Rivka Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 I wrote my boss an official resignation letter today. As of Friday, July 12, I will no longer be working for someone else. The extrication process between now and then may be a little tricky/stressful, but one way or another, in less than three weeks, after almost twenty years (grad school and employment), I will no longer be part of academia. Unsurprisingly, my hands are shaking a little as I type this. I posted before about my plans in a more hypothetical way, but I wanted to flesh out the details a little more now. I am going to be opening up a part-time private psychology practice called Minds in Focus, which will be aimed primarily at meeting the needs of homeschoolers and alternative schoolers. I have been invited to locate my practice within the Baltimore Homeschool Community Center. From my business plan: Minds in Focus addresses three significant unmet needs of the homeschooling population: (1) High-quality psychological and educational evaluations by a skilled provider who understands and accepts homeschooling. (2) Recommendations which are written to the layperson, do not focus on classroom accommodations, and are customized for homeschool implementation. (3) A setting for psychological services which welcomes and accommodates the entire homeschooling family. I'm hoping to work about 10-15 hours per week. I'll start out focusing on psychoeducational needs, such as evaluations for learning disabilities, with an eye towards expanding my practice in other directions in the future depending on where there seems to be need and how much demand there is for assessments. Ideas for future expansion might involve social skills training or social anxiety therapy groups for kids, and homeschool-supportive psychotherapy for parents who are anxious or depressed. I am excited, but the change here is huge and I am also scared. It is scary to step out into the unknown like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Woo-hoo! Way to go, Rivka! That sounds WONDERFUL!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Awesome Possum! While I was kind of hoping your "something big" was the culmination of a plot for world domination, as I suspect you'd be a spectacular and capable Empress of the Universe, your business also sounds wonderful. I wish you every success and happiness with your new venture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Bravo! I am excited for you and cannot wait to hear how it goes as you get rolling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BridgeTea Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Rivka! How exciting! Way to identify some needs and create a business to fill those needs. I admire the way you think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivka Posted June 26, 2013 Author Share Posted June 26, 2013 Thanks, you guys, this is really helpful. When all of this was further away I felt nothing but excitement and a sense of rightness, but now that I've burned my bridges here I am feeling shaky. This is going to be a good thing, though. I am sure of it. Good for me, good for my family, good for my community... right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Thanks, you guys, this is really helpful. When all of this was further away I felt nothing but excitement and a sense of rightness, but now that I've burned my bridges here I am feeling shaky. This is going to be a good thing, though. I am sure of it. Good for me, good for my family, good for my community... right? You will be great in your new endeavors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Have you considered consultations via skype? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waa510 Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Sounds like an amazing business plan! I personally would love to have some insight into what to do with my oldest. Please let me know when you're all set and ready for clients...I'd love to head up and be your first client! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivka Posted June 26, 2013 Author Share Posted June 26, 2013 Have you considered consultations via skype? :) People keep suggesting that! I certainly couldn't evaluate a child over Skype, but I could probably consult if people had an evaluation from the school system or a local psychologist that they wanted translated into English. Or homeschool-ese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 I wrote my boss an official resignation letter today. As of Friday, July 12, I will no longer be working for someone else. The extrication process between now and then may be a little tricky/stressful, but one way or another, in less than three weeks, after almost twenty years (grad school and employment), I will no longer be part of academia. Unsurprisingly, my hands are shaking a little as I type this. I posted before about my plans in a more hypothetical way, but I wanted to flesh out the details a little more now. I am going to be opening up a part-time private psychology practice called Minds in Focus, which will be aimed primarily at meeting the needs of homeschoolers and alternative schoolers. I have been invited to locate my practice within the Baltimore Homeschool Community Center. From my business plan: I'm hoping to work about 10-15 hours per week. I'll start out focusing on psychoeducational needs, such as evaluations for learning disabilities, with an eye towards expanding my practice in other directions in the future depending on where there seems to be need and how much demand there is for assessments. Ideas for future expansion might involve social skills training or social anxiety therapy groups for kids, and homeschool-supportive psychotherapy for parents who are anxious or depressed. I am excited, but the change here is huge and I am also scared. It is scary to step out into the unknown like this. Oh Rivka!!! You are just exactly what I've been looking for, and you're only a few hours away!!! I'm going to PM you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enviromommy Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Yay! I'm so proud of you! I can supply 6 little clients (unless it's a problem that you already know them). I can also supply one anxious mother if you decide to branch out.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 People keep suggesting that! I certainly couldn't evaluate a child over Skype, but I could probably consult if people had an evaluation from the school system or a local psychologist that they wanted translated into English. Or homeschool-ese. I sent you quite a long PM explaining my thoughts. They were a bit too detailed for a public post. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 I am so happy for you :party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Big changes are almost always scary. :grouphug: Your plan and services sound pretty amazing, and I think the Baltimore area has the large hs community to support this. (Bolling AFB, Andrews AFB and Ft. Belvoir have huge hs communities close by.) Best wishes on you new adventure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 You go, girl! :thumbup1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 I love it! I can imagine a lot of people wanting that type of service. I'm sure it will be a huge success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No More Perfect Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 That is awesome! Congratulations. Now, can you clone yourself and send your clone down to Texas? ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Sounds exciting! Good luck to you moving forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 People keep suggesting that! I certainly couldn't evaluate a child over Skype, but I could probably consult if people had an evaluation from the school system or a local psychologist that they wanted translated into English. Or homeschool-ese. I think this is a fabulous idea and a greatly needed service. (You're going to be great at this! :) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Congratulations, Rivka! Love your business concept, and the name too. And what an ideal set-up - in a Homeschool Community Center! In addition to Skype, you might also consider group teleseminars or webinars on different topics. If there's a more general topic that keeps coming up in private consultations, that might lend itself well to a group format. Great way to offer training/consultation to larger groups at a more affordable rate, and with no geographical limitations. Just a thought (from someone who lives far away from MD). ;) Best of luck to you! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Thanks, you guys, this is really helpful. When all of this was further away I felt nothing but excitement and a sense of rightness, but now that I've burned my bridges here I am feeling shaky. This is going to be a good thing, though. I am sure of it. Good for me, good for my family, good for my community... right? Absolutely! Congratulations and Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Whooo Hoo! I hope you are a great success! Here is a link to a website of a local person who did something remotely similar (not quite the same) but it may give you some more ideas. One of her biggest assets was the fact that she was a former home school mother. We used her twice in our home school career. Once to have ds18's learning style tested when we were starting to home school. This helped me pick our first curricula. I often thought that it would have been nice for her to have offered a service that made suggestions or coordinated curricula with learning style. The second time we used her, was to have her go over some retention strategies with ds. He was in a few heavy classes at one time and was having a hard time assimilating that much information at once. I don't think she was effective for this purpose because she just gave him some rather rudimentary information, but I also recognize that she needed to assess that he was trying basic ideas, before she would be able to offer some more effective ones. We went to a couple appointments and then dropped the sessions due to time constraints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*lifeoftheparty* Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Count me in as someone who could benefit from your services! We're less than 30 minutes away!! Please post a website or something when you are up and running :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 What a FANTASTIC idea, Rivka — it's a desperately needed service, and I'm sure you'll be extremely successful at it! I only wish I lived closer! Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivka Posted June 27, 2013 Author Share Posted June 27, 2013 Count me in as someone who could benefit from your services! We're less than 30 minutes away!! Please post a website or something when you are up and running :) Believe me, when my website goes live I will be seeking Hive opinions! But yes, I can definitely notify you when I am ready to open the practice. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in FL. Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Excited for you, Rivka! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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