It’s been 2 years that I have been self-employed as a therapist in private practice.  After 30 years in education, as a teacher (5 yrs.) and school psychologist (25 yrs.), I took the leap from public school retiree to opening my own practice. Before I jumped head first into the business world, I took one year off for reflection, rest, obtaining licensure as a professional counselor, and setting up my business.

I feel this is an apt time to reflect on my first two years post “retirement.”  Following are my thoughts, both good and bad, on how I’m doing. Maybe someone on a similar path can glean some useful information from my travels.

• Retiring from my “profession” was both positive and negative. The first year was the most difficult. Some days I awoke with the feeling of total glee, and others were met with the troubling thought – what am I going to do today? It can get lonely when the nest is empty and the spouse works all day. I found the quietude refreshing at times, and at other times, difficult to tolerate.

• I am a very social individual, so it became important to connect with people on a daily basis. At times I was so desperate, I would go to the grocery store just to talk to someone in line. My family laughs at me because they say I’ll talk to anyone for a connection!!

• Studying for my licensing exam at age 50+ was challenging. I bought a study guide that was my bible for months, and studied, studied, studied. It became my goal for the first summer post retirement – get the license by September.  Setting a goal always helps!

• Starting a business was exciting, risky, uncomfortable, challenging, and worth it! When service in public education is your career, business knowledge is as far away from your mindset as the Himalayas. Ask for help from anyone with business knowledge, even your son who has a degree in finance. Take a course, seek information, and get busy.

• Finding an office was an adventure. I looked at various locations for months and nothing seemed to connect with me. Too small, too large, rent too high, building too old, etc. When my friend found the perfect office, I knew it right away (and so did she-thank you Kerry). I decided to work only part time, which enabled me to sublease to another therapist twice per week. (Hint, Hint – financially a good move since building a practice takes time). Part time hours also allows me to travel as the desire hits, which has proven to be an asset as a new addition was added to the family right before I retired.

• It is very important to keep your skills and be a life-long learner. I personally love to learn new strategies, techniques, a different way of thinking about things, etc.  Continuing education is a necessity for my profession, so I’m constantly on my toes learning new things. In addition to seeing children and teens, I’ve also added adults to my clientele, which keeps me on the learning curve. When I need assistance professionally, I seek supervision from a certified supervisor who I’ve added to my resources.

• Finally, I have to say that I love my “new” profession.  I decided to focus on counseling and reduce the psychological evaluations that had been a large part of my duties as a school psychologist. This was a good decision. My knowledge of public schools and special education is utilized frequently; I am grateful for my 30 years of experience.

My new path has brought me much satisfaction and joy. Although being a solo practitioner can be more isolating than working in schools, I enjoy my clientele and feel challenged when I am in the office. Maybe I’ll have to update this again in 2 years to see where my journey takes me then!