Explore every episode of the podcast Fearless Practice
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jillian Bagan: Growing a Queer-Informed Practice | Ep 183 | 26 Nov 2025 | 00:36:45 | |
We're revisiting episode 143: Jillian Bagan: Growing a Queer-Informed Practice. Their powerful reflections on growing a queer-informed practice continue to resonate, and we're excited to share this encore episode with both new and longtime listeners. You can find the show notes to the original episode here. Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Jennifer Bonilla: Building a Culturally Responsive Private Practice | EP 182 Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS2MO for two months free) Get some help and freebies on your website with WordPress! Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Jennifer Bonilla: Building a Culturally Responsive Private Practice | Ep 182 | 19 Nov 2025 | 00:28:53 | |
Have you noticed gaps in your community where there are needs that require attention? Are you hearing the same or similar pains over and over in the lives of the people around you? This is what happened to Jennifer, and she took the initiative to provide services to those whom she saw needed them the most. In this episode, Jennifer and I discuss how she based her new, growing Canadian private practice on the values of cultural awareness, belonging, and identity, and how she is making the transition to solo practice financially stable. We also talk about blogs, working with AI, instilling balance, and why adaptability is an important gift that you should give yourself when working in this mental health field. There are many gems to share, so welcome our conversation! MEET JENNIFER Jennifer Bonilla is a Registered Psychotherapist and the founder of Therapy Across Seasons, serving adults and families online across Ontario. She specializes in helping clients understand how attachment and family dynamics shape their confidence, boundaries, and relationships. Guided by compassion and cultural awareness, Jennifer supports people in moving through life's seasons with greater clarity, connection, and resilience. Learn more about Jennifer on her practice website, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles. In this episode:
Why Jennifer decided to become a therapist Jennifer started in the mental health field as a child and youth worker. While Jennifer enjoyed working with youth and children in Toronto, she saw gaps in care. Starting a private practice Jennifer appreciated the experience that she had working in other group practices, but she knew that she wanted to start her own practice because she wanted to lay her own foundation. Apart from wanting to ground her practice on a specific set of goals and values, Jennifer also wanted to live a professional life that had more flexibility to it. She wanted to create her own schedule, rather than follow one from someone or something else. Centering Culture in Private Practice Jennifer noticed that many of her clients kept having the same or similar issues around culture, identity, belonging, and self-assurance. These conversations kept coming up, and Jennifer noticed that at the core of some of her clients' anxieties were anxieties around cultural identity. Financial prep to curb fear Jennifer is working in phases. She still has a caseload in the other group private practice, and sees clients on the side in her new, growing private practice. She's slowly transitioning out of one and into the other as her income grows to make this change carefully and intentionally, without risking her income and livelihood. By taking it slowly, such as building up emergency savings, relying a little on contract work, and slowly transitioning into private practice, Jennifer can keep making her professional choices from a place of intentionality, not fear. Marketing the practice Jennifer is going full-tilt on marketing her solo practice. When she has the time - or makes the time - she writes blogs, vlogs, and networks to get her business off the ground. When it comes to writing blogs, Jennifer does use AI tools to help her with prompts, but is careful to keep her words her own. Furthermore, Jennifer is brainstorming about the possibility of hosting workshops from 2026 onwards. Jennifer's advice for listeners Take a seasonal perspective. Remember that things come and go, times change. What is sustainable overall? How can you adapt throughout the times? Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Encore: Affordable Ways to Start a Canadian Private Practice in 2025 | EP 181 Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS2MO for two months free) Create your website with WordPress! Learn more about Jennifer on her practice website, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Compensation Models for Contract Therapists in Canada | Ep 173 | 17 Sep 2025 | 00:12:11 | |
Every private practice is a little different in how it goes about business, especially when it comes to having contract therapists. Usually, the practice owner and contractor figure out the best system that works for them, which means there is generally more than one way around a problem! Regarding compensation for my contract therapist, we have tried and tested a few options before settling on what works best for us: a percentage-based compensation system with an invoice-accrued model. If you'd like some tips on how I manage this process each month (or you want to know what this even means!), welcome to this podcast episode. In this episode:
My experience with growth If you've been following my private practice journey over the past few years, you'll know that I've grown my solo practice into a small group private practice by hiring my first contract therapist. Why finding the right compensation model matters Each practice may do things differently. It is important to find the right compensation model for the therapist contractors in your practice, because how you pay them will directly affect their financial stability, as well as their job satisfaction. I decided to hire a contractor instead of an employee because I run a smaller business. Having a contract therapist means less paperwork, more financial stability, and tax headaches for me, and it also gives the contractor more freedom, flexibility, and potential to earn more each month. How to pay the contract worker First, we decided it would be a monthly payout, rather than a bi-weekly payout. Then, we had to decide on the payout model: invoice-accrual-based pay or cash-based pay. If you want a quick recap on the definitions: 1 - Invoiced (Accrual-Based) Pay:
Example: If a therapist delivers 20 sessions in August, they get paid for 20 sessions at the end of August or early September — even if the client hasn't paid yet. 2 - Collected (Cash-Based) Pay:
Example: If only 12 of the 20 August sessions have been paid by clients, the therapist is paid for only those 12 — the rest is delayed until collected. We then tried the cash-collected method for a couple of months, when I switched to direct billing last year. I decided to do this switch because sometimes insurance companies do not pay out quickly! It could sometimes take more than a month. However, this led to more unpredictability for my contract therapist regarding how much she was going to be paid each month as well as more time spent on discussions about billing. So I decided to switch back to the invoice-accrued method. How to use the invoice-accrued model You may be wondering how I figure out how much to pay my contractor with the percentage-based pay. Honestly, Jane App does it all! Some of my tips include:
Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 172: Michael Sorsdahl: CCPA's New Ethics Case Book and Why You Must Read It | EP 172 Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Get some help and freebies on your website with WordPress! Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Amber Sperling: The Journey From a New Practice to Success and Beyond | Ep 83 | 26 Jul 2023 | 00:45:58 | |
For anyone who is building their Canadian private practice, or is thinking about starting, one of the most helpful things that you can do is listen to other therapist's stories who have gone on this exact journey before you. Learning from others is a great way to give you ideas, help you think things through, and see what might – and might not – work for you. In this podcast episode, Amber and I discuss her journey into launching her own Canadian private practice. MEET AMBER Amber Sperling is a Social Worker and psychotherapist who's passionate about the health and well-being of moms in the transition into parenthood. She started her career in hospital mental health then transitioned to over a decade in primary care, learning the intersections between physical and mental health, interdisciplinary care, and the power of the mind/body connection. Amber values ongoing learning, developing client-specific strategies and recognizes the impact of greater society/systemic barriers on individuals. She currently operates a private practice based in Barrie Ontario with associates all trained in enhanced psychotherapy for perinatal mental health and trauma treatment while engaging in regional committees on perinatal mental health, birthing families, and holds a seat on the local hospital foundation cabinet. Learn more about Amber on her website and LinkedIn profile. In this episode:
Amber's first steps into private practice After the pandemic, Amber was working mostly from home. For many months, she got settled into working from home and providing therapy for the practice she was working for. She was seeing 20 to 25 clients a week and noticed a huge need. Amber knew that she could be doing this work for herself and on her own terms, and she knew that she could get clients that would want to work with her if she opened her own Canadian private practice. In March of 2022, Amber was able to make the official switch and set out on her own. Building up a network In the very beginning, Amber created a simple to-the-point form on Google and sent it out to her colleagues that she knew, valued, and already trusted to meet and start networking to represent herself. She also found organizations that she felt aligned with to contact and network with. For anyone going into Canadian private practice, Amber recommends stepping past that initial fear and getting into contact with your colleagues! Hiring associates There are other great therapists out there that can help you and would want to work with you. Depending on how you want to hire for your practice, you could either hire therapists that work outside of your niche and see the clients you might refer out, or hire a therapist that also works within your niche so that you don't have to put them on a waiting list or refer them out if your personal schedule is already full. Going forward It is important for Amber to grow her business in a way that aligns with her values, and this means centering connection as one of the foundational blocks. In the future, Amber plans to develop her practice and hire more associates, developing the services that the practice offers, all while focusing on organic community and fostering powerful relationships that heal and collaborate together. Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 82: Live Consultation with Julie Burnett: Starting an Online Private Practice | EP 82 Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Listen to my podcast episodes on building a long-lasting website and how to hire a virtual assistant! Learn more about Amber on her website, Psychology Today, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles! Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Live Consultation With Julie Burnett: Starting an Online Private Practice | Ep 82 | 19 Jul 2023 | 00:38:13 | |
What is your goal with your work? If you could set it up in the way that would best suit you and your long-term future ambitions, what would it look like? How can you create a work-life balance that is personalized to your life, needs, and desires? One great way to learn is to listen to other people's journeys and stories. You may be in a similar place with your Canadian online private practice; new, curious, and weighing up the pros and cons. In this live consultation, I chat with Julie about her new online private practice. We talk through the basics, how she can bring a new website up to speed, and what she can do to flourish afterward. Join us to learn more! MEET JULIE Julie Burnett is a Registered Social Worker who is starting her private practice in Ontario. She specializes in domestic violence and feminist/anti-oppressive approaches to therapy. Learn more about Julie on her Psychology Today profile and Instagram account. In this episode:
Julie's desire for professional independence Starting a Canadian online private practice can be a daunting first step because it means that you are moving away from someone else's structure in another business to building your own structure, and making it work. However, even though it can be scary, it is also well worth the attempt. Becoming your own boss can be scary but also a freeing and exhilarating experience. So rather than trying to avoid fear, focus on heading in the direction of where you want to go. Additionally, owning your business allows you the space and opportunity to explore new creative projects. Work with what you love Your niche doesn't just relate to who your clients are. What is your passion? What is something that you really enjoy doing in sessions and with clients, and can you use it to build the foundation of your new Canadian online private practice? Julie loves groups, and this can be a great Segway into her new successful online practice. So, understand your clinical passions and use this in marketing yourself to future clients and to network with other therapists! Setting up a great website 'If [you live] in a large city, then you want to niche down as much as possible because there are so many other therapists out there … the bigger the city, the more [necessary it is] to niche down.' – Julia Smith Your website is your virtual window storefront, and I recommend Beam Local to build your website. Set it up well so that a curious client who's looking over your information can see exactly what you offer, why you are a good fit, and how they can 'enter' your business to find out more information and contact you. Niching down is one of your biggest assets. You can develop this by adding pages to your website that offer more information about your niche, should your clients want it. These extra pages also make Google like you more and rank you higher, which is a bonus! But in the beginning, focus on one niche, and build it out on your website. Once your website is building traction for you, consider hiring a virtual assistant to organize your emails and admin so that you can remain focused on offering high-quality therapy to your clients. Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 81: 3 Steps to Starting Your Private Practice While Still in Grad School | EP 81 Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Listen to my podcast episodes on building a long-lasting website and how to hire a virtual assistant! Learn more about Julie on her Psychology Today profile and Instagram account Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn
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| 3 Steps to Starting Your Private Practice While Still in Grad School | Ep 81 | 12 Jul 2023 | 00:16:21 | |
Are you going into your master's degree knowing that you want to start a private practice as soon as you have graduated? Be assured – and inspired – that this is totally possible! With your master's degree and clinical supervision, you can be well on your way toward your Canadian private practice. There are a couple of things you can do for your private practice while you are in grad school to build a good foundation and to make it easier for you to launch and dive in once you have graduated. In this podcast episode, I go over the three simple steps that you can take to get yourself ready for your private practice – and to get your private practice ready for you! – if you know that this path is one of your goals to walk. In this Episode:
Figure out your business name The first step to starting a Canadian private practice is to think of a great name! Get creative and combine it with your potential specialty if you'd like. However, my top tip would be to avoid using your personal name. 'When you're considering a business name, I highly recommend that you do not use your own name. Although that can be more affordable when you register your [business] name with your government, it can lead to issues in the future.' – Julia Smith Maybe you would like to hire some associates, or down the line another clinician or two, and then you would have to redo all of your marketing materials and rebrand the business. Give yourself – and your new practice – some freedom and autonomy by naming it something separate from you. Once you have your name, register it as a domain. Try out this service to help you register your domain for the new private practice! '[Using this service] can really help you to figure out what your name is going to be and what it's not going to be because if you can't purchase that domain name, then you're probably not going to want to use that as your business name because your website name ideally should be the same name as your business, or very similar.' – Julia Smith Build your website My advice to you is to use a WordPress website because it is open source and you have creative freedom, with unlimited options! Check out my tools and deals page to get started with your WordPress website on the right foot. Even though proprietary website-building companies can be more affordable or offer other services, if you ever decide to leave, you will lose everything that you created with them since they own the platform that the website was built upon. If you want to learn more, check out this article. Furthermore, I recommend the WordPress website company Beam Local, which allows you to keep your website if you ever decide to leave! Blog on the new website Now that you have a website, start investing in it! Your SEO (search engine optimization) can take some time to build up and rank you higher, so the sooner you start using your website and putting content out there, the better. Make sure to make it clear that you are not yet practicing as a therapist, but use that to your advantage. Post "Launching in 2024!" or something to that extent on your website so that your clients know you are still learning and can get excited to work with you. Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 80: How Branding Can Attract Clients| EP 80 Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| How Branding Can Attract New Clients | Ep 80 | 05 Jul 2023 | 00:11:17 | |
Does your branding need a little refresher? When last did you make sure that your branding is consistent across all the branches of your business? Branding is more than just the colors you pick or the layout of your website. It's the feeling that you want your clients to have when they interact with you or your business materials. To create cohesion and maintain professionalism while attracting your ideal clients, it is important to be intentional with your branding decisions, In this podcast episode, I share my top recommendations for simple, affordable and high-quality tools that you can use to brush up the branding for your business! In this Episode:
A quick recap of what branding is Branding is essential to your Canadian private practice because it helps to set your business apart from the rest, makes it look professional, and can put your clients at ease and make them feel excited to work with you. At its core, branding is the experience that you want your clients to associate with working with you. Branding includes your colour scheme and logo, as well as your office aesthetics and business cards, but it ties all these things together into the 'atmosphere' that you want your business to have. Why consistency is important Consistency creates trust and also allows your clients to recognize you and your work. Something small but effective that I also like to do is to wear black when I see clients – like a uniform, and it helps me to feel prepared for work and allows the clients to also see me in a consistent way. The basics of branding
'My favorite thing is Fiverr – it's an online platform where freelance artists, designers, and copywriters … [are] on that platform, and you can scroll and find so many cool designers and a lot of them are really affordable!' – Julia Smith Check out my tools and deals page where you can find a link to Fiverr to create your logo!
