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Setting up a psychotherapy practice?

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  • 16-06-2013 11:07pm
    #1
    Hannaho
    Registered Users Posts: 724 ✭✭✭


    Hi! My sister has worked in mental health in the public sector for many years. She has an MSc in psychotherapy and is considering doinga Phd in it. She can't progress any more, currently, in her public sector job due to the moratorium. However, she is on her own with her kids, and feels that she needs an extra income to top up her public sector earnings - she works 4 days per week - condensed hours - i.e. 5 days into four longer days.

    She is thinking of setting up in a large granny flat attached to the side of her house. I am not so sure about having her house as a business, and also the idea of having clients to her house - maybe in case anything goes wrong - does not really sit well with me. However she is adamant that she wants to use the granny flat attached to her house - though I do expect her to have trouble with this from one or two neighbours.

    What do people think here - is it a good idea to set up from premises attached to her house? Does this affect things if she ever goes to sell the house, i.e. re part of the house being a business. Also, does it look professional enough setting up from one's house? The house is in a housing estate in the middle of a village - I'm not sure if it's anonymous enough also.

    Finally, is she mad to be setting up at this time - she says she can lower her rates to e50 per hour - her colleagues who have more expensive premises are charging e80 per hour. She is also trying to get into doing court work - custody and access reports - and has done the training for this.

    Advice/comments really welcome on this issue.

    Thanks.

    Hannaho


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    #2
    antoinolachtnai
    Registered Users Posts: 9,794 ✭✭✭antoinolachtnai


    Has she seen the TV series 'In Therapy'? In it, Gabriel Byrne has a practice attached to his home. Physical safety is never an issue, but to say that the whole thing turns into a bit of a mess is putting it pretty mildly.

    If she has clients coming to the house there will be a planning issue. She might get away with it, but she is in breach of the planning law. If anyone complains she will have to either stop or apply for planning and pay a planning levy if she gets it. There will be a rates bill to pay.

    I would really try to do this in some sort of shared facility. It's not that expensive, and she might only have to pay for the time she's using the facility.

    She would not be able to make much of a living at 50 euros/hour. You can only do client-facing work so many hours a day. Very few people with serious problems are going to choose a therapist on the basis of price. After she pays tax at the higher rate on her extra income, there will be a very marginal benefit for her.

    If she wants to continue in her job, I do not think she can get an awful lot of court work. There would be conflicts of interest. She would not be available for court appearances. She would really need to find this out for certain what is required.

    Just my opinion, she needs to get a wide range of views before doing this.


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