Épisodes

  • Lyba Sultan: From Idea to Private Practice in Canada | Ep 160

    Lyba Sultan: From Idea to Private Practice in Canada | Ep 160
    May 7 2025
    Lyba’s niche, vision, and mission all revolve around authenticity, connection, and community. She uses community in her marketing networks and in the goals that she sets for herself, as well as a guiding principle for her practice to incorporate the future. Having this vision in mind is a great guiding light that can help you keep yourself - and your Canadian private practice - on track toward your dreams. In this podcast episode, Lyba and I talk about her new private practice, how she’s managing working in other practices and agencies while growing her business, and how helpful values are in helping you to build a strong, consistent practice. MEET LYBA Lyba is the founder of The Healing Mosaic, a private practice that integrates eco-somatics to help individuals achieve deep, transformative healing. Her work focuses on building a strong connection between the mind, body, and subtle body, fostering a holistic approach to wellness. Through somatic therapies, Lyba guides clients to become more attuned to their physical sensations, emotions, and energetic states, creating a deeper awareness of their internal world. Learn more about Lyba on her Instagram, LinkedIn, and Psychology Today profiles and website. In this episode: Why Lyba became a therapist Getting into private practice Using the power of community Advice to listeners Why Lyba became a therapist Before Lyba met her therapist, who also had completed her studies at Yorkville as Lyba would later do, she had not thought about becoming a therapist herself. Lyba was interested in mental health but was not yet sure what she wanted to do with it. Lyba explains that she didn’t enjoy academia much as a child during school, but when she was completing her therapy training at Yorkville, she loved it! Getting into private practice Lyba went straight into private practice after graduating. She continued working at the private practice where she had completed her practicum, which made the transition earlier. At the moment, Lyba explains that it is a little chaotic when it comes to trying to balance the schedules and getting overbooked, but it has been good for her. She says that it’s something that works for her because the agency provides stability while she builds up her practice. Marketing the private practice Along with having built her website, Lyba has been exploring different ways of marketing her practice and directing new clients toward it. Lyba uses social media marketing strategies, as well as working with community networks. However, she has found it challenging! But she is making it work with her current schedule as best as possible. Using the power of community Lyba wants to use the power of community in her marketing as much as possible because it connects with her niche, which is to work with highly sensitive people, artists, and creatives. Lyba wants to collaborate with a team in a physical space in the future to bring her mission to fruition in Hamilton, Ontario. She wants to take many steps to get there, but she’s not thinking about a timeline yet. Lyba wants to let things grow organically while balancing her current work obligations. Advice to listeners Slow down, and give yourself breaks. It can be challenging when you start, and give yourself the grace and space to let the progress develop instead of trying to get everything done in a day. It takes time to build a strong and dependable foundation for your practice, so take it slow and steady! Connect with me: Instagram Website Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 159: Mark Pioro: Ontario Psychotherapy Rules and Regulations 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 Lyba on her Instagram, LinkedIn, and Psychology Today profiles and website Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn
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    22 min
  • Mark Pioro: Ontario Psychotherapy Rules and Regulations | Ep 159

    Mark Pioro: Ontario Psychotherapy Rules and Regulations | Ep 159
    Mar 26 2025

    Today, Julia takes another trip down memory lane, revisiting a gem from the Fearless Practice archives. In this encore episode, Julia talks to Mark, the Deputy Registrar and General Counsel at the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) about the rules and regulations that apply to registered psychotherapists in private practice.

    You can find the show notes to the original episode here.

    Connect with me:

    Instagram

    Website

    Resources Mentioned and Useful Links:

    Ep 158: Julia Smith and Jane Donovan: Inside Insight Mental Health Counselling | ep 158

    Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice

    Purchase the workbook on How To Start an Online Canadian Private Practice

    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

    Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn
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    33 min
  • Julia Smith and Jane Donovan: Inside Insight Mental Health Counselling | Ep 158

