It's not for everyone - LMSW Private Practice Employee Review

You must be self-motivated, have a thick skin, be patient and persistent, and roll with the punches to develop and maintain a solid caseload of clients. You will get there eventually if you don't give up but for some people the process is not feasible because they need steady income from the jump without any unpredictability about their income. If that's you, it may be better to stick with a role that is structured as a 9-5 job so there's that steady income and job stability.