'Depending on how many [business cards] you need, you might want to go with a business like MOO which I love! Their cards are professional, high-quality, and beautiful, and again you can find them on my tools and deals page … they are just the best types of cards and I highly recommend this company!' – Julia Smith
I love my Canadian online private practice because it is much more affordable to market and brand. However, if you do have a physical office space, be sure that your office and its interior design principles match those of your branding too. Use the same or similar colours to help with consistency and cohesion. Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 79: How to Hire a Social Media Manager | EP 79 Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| How to Hire a Social Media Manager | Ep 79 | 28 Jun 2023 | 00:16:21 | |
Social media is here to stay, but it doesn't have to be difficult for you to do. There are enough people out there with all sorts of skills that you don't have to bootstrap it and do everything – frankly, it's better if you hire out and let someone do what they're good at so that you can focus on providing great therapy! So, do you want to expand your Canadian private practice by connecting with more of your ideal clients in a way that feels authentic to you and your brand, but you don't know what the first step is? Consider hiring a social media manager. In this Episode:
Why I hired a social media manager In the current marketing environment, social media can be a very useful tool to connect with your ideal clients and spread the word about your Canadian private practice. However, social media is an investment of both time and energy. If you are running a Canadian private practice, seeing clients, organizing the billing, and all the rest of it, adding being a social media manager on top of your standard duties can be a lot of extra work. At first, I was worried that it would cost too much to pay someone to manage my socials each month, but I knew that I needed to spend my time where it mattered the most, so I decided to hire someone. How I hired my first social media manager I used Indeed to help connect me with potential social media managers. It has different features that can make it easier for you to post, advertise, filter, and find people that you think would best suit your practice and the role that you are looking to fill. It was important for me that my top candidate had the skills I was looking for and was someone that I felt I would enjoy working with. Luckily, she accepted! For the social media manager position, I decided to start her off with a training wage for three months and then bump her up to a living wage which gave me time to figure out what her role would be, how it would work, and to train her for the scope of the role. Training my top candidate To lay out some foundational steps for myself and for her, I decided that we would first only meet once a month, unlike with my VA whom I meet with once a week. The main problem that we had to overcome initially was figuring out how long it would take to write, create, and edit the social media posts, especially when my associate and I also had to edit and confirm some information. Therefore, the new system of editing posts was just to go through me, and I would confirm it, and it would be posted. What I've learned from this experience You have to be clear about how many hours you are willing to give each month. Additionally, you need to streamline the processes so that there aren't too many cooks in the kitchen when it comes to deciding on a post and how to edit it. This is one thing that you can easily outsource. So, if you are interested in hiring a social media manager, you can always reach out to us! Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 78: Rebecca Steele: How Raising Your Rates Can Improve the Quality of Your Work | EP 78 Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Rebecca Steele: How Raising Your Rates Can Improve the Quality of Your Work | Ep 78 | 21 Jun 2023 | 00:40:24 | |
What are the long-term benefits of raising your rates? Why does raising your rates ultimately help your clients as well as your work-life balance? Many therapists are nervous about raising their rates and so continue to work for the same pay for years. Ultimately, raising your rates can make you a better therapist, and your clients will come to see that. If you know that you want to raise your rates to create time freedom within your work schedule, then this episode is for you. MEET REBECCA For 9 years Rebecca has worked towards helping adults dealing with anxiety, depression, or trauma to find their healing path and experience relief, wholeness, and fulfillment. She loves using a depth-therapy approach to support clients' healing process. She has two masters-level clinical counselling degrees: a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree and a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy. She is a Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist, and a Canadian Certified Counsellor. She is also a HeartHealing® Practitioner and a Clinical Counselling Hypnotherapist (C.Hyp™) Learn more about Rebecca on her website, Psychology Today, and LinkedIn profiles. In this episode:
Rebecca's Canadian private practice experience Rebecca has been running her private practice for the past seven years. Once she got her Masters of Social Work (MSW), she noticed fewer issues with people leaving therapy because more insurance companies cover social workers. To grow her Canadian private practice, Rebecca invested in good quality services for herself to help her run the business and to provide high-quality service with a professional feel for her clients. Overcoming the initial fear of raising rates A burned-out therapist may struggle to provide the standard of therapy that they aspire to for their clients, let alone their work; long hours for little money can take a huge toll on a therapist's mental and physical health since the work they do is already intensive. Raising your rates is therefore not only beneficial to the work that you do in terms of giving yourself the chance to take off extra hours which a raised rate allows you to do, but it also helps your clients. The benefits of time freedom For most therapists like Rebecca, starting and running a Canadian private practice opens a doorway to experiencing more time freedom because you become your own boss and choose your hours and your work experience. You get to structure your days and weeks how you need to so that you can suit your professional life with your personal one. How raising rates supports your work Of course, not all clients were pleased with the increase in the beginning, but the long-term benefits for both the clients and the therapist outweigh that initial discomfort and change. It is important for you – as a therapist and as a human being – to have a life outside of work that fulfills you so that you can then do what you like to do without dreading each new week. Of course, you can offer a sliding scale, refer out, or talk about accessibility options to clients of yours that you know need the extra support, so that there is a continuation of care. Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 77: Trying a 50/50 Work Week | EP 77 Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) www.beamlocal.com/fearless get some discounts for your new website! Listen to my podcast episode on how to ethically and sustainably raise your rates to help yourself, your business, and your clients! Learn more about Rebecca on her website, Psychology Today, and LinkedIn profiles – and check out her free dream journal prompt! | |||
| Trying a 50/50 Work Week | Ep 77 | 14 Jun 2023 | 00:24:39 | |
Do you feel satisfied with your current work-life balance? Does your current work routine work for you, or does it feel a little misaligned with your rhythm? Are you wanting to shake up your work routine? I've been experimenting with changing my professional hours because everyone deserves to do the work they enjoy without having to sacrifice their mental, physical, or emotional well-being. If this resonates with you, then give this episode a listen! In this Episode:
A year with an unexpected start! Even though I had planned for 2023 to be a somewhat quieter year in terms of starting new projects, this year did begin with some unexpected turns. For example, I had to quickly jump ship and resolve some website issues, while running my Canadian private practice and continuing to see clients. I was still training my social media manager, and wrapping up projects from 2022. Encountering schedule challenges At this point, I worked four days a week in my schedule, from Monday to Thursday. On average I worked from around 9:30 am to 9:30 pm, with an afternoon break, with Friday to Sunday being my days off. 'For the past year and a half, two years that I had been doing that, it seemed to have been working, so this [potential burnout] shocked me a little bit. I thought, "I have three days off … why am I still feeling drained?" I kind of felt like I was failing with how I was running my schedule as well as a little bit of guilt or shame because I get more time off than most people do.' – Julia Smith
I had to do some mental recalibrating because I felt uncomfortable taking more time off - something we can experience when we begin to address how capitalism has impacted our mindset about life. Despite the initial uncomfortable feeling, it was worth trying to make a change. Having three days off initially was helpful, but I started to realize – especially mid-winter – that I really needed a weeknight off. This was for my energy levels, but also because I was missing seeing my friends and loved ones, and I wanted to change up some things in my personal life! The feeling of being held back by my schedule and not being able to enjoy my life was not something I was comfortable with, so I knew that I had to make a new adjustment. Finding my work-life balance I looked back on the reason why I started my Canadian private practice, and it was a combination of my desire to be a therapist and to have more say in how I schedule my time. I decided to see what it would be like to take one evening off during the work week, and I chose Thursday night, which developed into only working a half day on Thursday. It took some time to adjust in the beginning, but now that I've settled into it, it works so well, and I feel ready to do my work and I get to truly rest and enjoy my personal life. Because it's so personal, one person's work-life balance will look different from that of someone else. So pick and choose and experiment, and then bring it all together in a way that is tailored to your hours, schedule, desires, and wishes. Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 76: The Ethics of Offering Price Bundles in Private Practice Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Listen to my Canadian private practice journey up until now! Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) | |||
| The Ethics of Offering Price Bundles in Private Practice | Ep 76 | 07 Jun 2023 | 00:10:28 | |
Do you want to make sessions available to the clients that you know need them the most? Have you often wondered how you can contribute to making therapy more accessible, but have the ethics left you feeling uncertain of how to do that? The business world is loud with different ideas, tips, and tricks on how to "grow" your business and reach your audience, like the famous price-bundling marketing strategy. Of course, Canadian private practices do often run like businesses, but because they are part of the therapy world, they have to go about things differently. In this podcast episode, I discuss clear ways that you can offer your clients accessible and affordable therapy while being ethical, especially through the help of Open Path Collective! In this Episode:
What is price bundling? This can be a great marketing strategy because it adds more value to the price if it's a bundle/package than for someone to buy each service separately, which is great for the customer! It's also great for the business because it can lead to more product sales. After all, the customer will be more inclined to spend a little more to receive a couple of extra products. Can it be used in private practice? At first glance, it might seem like a good idea to offer packages for therapy sessions in Canadian private practices, since it would benefit the client as well as guarantee income for the private practice. However, business in private practice is completely different from other types of businesses because private practices have to fully consider ethics and work within a therapeutic framework, which has different ethical considerations than other businesses. Why it is unethical My registrar explained that technically there is no ethical prohibition for offering services with price bundling in your Canadian private practice. However, price bundling is highly discouraged, because it is not in the best interests of your clients. If a client buys and commits to 10 sessions up front, and later during the first couple of sessions the client realizes that you are not a good fit, they may feel inclined to continue to see you because they have committed to the future sessions. This is classist because many clients cannot afford to buy 10 sessions altogether and get a deal because only those that are wealthy can afford to put out a lot of money at once. How to offer well-priced services ethically 'Marketing strategies with pricing should not be a part of your marketing plan in your private practice. Typically, if you have a client that requires help but has trouble paying, you could [offer] a one-off for a discounted price, [or] offer a sliding scale.' – Julia Smith There are ethical ways for you to offer your services as a therapist to the people who really need it but might be struggling to afford your full price, without bundling counselling packages. If you are interested, you can follow my code and open a profile on the Open Path Collective to make your services more affordable and accessible! So, on the surface level, price bundling is not ethical in private practice. Rather base the integrity of your marketing on the quality of your website, network, and content, than resorting to having to use price bundles to bring in clients. Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 75: Dr. Marlene Taube-Schiff: Owning a Successful Online Group Private Practice Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Listen to my Canadian private practice journey up until now! Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Dr. Marlene Taube-Schiff: Owning a Successful Online Group Private Practice | Ep 75 | 31 May 2023 | 00:44:08 | |
In the past, Dr. Marlene Taube-Schiff never imagined that she would one day create and own a thriving, online Canadian private practice. She worked full-time in hospitals and in Universities, content with her work and the way her professional life was laid out. However, when covid began and new online options for therapy started, she realized that she wanted to try something different because when life changes, we often find ourselves inspired to try things we never expected we would. MEET MARLENE Dr. Taube-Schiff is a clinical psychologist. She is registered in Ontario as well as British Columbia and works with adolescents and adults. Her practice, Forward Thinking Psychological Services, is a group practice where healthcare professionals work with individuals with a variety of mental health issues. They often see individuals with OCD and OCD-related issues. Dr. Taube-Schiff is one of the founding professionals of the Sunnybrook Intensive Services OCD program and has worked in several academic hospitals in the GTA. Learn more about Marlene on her private practice website, LinkedIn, and Psychology Today profiles. In this episode:
Dr. Taube-Schiff's journey to private practice Dr. Taube-Schiff did not see herself launching an online private practice from the very beginning. In fact, she enjoyed her time working in the hospital system and continued in those jobs until her path changed. So, what sparked the change? When Dr. Taube-Schiff started considering private practice, she slowly made the transition from working full-time to part-time at the hospital while she laid the foundations of her new Canadian private practice. Intentionally pairing personal needs with business dreams Dr. Taube-Schiff knew that she wanted to make changes in her life. Her priorities had shifted, and with the opportunity for change that the pandemic presented, she decided to change her work setup and try something new. Developing a niche When Dr. Taube-Schiff was launching her new private practice, she booked a consultation with me to discuss how it would unfold. One topic we discussed was what her niche would be, because they are vital aspects to launching private practices. Dr Taube-Schiff decided to lean on her passions and build from them, which led her to grounding her new Canadian private practice mainly on the treatment of OCD. Building the practice Dr. Taube-Schiff started at the very beginning of her Canadian group practice journey with another colleague from Sunnybrook where she still worked part-time. The new Canadian private practice just kept growing. From their combined network and colleagues, Dr. Taube-Schiff and her co-founder were able to hire the right people quickly and find clients that needed their services. Now that the practice has grown, Dr. Taube-Schiff still sees some clients but spends most of her time supervising any clinicians that require it in her practice. Marketing with newsletters Dr. Taube-Schiff's private practice sends out monthly newsletters. Sure, it does require a bit of work, but it can be outsourced, and if you use it well it can be a great platform for you and your clients to stay up to date with each other. Dr. Taube-Schiff's advice to practice owners Sure, there will be some things that you learn along the way and that you can only learn by attempting to do, but if there are things that you are actively wondering about, then pursue some knowledge to help you out. Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 74: The Brighter Vision Update and What I Decided To Do | EP 74 Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Learn more about Marlene on her private practice website, Twitter profile, LinkedIn profile, and Psychology Today profile. | |||
| Brighter Vision Update and What I Decided to Do | Ep 74 | 24 May 2023 | 00:15:02 | |
I recently found out that Brighter Vision has started to create their websites on their own proprietary platform instead of on WordPress. This also means that if your Brighter Vision website was created on WordPress, any switch to a different Brighter Vision template will require you to move your website to their new proprietary platform (and off of WordPress). Proprietary platforms can make creating a website easy, but there are big issues with them. In this Episode:
Why I Decided to Leave Brighter Vision Recently, I wanted to change the template of my Brighter Vision WordPress website. I hadn't made any significant changes in years and was excited to modernize my website. However, I found out that they had started to create their websites on their own proprietary platform instead of on WordPress. What this meant was that if the Brighter Vision website was created on WordPress, any switch to a different Brighter Vision template would require moving the website to their new platform, and therefore off of WordPress. My Concerns with Proprietary Platforms
So, using a proprietary platform may be fine for your needs in the first couple of months or years of private practice. But as your business grows it may become too restrictive with how you want your website to look and function. And by that time, you will have built up a lot of SEO that will not all transfer if you leave PLUS your website will be deleted. This can put you in a very difficult situation! However, with WordPress websites, it is easy to transfer websites AND SEO (because it is open sourced and not built on a proprietary platform). Plus, you have unlimited options for designs on WordPress! But building a WordPress website on your own can be tedious and/or expensive if you hire a design company. Meet Beam Local! I am SOOOOOOO excited to introduce Beam Local! The company who has built and hosted my Fearless Practice website since 2018. This Toronto based, Canadian company is awesome because they build professional WordPress websites for counsellors, maintain the website, and provide unlimited support. Plus, if you ever decide to leave, you have the option to keep your website and SEO! For my Fearless Practice podcast listeners, instead of the standard $2995 CAD setup fee, I've worked out an AMAZING deal where you'll only have to pay a $135 CAD setup fee and then $79 CAD per month (plus tax). With this deal, you'll get:
