Alexina Picard: Starting a Private Practice After Graduation | Ep 178
Release Date: 10/22/2025
Maria Tsoukalas: From Forensic Assessments to Nomadic Therapy | Ep 204
Fearless Practice
Is there something you have been wanting to try in your Canadian private practice, but you’re unsure of how to approach it? Could you be waiting for permission to be creative? Well, here you have it! Maria pivoted her career from working as a forensic psychologist in prison systems and other group practices when she sat down with herself and was honest about chasing her goals: she wanted to travel the world while seeing her clients virtually. She figured it out, kept her clients at the center of her itinerary (including her interests), and found a way to bring her goal and dream...
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6 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Canadian Private Practice | Ep 203
Fearless Practice
Starting a Canadian private practice can be such an exciting time in your life, but also very overwhelming! This means that sometimes things can get missed, or too much time can be spent on one task, running the risk of other important steps falling through the cracks. In private practice, anything missing could have serious consequences! It is important to be thorough. So, I thought it would be helpful to share a couple of common mistakes and how to avoid them! In this episode: Waiting for perfect clarity before launching Using US advice without adapting to Canada ...
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Katie McLean: Combining Two Master’s Degrees Into One Practice | Ep 202
Fearless Practice
Some doors close so that others can open: when Katie didn’t get accepted into the original Master’s Education in Counselling program she wanted, it was disappointing. However, she ended up following another piece of her passion, and got her Master’s in Teaching and Education. Then, once she had graduated, she pursued her second Master’s in Counselling Psychology, achieving the degree she was initially looking for! Today, Katie runs her fully booked private practice where she combines her passion for education and psychology into one. Join us today as we discuss how...
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Sandra Karlin: From Tech to Therapist in Private Practice | Ep 201
Fearless Practice
Our paths can change in ways that we may not easily foresee. While Sandra was someone who always knew that she liked and wanted to help people, she only became a therapist later on in life: her first career was in tech! It was only after she completed her Master’s degree - studying part-time while working in the Canadian tech hub - that she pivoted her career, starting both from scratch and in a new industry in counselling. Over the last three years, Sandra has graduated, started, and grown her private practice from solo to group, and become a new mom. In this episode, we cover...
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My Biggest Takeaways From 200 Podcast Episodes! | Ep 200
Fearless Practice
This is an amazing milestone: I had no idea back in 2022 that the Fearless Practice Podcast would grow so big, and that I would still be here recording in 2026! Of course, I could not have done this by myself. Thank you to Jane App, my podcast department team, and you, the audience. You are as much a part of this team as we are, and your listenership helps us develop and continue publishing new episodes. In celebration of this milestone we’ve all achieved together, I’m sharing eight of my biggest takeaways from this journey with you. In this episode: The path is...
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Nicole Lobo: From Group Practice Back to Solo | Ep 199
Fearless Practice
What happens when the practice you worked so hard to build no longer fits the season of life you’re in? How do you know when it’s time to grow, and when it’s time to simplify? In another installment from my mini-series, “Where are they now?” I’m chatting with ! In this episode, Nicole returns to the podcast to reflect on how her practice has evolved over the last three years, why she transitioned from group practice back to solo work, and how motherhood reshaped her understanding of success, sustainability, and balance. From marketing struggles and wearing too many hats, to...
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Shulamit Ber Levtov: Building a Sustainable Practice Without Losing Yourself | Ep 198
Fearless Practice
Building a business while caring for others can be deeply meaningful work, but it can also come at a cost if your own well-being is left behind. It can be easy to get absorbed in caring for others and accidentally lose focus on your own personal needs in the process. Shulamit experienced this firsthand. In this episode, Shulamit Ber Levtov shares her unconventional path into therapy, from activism, graduating with a Master’s degree at 48, and building a thriving group practice in a rural community. She opens up about the realities of entrepreneurship, the mental health...
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Paula Gonzalez: From Purpose to Practice and Scaling With Intention | Ep 197
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 the early days of going solo during COVID to building a supportive group practice, Paula offers an honest look at growth, purpose, and the systems that make it all sustainable. Join us for a...
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Amber Sperling: Three Years of Private Practice Growth | Ep 196
Fearless Practice
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 full experience of the there-and-now conversation, you can click here to listen to . In our conversation in this episode, she shares how prioritizing clients over waitlists, investing...
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How I Developed a Marketing Strategy for My Private Practice — Networking | EP 195
Fearless Practice
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 . Connect with me: Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: Sign up for my free e-course on Learn more about the that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free...
info_outlineThird 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 you’d like some tips, advice, or just a good story of resilience from a fellow therapist, give this episode a listen!
MEET ALEXINA
Alexina is a Registered Clinical Counsellor practicing in North Vancouver, BC. She opened her solo private practice 4 months ago, immediately upon registration with the BCACC, something she had never imagined she would do. Alexina has over 10 years of healthcare and mental health experience, from pharmacy assistant to the past Executive Director of the BC Psychological Association. When she's not working, she’s either watching TV or running the trails on the North Shore.
Learn more about Alexina on her practice website, LinkedIn, and Psychology Today profiles.
In this episode:
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Becoming a therapist
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Why go back to school after working?
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Going into solo private practice
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How the practice is going
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Alexina’s advice to private practitioners
Becoming a therapist
Alexina’s route to working as a therapist was roundabout.
Alexina applied to Yorkville and got in, but couldn’t afford the tuition because she was accepted on such short notice, and didn’t have enough time to sort out student loans and payment plans. She was then suggested to try out Adler University, and that route worked!
Alexina was the Executive Director of BC Psychological Association for two of the four years that she worked there, and it provided her with the financial means to go back and complete her Master’s degree.
Why go back to school after working?
While Alexina enjoyed working as the Executive Director of the BC Psychological Association, she kept her eye on the prize of completing her Master’s degree, and this was partially due to being motivated by the people around her.
Working allowed her the financial freedom to continue with her studies, and the motivation from her colleagues pushed her to return to school and complete her qualification.
Going into solo private practice
From Alexina’s work, she knew about the different options that were available to her. She applied to organization jobs, but didn’t hear back and decided to try reaching out to group practices. However, she ultimately decided not to go with a position in an already-established group practice.
Therefore, Alexina turned towards starting her own Canadian private practice, because she began to think more deeply about the benefits of solo practice.
How the practice is going
Right now, Alexina’s practice is getting off the ground slowly.
‘It’s really difficult when you’re a new practitioner of any kind in the community for people to find out that you exist, unless you’re working with an existing practice or clinic somewhere.’ - Alexina Picard
Alexina’s been working hard to get her practice’s name out there, but she has learned that these things simply take time, no matter how hard you work, and she’s gotten okay with that.
Alexina’s advice to private practitioners
Learn as much as you can yourself. If you need to, consider putting your money to use by hiring a few professionals to set things up instead of spending money trying to do it yourself.
Connect with me:
Resources mentioned and useful links:
Alison Chisholm: Building More Than a Private Practice | EP 177
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 Alexina on her practice website, LinkedIn, and Psychology Today profiles
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