The Gift Of Resentment

An interesting theme emerged in my private practice consultation group last week. It may seem like an odd theme for a business group -  resentment. As I shared a few of my own experiences in private practice it became very clear that I had used my feelings of resentment as a guide to lead me to my ideal private practice.I view resentment as an amazing gift to let me know when I need to make a change or to set better boundaries. Here are a few examples that I share:

• After being in a group practice for a short time, I realized that I resented the inefficiency of how decisions were made in the group. So, I decided to go out on my own.
• After having my third child and moving to a new area years ago, I remember feeling increasingly resentful of my commute to my therapy office. That prompted me to move to an office closer to my new home.
• After I realized that I resented spending more time doing paperwork and making phone calls trying to get reimbursed from managed care companies than I was spending actually doing therapy, I started resigning from all panels.
• When I started resenting seeing clients after 5:00p.m. I stopped seeing clients in the evenings.

So, my fellow private practitioners, what are you resenting in your practice?How can you use resentment as a gift to make needed changes and bring you closer to your your ideal practice?