You can go to Beam Local to start your website journey! Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 73: Rawda Tomoum: Building a Private Practice from Online to In-Person | EP 73 Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Listen to my Canadian private practice journey up until now! Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) | |||
| Micheal Sorsdahl: Ccpa's New Ethics Case Book and Why You Must Read It | Ep 172 | 30 Jul 2025 | 00:41:51 | |
Today, Jules takes another trip down memory lane, revisiting a gem from the Fearless Practice archives. In this encore episode, Jules talks to Michael Sorsdahl about the new CCPA revised ethics case book. You can find the show notes to the original episode here. Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Liv Noël Dakkak: Niching With Your Passion in Private Practice | ep 171 Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Get some help and freebies on your website with WordPress! Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn
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| Rawda Tomoum: Building a Private Practice From Online to In-Person | Ep 73 | 17 May 2023 | 00:41:52 | |
Have you been stalling on your private practice dream? What holds you back from starting your own Canadian private practice? What does the first step look like? Whether you are concentrating on levelling up your marketing efforts, honing in on your niche, or launching a sustainable private practice, making an investment in that future can feel scary – but in reality it is completely doable. The most difficult point is starting, so remember that everything is "figureoutable", and take that first step. In this podcast episode, Rawda and I discuss her journey into Canadian private practice – all the way from Egypt to Dubai to the US and then to BC! – and how she navigated trials, tribulations, and successes along the way. MEET RAWDA Rawda is a Registered Clinical Counsellor who came all the way from Egypt, passing by Dubai and Texas, till she made it to Burnaby, BC, Canada. She works with couples as well as adult individuals struggling with self-esteem, stress, depression, anxiety, and trauma, and since she started her practice, her background has led many immigrants and mixed-race couples her way. Learn more about Rawda on her website and LinkedIn profile. In this episode:
Starting a private practice Rawda was already applying for her paperwork to launch her Canadian private practice while she was in Texas. Rawda decided not to work in an organization because it was difficult to either match up her schedule or her skillset with what they wanted. So, she focused more on launching her Canadian private practice. Being intentional with work preferences Take control of your schedule in a way that supports you in being the best Canadian therapist that you can be. Structure your working hours to suit your lifestyle, you do not have to follow the same routine as others! Be proactive in helping yourself by taking some of the pressure off, and having the initiative to structure your day as it suits you best to do good work while caring for your needs. Highlight your background in your marketing If it fits within your niche and is something that you would feel comfortable doing, bring your background into your marketing strategy! Often clients will be drawn to work with you not just for the services that you offer, but for whether they feel connected with or comfortable around you. Struggles and triumphs of running a private practice Something that almost all new Canadian private practice owners struggle with is that they have to wear so many hats at first when they are launching the practice for the first time. Rawda made sure when she was starting to utilize the marketing platforms that would help her to find her clients, and they worked! From Google Maps to the website to social media, they all helped her to connect with her first clients. Rawda started her Canadian private practice online, and when she felt that things had settled and were going well, she then transitioned to offering in-person counselling. Rawda's advice to Canadian private practitioners There will never be a perfect moment to do something where you have everything figured out, because nobody – no matter their journey – has everything figured out! So stop stalling and get going on your dreams. Let yourself be free to make mistakes so that you can learn faster and reach your goals sooner. For extra support, try out my three-in-one Canadian private practice trilogy! Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 72: How to Start Your Canadian Private Practice Today! Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Learn more about Rawda on her website, LinkedIn, and Psychology Today, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter profiles. | |||
| How to Start Your Canadian Private Practice Today! | Ep 72 | 10 May 2023 | 00:10:13 | |
Are you ready to start your Canadian private practice but don't know how to build it? Are you looking for long-term successful solutions that can work on a tight budget? Are you searching for something else besides joining a group or a subscription plan to help you start private practice? If any of these questions resonate with you, give this episode a listen. I know what it's like to want to build your Canadian private practice by hand, your way, and I know that doing anything on a budget is tough. With the lessons I've learned along my way into launching my Canadian private practice, I want to help you with yours. If you're on the fence about whether you want to start a Canadian private practice right now, you can do it! In this episode, I share with you the 3-in-1 Canadian Private Practice Startup Package that you can use to launch your practice. All answers provided, no questions needed. In this Episode:
The three-in-one package My three-in-one package is a collection of three resources that every Canadian counsellor needs to start a private practice:
Why is it important? 'When I started my private practice almost seven years ago, there weren't any resources for Canadian counsellors. All of the resources were in the states, and a lot of what consultants in the states talk about doesn't apply to Canadian counsellors.' – Julia Smith Additionally, purchasing resources from the United States is also more expensive due to the loonie being worth less in the US. As a new and upcoming private practice owner, you need to save money so that you can launch your practice as affordably as possible. I wanted to create resources that would benefit new and existing Canadian counsellors because I know what the struggle feels like to have to figure things out on your own and how expensive it can be to start. If I can help someone else avoid some of that unnecessary stress or hassle, then it's a worthy cause to pursue! 'I really wanted to create resources that were Canadian-focused as well as affordable. I also wanted to tailor resources to therapists like myself, that didn't need a lot of help in doing things once I knew what I needed to do. I just needed the direction … and then I would just go out and do those things!' – Julia Smith So, if you like to get things done on your own and you want to save money doing it, this package is for you. I've been there, and I collected what I learned from my experience, and I've put it together so that you can start your Canadian private practice quickly and affordably! The benefits When you purchase the 3-in-1 Canadian Private Practice Startup Package, you will get everything for 50% off! With the trilogy, you can get all three; the workbook, the paperwork packet, and the phone and email scripts, for $249 in your usual province – a total 50% discount of their usual price! 'You don't need to spend thousands of dollars on courses or subscriptions. All you need are these three items to start your private practice.' – Julia Smith Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 71: Kristi Garrido: Building a Group Play Therapy Practice Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Listen to my Canadian private practice journey up until now! Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Kristi Garrido: Building a Group Play Therapy Practice | Ep 71 | 03 May 2023 | 00:42:18 | |
Does your specialty include working with kids and families? Have you been interested in learning more about the play therapy modality? Can you build a successful private practice from the play therapy niche? Put together a team of skilled and like-minded clinicians, hire a proactive and dedicated admin assistant, put up a website, and let the process develop. In some ways, the process is that simple. Of course, there are some necessary fine print steps that you need to add, but you can do it too! In this podcast episode, I chat with Kristi who started the foundations of her group private practice in the last six weeks of maternity leave! And who is now thriving as a Canadian group private practice owner. MEET KRISTI GARRIDO Kristi is the owner of Headstart Child and Family Therapy, a practice that specializes in meeting the mental health needs of children ages 3-18 and their families. Kristi is a certified play therapist with a focus on building healthy attachments between children and their caregivers. Learn more about Kristi on her website, LinkedIn, and Psychology Today profiles. In this episode:
Handling the increased need for mental health support Kristi considered her needs as well as the needs of her clients and thought about the trajectory of her career. Six weeks before she was due to go back to work after maternity leave, Kristi began considering stepping into the private practice world and building a team. So, for those last six weeks of her maternity leave, Kristi started building the foundation of her Canadian private practice. A private practice can be a community Being a therapist can be incredibly tough, and often lonely, since most days it is just you and your clients, and you are the one that is holding space. Finding a group of like-minded therapists is not only a great benefit to your network and referral system, but also – and more importantly – to your mental health and well-being. Having a community of therapists that you can talk to, spend time with, and encourage while being encouraged will boost your performance and overall sense of peace. Be mindful of contracts The standard pay for therapists is impossibly low. Often the pay is not even enough to cover basic business expenses, which is why therapists must advocate for themselves. You can work with EAPs and Community Service contracts in your Canadian private practice. The logic behind raising your rates If you have a waiting list, raising your rates and/or hiring other counsellors can be logical decisions for your Canadian private practice. Raise your hourly rate, and those that can afford it will work with you, so your schedule relaxes, and others that prefer a different rate can work with your contractors. Then your contractors are full, your clients are being seen and are not waiting on a list, and then you improve your income while freeing up your schedule! Things that Kristi had to overcome
Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 70: Julie Lounsbury: How a Leap of Faith Led to Success in Private Practice Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Learn more about Kristi on her private practice website, LinkedIn, and Facebook profiles. | |||
| Julie Lounsbury: How a Leap of Faith Led to Success in Private Practice | Ep 70 | 26 Apr 2023 | 00:39:01 | |
What has been holding you back from launching your Canadian private practice? Which challenges have you been nervous about facing that you know others before you have accomplished? What can it take to help you to accomplish them too? There are pros and cons of working in a steady job for another company or organization, and pros and cons of running your own Canadian practice. Neither option is good nor bad in general, but where it matters is what matters to you. Do you want to be in charge of your time, your money, and your work? In this podcast, Julie and I discuss the fear – and success – of taking a leap of faith to launch a private practice. If you are becoming more invested in shedding the "golden handcuffs" of working a government job and striving to launch and run your own Canadian private practice, then give this episode a listen. MEET JULIE LOUNSBURY Julie is a perinatal/maternal mental health therapist based in London, Ontario. She specializes in working with parents on all stages of their parenting journey. Julie is a registered social worker and has been providing services to families for over 10 years. Learn more about Julie on her website, Instagram, and Psychology Today profiles. In this episode:
Community within private practice Starting and running your own Canadian private practice can become a lonely job after a while. In the beginning, it can feel great to be your own boss and to get things done your own way. Although, after some time, you might find yourself starting to look for a professional community. Not only does that community sustain you socially in an isolated job, but it can also be a good sounding board for when you want some advice, and even support. Choosing to commit to your practice Julie got to a place in her professional (and also personal) career where she wanted to invest in herself. She wanted to at least give it one shot to put effort into her practice, and knew that if things didn't go as planned that she could go back to child welfare. The shot was worth it! The biggest hurdle that Julie had to get over when starting her private practice was the financial piece. Find people to learn from and observe Private practice is not fully "safe" in the way that a government job claims to be. In a way, there is no completely "safe" job. To ease your worries or concerns about running your private practice, connect with other practice owners and discuss the process. Working well within your niche Not only is your niche important for marketing, connecting with your ideal client, and doing your best work, but it will also guide you in which services you can offer your clients. Depending on who your client is, what their lives look like, and what their needs are, you can structure your services around them to make yourself even more valuable and needed in the community while providing great services. Julie's advice to new practitioners Mostly, you have to feel good about the work you are doing, and that goes back to you representing yourself well and being well supported by colleagues and supervisors. When deciding on a niche make sure you have the skillset and if you don't, take additional courses to become competent before offering that service. Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 69: Eileen Bona: Incorporating Animal-Assisted Therapy in Counselling Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Learn more about Julie on her website, Instagram profile, Psychology Today profile, and Facebook account. | |||
| Eileen Bona: Using Animal-Assisted Therapy in Counselling | Ep 69 | 19 Apr 2023 | 00:56:03 | |
Have you considered bringing animals like dogs or cats – even goats! – into the therapy room? What does it take to become certified to offer this service? Did you know that chickens are one of the most popular therapy animals? If you love animals and know that your clients do too, and you've heard about the benefits that animals can offer clients in therapy, then consider offering animal-assisted therapy! In this episode, Eileen and I discuss the differences between animal-assisted therapy and other forms of animals in therapeutic or medical situations, how you can become certified, and how to navigate the legal fine print. MEET EILEEN BONA Eileen is a Registered Psychologist who has been practicing AAT for 19 years. She Founded Dreamcatcher Nature Assisted Therapy, one of the Largest AAT organizations in Canada, and developed the first College courses and Certificate in AAT in English in Canada. Eileen is the President of the AAT in Counselling chapter of the CCPA and was a task force member for the newly developed standards for working with animals in service in our country. Learn more about Eileen on her website and her LinkedIn page. In this episode:
What is animal-assisted therapy? Principally, animal-assisted therapy can only be done through a qualified and trained therapist. These therapists that work with animals include them in their practice to help people overcome their mental health, mobility, or social-emotional issues. The difference between animal-assisted therapy and emotional support animals is, simply put, that an emotional support animal is like a pet. They accompany a person who feels anxious about completing everyday tasks such as going to the shops or school. Although, this animal is not typically screened or evaluated to be in public. How animals are certified to work with clients If you want to start working with animals to help your clients differently, you also need to become certified first. Certain animals are more introverted than others, so the animal needs to be happy and comfortable working with people for it to be a good therapy assistant. If you have an animal that you would like to screen, there are different companies available that can do that for you. Some companies even offer virtual screening. Scroll down and check below for links! Keep in mind that it is highly recommended to get insurance if you want to offer animal-assisted therapy otherwise you and your practice will be held liable if anything untoward happens. Be proactive! Knowledge is power in the sense that you can protect yourself, your practice, and your animal by knowing what is necessary, recommended, and protocol when it comes to certain things happening. For example, have a waiver that clients have to sign that they know an animal is on the premises, and add it to your consent form. Be proactive in reading about protocols that are required so that you will have a leg to stand on in a court of law if something bad happens. The difference between evaluation and screening All animals that are used in animal-assisted therapy, and some emotional support animals, are screened. However, only animals that go out into public spaces, and buildings, or interact with the public itself are evaluated. This means that they are assessed on how they respond to sudden situations, strangers, or new environments and whether they remain calm. Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 68: Maegan Megginson: Success Depends on Rest and Authenticity Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) If you want to evaluate or screen your animal, consider working with Dreamcatcher Nature-Assisted Therapy or St. Johns Ambulance and read the BMS requirements here and here! Learn more about Eileen and her work on the website and her LinkedIn page. | |||
| Maegan Megginson: Success Depends on Rest and Authenticity | Ep 68 | 12 Apr 2023 | 00:39:06 | |
Have you ever felt stifled in your role as a therapist? Is there a way to branch out and still help people while letting your personality shine? Why is rest essential to success? Some therapists have felt frustrated or held back from their clinical work because they want to let their personality and ambition grow with their business, while others have felt burnt out from doing work that does not resonate with them. Have you struggled with one or both of these issues? How can these be reconciled? In this podcast episode, I discuss the freeing power – and success! – of letting your personality come into your Canadian private practice. We discuss turning mistakes into opportunities, the necessary power of rest in success, and how to be true to yourself in business. MEET MAEGAN MEGGINSON Maegan Megginson is a licensed therapist, 7-figure entrepreneur, and business coach for therapists ready to take their careers to the next level. She's also the founder of The Rest & Success Code, the charity fundraising event that inspires therapists to become deeply rested and wildly successful. Learn more about Maegan on her personal website and professional website. In this episode:
Learn from your experience to scale effectively From Maegan's first time in private practice, she was able to use her previous successes – and failures – to her advantage the next time that she went on to launch a new practice. This type of growth mindset is powerful. You can cultivate this ability by learning to view any setbacks or mistakes that you encounter as opportunities for further learning and awareness. Which to choose: building a group practice or a personal brand? A key question that you need to answer when you are striving for higher success is this one: are you building a personal brand, or are you going to launch a bigger private practice? Simultaneously, other clinical professionals may not be super excited about the idea of managing employees. For Maegan, she preferred to run her own show rather than a whole team of people. It will depend on each individual person, so instead of feeling like you have to follow the crowd, consider which path will suit you the best. Slow down to keep going Working non-stop on a dream is admirable but it is not sustainable. Burning bright can be a great story to tell, but you're left without a fuse or anything else to burn but yourself at the end of a long stint of working without pause. If your goal is to do good work and to do it well, then you need to do it consistently, and consistency with rest is integral. Burnout is no joke. It's a mental and physical drain on yourself, and it can put you out of work, or in the worst cases even in the hospital. Bring your personality into your profession If you have often felt stifled in your role as a Canadian therapist, then consider experimenting with other different types of helpful roles in the professional sphere. A great way to start this shift can be to explore how you can bring your personality more into your Canadian private practice. How can you bring more of your personality into sessions with clients and outside with your branding? How can you have more of a voice and be more creative and self-expressed? Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 67: Jenniel Taylor: How to Navigate Your First Steps in Private Practice Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Learn more about Maegan on her personal website, professional website, LinkedIn Profile, and Facebook profile. Click here for Maegan's Personality Power Pack | |||
| Jenniel Taylor: How to Navigate Your First Steps in Private Practice | Ep 67 | 05 Apr 2023 | 00:29:56 | |
Have you recently entered private practice? Are you looking for effective marketing strategies to boost your new Canadian private practice? How closely are you working with your values? Starting anything takes courage, especially when it comes to putting your name out there as a counsellor in your community! Whether you are recently licensed or you have freshly completed your master's degree, it's always helpful to learn from someone who has just finished walking the path that you're about to step onto. In this podcast episode, I discuss the journey into private practice and how to lay its foundations well for sustainable success with Jenniel Taylor. MEET JENNIEL TAYLOR Jenniel is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), Trauma-informed, Brainspotting Practitioner, providing psychotherapy to clients in Ontario and Alberta. Jenniel helps adult clients address the effects of childhood trauma, abandonment, abuse, and neglect that keep them feeling emotionally stuck, fearful, anxious, and unable to fully enjoy their life, careers, and relationships. As a lifelong learner and travel lover, Jenniel seeks opportunities to learn from the world and everything in it. She loves watching movies, British TV, and being in nature. Jenniel also embraces playfulness, joy, and laughter in life, and invites her clients to do the same. Learn more about Jenniel on her LinkedIn profile and practice website. In this episode:
Jenniel's journey to becoming a Canadian counsellor A pattern that Jenniel noticed in her years of working as a coach was that many of her clients felt stuck in the past, and struggled to make changes because it signified – and required – them to move forward. This observation made Jenniel curious about looking at the entirety of a person's life, from their past to their present and then onto their future. This meant that she needed to level up her skillset, leading her to becoming both a coach and then a counsellor as well. Launching a private practice One great way to succeed in private practice – and to build a resilient business – is to base its foundations on your values. Cultivate your mission and vision and strive to incorporate these aspects into your daily personal and professional decisions. To experience a community setting, Jenniel joined a group practice in Ontario and works there part-time while she's building her practice, also part-time. Effective marketing strategies There are many ways that you can use your website to market your new private practice effectively. One of them is using your social media presence, including your website, to speak to the pain points that your ideal clients are experiencing. Jenniel shows her ideal clients that she understands where they are coming from by putting the issues that they are currently experiencing on her website and in her copy. Be open about your ideal clients Especially as a new Canadian private practice owner, you need to be upfront with your clients – and yourself – about whether a new client is a good fit or not. Both you and the client need to feel comfortable with one another, and your skillset needs to match their needs for meaningful work and change to take place. Jenniel's advice to other new private practitioners Have big dreams with realistic expectations – from the beginning! Start strong with manageable steps so that you can slowly and accurately build a good foundation. Work with your values and let them guide you in connecting with your ideal clients authentically and sustainably. Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 66: How to Get Continuing Education Credits: CECs Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Learn more about Jenniel on her LinkedIn profile, Psychology Today profile, and practice website. Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify | |||
| How to Get Continuing Education Credits: CECs | Ep 66 | 29 Mar 2023 | 00:14:18 | |
Are you up to date with your CECs? Do you need some extra help? Do you want to know a great, quick, and professional way to get them while meeting other exceptional Canadian therapists? CECs are important for all Canadian therapists to have, whether you work for someone else or if you run your own Canadian private practice. They help you to stay up to date with new research, develop yourself as a skilled therapist, and can even be assets when it comes to marketing your practice. Whether you've accidentally left things too late and you need some help, or you'd like to learn more about CECs and how to structure them to avoid last-minute stress, I've got all the information and tips for you in this podcast episode! In this Episode:
Why are CECs important? CECs are important for Canadian counsellors because they help you to maintain your counselling skills and remain up to date with best practices and to learn new skills as therapists. New studies and reports are often coming out, and therefore it is important to stay up to date with the science and research so that you can provide the best counselling to your clients. CECs in Canadian private practice For your Canadian private practice, you can show on your website the different certifications and training that you have done – as well as the therapists in your group practice (if you have one) – to interested clients that want to learn more about what your practice has to offer. Additionally, building your skills as a therapist can help you to maintain and keep clients as you develop your expertise and find new ways to assist, support, and guide them. Benefits of working within the CCPA With CCPA, you need 36 CECs every three years, which is the same as the college in Nova Scotia. The scary thing about this new rule is that you might forget to maintain your CECs for a couple of months – or even years! – and then close to the deadline you'll have to suddenly jump to get everything ready. To make this process easier for yourself, set up little reminders on your preferred platform to keep you updated as to when you should start working on your CECs, so that you can avoid an unpleasant surprise a few months down the line. Where you can get your CECs In the past, I have gotten my CECs through the CCPA itself. If you are a member there, they have loads of affordable options you can choose from:
You can also attend the annual CCPA conference, which is great! I went a few years ago and got to meet loads of incredible therapists from all over Canada and partake in in-person workshops, and more! Check this link if you are interested in attending, getting your CECs completed, as well as connecting with other great therapists. Try out the Mental Health Academy Invest in your knowledge and skills by spending some time on the Mental Health Academy platform. These courses are already approved by CCPA so it's very easy to submit them! Follow this link for more information as to what there is for you to choose from, and how you can get started! Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 65: The Do's and Don't's of Canadian Private Practice Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Listen to my Canadian private practice journey up until now! Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| The Do's and Don'ts of Canadian Private Practice | Ep 65 | 22 Mar 2023 | 00:20:15 | |
As a therapist – especially in private practice – there is much to know and to make sure to do in your everyday schedule, besides seeing clients. It can feel like a lot, so this is a quick, simple, and informative episode that you can keep on hand to make sure that you are staying within the guidelines while working towards your goals. The don'ts
Once you get busy enough that you have the option of starting a waitlist, that's great! It shows that you are succeeding within your niche and that your ideal clients are glad to be working with you. However, it's not the best practice for the sake of your clients to put them on a waitlist.
Most other medical and healthcare professionals don't offer free consultations. You could be exploiting yourself by always offering free consultations for your time, which is valuable.
Additionally, if you feel that a potential client might not be a great fit for you, you can email them and refer them to another therapist that you think would be best.
Due to your therapeutic alliance with clients, you cannot ask them to do something for you that would help you with your business. If you are in a regulated province or you are part of the CCPA, it is simply not allowed or ethical to ask that of your clients.
Be careful of where and how you integrate your EMR with an external calendar. With Jane App, you have access to an online booking page where no information is shared with a third party, but that link can be accessed through your website by potential clients.
There's a more in-depth discussion about this topic in one of my recent podcast episodes, if you'd like a detailed explanation. Consider reading this PDF and article for more information about regulation as well!
Some clients might ask for additional family member names to be added to their invoices to expand their insurance claims and payments, but this is not allowed. It is insurance fraud, and it can get you in trouble.
You have to put the fact that you are a candidate on your websites and business cards. Even if you practice psychotherapy or you are a Counselling Therapist, you are still a Counselling Therapist Candidate or a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying). The do's
Look into getting a virtual private network, especially if you are a virtual therapist, even though EMRs are totally secure. Follow this link for a VPN discount!
When you are starting a Canadian private practice, definitely look into setting up an emergency fund that could last you three to six months.
Reach out to the other therapists in your town, city, or niche! Take them out for coffee, get to know them, and build those foundational professional relationships.
You need a clinical supervisor to get your full license, but afterward, I still think it's important to keep working with a supervisor, especially when you are in solo practice. Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 64: How to Enjoy Private Practice in the Winter Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) | |||
| How to Enjoy Private Practice in the Winter | Ep 64 | 15 Mar 2023 | 00:15:36 | |
Does the change of seasons also create a change in your energy levels? Do you sometimes find it difficult to maintain a faster working pace in the colder months? Is there a way to work slowly and still effectively? In these colder months when your energy levels can shift, it could be best for you and for your work to also adjust your pace, allowing you to continue doing great work without burning yourself out. In this Episode:
Why private practice can feel more difficult in the winter In winter, it's common that your energy could drop a bit. You want to be inside, cozy, and warmer, and it can take an extra scoop of discipline to get up, get ready, and go out to the office or get behind your desk and start working. But there can also be loads of other fun activities to do in winter that feel the most fun to do when it's cold! Such as skiing or spending time outside in the snow with loved ones, snuggling on the couch and watching a movie, or reading a good book. My past tactics compared to what I do now In the past, I had to make it work. I was stretching myself thin by working numerous jobs while simultaneously trying to get my Canadian private practice launched. Through the good weather and the bad, I was trying to get to everything, and I ended up putting my own needs last. Now that I have a successful Canadian private practice, I've shifted my tactics. I raised my rates and see fewer clients which allows me to find a better work-life balance by opening up my days to exercise as well as making time to rest. Slow and steady! Efficient is not synonymous with fast. You can do great and meaningful work with your clients and within your private practice without giving in to the hustle culture. The main trick to working well at a slower pace is to not get wrapped up in the hustle culture. Most people continue working at a fast pace all year round, but it may not be healthy for you. Taking time to rest or even changing the pace at which you complete your work to suit your needs is not by any means a failure, quite the opposite! Of course, it will look different depending on your lifestyle or whether you have dependents. How to slow down
Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 63: New Psychology Today Feature: Updated Endorsements! Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Listen to my Canadian private practice journey up until now! Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) | |||
| LIV Noël Dakkak: Niching With Your Passion in Private Practice | Ep 171 | 23 Jul 2025 | 00:21:57 | |
Do what you love, and you won't work a day in your life? Close, but not quite! Niching down and working within your passion and ideal client group will still take effort and work, but it can be easier than staying a generalist, especially if you are dreaming about working more intentionally with the groups of people you care the most about helping. In today's episode, I speak with Liv (they/them) about niching down, starting a private practice, and running workshops, all of which they started in an effort to reshape their life around their needs, dreams, and desires. So, it's maybe not about not working at all, but about doing the work that feels right for you! MEET LIV Liv (they/them) is a registered social worker who works primarily with queer, neurodivergent and disabled folks who have experienced trauma. They are guided by anti-oppressive, strength-based, trauma-informed care and use methods such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to get to the root of what you are struggling with. They offer services to individuals and partners, youths and adults, virtually across Ontario and in-person in Cornwall. Learn more about Liv on their Psychology Today profile and bookings page. In this episode:
Why Liv became a social worker From Liv's personal experience, as well as seeing people struggle with mental health, they felt drawn to becoming a Registered Social Worker to help people go through life a little more easily. Additionally, Liv works primarily with queer, neurodivergent, and disabled folks because they have these life experiences too. Starting a private practice After Liv's extensive experience working in the public sector, they started to consider opening up a Canadian private practice. This was partially due to burnout, a need to structure work around their health more, and simply a desire for something new in their career. Starting a private practice allowed Liv to create the life that they wanted to live. One that was professionally structured around their personal needs, and that supported a happier, healthier, freer lifestyle with less stress and more flexibility. After working in the public sector, Liv worked in another group practice, but after a few months, they started their own private practice, which is what Liv is doing now. Partnering with aligned organizations Liv's private practice is going well! Now that they're able to work more freely, Liv can build the practice from the ground up in close alignment with their values. Also, Liv has started to partner with organizations where they see drop-in clients. Liv explains that they know things take time, so they are making professional moves to increase clients, market the practice, and collaborate with like-minded organizations while slowly growing the solo practice each month. Niching down to boost success To stand out and connect with their ideal clients, Liv has made a big effort to niche down. Niching down in private practice is not only a great business strategy for success, but also a method for you to really integrate your work with your passion. Liv has also begun participating in workshops to expand their client base and strengthen their professional network. Advice for listeners Things take time! Be patient, especially in the first few months of private practice. Don't let impostor syndrome get you down, since sometimes you will need to put in lots of effort before you see a return on it. So, be patient, keep going, and work with your passion! Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Catharine Martin: Inside Jane App's AI Scribe | EP 170 Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Get some help and freebies on your website with WordPress! Learn more about Liv on their Psychology Today profile and bookings page Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| New Psychology Today Feature: Updated Endorsements! | Ep 63 | 08 Mar 2023 | 00:10:51 | |
Are you looking for ethical and effective ways to market yourself? Is there a fellow counsellor in your field that you want to recommend? Have you heard about the new Psychology Today feature? Even though the endorsement feature on Psychology Today has been around for some time, they recently revamped it, allowing you to clearly showcase your endorsements and recommendations on your profile to potential clients. It's a great, free marketing tool that benefits all therapists! In this podcast episode, I explain the process of writing endorsements for other clinicians, as well as general communication guidelines for when it comes to sending and receiving recommendations from other therapists. In this Episode:
Why endorsements are important With the new updated Psychology Today feature, your endorsements will now show up right next to your profile as a little heart, which allows potential clients to see how many other therapists have recommended you. It might not seem like much, but those little recommendations can make a big difference when it comes to whether a client chooses to work with you or with someone else. So, whether you are receiving endorsements or writing them for other Counselling Therapists, it will benefit you and other fellow therapists! '[Endorsements] build your credibility and they help to gain public trust in the services that you provide. So the more endorsements you get, the better for your profile on Psychology Today, and the more legit you become as a therapist!' – Julia Smith How to write an endorsement for another therapist
