Katie McLean: Combining Two Master’s Degrees Into One Practice | Ep 202
Release Date: 09/30/2026
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_outlineSome 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.
MEET KATIE
Katie is a Registered Provisional Psychologist in Calgary with a "just do it" attitude. She launched her private practice in November 2025 and has a bustling practice focusing on ADHD, Anxiety, OCD, and perinatal care. She is also the co-host of the Happiness of the Commons Podcast.
Learn more about Katie on her private practice website, Psychology Today, Instagram accounts, and podcast.
In this episode:
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Why Katie decided to start a private practice
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Registering as a Psychologist
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Completing two Master’s degrees: Teaching and Psychology
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Marketing the practice
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Why Jane App makes private practice easier
Why Katie decided to start a private practice
While Katie loved working at a group practice initially for her provisional hours, once she was qualified and certified, she wanted to open her own Canadian private practice.
Ultimately, for Katie, opening her own private practice meant two things: bringing more income home and having more freedom in her schedule.
Registering as a Psychologist
In Alberta, you can register as a psychologist with only a Master’s degree: you go through a provisional period, which includes 1600 hours working under supervision with a registered psychologist.
Once Katie’s hours are completed, she won’t have to pay for supervision any longer. She also has her Master’s in Education, so Katie explains that she’d like to teach.
Completing two Master’s degrees: Teaching and Psychology
Katie has always had a passion for psychology, so she completed her undergraduate degree in psychology. While studying, she worked in student affairs for some time, which included leadership, mentorship, and event planning, and it was something she really loved.
Initially, Katie applied to complete her Master’s of Education in Counselling. Unfortunately, she wasn’t accepted into that course, but she was accepted into a Master’s of Education in Teaching and Learning because, at that time, she was working in higher education. However, later on she was accepted to complete her Master’s in Counselling Psychology.
It was back-to-back Master’s degrees, and Katie took six months off of school afterwards!
Marketing the practice
Now, Katie’s practice is full, and her biggest and most successful marketing strategy has been networking.
Katie puts a lot of effort into networking with therapists adjacent to her practice, because she knows that when the relationship is strong and solid, people trust and depend on each other, and can easily send referrals between practices.
Why Jane App makes private practice easier
Katie lists plenty of the reasons why she enjoys using Jane App in her private practice and encourages listeners to do the same:
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Clients can book sessions online directly, including a series of appointments a few weeks in advance
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Clients can also book many sessions in advance and can cancel one if they need to at least 24 hours before the session is due to begin
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Billing is incredibly easy
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Taxes are easy to manage
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All data is centralized in one spot
Katie’s advice to listeners
Private practice is not impossible. There are challenges, but it can be done. Don’t underestimate it, but you don’t need to overestimate it either: with a good mentor or membership community, you can definitely open your own practice!
Connect with me:
Resources mentioned and useful links:
Sandra Karlin: From Tech to Therapist in Private Practice | EP 201
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 started with Hushmail here and get one month for free!
Learn more about Katie on her collective practice website, private practice website, Psychology Today, Instagram account, and podcast
Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn