Leaving agency work is a big jump for most of us, with all the usual questions. Can I really make it work? What will others think? Who will do this work when I’m gone?
After over a decade in public service as a psychologist in a large, government organization, I left to start my own practice. Looking back, it was not as hard as I had imagined in some ways, but there were unexpected challenges. Here are a few things I wish I had done before leaving.
1) Start the process long before you actually leave.
You have built a professional life in your agency- years of emails, trainings, and certificates are sitting in random files in your computer or office. Begin to sort through these, printing or saving copies of all of your CEUs. Yes, even the old ones! You don’t want to be stuck trying to do a haphazard job your last week there, and miss something important. You never know when you’ll need to prove that you have some familiarity with Underwater Basket-Weaving Therapy from that intern-led journal club five years ago.
2) Prepare a few redacted work samples to take with you.
Very carefully de-identify a couple of assessment reports or work samples, if this is consistent with your agency and employment agreements. If you choose to pursue some types of contract work, these will be needed for your credentialing. Consider bringing your blank therapy note templates, if you have templates you love for manualized treatments. But be sure to double check that you are not accidentally taking any PHI or copyrighted material with you- you don’t want the headache.
3) Private practice can get lonely. Build a network.
Yes, yes we know- some of your coworkers make you crazy and you can never get anything done with people coming in your office all day long. However, think about how nice it is to pop by someone’s desk to ask a quick question, or to send someone a message asking to consult. In private practice, setting up meetings with others can be a long ordeal—and by the time the meeting rolls around, you may have already had to figure out that random clinical issue. Having a professional network takes intentionality and work. Start getting phone numbers and email addresses for colleagues, grad school friends, and mentors with whom you can consult and keep in touch. If you can, set up or join a recurring consultation group! Your clients and your legal team will thank you.
It’s easy to avoid these tasks if we are feeling ambivalent about the choice to leave, but there’s no reason to make life harder for yourself in the future because of your discomfort. Make a reasonable plan to spend some small amount of time on this each week as you are making decisions about your career. Even if you ultimately decide to stay in your agency, you will end up with more organized files and closer relationships. What could be the downside of that?
About the Author
Margaret Moravec, PhD is the owner of Resilience Premier Psychological Services. She is a licensed psychologist practicing from Temple, Texas, and has over a decade of experience helping clients achieve life goals using evidence-based approaches. She provides telepsychology sessions to adults with trauma, OCD, and perinatal mental health issues in Texas, Kansas, and PSYPACT participating states (https://psypact.org/mpage/psypactmap). She also provides psychological assessment and group wellness workshops.