Here are some suggestions of what you could write about or mention in your endorsement for another therapist:
General communication guidelines The general guideline is if someone writes you an endorsement, and you know who they are and you are familiar with their work, then it's considered good practice to return the gesture and to write one for them too. Aim to write back that endorsement within a week. Also, if you write a therapist that you know an endorsement and they do not write you one back within a week, I recommend writing them a short, polite email to follow up. Keep in mind that endorsements have to be accepted for them to appear on a profile. So, if the therapist has not written you a recommendation back, it could be because they have not seen or accepted the endorsement that you initially wrote. In this case, you can also follow up with a polite email! Remember, it's unethical to ask clients to write testimonials for you and your Canadian private practice. Listen to this podcast episode for a recap on the ethical marketing techniques that you use when it comes to endorsements. Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 62: Marketing Your Private Practice on Podcasts Want 6 FREE months of Psychology Today Canada that'll give me a free month too? Email me your name at info@fearlesspractice.ca and I'll hook you up ☺ Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Listen to my Canadian private practice journey up until now! Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Marketing Your Private Practice on Podcasts | Ep 62 | 01 Mar 2023 | 00:13:02 | |
You might feel uncertain as to where to begin when it comes to marketing yourself on podcasts – it's something new! Even if you are a little nervous, it's easier, more lucrative – and more fun – than you might think. Being a guest and talking on someone else's podcasts or even starting one for your Canadian private practice are great, creative, and versatile ways for you to showcase your practice. In this Episode:
Podcasts and free marketing Being a guest on a podcast is not only a great tool and a fun experience, but it doubles as free marketing! As a podcast guest, you are exposed to a whole new audience, and being promoted to them, for free. Not only will you have a great conversation with a like-minded person, but you open yourself and your practice up to new people who don't now know that you're out there. Boosting your SEO and Google ranking Along with being promoted for free, your name, your private practice, and your information will be added to the show note of that podcast when it's published. When another website adds your business links to their website, those links become backlinks.These backlinks on other websites help Google to trust you more, which boosts your SEO (search engine optimisation) ranking. When Google sees that your name and information are being referred to in other places, it will in turn boost your name in searches more. Dynamic marketing Static marketing is often just words on a page. Where dynamic marketing offers you that edge to success is that it allows you to connect with your potential clients using your voice. It helps them to trust you and potentially want to form a connection with you. Additionally, using podcast marketing allows potential clients to interact with you and your work in a lot of environments. They could be listening to your episode while driving, cleaning, or going for a walk. How to become a guest! The first step is to do research: which podcasts are in your area, province, or mental health field that relate to your niche, areas of interest and expertise, or Canadian private practice? The second step is reaching out: write a friendly, professional, and open email to the podcast hosts of the shows that you would like to appear on. In your communication, be sure to cover topics like:
Finally, end the email: thank them for their time and let them know how to reach you should they wish to chat with you further. Bonus tip: listen to a few episodes first! And ask for a 24h buffer period after the recording if you decide you don't want anything specific to be made public. It's so important to put yourself out there and bring attention to your Canadian private practice. If you're looking for motivation, listen to my podcast episode with Lisa Simone Richards where we go through the importance and value of great marketing strategies. Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 61: How to Provide Inter-Provincial Online Counselling Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Listen to my Canadian private practice journey up until now! Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) From the very first episode, I've trusted East Coast Studio to help ensure my podcast sounds great. They'll help you streamline the podcasting process so you can focus on running your practice. Schedule a no-pressure conversation with East Coast Studio today and save $50 off their Podcast Pro Trial by using code FEARLESS at checkout! | |||
| How to Provide Inter-Provincial Online Counselling | Ep 61 | 22 Feb 2023 | 00:12:03 | |
Have you been considering expanding your Canadian private practice? Can you counsel people who live in other provinces besides yours? What are the protocols? Online counselling is here to stay, and many counselling therapists and clients alike prefer this system with its flexibility and the autonomy it can provide them. However, there are some important regulations to be aware of when it comes to online counselling, especially when you want to broaden your reach and work with more clients. In this podcast episode, I take you through the process of finding out which provinces you can – at this time! – advertise in, and how to go about it ethically and safely, both for you and your future clients. In this Episode:
Check for regulations For the short answer, yes, you can provide interprovincial online counselling. However, there are a couple of important rules that you need to be aware of. If another province is regulated, then you cannot advertise in that province. For example, you cannot advertise yourself and your services in a directory, or any other type of paid advertising, that operates in the regulated province. However, there are two exceptions:
Advertise in unregulated provinces The provinces that are regulated – where you cannot advertise from another province – include:
Unregulated provinces wherein you can advertise yourself include:
Check your insurance The next thing that you need to check is whether or not your insurance allows you to counsel outside of your province. For a recap of insurance in Canadian private practice, listen to this podcast episode. 'If you are counselling people outside of Canada, with BMS insurance, they will only cover you if the complaint is filed in Canada. So, there's a lot of risk to counselling people outside of Canada.' – Julia Smith I choose to counsel people only in Canada to reduce the risks, and so that my professional liability insurance stays in check. How to counsel people in other provinces If you decide to counsel people in other provinces, then you need to make sure that you let your clients know about:
Additionally, if you are under supervision, you should only be counselling people in other provinces if your supervisor agrees to it. 'Once you have checked off all those boxes, then you could counsel people in other provinces! You could advertise in provinces that aren't regulated, and if you have a client that moves to a different province, you can continue to see them!' – Julia Smith Another tip: keep up to date with which provinces are regulated and which ones aren't to avoid having to pay a fine. Here's some more information for you about CCPA and regulations for counselling in Canada. Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 60: Adding Insurance Companies to Your Canadian Private Practice Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Listen to my Canadian private practice journey up until now! Listen to my podcast episode with Tara about insurance in Canadian private practice! Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn
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| Adding Insurance Companies to Your Canadian Private Practice | Ep 60 | 15 Feb 2023 | 00:20:33 | |
Do you want to take insurance in your Canadian private practice? Are you feeling frustrated with managing your direct billing? What is the best way for small business owners to handle their energy and time when it comes to collecting payment? Once you have your license number, it is much easier to be recognized by Canadian insurance companies as a provider. Unfortunately, a lot of plans don't recognize Counselling Therapists or Psychotherapists yet. Although, this is slowly changing day by day! In This Episode:
The difference between taking insurance in Canada and the US In the US, you have to apply to be on company insurance panels. Therefore, for counsellors in the states, it can take a lot more work before they can accept insurance from their clients. Luckily in Canada, this is not the case! As licensed Counselling Therapists or Psychotherapists, we do not have to ask most insurance companies to be put onto their insurance system. If you have the license number, then you qualify for automatic approval with many Canadian insurance companies! It is beneficial to help promote counselling in your province, and to promote getting a regulatory body so that you can get a license number! By being able to accept insurance, it will make your counselling services more accessible to more clients. Collecting Payment Even if you are a candidate, you are still covered by insurance companies! There are two options for collecting payment:
Direct billing I don't personally use direct billing because it can be a hassle. Each company has a different system of paying therapists out, with different websites and login details, so it can take a lot of admin time to be paid. Keep in mind that if you do choose to offer direct billing, you will be spending a lot of energy and unpaid time outside of sessions to receive your fee. As a small business owner, it may not be the best investment of your time and energy. Whatever you decide to do, make it clear on your consent forms and when you are meeting a client for the first time. Reach out to insurance companies In my seven years of Canadian private practice, the top three insurance companies that employers use for plans for their employees:
Write up accurate and helpful invoices Be proactive with writing up invoices that have all the information your client will need in order to submit to their Canadian insurance company for possible reimbursement. . Make sure to include things such as:
EAP programs Sometimes employers can offer an EAP – Employee Assistance Program or EFAP – Employee & Family Assistance Program. You can apply to be a contract therapist in many of these programs, BUT many EAPs don't often pay therapists a lot, and they can require a lot of paperwork. Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 59: John Hubert: Regulation and Why It Is Vital for Canadian Counsellors Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Listen to my Canadian private practice journey up until now! Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| John Hubert: Regulation and Why It Is Vital for Canadian Counsellors | Ep 59 | 08 Feb 2023 | 00:39:03 | |
Why is self-regulation necessary for Canadian counsellors? What would it take to maintain a bottom-up approach to regulation? Is it possible to join a regulatory body to maintain efficacy and ethics across your profession? Regulation might seem like a daunting world, but in reality, it is the tool that helps Canadian private practice owners to keep doing the best work that they can in the knowledge that they are being ethical and putting their clients best interests first. You can also become an active agent in regulation, helping to ensure the safety and quality of the mental health profession! In this podcast episode, John Hubert and I dive into the terminology, the history, and the importance of regulating the Canadian counselling field for the benefit of counsellors and clients alike. MEET JOHN HUBERT John is currently the Executive Director and Registrar of the Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists. He is a philosopher by training, specializing in healthcare ethics and equity-oriented policy analysis. John taught ethics in the Faculty of Medicine and School of Nursing at Dalhousie University and is a former Director of the School of Health Sciences. Learn more about John on his LinkedIn profile. In this episode:
Regulator versus associations The basic way to explain a regulator is to differentiate it from an association. An association consists of a group of professionals that share thoughts and principles around their practice to establish credibility and to ensure the standards of their practice. It gathers fees from members that are part of the association and creates a code of ethics and guidelines for practice and criteria for educational standards. For Canadian counsellors you can join the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). This association also offers opportunities for members to connect with each other and Continuing Education Credits (CECs)! But since the CCPA focuses on the interest of their members it is also important to regulate the profession so that the public can also be protected. The primary function – the mandate – of regulators is to protect the public. For Canadian private practice owners, it also means that you will get a license number and thus many insurance companies will include you in insurance plans for their employees. How self-regulating works The government grants you the privilege to do this regulation yourself. This means that Counselling Therapists and Psychotherapists have a say along the way because both the provincial government and therapists are involved. The provincial governments that are regulated create the law and set out broad parameters within which Counselling Therapists and Psychotherapists can self-regulate. Provincial Audits John and his Nova Scotia regulatory body are complaint-driven in that they will investigate a complaint when it comes up, as well as being generally proactive in checking Counselling Therapists' marketing and online presence in public spheres. For example, they conducted an audit recently, looking at Counselling Therapists' qualification presentations and their advertising. Psychotherapists versus Counselling Therapists This differentiation falls under what John calls "act protection" and "title protection". Different provinces have titled the work that counsellors do as either Psychotherapists or Counselling Therapists but there are not "act protections" within the regulations. If somebody is calling themselves something that they are not, and marketing themselves incorrectly to unsuspecting clients, they can receive a "cease and desist" letter as well as a hefty fine per day until things are rectified. The behaviours exhibited by these different roles can – and often do – overlap. Therefore, the focus is often on whether people in those professions are actually titling themselves correctly to the public. Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 58: Why You Can't Use Testimonials in Canadian Private Practice Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Learn more about John on his LinkedIn profile. Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Why You Can't Use Testimonials in Canadian Private Practice | Ep 58 | 01 Feb 2023 | 00:13:16 | |
We all know that testimonials are the gold standard for marketing. People trust and value the opinions of others, and so they will often look for endorsements or referrals when they are deciding on who to work with or which services or products to buy. However in private practice, it is highly unethical to ask clients for testimonials. So, how can you connect with your ideal clients and market your Canadian private practice in an ethical yet effective way? In this podcast episode, I discuss how you can go about finding ethical endorsements for your practice without crossing any boundaries with your regulator or other standards of practice. Do great work in an ethical way, and here are some tips on how to get started! In This Episode:
What is a testimonial? A testimonial is a statement that has been given by a person who has used one of your products or services, and explains how wonderful it was! Although, sometimes testimonials can also be negative. Testimonials are statements from real people that show others that the product or service they used is worthwhile and trustworthy. If they tried your services and had a good experience, they are more likely to pass on your name, making them a great marketing tool! There is a new Jane App feature, the EMR and practice management software system that I use, that allows businesses to automatically ask clients for ratings and reviews after a session. Ethics of testimonials in therapy It must be stated that counsellors, mental health practitioners, social workers, and psychotherapists are not allowed to use this feature because it is highly unethical and not allowed by provincial regulators. To read more about the CCPA code of ethics, click here. If you go to the CCPA's "Standards of Practice" on page 7, it states: "A6. Professionalism in Advertising: Counsellors/therapists do not use testimonials by clients, former clients, or by relatives or friends of clients. Testimonials may be acceptable from an organization or business that receives the counsellors/therapists' services." There is an inherent power imbalance between you and your clients. So clients could feel obligated to give a testimonial or fear the repercussions if they say no. It is not in the best interest of the client – or you are the therapist – to get testimonials. Client testimonials are a problem in Canada, and in many other countries, where therapists might not be aware that they are not allowed and are highly unethical. So if you see fellow therapists using them, inform them about this policy. How to get ethical endorsements You can ask other therapists that you like, know, and trust to endorse you. On Psychology Today, there's a new feature called "Endorsements" where you can write a statement about the therapist that you know, recommending them, and that is sent to the therapist who can choose to publish it on their Psychology Today profile or not. They will also be prompted to give you a testimonial as well! Also, if you have been listening to the Fearless Practice Podcast, getting great information and tips, you can share the support with me too! You can now support me in the work that I do by writing a quick review on my website if you have bought the Workbook or the Paperwork Packet. Thank you! Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 57: Heather Peters: Accounting in Canada for Private Practice Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Listen to my Canadian private practice journey up until now! Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Email me at info@fearlesspractice.ca for a free 6-month trial period of Psychology Today! Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Heather Peters: Accounting in Canada for Private Practice | Ep 57 | 25 Jan 2023 | 00:33:59 | |
Why should you invest in a business accountant? Have you used online accounting services in the past that have ultimately cost you more money and time? Numbers can be tricky, even for someone experienced, and especially for someone new. If you are running a Canadian private practice, consider hiring someone professional to take care of your numbers so that you can focus on what you do best: your clinical work! In this podcast episode, I discuss everything accounting with Heather Peters for a quick 101 lesson on the staples, and how you can set up your accounting system so that your sleep-at-night factor is secure and comfortable. MEET HEATHER PETERS Heather Peters worked as a Controller/Accounting Manager and post-secondary educator for almost 20 years before founding her business - Brightside Accounting Services. Her experiences include leading high-performing accounting teams; budgeting and forecasting; process improvement and teaching and training. Heather works with start-ups, small and medium-sized businesses who need part-time accounting services, controller-for-hire experience, and/or training in accounting to help their workflow better. Heather has an MBA from Saint Mary's University and holds a CPA designation. Learn more about Heater on her LinkedIn profile and company website. In this episode:
