6 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Canadian Private Practice | Ep 203
Release Date: 10/07/2026
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_outlineStarting 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
-
Underestimating privacy/security needs for a Canadian practice
-
Setting policies too late
-
Not blocking out consistent admin time
-
Growing before your foundations are stable
Waiting for perfect clarity before launching
The cost of waiting for perfect clarity can be months of delay in launching your practice, which can lead to lost revenue and delays in building up your clientele base.
That’s why I love using WordPress. It gives you everything you need to start your website. With its built-in optimization and responsive, mobile-ready themes, there’s no limit to who you can reach with your new website. No matter the size of your budget, WordPress has a plan that’s right for you!
Using US advice without adapting to Canada
‘Sometimes, [US-based advice] does not apply in Canada or in your province, so you want to make sure you are listening to Canadian content like this podcast! Or other Canadian podcasts, or Canadian websites talking about private practice in Canada.’ - Jules Smith
For example, many provinces require all healthcare data to be stored on Canadian servers. So, if you have been only listening to US-based advice, you may have accidentally purchased a subscription to a US-based private practice management system, which could place you in some hot water!
I highly recommend using JaneApp for a Canadian practice management system. Jane offers online booking, charting, scheduling, secure video, and invoicing on one secure, beautifully designed system. It makes admin a breeze and maintains an effective workflow.
Underestimating privacy/security needs for a Canadian practice
To send secure emails and keep my communication safe, I use and recommend Hushmail.
Hushmail protects your clients by adding encryption to your emails, web forms, and e-signatures. It’s secure, PIPEDA-compliant, and trusted by healthcare professionals worldwide. Plus, all of their servers are in Canada!
Additionally, consider Nord VPN. It helps protect your internet connection and privacy online when working. VPN stands for “virtual private network,” and it creates an encrypted tunnel for your data, protects your online identity by hiding your IP address, and allows you to use public Wi-Fi hotspots safely.
Setting policies too late
While it is true that you don’t need everything to be perfect before launching your private practice, setting up your policies before you launch is essential.
I know this can be a lot to research, think about, and write. So, you can always purchase my Fearless Practice Scripts that go over all of those policies. You can edit and discuss them with your attorney before publishing them for your practice’s launch.
Not blocking out consistent admin time
I highly recommend reserving admin time and completing it between sessions. If you don’t stay on top of your admin, it can lead to chronic stress, not being present with clients, and feeling overwhelmed.
Growing before your foundations are stable
Sometimes you want a group private practice right away, so you start hiring therapists within the first couple of months of starting your private practice.
While some therapists may pull it off, for most therapists, this rapid growth pace may lead to burnout and overwhelm, and even risk associate or client dissatisfaction.
Connect with me:
Resources mentioned and useful links:
Katie McLean: Combining Two Master’s Degrees into One Practice | EP 202
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!
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