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March 12, 2006
creata: establishing a private practice
by gl. at 7:02 pm
this is the ninth in a series of posts about workshops sponsored by CREATA during Creative Arts Therapy week. just two more to go! session date mar09.
when i saw there was a to be a panel on "establishing a private practice" i was very excited. however, i expected more than two people on the panel, one of whom it turns out i already know -- one of the people running the unitarian artist's way! the other was a very gregarious music therapist.
i learned a little more about the unitarian artist's way facilitator, who also has ties to penn state, may be connected to pwcl, and left a job that had her feel like she was wearing blinders, simply moving from crisis to crisis. and the music therapist will be an excellent resource, i think -- later she came in for a separate music therapy session that was very useful.
but this particular session was less practical than i thought it would be. some bits from the art therapist:
- spent the first 1-3 years advertising: flyers w/ cards at ocac, pcc among others
- 3-5 years later still getting calls
- it takes seeing your name 7-9 times before they remember you (if i use a garden metaphor, this is like preparing the soil & planting; germination time is different for all plants)
- $80/hour, though can slides to $30
- comfortably at half-time, resisting the urge to fight for more, more
- "groups seemed like a good idea at the time, but sometimes they're a little difficult to pull together." (amen, sister!)
some bits from the music therapist:
- use score, a resource for small businesses
- music therapists don't have nearly as much of a gauntlet to practice in an official capacity as other art therapists: they just need a BA in music, a 6-month clinical internship & passing an exam.
- she recommends the use of an llc instead of a sole proprietorship
- find an advocate
- always tell people what you do
- speak everywhere and be bold: when can we schedule a time to meet w/ you and your group? (this made me think about speaking at rob's class; having a clear, approachable topic i know well is a good way to begin. how many people could benefit from knowing more about the morning pages concept?)
the music therapist took a metaview that is similar to what vicki asks us to do in the creative job club: why are you doing what you're doing? if you know that, you can evaluate all your decisions based on whether they further that goal or not. hers is "to serve."
both panelists recommended staying connected w/ "your community," and that's where i have trouble, because i don't feel i have one yet. art therapists are what i consider a "sympathetic industry," but i'm not an art therapist (though creata is inclusive and specifically values having people involved who are not art therapists). artist's way facilitators tend to only do artist's way part time and/or are too flaky to be considered a community; i've tried getting us together before without any success.
none of the other topics felt particularly advanced to me, but this one was thick w/ a soup of acronyms & clinical terms & references to education programs & licensure requirements (i learned that one of the reasons you might want to be licensed is so that you can accept insurance payment & referals -- though insurance payments are apparently their own nests of unhappiness).
posted by gl. | March 12, 2006 7:02 PM | comments (2) | categories: classes & workshops
Comments
This is the session I most wanted to be at, but it was not in the cards; perhaps the time is not right for me to have my head in this place. Insurance payments are an evil.... on one hand, the best source of regular income, on the other, a major headache.
You mentioned you know one of the speakers... perhaps when I have my head above water (no classes this summer) you can help me with an introduction? I am interested in some of the insurance billing issues for clinical work using art therapy, I'd like to find a mentor in the area for when I start developing my non-profit ideas.
Thanks for sharing! :) Melanie
Posted by: melanie at March 12, 2006 11:07 PM
hey, melanie! i'd be happy to introduce you, but cheri specifically decided to not go the insurance route, so she may not be as much help as you'd like. let me know when you get a break and i'll get you in touch. :)
Posted by: gl. at March 12, 2006 11:19 PM