established / settled
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in private practice
Describes a person in a liberal profession, especially a doctor, lawyer, or therapist, who runs their own independent practice and is not employed by an institution such as a hospital.
Sie suchte lange nach einem guten niedergelassenen Kinderarzt in ihrem Viertel.
She searched for a long time for a good pediatrician in private practice in her neighborhood.
'Niedergelassen' (established/settled) is the past participle of the reflexive verb 'sich niederlassen' (to settle down / to establish oneself). This verb means to settle permanently in a place or to establish a professional practice.
Nach Jahren im Ausland hat er sich wieder in seiner Heimatstadt niedergelassen.
After years abroad, he settled back in his hometown.
You can recognize the meaning from the context. If people are talking about professions such as doctor, lawyer, or therapist, it refers to independent professional activity. If people are talking about families, places, or communities, it is about a fixed residence.
Mein Hausarzt ist schon seit 20 Jahren hier niedergelassen.
My family doctor has been in private practice here for 20 years.
In the professional sense, the word is almost always combined with liberal professions. Typical phrases are 'niedergelassener Arzt' (doctor in private practice), 'niedergelassene Anwältin' (lawyer in private practice), or 'niedergelassener Therapeut' (therapist in private practice).
Es ist nicht einfach, einen Termin bei einem niedergelassenen Facharzt zu bekommen.
It is not easy to get an appointment with a specialist in private practice.
In the meaning 'angesiedelt' (settled), the word is often used together with an indication of time or place that emphasizes its permanent character, e.g. 'seit Langem hier niedergelassen' (settled here for a long time).
Die in der Region niedergelassenen Handwerksbetriebe sind für ihre Qualität bekannt.
The craft businesses settled in the region are known for their quality.
self-employed / independent
'selbstständig' and 'niedergelassen' can both describe someone who is not employed but works on their own responsibility. 'selbstständig' is the general word and fits many professions, for example tradespeople, consultants, or artists. 'niedergelassen' is used mainly for liberal professions with their own practice, especially doctors, lawyers, or therapists. The words can be confused because a person who is 'niedergelassen' is usually also self-employed. But not every self-employed person is 'niedergelassen'.
Der niedergelassene Arzt hat seine Praxis in der Nähe des Bahnhofs.
The doctor in private practice has his office near the train station.
Nach zehn Jahren im Büro arbeitet Sofia jetzt selbstständig als Designerin.
After ten years in the office, Sofia now works as a self-employed designer.