Why you should consider a business accountant Having an accountant is like having a doctor for your business. When you go to the doctor, you will most likely see a specialist if you have particular questions or concerns. The same goes for your Canadian private practice! A business accountant is a specialist that can help you in more subtle and fundamental ways than any general business financial consultant. What you need to know about income tax and sales tax If you don't actively keep track of your sales tax, you may get a fright at the end of the tax year. Avoid this by actively sorting it when you receive your monthly income. You have to be disciplined and proactive. Take the initiative and put your taxable income (including sales tax) into an account whenever you are paid so that you have the right funds for when it's time. Sole proprietor or incorporate? The main reason why people incorporate is due to liability. If you are incorporated, the responsibility falls on the business, and not on you personally. Additionally, when you start hiring clinicians and admin staff, consider incorporating because it's a lot of work and the incorporation pays taxes based on income. Some good tax habits Canadian private practitioners can develop
Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 56: Why You Should Create a Private Practice Podcast Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Learn more about Heather on her LinkedIn profile and website Listen to my podcast CCPA episode! Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Why You Should Create a Private Practice Podcast | Ep 56 | 18 Jan 2023 | 00:19:52 | |
Do you want to explore different ways to market your Canadian private practice while diving into new skills? What are some unique ways to promote your Canadian private practice? Whether you want to diversify your marketing efforts, develop new interpersonal and business skills, expand your network, and increase connection with your client base, podcasting is a powerful and creative tool that you can utilize! I discuss my personal experiences with podcasting for my Canadian private practice and offer you a couple of tips to keep in mind when you give it a go! In This Episode:
Trying something new! Doing new things within your marketing plan is not only a great business strategy to keep your Canadian private practice in sync with the times, but they also help you to diversify and level up your skill set and keep things interesting. Podcasting for my Canadian private practice A podcast is a great, versatile tool that you can use to enhance your marketing efforts, set your practice apart from the rest, offer free resources to your clients, and so much more. They can be long-form or short-form, whatever length of audio you need to explain ideas or offer content that is tailored to what your audience needs and to what you want to put out. Podcasting, because of the audio, allows you to focus on the content and quality of what you want to say, rather than being focused on "setting the scene" as you might do with creating a video. Pros
Cons
Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 55: Allison Puryear: Marketing Skills for Canadian Private Practices Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Listen to my Canadian private practice journey up until now! Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Allison Puryear: Marketing Skills for Canadian Private Practices | Ep 55 | 11 Jan 2023 | 00:40:22 | |
How can you become a great boss for your employees? What does it take to truly connect through copy? What is needed to launch multiple successful private practices, even in different provinces? You can be intentional with your Canadian private practice, and create it to suit you, your temperament, and your skills. Simultaneously, you don't have to keep growing and growing until you reach the moon! Your business is a way for you to serve the needs of your community while supporting yourself and your family. In this episode, Allison and I discuss Canadian private practice from all angles, so whether you are fresh to private practice or you are a seasoned therapist who's been at the helm for a while, there's something in this episode for you to appreciate! MEET ALLISON PURYEAR Allison Puryear is an LCSW, CEDS with a nearly diagnosable obsession with business development. She has started practices in three different states and wants you to know that building a private practice is shockingly doable when you have a plan and support. She teaches everything you need to know about building a private practice in the Abundance Party, where you can get practice-building help for the cost of a co-pay. Learn more about Allison on her website and LinkedIn profile. In this episode:
The Benefit of Niching Down for Marketing One of the benefits of working within your niche and specifying which clients you work with is that marketing can become a lot easier. You do not have to "sell" your practice. Instead, you can speak honestly about how much you enjoy working with your clients, they with you, and the transformations you help them to realize in their lives. Additionally, connect with other therapists that work either in or around your niche! It's a great way to develop a beneficial work relationship between you and other therapists in your area where you can refer to one another, helping each other grow and serve your communities. How to Successfully Start a Private Practice Anywhere! If you're introverted, don't feel like you need to meet 90 people over 90 days – start with one new person a week. Make it suit your style because it doesn't have to be stressful. Allison's top tools for starting a successful Canadian private practice:
Hone in On the Connection Your copy needs to create connections between you and your ideal clients. Whenever they read over your website, find you online, or interact with your social media, your copy is the voice that you will use to speak with them. Be a Great Boss Being a therapist doesn't always translate to being a good manager. If you run a Canadian private practice, or you are considering launching one, it's worth your while to look into some information on how to be a great boss. Your employees will look to you to set the boundaries, lay the expectations, and be there for them as a guide in how to work well and succeed in the practice you run. Therefore, you have to step up into the role of being a great boss by taking the initiative to learn how to do it. Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Learn more about Allison on her website, LinkedIn, and Instagram profiles. Check out Allison's links page to find downloadable content, and how to connect! Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| When Should I Hire a VA for My Canadian Private Practice? Live Consultation With Danik Bernier | Ep 54 | 04 Jan 2023 | 00:42:00 | |
Are you at a crossroads in your Canadian private practice? What does your practice need to help it grow? What do you need help with to do your best work? Regardless of the level that you are at within your private practice, or however seasoned you are as a therapist, things like impostor syndrome can trip anyone up. However, it doesn't have to stay this way. Whether it's about raising your rates or hiring a virtual assistant, these limiting beliefs can keep you stuck until you rise to meet and overcome them. In this podcast episode, I do a live consultation with Danik, who's at a place in her career where she needs to hire a virtual assistant so that she can take the next step to leveling up her private practice. MEET DANIK BERNIER Danik Bernier is a bilingual Registered Social Worker and Psychotherapist. She specializes in perinatal mental health and trauma in her private practice. Her psychotherapy services are available to Ontario residents online and in person. Learn more about Danik on her website and LinkedIn profile In this episode:
Levelling Up Your Mindset Danik found resources from Fearless Practice and other online resources that motivated her to start her own Canadian private practice. You do not have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to figuring out your Canadian private practice. There is a lot of information and there are resources available to you that can help you to launch your private practice! Empower yourself with knowledge and the understanding that you are not alone in starting your private practice, and that you can bring this dream to fruition. Overcoming Impostor Syndrome When you start your Canadian private practice, there will be some new challenges for you to face, both as a new business owner and also as a new person in business! Impostor syndrome can also come from limiting beliefs that you may have about yourself, the world, and what "should" be done. Take some time to sit with yourself and ask yourself some questions, and reflect on the obstacles before you that seem unsurpassable – are they really? Could they be offering you a chance to resolve and heal an old belief that is keeping you stuck? Hiring a Virtual Assistant
Employees versus Contractors Choosing whether to hire full-time or part-time employees, or independent contractors, is up to you, what you can afford, and what you need help doing in your private practice. Talk to your accountant to see what they recommend for you business. If you are in a financial position where you can afford to hire extra help within your practice, do it! Get help for yourself so you can focus on your clients! Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 53: How to Give Bonuses and Wage Increases to Your Staff Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Learn more about Danik on her website, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Psychology Today profiles Listen to my podcast episode on how to hire a virtual assistant for your Canadian private practice Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Catharine Martin: Inside Jane App's AI Scribe | Ep 170 | 16 Jul 2025 | 00:21:52 | |
You have heard about AI everywhere, and now it is being used within EMR services. If you feel unsure about this topic or you want to learn more, then definitely play this episode and join us for the conversation! In this podcast episode, Catharine from Jane App and I discuss how Jane App incorporates AI into their EMR, including some general best practice guidelines about how you can use to use Jane's AI Script services ethically and safely in your practice. MEET CATHARINE Catharine Martin is the Privacy and Compliance Manager at Jane App, where she plays a key leadership role in shaping and overseeing the company's privacy and regulatory strategies. With a strong background in data protection and compliance, she works closely with healthcare practitioners to ensure their practices meet evolving privacy requirements while also finding practical ways to reduce administrative burden. Beyond her work at Jane, Catharine is also a dedicated Pilates instructor, bringing the same focus and discipline to her teaching as she does to her professional work. Learn more about Catharine on her LinkedIn profile. In this episode:
Working with Jane App Catharine, 20 years ago, after giving birth, had a radical and unexpected medical event that left her in a brief coma, experiencing multiple organ failure. However, due to her incredible doctors, her strength, and a lot of luck, she survived and kept all her organs, without needing any transplants, and went on to make a full recovery. How did this bring her to work for Jane App? After what Catharine went through, she felt so drawn to Jane App's vision to "Help the helpers", that she started working for the company to further their mission. AI Scribe Jane App offers an AI scribe feature. It essentially charts notes from your sessions with clients in your own voice. Jane secured a third-party vendor who is known for their robust privacy practices, which are all compliant with the required ethical laws and privacy legislation, to help them integrate the AI tool. AI in client diagnostics 'As part of using Jane's AI Scribe, therapy notes are included, but not diagnostic suggestions. As in, diagnostic suggestions are not coming from any AI-powered tool. Diagnostic suggestions are coming from a human, providing care to another human.' - Catharine Martin Even though Jane App makes use of AI in some of their service offerings, they are critical of making sure that it is being used ethically and appropriately, and only for admin-related tasks. The care suggestions and client diagnostics will still only come from you, the client's therapist, based on your sessions together. It is all up to you With your Jane App subscription, when it comes to AI, it is all up to you. You don't have to make sure of it, even though it is being offered to you. You can easily opt in or out of using it within your Jane App subscription, hassle-free. Also, consider the risk of any tool that you use when you are weighing up whether to use it or not. Jane's appearance in The Globe and Mail Jane App made great headlines in one of The Globe and Mail's articles for reaching a $1.8-billion valuation. Jane App is looking to adopt AI on a grand scale by continuing to explore its benefits ethically to help more helpers. Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 169: Rachel Brennan: Keeping Connection in an Online Group Practice | EP 169 Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Get some help and freebies on your website with WordPress! Learn more about Catharine on her LinkedIn profile Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| How to Give Bonuses and Wage Increases to Your Staff | Ep 53 | 28 Dec 2022 | 00:15:00 | |
As the end of the year comes around and it's time for celebrations, seeing loved ones, and appreciating those around us, you may be considering giving bonuses to your staff! Are you considering giving gifts or a financial bonus? Which is better? How can you factor inflation into your decision-making process? Managing a Canadian private practice is a difficult process, but one way to make everything run smoother is to take care of your employees and show your appreciation for all the hard work they do. In this podcast episode, I discuss my approach to embodying my values and gifting my employees the amount that sits comfortably with myself, my ethics, and my bank account. In This Episode:
Live by your values For your Canadian private practice to be successful with clients and to have a great reach and positive impact within your community, you need to care for your staff, and one of the ways that you can do that as the boss is to pay them appropriately. Your values, from how you help your clients to the goals that you have for your Canadian private practice, should extend to include how you also want your staff to feel coming to work each day. They are a vital part of your company, and taking care of them should be a priority alongside counselling clients. 'I've experienced in the past, working in other jobs where I had to do a lot of work [and] overtime with no payment for that overtime. [I] had too much on my plate in the role that I was doing, getting burned out, and I just knew that if I was ever to become an owner [and] a boss, I would never do that to the people that I hire.' – Julia Smith How to give the right bonus 'I really love the idea of a year-end bonus. It's the holiday season, people are buying presents for others and going traveling, and it's so nice as an employee just to get a little something from your employer at the end of the year. And, [it gives a chance] for me to show my appreciation for all the hard work that they have done throughout the year.' – Julia Smith If you have virtual assistants within your Canadian private practice, you're probably considering getting them something small to thank them for the work that they have done for you. The question you may be asking, is what is the best way to show your appreciation? With a financial bonus, or perhaps a gift? I think that employees would prefer the financial boost because then they have a choice of how to spend that money! Adjusting for inflation Each year with inflation, the same amount as a bonus or wage is worth a little less. My solution to the inflation problem, once the bonus cap has been reached, is to increase the value of the bonus to whatever inflation is that year. Therefore, my staff will always technically get the same amount of money. Let's treat our staff right and at least factor in inflation when we're deciding on how much to pay them! Let's make that the norm, and help each other live comfortably in our shared world. Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 52: Bank Audits and Retirement: Wrapping up the 2022 Financial Year Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Listen to my episode with Ashleah Wilson about the power of storytelling in marketing Listen to my episode about hiring a virtual assistant for your Canadian private practice Check out one of my favourite YouTube Channels, Second Thought! Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Bank Audits and Retirement: Wrapping up the 2022 Financial Year | Ep 52 | 21 Dec 2022 | 00:24:53 | |
2022 is almost over, and 2023 is right around the corner! As the year draws to a close, how do you consolidate your finances? What are the goals that you have set for yourself? Have you been thinking about planning for retirement? Whether you are reassessing where your money has gone in your Canadian private practice, to where you want to spend less or more, or redirect a new stream of income, now is the time to look at the books. In This Episode:
How to save money on transactions With my business plan, I get 25 transactions for $20 every month. Sometimes I am under that amount, but a lot of times I do make more than 25 transactions, which means that I have to pay extra fees over and above the $20 I already pay. My business bank advisor and I discovered why I had so many transactions and a simple way to resolve the issue. Simply and quickly, I was able to change my payment system with Jane App to deposit money into my account every Tuesday, saving me lots of extra monthly fees! Pick the right credit cards Depending on your lifestyle and work habits, you can pick a different type of credit card that will best suit your spending needs while earning you some great rewards. For myself, I prefer cash-back credit cards because I don't travel that much, so points are not necessary for me. My money tips for new Canadian private practice owners
Have you thought about retirement? Even though I started my Canadian private practice when I was 28, before that, I had completed an undergraduate degree, worked for a few years, and then went back to complete my master's degree. All of that took time, effort, and money. I prioritised setting up my private practice and getting it launched well and off the ground, thinking that I would save later. Don't get me wrong, I have been putting a little money away each month, but nothing significant yet. However, throughout the years, I have figured out a plan on how I would save for my retirement. How I plan to save for retirement is to fill up my tax-free savings account (TFSA) account, and then save money in my registered-retirement savings plan (RRSP). Always talk to your back advisor to help you find a retirement plan that is best for your situation! I am committed to putting more money into my BMO SmartFolio retirement fund so that I can retire with peace of mind. Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 51: Lisa Simone Richards: PR Essentials for Canadian Private Practices Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Listen to my episode about building the financial foundation of your Canadian private practice with Linzy Bonham It's easier than ever to invest online. Save time and money by giving BMO SmartFolio a try! Use my code or link below and you'll get $50 cashback, plus up to $1,000 cash-back. It takes as little as 15 minutes to open an account!
Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Lisa Simone Richards: PR Essentials for Canadian Private Practices | Ep 51 | 14 Dec 2022 | 00:37:06 | |
Have you been struggling with getting your Canadian private practice in front of more people? Are you looking for a way to dramatically boost your revenue? Do you want to light a fire beneath your visibility? If you agreed with these questions, then definitely listen to this episode, because it's for you! In this podcast episode, I discuss everything to do with PR with Lisa Simone Richards. From the value of engaging with different media forms, to how to increase the visibility of your Canadian private practice, and more – tune in for a run-down and re-cap of the essential basics of boosting the PR of your Canadian private practice. MEET LISA SIMONE RICHARDS Lisa Simone Richards is a publicist for doctors and health professionals who want to become regular guest experts on TV, top-rated podcasts, and other major media. After working with her, Lisa's clients are recognized as industry thought leaders, add an extra comma to their annual revenue, and increase their 'IT' factor with a sold-out brand. Learn more about Lisa on her website and LinkedIn profile. In this episode:
What is PR? Simone explains three different types of media:
The power of PR The point of publicity is not to get paid because it's actually about the exposure, that's the true value. To be seen and put the name of your Canadian private practice out there in front of hundreds, thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of people is like putting your practice on a rocket launch! Content versus visibility Most Canadian private practice therapists focus their efforts solely on creating great content, but in the process, they may miss the mark on boosting their visibility. Content is what you put in front of your existing audience, which are the people who already follow you, and it is known that the algorithm doesn't show your content to 100% of your followers in any case. How to create new leads every day The principle of building new leads and connections with a prospective audience is to work with intention: what is the purpose of getting visible? Lisa's ABCs of visibility:
Even though you probably want to hit all-systems-go on each aspect, you are still a Canadian private practice owner and probably already have a lot on your plate. Therefore, just pick one to start on and get comfortable doing it. Figure out what the best use of your time and energy will be, and where you will get the most return, and do it until you feel confident to try the next step. Lisa's top tip: to really hit home with potential clients and to get them to convert, be fast and easy. Be quick with responding to queries and questions, and easy for them to find answers or book an appointment with you. Reach out to different media outlets in your area to see who would be open to forming a PR relationship with you to represent your Canadian private practice. Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 50: Ashleah Wilson: The Power of Storytelling in Marketing Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Learn more about Lisa on her website, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram profiles Get Lisa's freebie Guide to Getting on Television! Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Ashleah Wilson: The Power of Storytelling in Marketing | Ep 50 | 07 Dec 2022 | 00:44:45 | |
What is the story that you want to tell about your Canadian private practice? What do you stand for in life and private practice? Why are you a therapist, and how do you reflect this reason to your clients? Marketing might seem like another item on the admin to-do list for your Canadian private practice, but it is so much more. Your marketing is the practice of telling the story of you, your therapy, and how your private practice serves your community. In this podcast episode, I discuss the power of utilizing the concept of storytelling to create genuine and connective marketing with Ashleah Wilson, a master storyteller. MEET ASHLEAH WILSON Ashleah Wilson is the vice president of marketing for Jane.App, an online platform for mental health practitioners that makes it simple to book, chart, schedule, bill, and get paid. Ashleah is an advocate for customer-led growth and showcasing how we can all strike a balance between growing practices and taking care of ourselves. He's based in Vancouver. Learn more about Ashleah on his LinkedIn and Twitter profiles. In this episode:
Marketing as storytelling If you want to create content that builds a connection with your ideal client, and you want to create a sustainably successful Canadian private practice, then you need to focus on and be intentional with your marketing because that is how you share the story of your practice. To meet the community that you want to serve, you need to practice being honest and vulnerable in your messaging, because not only do people value and respond to authenticity but they can sense inauthenticity. Encourage interpersonal connection Incorporating storytelling into your marketing brings a powerful human aspect to your Canadian private practice's business side. If you want to strengthen this, use video. Creating video content links you and your business directly to the hearts of your ideal clients because it shows the human beings behind the service, not just the service being offered. If you need a refresher or a quick run-down of how to do this, listen to my podcast episode on creating video content for authentic marketing. Performance and brand marketing There are two pillars to performance marketing:
How can you stay true to your brand spirit while applying a marketing lens? Remember, you need to meet your customer where they are, and that's an individual journey! You do not want to convince people to buy the service or product, but you want to rather introduce the service to your client and see if you can tailor the marketing fit based on where they're at. Ashleah's advice on sharing your story Ask yourself:
Find how you stand out, and bring that into your marketing. Understand what makes you unique, what welcomes people into this space, and then own that space! Pick one platform and focus on it to build your success. Whether it's TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, or just your website with blog posts, roll with it! And let it be known that you are an expert in this field on that platform. Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 49: Growing Pain I Experienced in My Canadian Private Practice – Year 6 Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Listen to my podcast episode on using video to create authentic marketing Learn more about Ashleah on his LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter profiles Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Growing Pains I Experienced in My Canadian Private Practice - Year 6 | Ep 49 | 30 Nov 2022 | 00:26:04 | |
What has your year of private practice looked like? Which lessons have you learned, or are currently learning? Starting and running a Canadian private practice is a journey of continual growth and education. As you develop, so does your practice! And what impacts you in your personal life may also influence the unfolding of your business. In this annual episode, I take a little dive into what my year has been like, what I've learned, and what my focus will be for the next one! What I did this year Launching the podcast! From last November in 2021, there were a lot of things going on behind the scenes. One of those was launching this podcast! I knew I wanted to do it, but I needed sponsorships to make it happen as podcasts are an investment. While I was recording my first 10 episodes, I was looking to hire a designer, a sound engineer, and a show note writer, so that everything would run smoothly. Through the tough workload and the uncertainty in the beginning, I realized that I love hosting the podcast. I've been able to meet great fellow counsellors, people in the industry, and have gotten to interact with listeners and see how much the podcast has helped them with their own Canadian private practice. The work paid off! Experimenting with traveling and working In September 2022 I did my first travel-work stint to visit family and friends in BC whom I hadn't seen in a long time. I tested out the digital nomad lifestyle a little bit, and I loved it as well! Although at this time something switched in my private practice! For a while my associate wasn't that full, in fact, clients were dwindling, and it added a lot of stress. Hiring a social media and marketing manager After the stress of launching a marketing campaign on my own while still being a full-time counsellor, podcaster, and practice owner, I decided it was time to hire a Social Media and Marketing manager. Creating the Canadian Paperwork Packet Additionally, throughout the year, I had been working on setting up and launching my Canadian Paperwork Packet for my audience! I was consulting with a designer and a lawyer to make sure the fine print was all in order, and legal, and that it came together nicely. Securing sponsorships With all the new projects, my budget had to be reassessed, and this meant that I had to negotiate and secure sponsorships because the podcast production is expensive. What I learned Things take time, and that's just fine! Instead of burning yourself from all ends doing a million things, pick one project to focus on, and then start the next thing as you finish up the previous one. And, never underestimate the power of outsourcing tasks! New focus In addition, Jane App is sponsoring half of the episodes this year for the Fearless Practice Podcast, which means another year of talking with you about Canadian private practice! Use code FEARLESS when you sign up to get one month free! Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 48: Lindsey Thomson: The Need for Tax-Free Therapy in Canada Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Listen to my episode about my new Canadian Paperwork Packet Get your customizable paperwork packet through this link and use the code FEARLESSPP to receive your paperwork packet for $99! Listen to my episode about how to schedule in your Canadian private practice Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Lindsey Thomson: The Need for Tax Free Therapy in Canada | Ep 48 | 23 Nov 2022 | 00:35:32 | |
Why is there a need for tax free therapy? What is happening with the Excise Tax bill? How can you add your voice to the campaign of adding psychotherapy and counselling therapy to the list of GST/ HST exempt healthcare practitioners? The CCPA is a great organization to join as a Canadian private practice owner. Whether you are solo or in a group, it is always beneficial for therapists to work together and help each other in the process of providing help for others. Over and above that, join a national community of counsellors seeking to change legislation! In this podcast episode, I chat with Lindsey about the CCPA, the Excise Tax bill being put into place, and how you can be a part of making mental health more affordable and accessible. MEET LINDSEY THOMSON Lindsey Thomson is a Registered Psychotherapist and the Director of Public Affairs of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). The CCPA is a national association that represents the needs and interests of Counselling Therapists across Canada, and also advocates for improved mental health service access for all Canadians. Learn more about Lindsey on her LinkedIn profile, and through the CCPA Instagram profile. In this episode:
History of the campaign to remove excise tax The campaign to have GST/ HST removed started back in 2004. In the early parts of the campaign the federal Finance Department considered exempting counsellors but there was one catch. 'What we were told at that time by the Minister of Finance was that we need the profession to be regulated in five or more provinces … check that box, then come back to us, and we can have a discussion. So, between 2004 and 2018 [there was] lots of work done on that.' – Lindsey Thomson Currently, CCPA recently launched a new campaign looking to remove GST/ HST tax from psychotherapy services. The current issues at hand Even though nearly five provinces were regulated, the bureaucratic need changed from needing five provinces regulated to needing the professional title to be the same. The titles differ from province to province because the regulation of health professions is a provincial level decision, which is why it can be complex. Across regulated provinces, therapists may either be titled psychotherapists or counselling therapists, even though they do the same work and have the same degrees and qualifications. Though changing a name seems like a quick fix, these colleges have been regulated with these titles for so long that it would also be a complex process to unwind and realign. Bill C-218 Now, the angle of the bill has changed to remove the Excise Tax requirement of putting GST/ HST tax on Registered Counselling Therapists and Registered Psychotherapists services. You may be asking: why is this even necessary? Is it worth the effort? The simple answer is yes! Lindsey and her team at the CCPA are calling on the Federal Government to legislatively amend the Excise Tax Act through a financial bill (the bill C-218) that adds the profession of counselling therapy and psychotherapy to the list of GST/ HST exempt healthcare practitioners. Sign the petition – it will take two minutes of your time and it will be worthwhile for years to come! Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 47: How to Create Your Canadian Practice Paperwork Packet Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Read about Lindsey's work with CCPA and private practice matters on this archive, her LinkedIn profile, and on the CCPA Instagram profile. Sign the petition to get therapy tax-free! Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| How to Create Your Canadian Practice Paperwork Packet | Ep 47 | 16 Nov 2022 | 00:17:41 | |
Are you concerned that you may have missed important details on your consent forms? Have you been spending hours figuring out which questions you should ask in your paperwork packets to comply with ethical laws? Does admin work in general make you anxious? I've been there! In fact, I spent almost a year drafting up a Canadian practice paperwork packet that is suitable, editable, and concise. You can change, edit, and modify it to suit your private practice like a glove, and it's available to you right now! In This Episode:
What goes into paperwork packets? 'Paperwork packets are probably the most important thing that you do before starting your private practice.' – Julia Smith Paperwork can seem endless, but there are some critical pieces that you need when you're collecting intake information from your clients for your Canadian private practice. Some of these pieces include:
To save yourself hours and hours of time and energy, consider purchasing a packet instead of making one yourself! 'What I highly recommend is that you purchase a paperwork packet that has already been created.' – Julia Smith And, I have tailored a paperwork packet specifically for Canadian counsellors! You can find yours through this link (use code FEARLESSPP to purchase the packet for only $99 CAD plus tax). My journey of creating the paperwork packets The designer and I discussed which format it should be made available in. At first, we tried a PDF format on Adobe, however, this route produced a couple of issues that were too impractical to consider. 'Finally, we decided to make it a word document. That means that when you purchase it, you can just open it up as a word doc and edit it as you see fit!' – Julia Smith Make it your own There are some minor legal differences between provinces, so check with your college to see what is applicable and necessary for you to do. 'You do want to make sure that your paperwork packet isn't too long [or] too exhausting that clients are going to get burnt out filling out all the questions, or [for] it to take an entire session to fill out all the information.' – Julia Smith You only want to include what is necessary for your intake forms, so focus on asking the important questions and things that you need to know. I also included important sections about the value of confidentiality and consent that are important for your clients to understand. Create an online intake form I use Jane App, and with it, I edited my intake session with all the wording from my paperwork packet so that there is consistency throughout, and clients will find the same forms no matter in which way they come to find me online. Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 46: How to Set Your Private Practice Schedule Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Download your own paperwork packet through this link and use the code FEARLESSPP to receive your paperwork packet for $99! Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| How to Set Your Private Practice Schedule | Ep 46 | 09 Nov 2022 | 00:18:39 | |
Sometimes your private practice schedule needs to change to meet your needs because your needs have changed, or you started a side hustle and you need to re-prioritize your time, or you moved to a new location, or hired an assistant! Whatever your situation is, as life shifts, you shift as well. One of the ways to stay on top of the ever-evolving and moving life is to create systems and schedules that are flexible and can be adjusted to suit you and your Canadian private practice. In This Episode:
Building your schedule When I first started counselling, I worked on Saturdays because it was the cheapest day to rent the room for counselling sessions. For a couple of years, I worked on those Saturdays, and I appreciated the lessons from that time. 'I'm grateful for that time because it made me realize what it would be like to work on the weekends and if it was worth it for me.' – Julia Smith Saturdays were quieter, it suited my clients, and I could save some money at the same time! But, after a while, those Saturdays got busy consistently, and I needed to make a change. My needs and desires also changed, and because I wanted to shift my time around, it meant that I also had to shift my work schedule. 'It was great that I was saving money on Fridays by not going out but then I wasn't going out on Friday nights with friends either because I wanted to be completely awake and with it [for] my clients on the Saturday, but that meant I was missing out on a lot of things … after a couple of years, it just wasn't working anymore.' – Julia Smith Give yourself more control
'I like that my clients are not spread out throughout the day and that it's condensed into four hours and then I'm done, and I've seen the [number] of clients that I know I want to see in a day.' – Julia Smith Make it work for you You and your lifestyle will often change, so make your schedule work for you. 'My mindset is now, "What is going to work for me right now?" And that wisdom of knowing that it's probably not going to work for the rest of my life, and being open to trying out different types of schedules, switching it around when I need to, and being more flexible with my schedule.' – Julia Smith Look at your Canadian private practice schedule. Is there something new that you can try? Explore, try another way, and do differently? Have fun with it! Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 45: How to Deal with Setbacks in Canadian Private Practice Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Dealing With Setbacks in Canadian Private Practice | Ep 45 | 02 Nov 2022 | 00:22:49 | |
Are you daydreaming about a life that you want for yourself, personally and professionally? What's been on your mind to try out? Is there something still nagging you that is asking for your attention? If you are putting off exploring your dreams – why? The sooner you can explore the outlines of the possibilities for your dreams, the sooner you can get started on creating them. In this podcast, I share my recent experiences, and a cautionary tale. Learn from me, take away what resonates, and I hope that it inspires you to take action. In This Episode:
