Fearless Practice

Today we are celebrating that Registered Counselling Therapists and Registered Psychotherapists no longer have to charge tax! There are decades of work behind the scenes to bring this to fruition, so it is a big deal! Thank you to the CCPA for making this happen! In this podcast episode, I'll give you all the information about what this means and what you should do next so that you're in the loop...

Do you have a community of clients, peers, or professionals that you work alongside? How can communities open up new opportunities? Have you considered starting a community that isn't focused solely on sales?  Community is a bit of a buzzword in marketing and private practice these days, but it's still truly valuable and a worthwhile investment to make.  In this podcast episode, I chat with Destin...

It can be easy to get caught up in looking at everyone else's journey when instead it's important to focus on your own. When you take private practice at your own pace, and when you incorporate your talents and passions and allow yourself to be guided from one spot to the next, you can more easily find your way in private practice instead of trying to do what everyone else has done with theirs.  I...

As many therapists may have experienced with their practices, there's usually a summer slump. Everybody is either away on vacation or taking time off work, and as such their schedules have changed, albeit temporarily, and this can make it challenging for therapists to maintain their usual steady stream of clients.  More than that, you also want a holiday! It's important for everyone, including the...

In the beginning of starting a new practice, being a generalist seems like a good idea, especially when you want to welcome clients through the door and the idea of turning away new potential clients seems counterintuitive. However, niching down is not only helpful regarding your marketing or your skill set: niching down is also important for you! It helps you to enjoy your everyday work instead o...

With private practice, Christina, our guest today, went through a challenging experience and found it difficult herself to find the therapy that she needed. When she registered as a social worker and later as a perinatal therapist, she knew that she wanted to fill the niche in the market by serving the families in her community.  Today, we discuss her journey into social work, her time working at...

For many Canadian therapists, the trajectory seems to be that once you start getting full with clients that you should open a group private practice.  However, if you blindly consider opening a group private practice without evaluating whether or not it is truly something that you want, then you may end up in a very stressful situation, feeling burned out and confused as to how this happened!  The...

Celissa and Melissa noticed the clear need for mental health services in Ontario over the pandemic, and decided to team up to put their expertise and skills to use to serve the community.  As a team, Celissa and Melissa were able to balance starting a practice between the two of them while continuing their social work positions that they love. Their Canadian private practice has now grown into a s...

Sometimes people can feel nervous to start their careers since they don't know where it will end up. We may feel like we need to know exactly how the journey will look before we head towards a new destination.  In this podcast episode, Kelly and I discuss how she had no intention of working in psychotherapy initially after grad school, but found her way there. She discovered more of what she loved...

We always hear about "optimization", and to the extent that many folks may be influenced to outsource everything possible so that they have more free time.  But imagine this; if you had all this extra free time, after the time to rest, exercise, and spend time with loved ones, what would you be doing? If you had more free time and the mental capacity for tasks that you enjoy, what would they be? ...

Many therapists may feel daunted by the idea of returning to school to get their masters or a PhD, especially after they have settled into their adult lives. However, it truly is never too late!  If you have a desire to take your Canadian private practice to the next level, or you feel frustrated working on someone else's schedule, and you desire more professional autonomy, taking a step forward w...

As the saying goes; "the only constant thing is change", and it's true for Canadian private practices too. Sometimes you will set up a system that works well, but after months or years the practice has changed, and so the systems need to be updated.  Or, the offering that you used to love doing with your clients is no longer something that used to light your spark - because you've most likely chan...

Do you feel pressured to always be scaling and growing your Canadian private practice? In modern business, the idea is usually to push growth - but that's not always the case! Sometimes not growing can also help private practice.  Every now and then you need to intentionally stop growing and instead focus on the foundations of your private practice, so that any future growth down the line actually...

Do you sometimes feel lonely working as a therapist? Do you have an online practice, and sometimes wish you could chat with a colleague between sessions to let off some steam or to get an ethical second opinion? How do you deal with isolation as an online therapist?  Working as a therapist can be an isolating experience in and of itself, since you can't talk about the details of your work with fri...

Have you ever been to a counselling conference? Are you considering going to one this year for the first time, or are you a regular attendee?  Whether you are more introverted or an extrovert, conferences offer spaces for both! Not just quiet workshops or long tables filled with fascinating people, but also where you can learn and develop your skills as a professional while enjoying time spent wit...

Many counsellors may enter into private practice without expecting to open it into a group practice, since it can be a journey that develops as you explore your niche, assess the needs of your community, and as you develop as a person. However, if you find yourself on the entrepreneurial path, don't doubt that it can work! Even though many counsellors are not taught business skills in school, they...

There are many different ways in which you can instill and live out the values that you have founded your Canadian private practice on.  For Courtney, the value of community is a driving factor that positively impacts the work that she and her colleagues do. So much so, that her private practice offers a scholarship for students doing their bachelors in social work or psychology!  In this podcast...

Building a practice is a tricky task because we know that it is going to be difficult sometimes. The question is, when have we gone too far and are perhaps risking burnout? It can feel difficult to maintain your personal and professional boundaries when you are the boss and things depend on you, but in essence, your business does depend on you, so it's important to take care of yourself.  Whether...

Jasmine is a great example of; working to live, not living to work. You do not have to grow your business exponentially just because you can. If you are doing well in your Canadian private practice, but the idea of owning a huge business is daunting to you - you don't have to take it that far!  One of the ways of building a truly successful business that serves your clients - and you - is to struc...

How can you market your practice successfully in a big city? Do you have a specific niche that you want to figure out how to use well to connect with your best-fit client? Are you on the verge of considering to open two practices? Everyone talks about niching down, but it's always helpful to speak to someone that did it and made it work well!  In this podcast episode, Imogen and I discuss the entr...

When we want to do something really well, we may pick one path and stick to it, but hyperfocusing can cause us to develop blind spots to where we could improve. Sometimes there is success and new possibilities available to you when you try new things, diversify your approach, and look at things differently - without a fear of failure!  There are multiple ways of helping  your community, creating s...

Do you know some of the sweet spots to streamline your business processes? Is your Canadian private practice set up to support you, while you support your clients? Are you looking for some tips and tools that you can use to simplify your practice needs?  There are so many different platforms and apps out there that it can seem overwhelming. If you are looking for some guidance and advice from live...

A lot of counsellors may start private practices because they want flexibility and autonomy in their professional lives, as well as for the fact that they have noticed a direct need that they feel passionate about serving. Marlee, today's guest, decided to go into private practice for those reasons. In this podcast episode, Marlee and I discuss private practice, supporting mental health practition...

Are you having trouble deciding on a starting rate for your private practice?  There are so many ways to figure out how to start off. For example, your college or association may have a recommendation, or basing your rate on what other therapists are charging in your area - but these guidelines may not be enough to allow you to be profitable!  You may need to look at your budget to know where to s...

As a Canadian therapist, one of the things that you know needs to get done is to build a website. It's part of the deal of being a business owner, and having a great website is the cornerstone of being seen by your local community and getting your Canadian private practice noticed.  I think everyone has one or two horror stories about trying to get everything up and running when you are launching...