# How can I run a private therapy practice alongside a full-time job?

URL: https://tymirahealth.com/resources/faqs/how-can-i-run-a-private-practice-alongside-a-full-time-job
For: Clinicians | Clinic operations | Last reviewed 8 November 2026

**Answer:** Make the routine work run without you. Publish fixed session times, let clients book and reschedule themselves online, and send automatic reminders. Keep notes, bookings and records in one place you can reach from your phone, and block regular admin time each week. Be clear with clients about how and when you respond, and what to do in an emergency when you are unavailable.

### Nobody trained us to run a practice

Psychologists and counsellors are trained as clinicians, not founders. Many build a practice on evenings and weekends, alongside a job or other commitments, and say the business side is the real weight.

The aim is not to work more hours. It is to stop spending them on booking messages, reminders and searching for files.

- Set fixed weekly session slots and stick to them.
- Use online booking so clients do not wait for you to reply.
- Automate reminders and follow-up messages.
- Keep one secure record you can access from anywhere.
- Share an out-of-hours message with emergency numbers.

Read more: [How counselling centres can centralise appointments, notes and reporting](https://tymirahealth.com/resources/blog/how-counseling-centers-can-centralize-appointments-notes-billing-and-reporting)

## More questions

### What should I tell clients about out-of-hours contact?

Explain your response times at the first session and in your booking confirmation, and give emergency numbers: in Kenya, 999, 112 or 911, and the free 1199 line.

### Which admin tasks should I automate first?

Booking, reminders and rescheduling usually save the most time, followed by keeping notes and records in one place.

## Related reading

- [How Counselling Centres Can Centralise Appointments, Notes and Billing](https://tymirahealth.com/resources/blog/how-counseling-centers-can-centralize-appointments-notes-billing-and-reporting)
- [Healthcare Practice Management: A Clinic Operations Guide](https://tymirahealth.com/resources/blog/healthcare-practice-management-clinic-operations-guide)

## Related questions

- [How can mental health clinics reduce missed appointments?](https://tymirahealth.com/resources/faqs/how-can-digital-scheduling-reduce-missed-appointments)
- [How can therapists stop managing bookings and cancellations by WhatsApp?](https://tymirahealth.com/resources/faqs/how-can-therapists-stop-managing-bookings-by-whatsapp)
- [How do I start a private counselling practice in Kenya?](https://tymirahealth.com/resources/faqs/how-do-i-start-a-private-counselling-practice-in-kenya)

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**About Tymira Health:** Tymira Health is a healthcare technology company based in Nairobi, Kenya. It builds Tymira360, a practice management and EHR platform for mental health, physiotherapy and dental providers, clinics, hospitals, NGOs and insurers across Africa.

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