Why Hire an Accountant - How to Handle Negative Feedback

In Episode 293 of the Counselling Tutor Podcast, your hosts Rory Lees-Oakes and Ken Kelly discuss this week's three topics:

Firstly in 'Ethical, Sustainable Practice', we take a deep dive into Employment Assistant Programs or EAP counselling.

Then in 'Practice Matters', Rory speaks with Kassim Harunani about why you might hire an accountant as a counsellor in private practice.

And lastly in 'Student Services', Rory and Ken look at how to handle, receive, and process negative feedback.

EAP Counselling Pros and Cons [starts at 03:28 mins]

The EAP are there for companies to be able to support their employees, and you might be interested in playing a role in that. In this section, Rory and Ken take us through some pros and cons of working as a counsellor for EAPs:

The services provided by the EAP will be paid for by the company, not the client themselves.

This means the service might come with certain limitations such as the amount of sessions you have, how your notes are kept and who sees them.

When providing EAP counselling, you might get the opportunity to work with a wider range of presentations.

It will provide a regular income.

There is the chance for an EAP client to become a private client if they have the means, and decide they would like more sessions with you.

In EAP counselling, there can be quite a bit of flexibility in terms of working hours and whether you work online/by telephone.

Check what rate you will be paid - if the rate is lower than your own private sessions, weigh up if you are working enough hours to make up for this difference.

When providing EAP counselling, you're required to work under the EAP's rules, and possibly under their contract.

You may be provided with an internal supervisor.

Look into how and when you will be paid.

Be clear about any niches or specialties you might have to help with your chances of referrals.

Why Hire an Accountant [starts at 31:44 mins]

In this week's 'Practice Matters', Rory speaks with Kassim Harunani, Counselling Tutor's own accountant, about why you might consider hiring an accountant as a private practitioner.

The key points of this discussion include:

An accountant can use their experience and specialty to help you focus on your own.

They will know what expenses you will be able to claim, e.g. can you use your company card to pay for fuel when travelling to a meeting?

It's good to have a separate bank account for your business. This gives credibility and makes it easier to administer that account to your accountant.

Banks will prefer for you to have a business account, and will look for it if you decide to take out a loan.

Being a sole trader vs. a limited company - there is a difference in the way you are taxed on your profits depending which route you choose. There are more expenses that can be claimed as a limited company.

You can discuss this decision with an accountant, looking at your business plan.

If you use cash, keep receipts and records. Try to avoid holding cash and bank it when you can.

You can only claim on training courses if they are a requirement of your workplace or are directly benefiting your business and your clients.

If you decide to look for an accountant, look for one that belongs to a professional body.

How to Handle Negative Feedback [starts at 57:02 mins]

As a student, you are likely to receive both positive and negative feedback, and learning to accept it will be a vital skill. In this section, Rory and Ken offer advice on how you can go about receiving and processing negative feedback:

Any feedback is useful as long as you can dissect it.

Are you able to see it as constructive feedback?

Think about what feelings come up for you when receiving feedback, is there any transference involved?

How much pressure are you putting on yourself?