Testing out my idea I had been mulling over the idea of taking my private practice out on the road and becoming a digital nomad counsellor for a couple of years. And so, I finally decided to try it out! 'The first thing that I knew I needed to do was to travel a little bit and see if I could work in different places besides my mom's place in Ontario! … it was going to be a lovely trip of visiting friends and family in BC while working at the same time to see if I could do that.' – Julia Smith I loved it! Mixing vacation time with work time made those weeks special, and helped to ground me in the days that I was working. I managed to find a rhythm, and I stuck to it, which allowed me to work during the week and relax on weekends. What I Realized One important thing that I realized was that I missed my personal space. I sometimes struggled to sleep well or didn't have a lot of privacy, which could impact my work. 'It was still a little nerve-wracking and I was like, "Hmm, it would be nice to have my own space and be able to travel, too" … so, coming away from that trip, it was confirmed to me that I really love to travel and work … and that I also ideally would like my own space when I am travelling.' – Julia Smith The dream! However, I soon discovered that this dream would not be as possible as I had first imagined because of the financial aspect. I knew I wanted to hire a professional to construct the van – as after building a fully operational virtual counselling and consulting business, I've done my building dues! – so I had a meeting with a van building company, and unfortunately, the prices were beyond my scope. Learn from my experience Time will pass either way, so the sooner you can take action to figure out what is truly possible with your time, money, and energy, the sooner you can get to working on your dreams and bringing them to fruition without too much redirection down the line. Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Ep 44: Alison Pidgeon: Turn Your Passion into Another Business Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Listen to my episode with Jara Dekker about Being a Digital Nomad Therapist | EP 21 Listen to my episode with Tara Scullion about Canadian Private Practice Insurance | EP 30 Check out StarLink Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Alison Pidgeon: Turn Your Passion Into Another Business | Ep 44 | 26 Oct 2022 | 00:45:48 | |
Do you have ideas that you want to explore within the mental health field that lies outside of the therapy room? Or do you have one great idea that you want to try out? Or do you have a passion that you want to try to monetize while growing your private practice? Whatever is on your mind, or wherever you are in your Canadian private practice and professional business journey, in this podcast episode I chat with Alison about her extensive experience with building multiple businesses. From starting her group practice to creatings side hustles, we discuss contractors versus employees, your passions, and finding your "why". MEET ALISON PIDGEON Alison Pidgeon, LPC is the founder and CEO of Move Forward Counseling LLC, a large group practice in Lancaster, PA. Alison is a serial entrepreneur, having started several different businesses all related to mental health. In her free time, she drives her three kids to soccer practice in her minivan. Learn more about Alison on her LinkedIn profile, Thera-Suite, and virtual assistant websites. In this episode:
Develop and expand your reach If you have passions outside of therapy but within the mental health sphere, and you want to expand your income, then you should consider creating different small businesses. Not only do they help you to develop your professional and personal repertoire, but they can also provide extra income. The secret to starting additional businesses? Become a great delegator. Find your why Apart from being a fantastic delegator, make sure that this new small business is still something that you can see yourself enjoying for a long period. 'Every business is going to go through its ups and downs and if you don't have the passion for it, you know, the downs are going to be even worse and you're not going to make it very long.' – Alison Pidgeon Genuinely liking what you do is an important aspect of a successful business. This is where it becomes necessary to "find your why" because it will help to direct your efforts and sustain your passion even when it becomes challenging. '[Find] your why. Why you're doing it and making sure that it's pretty solid and that there's definitely some heart in it [because it] will help get you through those tough times.' – Julia Smith Sit with your ideas If you have lots of ideas and don't know where to start – or you just have a plan and want to make it work, then clear some time to really sit with this idea and be curious about its every aspect. Is your idea scalable? Is it sellable? Is it sustainable? Consider these aspects before you start to invest your time, energy, and money into bringing it to fruition. Alison's advice to Canadian private practitioners Be mindful of technological experimentation. There are a lot of rewards to be found between technology and mental health, but make sure to do it ethically and within your scope of expertise. The mental healthcare industry is on the precipice of a revolution, and if this interests you, then think creatively and consider how you can combine the efficiency of technology with the benefits of therapy. Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 43: Claire Blakey: Creating a Sustainable Canadian Private Practice | EP 43 Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Get your SEO optimized with Simplified SEO Consulting Read more about Joe Sanok's book Thursday is the New Friday Read more about Gino Wickman's book Traction Listen to my episode with Nicole McCance about The Benefits of Automizing Your Canadian private practice Learn more about Alison Pidgeon through Move Forward Virtual Assistant, Thera-Suite, LinkedIn, and her counselling practice website. Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Rachel Brennan: Keeping Connection in an Online Group Practice | Ep 169 | 09 Jul 2025 | 00:27:01 | |
Do you run a Canadian group private practice? Are you mostly (or all) online? It can be tricky to maintain the community feeling of an online group practice, especially with a few therapists and employees, and especially if community is one of your business values. However, it doesn't mean it's impossible! My guest today, Rachel, and I discuss how to incorporate different systems in private practice to maintain a sense of community and connection, as well as how to be authentic in your marketing and in the work your practice puts out into the community. MEET RACHEL Rachel Brennan is an Ontario-based Registered Psychotherapist and the founder of Eras Therapy & Wellness, a Canadian virtual group private practice. She has a clinical focus on childhood and relational trauma, as well as anxiety, self-esteem, and body image issues. Based in Toronto, Rachel is passionate about offering high-quality, authentic, and human-centered therapy that prioritizes genuine connection and emotional safety. Outside the therapy room, she can often be found adventuring with her two rescue dogs or planning her next trip across the globe. Learn more about Rachel on her practice website, Psychology Today, and Instagram profiles. In this episode:
Why Rachel became a therapist Rachel first completed two years of medical school, because it was her first plan. However, due to developing a brain injury and chronic illnesses, she decided to pivot her life. Starting her private practice Rachel was dedicated to opening up her Canadian private practice even while she was still completing her Master's degree. After graduating, Rachel jumped into private practice and has not looked back since! Her private practice is currently totally virtual, and even though it works very well for her and her team now, she may open up a physical office space in the future. Turning the practice into a group Rachel hired her first associate, who still works within her practice, and registered her practice as a practicum site so that she can take in students as well. She collaborates with supervisors who work with her and the students. Rachel is taking it slow and checking in with herself and her team to make sure the practice is growing sustainably. Maintaining the connection in an online group practice There are a few things that Rachel and her team do to make sure that the sense of community within the group practice is nourished and maintained, especially since they all work online. There are:
Rachel's group practice also uses Jane App for their bookings, and it's a lifesaver. 'I feel like I could not do this without Jane, honestly! It makes everything so easy … They're always making improvements too, I've had no issues with video call quality or anything like that.' - Rachel Brennan Advice to listeners Do what feels authentic and organic for you when it comes to marketing to put your best foot forward. Also, immerse yourself in what you want! For example, surround yourself with people who have private practices when you want to build one yourself. Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 168: Dakota Grass: Life as a New Canadian Private Practice Owner | EP 168 Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Get some help and freebies on your website with WordPress! Learn more about Rachel on her practice website, Psychology Today, and Instagram profiles Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn
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| Claire Blakey: Creating a Sustainable Canadian Private Practice | Ep 43 | 19 Oct 2022 | 00:43:55 | |
Do you have a team that supports you in your private practice? Are there other passions in your life that you want to pursue alongside being a therapist? What does it take to create a sustainably successful Canadian private practice? Passive income and diversifying your income streams is not only a good financial decision for your business, but it also supports you because it provides an outlet for you to explore and develop your hobbies outside of therapy, which can make you a happier and a more successful therapist. Claire Blakey and I discuss the pros (and some cons) to passive income, and how you can approach this new avenue to make the most of it. MEET CLAIRE BLAKEY Claire Blakey, MA, LMFT, PMH-C is a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice in Santa Barbara, CA. She is the founder of The Flourishing Therapreneur and is passionate about empowering therapists in business and entrepreneurship. Learn more about Claire on her website and Instagram profile and podcast and practice website. In this episode:
Consider a team approach to business As the therapist, there are many things that only you can do. But, as the business owner, there are many aspects to business which can be outsourced to better support you. By outsourcing some jobs, hiring a team, and surrounding yourself with competent people that can learn and practice the skills outside of the therapy realm you operate in, you can grow your Canadian private practice while also being a therapist. Create a sustainable Canadian private practice One of the first steps to creating your Canadian private practice in a sustainable way is to address and unlearn the old behaviours and patterns about what therapy and practices "should" look like. Are the belief systems that you operate your business from sustaining you in your pursuit of your goals and dreams? If not, then consider doing a deep dive to remove them, and replace them with ones that do. Your Canadian private practice may be at risk if you:
Claire's marketing advice Niche in on yourself the same way that you niche in on your ideal clients. Get clear on who you are, who you serve, and how you help them. Speak directly to your ideal client and focus on three topics or issues that they are currently going through. If you notice a trend in your client sessions where many of your clients are struggling with similar issues, use that as a link to further connect with more ideal clients. Diversify your income Creating passive income and diversifying your income streams is another pillar to creating a sustainable Canadian private practice. Even though you are a therapist, you are also a human being, and human beings are multi-passionate. There may be things that you love to do, or can do, that could generate income that supports you while allowing you to develop different aspects of yourself by exploring new hobbies outside of providing therapy. Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 42: Alison McCleary: Navigating the Journey from Studying to Practicing Therapy | EP 42 Listen to my podcast episode with Helen and Gabbi about working with your principles in your practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Learn more about Claire Blakey on her website, Podcast, Facebook, and Instagram profile Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||
| Alison McCleary: Navigating the Journey From Studying to Practicing Therapy| Ep 42 | 12 Oct 2022 | 00:46:28 | |
Are you working with your passions? How can you find a bridge between what you like to do and what you need to do? Could you develop a small avenue of passive income in your Canadian private practice? The road from being a student to a therapist is long with many twists, turns, and brave steps! Imagining your future Canadian private practice may feel very far away while you are in grad school or finishing your dissertation, but you can take small steps now to make that transition easier for yourself – and more successful for your future business! From finishing your studies to taking the first, small steps to building your new, sustainable Canadian private practice, I discuss this journey with Alison McCleary and the lessons that she has learned. MEET ALISON McCLEARY Alison is co-host of the Edge of the Couch podcast, has a passion for working in rural communities in Canada, and absolutely loves talking about therapy! She has run her private practice for 7 years and has learned a lot of important lessons along the way. Alison is currently completing her doctorate in clinical psychology and is excited about stepping into a brand new role soon. Learn more about Alison on her private practice website. In this episode:
Work with your passions Therapy is a diverse world, and you go through a lot of learning and doing from when you start studying to working with clients. You may have to find a bridge between all the different components within the diverse world of therapy by connecting your passions with what has to be done. For Alison, that meant doing a Psy.D (Doctor of Psychology) so that she could help even more in her community of Terrace, BC. Offering group sessions Group therapy – like any other modality – has pros and cons, but it does yield unique and healing results. Often the therapist is mostly a facilitator and holds the space while the individuals bring things to the surface and explore them together. Group sessions are often more attractive to clients in a broader, more densely populated town or city in comparison to smaller, more rural towns. Creating passive income Do you enjoy creating and launching workshops? In the future, you could publish recordings of your workshops onto your website as short courses or packages that intrigued clients can purchase for a small fee, earning you some small passive income. Build your Canadian private practice sustainably from the beginning One of Alison's biggest lessons on her private practice journey is about the importance of creating and growing the business sustainably from the get-go. 'It's so much easier to start small and say, "I'm only going to do four [clients] a day", and see how it feels. Maybe you become a person [that] can do six [clients] a day, but if you start at six and you realise you can only do four … and that's much harder to do.' – Alison McCleary Julia recommends to go slow and steady instead of jumping straight in. You can slowly add new clients, delegate tasks, raise your rates, and expand your marketing efforts for the best efforts. So, start small and build and have check-ins with yourself often. Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 41: Gabbi and Helen: Bring Your Principles Into Your Canadian Private Practice | EP 41 Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Listen to Alison's the Edge of the Couch podcast, follow their Instagram account, and learn more about her private practice via the website and Instagram. Explore Contrapoints on YouTube to learn more! Create an OpenPath account for your therapy today Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn. | |||
| Gabbi and Helen: Bring Your Principles Into Your Canadian Private Practice | Ep 41 | 05 Oct 2022 | 00:52:14 | |
The work that you do and the services that you provide to your clients are often magnified when you work within your expertise and when you incorporate your principles. Your past experience and values will shine through in your Canadian private practice and marketing efforts, and when you openly center your practice around what matters to you, you can automatically attract your ideal clients! In this podcast episode, I speak with Gabbi and Helen about how they were able to quickly launch and grow their Canadian private practice, and how betting on their principles helped them to do so. MEET GABBI AND HELEN Gabbi and Helen are registered social workers who specialize in providing therapeutic interventions to individuals, couples, and families going through separation and divorce. For over 20 years they worked with complex family units that experience trauma and separation. Now in private practice, the focus of intervention is designed to be client focused with the fundamental scope of service being to ensure parents maintain a healthy relationship with their children. Learn more about Gabbi and Helen on their practice's Facebook profile and LinkedIn. In this episode:
Bet on your principles Whether the pandemic forced you to go virtual or you decided to move your business online due to a desire for change or efficiency, there may be some growing pains in becoming accustomed to providing services and running your business online. Wherever you are in your Canadian private practice evolution, bet on your principles. Make informed decisions regarding your private practice that are based on your skill set, your values, and the need that you want to serve in your community that's within your niche. Work in your area of expertise You can do the best work when you provide mental health services and therapy from your Canadian private practice when you work within your area of expertise – and the niche that you enjoy working with! If you have not specialized in treating and working with clients that struggle with eating disorders, then refer them out, and stick to your niche. Work with your strengths, because then you are better able to help people while enjoying the work that you do. Bring your values into your marketing Gabbi and Helen provide therapy and services for their clients from a place of compassion, but also from a place of experience. They use this approach – this genuine empathy – to show potential clients in their marketing efforts that they truly can help them and provide the necessary support. You can have an idea of what your niche is, but through the process of creating your business and marketing efforts, your values and focus will help showcase what it is that you do, and how you can offer help to your clients. Develop your network Start with who you know and go from there. Within your niche, from fellow Canadian private practice owners to other businesses that work with your ideal clients, make connections with other people and see what is needed. Are there needs that need to be filled? Can you fulfill them, and how? While you work on your relationships, continue to work on your marketing because they go hand-in-hand. Consider creating:
Connect with me: Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 40: Victoria Rodriguez: The Surprising Benefits of Offering In-Home Therapy Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free) Learn more about Helen and Gabbi's practice on Facebook, LinkedIn, and their website. Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn | |||