The Canvas of Life Counseling, LLC started out in January 2017 as the sole private practice of Tiffany Manson. Following graduation as an LCPC-c in 2016 from SNHU, Tiffany quickly learned that being in private practice was not all that it was chalked up to be. She loved helping others, and she was eager to continue to become more skilled as a new clinician in the field. However, she spent several late nights in the office navigating the administrative tasks required in private practice while learning through trial and error, from her many mistakes along the way. Some of these mistakes were more expensive than others, but all of them were time-consuming and stressful. It seemed that having a clinical degree wasn't enough and that a business and accounting degree were needed in addressing all the aspects of building a private practice, too! She had clinical supervisory support, and was able to affiliate with a local agency to aid with the billing components, initially. However, there was no support for the business aspect of running a private practice. There was no guidance on the legalities outside the clinical work, and clear explanations or one-on-one instructions were not offered, anywhere, without high membership or consultation fees. Also, the cost to affiliate got higher as the years passed by, and insurance requirements became even stricter. Following an audit through Anthem, at the affiliate agency, Tiffany learned valuable lessons and realized that affiliation with a big agency wasn't all that was chalked up to be, either! There is a reason they are called "clawbacks"; they hurt! 
Tiffany decided, enough was enough! She created a vision and established a goal to bridge the gap between clinical work and private practice building. She saw a need for many clinicians when it came to documentation compliance, navigating insurance billing, and balancing being a counselor with being a practice owner. She observed so many providers convey frustration, stress, burn-out, and anger towards the counseling field due to the level of isolation, expectations, requirements, and paperwork! Amazing providers were struggling to keep their heads above water to provide the competent and effective clinical care they were trained in and passionate to provide because all the aspects of private practice became a heavy load to carry. 
In the beginning, Tiffany's long-term goal was to open a Group Practice one day. As she moved through solo private practice, and overcame many obstacles, realized the broken system, and apparent unmet needs for providers in the field, she decided to go beyond working with clients and to extend help to other professionals as well. She became determined to help the helpers grow their own businesses, develop increased clinical confidence, and decreased professional isolation through internship opportunities, employment, subcontracting, and by launching more recently the Private Practice Empowerment Program. PPEP was created so that providers could get support not only to focus on their clinical work while building clinical competencies, but also to develop a practice that works for them without the dependency on an affiliate agency, isolation from other clinical providers, and the dreaded burn-out!  
Becoming a part of the COL Counseling, LLC Group, as a Clinical Intern, Employee, or Independent Contractor, and whether you choose to participate in the PPEP or not, you will receive dedicated help and support to thrive as a clinical provider in your community, develop increased confidence and knowledge in your clinical role, and learn how to balance life with your private practice goals if you so choose. Clinical documentation requirements placed on you from outside insurance companies who have too much power, will be streamlined through templates provided with ease of use in the COL's EHR system. Also, billing processes, claims filing, and protection from failed audits will be provided, so you do not have to worry about insurance companies at all. You can have the peace of mind that you are able to do your best clinical work with clients!!
Tiffany wrote-"To dream is to have hope in a better life, to create is to believe in the possibilities of the canvas, to achieve is to manifest that dream on to the canvas of life, and to thrive is to re-create the canvas of life through the many seasons of change."