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How many years would it take to become a licensed therapist and then eventually own a buissness that is a therapy office?
I would like to own a buissness where I am the boss, and I have employees who are all therapists. I do not know how many more years that would add with college.
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Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Sofia !
Although you say you want to be a therapist, that can mean a few things. I assume that you mean that you want to be a mental health professional, but you didn't say. Any mental or physical health endeavor is really not a business in the corporate sense, it is a community service. You would need the financial budget to rent an office and pay the other therapists. The primary training and knowledge you would need would be of your profession and you'd know how to conduct your therapy office.
If it is the mental health arena you are speaking about, it takes a total of 6 years to become a Clinical Social Worker or becoming a licensed Psychologist in Indiana typically takes between 9 and 12 years after completing a Bachelor degree because in Indiana, you would need your Doctorate Degree.
There are a wide variety of types of therapists also, so you need to know the exact career you want. Some additional careers are clinical mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, substance abuse counselors, rehabilitation counselors, and career counselors. Most of these professions require a Masters Degree which is 6 years in college. If you are speaking of physical/medical therapy, you can research it online or return here to ask another question with specific information stating the exact career you want to pursue.
There's another way to be a "boss" in this field, too, other than opening your own office. Accrue lots of experience and then apply for supervisory or program director positions in the mental health field.
As I've mentioned, having your own mental health or physical health therapy office with you as Director and having employees would require monthly expenses for you. You would need to pay rent, utility bill(s), furniture, furnishings, supplies, computers, internet and you would have to register your business with your local town or city hall. Keep in mind that your office would have to go under an inspection. It would depend on what type of license you have for this business. The primary inspecting agency for a mental health office will be determined by its specific license type and the governing body that issued it. When you are in college, you can ask one of your professors about this or ask your local city or town hall.
After you are finished with your degrees, become Licensed, it would be up to you to know how long it will take based on what is doable at that time, so no one can accurately tell you how many years after college you would be able to open your own office. It's okay to take this one step at a time and achieve at each step.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
Although you say you want to be a therapist, that can mean a few things. I assume that you mean that you want to be a mental health professional, but you didn't say. Any mental or physical health endeavor is really not a business in the corporate sense, it is a community service. You would need the financial budget to rent an office and pay the other therapists. The primary training and knowledge you would need would be of your profession and you'd know how to conduct your therapy office.
If it is the mental health arena you are speaking about, it takes a total of 6 years to become a Clinical Social Worker or becoming a licensed Psychologist in Indiana typically takes between 9 and 12 years after completing a Bachelor degree because in Indiana, you would need your Doctorate Degree.
There are a wide variety of types of therapists also, so you need to know the exact career you want. Some additional careers are clinical mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, substance abuse counselors, rehabilitation counselors, and career counselors. Most of these professions require a Masters Degree which is 6 years in college. If you are speaking of physical/medical therapy, you can research it online or return here to ask another question with specific information stating the exact career you want to pursue.
There's another way to be a "boss" in this field, too, other than opening your own office. Accrue lots of experience and then apply for supervisory or program director positions in the mental health field.
As I've mentioned, having your own mental health or physical health therapy office with you as Director and having employees would require monthly expenses for you. You would need to pay rent, utility bill(s), furniture, furnishings, supplies, computers, internet and you would have to register your business with your local town or city hall. Keep in mind that your office would have to go under an inspection. It would depend on what type of license you have for this business. The primary inspecting agency for a mental health office will be determined by its specific license type and the governing body that issued it. When you are in college, you can ask one of your professors about this or ask your local city or town hall.
After you are finished with your degrees, become Licensed, it would be up to you to know how long it will take based on what is doable at that time, so no one can accurately tell you how many years after college you would be able to open your own office. It's okay to take this one step at a time and achieve at each step.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
Updated
Bridget’s Answer
Hi Sofia! That’s such an exciting path you’re considering! I’m currently working toward my therapist license as well, and I’m from Indiana. Here’s a quick overview of what the journey typically looks like:
Education: I completed a 4-year undergraduate degree and am now in graduate school to become a therapist/mental health counselor. If you attend grad school full-time, most programs take about 2 years to finish.
Licensing: After grad school, you’ll need about 2 years of supervised experience before you’re fully licensed and able to accept insurance. Many people choose to work at an agency or organization during this time to gain experience and meet supervision requirements. However, you can open a private practice before you are fully licensed, it just requires you to find and pay your own supervisor for 2 years.
Private Practice: Once you’re financially ready, you can open your own private practice. Later, if you’d like once you are fully licensed, you can expand into a group practice—where you can hire others. I hope this helps!
Education: I completed a 4-year undergraduate degree and am now in graduate school to become a therapist/mental health counselor. If you attend grad school full-time, most programs take about 2 years to finish.
Licensing: After grad school, you’ll need about 2 years of supervised experience before you’re fully licensed and able to accept insurance. Many people choose to work at an agency or organization during this time to gain experience and meet supervision requirements. However, you can open a private practice before you are fully licensed, it just requires you to find and pay your own supervisor for 2 years.
Private Practice: Once you’re financially ready, you can open your own private practice. Later, if you’d like once you are fully licensed, you can expand into a group practice—where you can hire others. I hope this helps!