The most common thing I hear from therapists in their first weeks of private practice is that they know what they need to do, but they don't know what to do first.
Start by checking your license and business setup requirements, then plan your finances, payer arrangements, intake process, and referral activity. The month below is an organizing framework, not a promise that registration or credentialing will finish within 30 days.
Quick note: I'm not a therapist. I build SoloAgent, the launch copilot for therapists going solo. The sequence below is based on conversations with therapists who have been through it and on documentation from the relevant agencies. State-specific requirements vary, so always verify with your licensing board.
That distinction matters. The first 30 days have real dependencies. Set up your EHR before you have a business bank account to bill from and you'll set it up twice. Apply to insurance panels before you have an NPI and your applications sit. Get the sequence right once.
This is the sequence.
Already partway through this work? Take the free Private Practice Readiness Scorecard to see what you've handled and what needs attention next.
Days 1-7: Entity and tax identity
Check the business structures permitted for your state and license before filing. Options and restrictions vary, including whether a sole proprietorship, LLC, PLLC, or professional corporation is available. The SBA overview of business structures explains the general distinctions; your licensing board determines the professional requirements.
Once you know what you're forming: Work through the LLC, PLLC, and sole-proprietor decision before filing.
File the entity with your state. Most states charge $50-200 and process in days to a few weeks depending on the state.
Apply for your EIN (Employer Identification Number) at IRS.gov. Free, online, done in 10 minutes.
Open a business checking account. You need the EIN to do this. Don't run your practice through your personal account.
If you are forming an entity, the IRS says to form it with your state before applying for its EIN. Ask your bank which documents it requires for your chosen structure.
Days 8-14: Credentials and compliance
Verify your NPI (National Provider Identifier) is active and has the correct taxonomy codes. If you don't have an NPI, apply at NPPES.cms.hhs.gov. Free, takes 1-10 days.
Get malpractice insurance. Confirm the coverage required by your state, payer contracts, and any office lease before seeing clients. HPSO, CPH and Associates, and Proliability are common options for therapists. Budget $250-500 per year for solo coverage.
Check your state board's requirements for private practice. Some states require additional registration or a supervision plan for provisionally licensed therapists.
If you intend to bill insurance, open your CAQH (Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare) profile now. CAQH centralizes your credential data for insurance panels. Starting it in week two means your data is ready when you apply to panels later in the month.
Days 15-21: Operations
Choose your EHR. SimplePractice, Jane, and TherapyNotes are the three most common for solo private practice. Pick based on whether you're going private pay, insurance, or hybrid. Compare the tools against your billing model, intake needs, and budget.
Set up your scheduling system, intake forms, and cancellation policy. These should be ready before your first client contacts you, not after.
Draft your fee schedule. Know your session rate, your sliding scale policy if you offer one, and whether you take specific insurance panels.
Days 22-30: Visibility
Check Google Business Profile eligibility before creating a profile. Online-only businesses are not eligible; a virtual office address alone does not qualify.
Complete your Psychology Today profile. Write a bio that speaks to the specific issues you treat, your approach in plain language, and your fee. Include your fee. Clients who are screening for cost won't reach out if they can't tell whether they can afford you.
If you have a website domain, get a basic site live. A single-page site with your specialty, location, fee, and contact information is enough for month one.
At the end of day 30, you should have a legal entity, a tax ID, malpractice coverage, a functioning EHR, and at least two public-facing profiles live. That is the minimum viable launch.
Why the order matters
The dependencies are real. Bank documentation, payer enrollment, and insurance requirements depend on your practice model. Check the dependencies with each provider before choosing dates; completing a CAQH profile does not guarantee a payer enrollment timeline.
Therapists who lose the first 60 days of their private practice launch don't lose them to laziness. They lose them to doing things in the wrong order, hitting a dependency they didn't know existed, and stalling while they figure it out.