that does not give any return was a pointless waste of time and money, and closed it. But in August I started receiving a large number of applications. It turned out that the parents who saw my topic on that forum remembered me by the end of the holidays, found me on social networks and began signing up for classes. Thanks to this “delayed effect”

“,
I provided myself with clients for several months in advance.
There was no longer enough time for everyone, and I seriously thought about expanding. Now I have a whole training center where qualified teachers from the largest universities in our city work.” Sysoeva Liliya
(c) www.openbusiness.ru - portal of business plans and guides for starting a small business
09/16/2015

All materials by tag: speech therapy room

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