Fearless Practice

Building a meaningful practice often starts with a personal story, and grows through courage, creativity, and a commitment to helping others.  In this episode, I talk with Paula Gonzalez. We discuss her journey into mental health, which was shaped by both her background and lived experience, and how it led her from community work to launching and scaling her own private practice.  From navigating...

Growth rarely happens by accident because it's built through intention, care, and a willingness to evolve. In this episode of my mini-series "Where Are They Now?", Amber Sperling reflects on the journey of expanding her practice from a single basement setup to a thriving, multi-location space rooted in accessibility and community care.  Amber and I first spoke on the podcast in 2023! To get the fu...

We're revisiting episode 7: How I Developed a Marketing Strategy for My Private Practice — Networking. In this encore episode, I share the networking strategies I used when I started my practice in Halifax almost 10 years ago, including my first outreach system, why a personal touch like a thank-you card matters, and the biggest lesson I learned. You can find the show notes to the original episode...

If you have been listening to recent episodes of the Fearless Practice Podcast, you know that there are many ways to market your private practice, and that in a saturated market, you really need to make the effort to stand out! However, this can be really tough for the more introverted therapists, especially if you prefer doing offline marketing. In this podcast episode, I sketch out a few ideas w...

How do you get the word out about your private practice in your local community organically, and in a way that shows you really care about your clients? Do you really need a Psychology Today profile? How can you build a space for creativity to flourish? These are some of the questions that my guest today, Taylor, has asked herself throughout her journey so far in Canadian private practice. Upon di...

Sonya joined a life drawing class as a participant over 15 years ago. Little did she know at the time that this decision would end up leading her to hosting her own art sessions, taking it in a sexually inclusive and explorative angle, and later become a sex therapist who completed her Master's in her 40s and now runs her own (mostly) virtual private practice. As you can see, she has a unique stor...

After 10 years of working as a Registered Psychologist and dabbling initially in private practice, Dr. Anusha Kassan and her cofounder, Alyssa Hasham, purchased and freshened up an already existing Canadian private practice. With creativity, passion, and drive, they have developed the space into a community that they share with other clinicians to thrive in.  In this podcast episode, Anusha and I...

In this first installment of my series, "Where Are They Now?", I'll be interviewing past Canadian therapists that I've had on the show to see how their private practice is doing. Today, I'm checking in with Christina Page! Tune in to gain extra insight into where she was when we first spoke, and see the progress she has made!  We discuss the surprising discoveries she has made along the way, the d...

Have you ever felt the need to choose between non-profit and private practice? Is it possible to do both? My guest today, Tina, has found a way to do so! She believes in sustainability, both in business and her personal life. For Tina, being able to offer her services in the non-profit sector helps her to make sure her expertise is available to people who need the support but can't easily afford i...

Can siblings work well together? How do family-led businesses run in the mental health space? Sisters Debora and Nadia both experienced the same childhood trauma, which sparked an interest in mental health for them from a young age.  While they went their separate ways for a few years to study and pursue their careers, their paths have converged again in opening a private practice as co-founders! ...

Are you a telehealth therapist? Do you see most of your clients virtually? As a fully remote Canadian private practice owner, I have done lots of trial and error to find the daily routine that works for me, helps me prevent burnout, and allows me to feel recentered between each client. Of course, there are some days when I need to change things up, but now I have found a system for taking breaks t...

As a Canadian therapist in private practice, you are probably often needing to send and receive sensitive, private information. How often have you worried about these documents' security and safety? What should you do to secure email communications and keep unnecessary stress at bay?  This is where Hushmail comes to the rescue. For less than $20 CAD per month, you can completely insure, assure, an...

Have you ever felt a persistent pull toward work that feels more aligned with who you are, even when it means leaving something secure behind? Regan had the same feeling, and made the decision to lead a Canadian private practice with fellow colleagues that was built on their shared values.  In this episode, Regan and I talk about her non-linear journey into therapy. We explore how she and her prac...

Have you ever found yourself loving the work of therapy, but feeling frustrated by systems that make it difficult for your clients to receive the help they need? Dana reached that crossroads and made a brave, intentional leap toward a practice that supports both her clinical values and her personal well-being. In this podcast episode, Dana and I talk about her path into psychotherapy, and what it...

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: Instagram Website   Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Jennifer Bonill...

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 pra...

We're bringing back Episode 157: Affordable Ways to Start a Canadian Private Practice in 2025 for an encore. Whether you missed it the first time or need a refresher, this episode is packed with practical tips to help you launch your practice without breaking the bank. You can find the show notes to the original episode here . Connect with me: Instagram Website    Resources Mentioned and Useful Li...

This is a very special episode: my ninth annual yearly review!  In this episode, I share insights into how my Canadian private practice has been going this year. Including the significant changes that have occurred, how their impacts landed, and where we are going from here … into Year 10 in 2026!  Thank you to my listeners for being on this path alongside me. I'm so excited for another great year...

Have you ever had a therapy experience so powerful that it clarified exactly how you want to help others? Has a specific modality inspired your niche in private practice? That's exactly what happened to Grace Kim, whose experience shaped her path as a Canadian private practice therapist.  Once she experienced EMDR therapy, Grace changed her career path, and the journey that she's taken has been no...

Third time's the charm sometimes, and it was the case for Alexina! She had to be persistent and resilient, and was able to find a way through financial troubles to finish her Master's degree and start her own solo Canadian private practice.  In this podcast episode, we discuss why she chose to go solo rather than join an already-existing group practice and how she got to where she is today.  If yo...

Everyone comes to private practice from different paths, but there can be a common thread between them: wanting to help others.  For my guest today, Alison, she had a very personal experience of becoming a mother, and noticed that there was a gap in the market wherein many new parents needed pre- and peri-natal support. This sparked a passion project to fill that need and spread support, ultimatel...

Do you own a Canadian private practice and are finding it hard to attract clients? Have you found yourself with your head in your hands, trying to figure out how to stand out and get noticed?  Over the last few months, I've been tweaking my marketing strategies to test what works and what doesn't, and along the way, I have found some helpful results.  In the following podcast episode, I'll be shar...

It is Marta's third career shift, becoming a psychotherapist, after 20 years in healthcare and having worked in academia before! Across this wide career and lived experience, she knew that she wanted to bring it all into her work in her private practice.  Additionally, Marta had been helped by many people when she was getting started, which is what encouraged her to pay it forward by offering supe...

Are you currently building out your Canadian practice and unsure of how to grow? Or, are you growing your family and having children? How do you manage these two types of growth as a business partner and new parent?  In this episode, my guest Kayleen talks about how she places community above competition. We discuss how her value-driven approach to running her practice brought back most of her int...

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 w...