    Julia Smith and Jane Donovan: Inside Insight Mental Health Counselling | Ep 158
    Mar 19 2025
    In 2016, Julia reached out to Jane in her search for a narrative supervisor. Both of them were drawn to narrative therapy - Jane already having many years of experience with the modality, and agreed to be Julia’s supervisor. In 2020, when Julia was building up her virtual practice, she reached out to Jane to see if she would be interested in becoming an associate, and Jane agreed again! Now, their paths have shifted again, and they are colleagues and friends. In this podcast episode, Julia and Jane discuss the origins of their professional connection, what it is like to work together, and the advice that they have for listeners who are curious about Canadian private practice. MEET JULIA AND JANE Julia Smith is a Registered Counselling Therapist and the Clinical Director at Insight Mental Health Counselling in Halifax. Julia specializes in working with teens and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, relationship issues, stress, life transitions, identity challenges, and burnout. They use narrative therapy to help clients find clarity and confidence in navigating life's challenges. Jane Donovan is a Registered Counselling Therapist with over 15 years of experience supporting adults and couples in building healthy relationships. She works with clients experiencing communication difficulties, conflict, and feelings of disconnection. Jane utilizes evidence-based approaches, including narrative, solution-focused, and art therapy, to help individuals and couples develop stronger bonds and achieve their relationship goals. Learn more about Julia on her LinkedIn and Psychology Today profiles, Jane on her Psychology Today profile, and both of them on the practice website. In this episode: How Jane and Julia met Starting to work as a therapist Guiding values Advice for listeners in private practice How Jane and Julia met Jane and Julia have known one another from a long time back. Even though they are now colleagues and Jane is working at Julia’s Canadian private practice, a few years ago, Jane was Julia’s supervisor! Now, they have spent years working together as colleagues and learning from each other in new ways. Starting to work as a therapist Jane's desire to work as a therapist started back in high school. She did love art as well and took up pottery classes and ceramics. However, she later decided to pursue a career in therapy. For Julia, the process was different. As a teenager, she struggled with mental health issues and went to see a therapist, but it did not go well. That motivated Julia to learn more about mental health. Guiding values Both Jane and Julia have shared and complementary values that allow them to work together well as a team and to run the practice smoothly. Values like authenticity and respect are important to Jane, especially as guiding lights for working with clients. For Julia, one of the guiding principles of narrative therapy is viewing the person and the issue at hand as two separate things. Since Jane and Julia share values and get along well as people and professionals alike, there is no urgent push to grow the practice just for the sake of growth. Advice for listeners in private practice Jane: Know what it is that you need and want, and go for it! Don’t let fear get in your way. Julia: There are a lot of benefits that come from working with like-minded people. Connect with me: Instagram Website Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 157: Affordable Ways to Start a Canadian Private Practice in 2025 | EP 157 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 Julia on their LinkedIn and Psychology Today profiles, Jane on her Psychology Today profile, and both of them on the practice website Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn
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    25 min
  • Affordable Ways to Start a Canadian Private Practice in 2025 | Ep 157

    Affordable Ways to Start a Canadian Private Practice in 2025 | Ep 157
    Mar 12 2025
    Hey you! Are you thinking about starting a Canadian private practice in 2025? If so, what is going to help you achieve the first step of your dream affordably and hassle-free? I know exactly what it is like to want to start a Canadian private practice but have no idea how to tackle it. It seems like a mountain of decisions and so many admin tasks. However, I went through it myself, and I’ve put all of my lessons, experiences, and advice into one comprehensive, simple, and free e-course - just for you! And I don’t hold back either. Everything is in there! If you are curiously excited about the prospect of opening up your practice doors within 2025, listen and read on! In this episode: My journey What you need to know before Keep the bills in mind Create your dream private practice Get yourself affordable and effective support My journey Being my own boss meant to me that I had the freedom of choice. I wanted the freedom to set my own schedule, to counsel clients with therapeutic modalities that I was passionate about, and because I enjoy a bit of a challenge! What you need to know before Of course, before you start your private practice, you want to make sure that you have a Master’s degree in counselling and that you are either certified and/or licensed by your provincial college. Then, you need to decide whether you want an online or an in-person private practice, or even a hybrid version of these two. If you are strapped for cash when you start out, consider starting with an online private practice to save you some money in the initial stages of your practice. Or, if you are decided to start as an in-person counsellor, you can contact other practices and see if they are willing to rent out their office space to you on weekends or off-peak hours for you to see your clients. Keep the bills in mind Whether you are doing in-person or online therapy, it will help you tremendously to have savings in the bank before you embark on this journey. If you don’t have a few months of savings in the bank, you can work part-time in another job or practice while you start your own on the side. Create your dream private practice Now the fun part begins! Once you have decided on the crucial business steps, you can now start to have some fun with the process and bring everything to fruition one step at a time. Here are some of the necessary decisions you need to make: Liability insurance Your niche Naming the practice Registering your practice Building the website Choosing an EMR Getting professional photos taken Designing a logo Deciding on the prices for your sessions Installing a business phone Opening a bank account Get yourself affordable and effective support When I started my private practice nine years ago, there was hardly any Canadian-focused content out there for me to learn from. I had to do it all myself from scratch, so I know the feeling of not knowing what to do or how to do it. Now, after my nine years in private practice, I have put my ideas, experiences, and lessons learned into a free e-course for new Canadian private practice therapists like yourself! In it, you will find all the answers to the questions above and more. So, if you want to start a private practice in 2025, I recommend you check out this course which will give you everything you need to know to have your practice doors ready to open in six months. However, if you are eager to start sooner than six months, I have my purchasable workbook that gets you there faster - and it’s under $20 CAD! Connect with me: Instagram Website Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 156: Katie Lutes: School Therapist with a Weekend Private Practice | EP 156 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! Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn
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    12 min
  • Katie Lutes: School Therapist With a Weekend Private Practice | Ep 156

    Katie Lutes: School Therapist With a Weekend Private Practice | Ep 156
    Mar 5 2025
    Katie has been working full-time in two different schools with students as a counsellor, family and play therapist as well as has a part-time private practice on Saturdays. When she is not doing virtual sessions with her clients, she sees them outside in nature with her dog. Since she has been working full-time in schools for the last 10 years, Katie is now starting to truly give her private practice the attention and energy it needs for her to develop it more fully. One day she hopes to work solely in her practice full-time, hire a team to work alongside her, and specialize in play therapy. Join us for our conversation today, where we talk about her journey, struggles, and wins throughout this time! MEET KATIE Katie Lutes is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with experience in education since 2003 and counselling since 2011. She specializes in working with children and adolescents aged 5-19, utilizing modalities like Solution Focused Therapy, CBT, Animal-Assisted Therapy, and Play Therapy. Katie’s part-time private practice offers individual, group, and family counselling sessions, both in nature and online. She is passionate about incorporating animals into the healing process Her practice is based in Victoria, British Columbia. Learn more about Katie on her website, Instagram account, Psychology Today, and LinkedIn profile. In this episode: Katie’s experience with building a private practice Seeing clients Promoting nature therapy Overcoming private practice struggles Katie’s hope for the future Katie’s experience with building a private practice Katie started her private practice in 2015, but only seriously started giving it the attention it needs to grow from 2022 onwards. Katie has been working in the school system for 10 years now, which is why she has decided to move from working in the school system to working more intentionally with her own clients in her practice. She explains that she wants to stay with clients for longer - to see them through their healing journeys for a longer time than she can with students in schools. Seeing clients While still working with students in one school full-time, Katie is seeing clients in her practice too. She usually takes one to two clients at a time. Due to still working full-time, she sees her clients either on Saturdays or sometimes during weekday evenings when her schedule can fit them in. At the moment, Katie is working on building up her virtual client base. Promoting nature therapy Katie shares a lot about her nature and animal therapy modalities through her Instagram profile. She’s used Facebook and Instagram paid ads through Meta. Additionally, she has begun networking and connecting with doctors, pediatricians, and children-centered spaces to connect with kids and their families for therapy. Overcoming private practice struggles One of Katie’s main issues has been broadening her financial bandwidth so that she can put more money into building up her private practice. She built her website herself and set up her Psychology Today profile from listening to this podcast but finding the motivation and the financial success to add the rest of the pieces is taking more time than Katie realized. Katie’s hope for the future Katie wants to be a full-time play therapist! And that is what she is working toward each year. She wants to work half-time, hire some other therapists into her practice with different modalities, and have everyone functioning under a holistic approach to working with their clients. Connect with me: Instagram Website Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 155: Amy Eriksson: Establishing a Successful Group Private Practice in Canada | EP 155 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 Katie on her website, Instagram account, Psychology Today, and LinkedIn profile Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn
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    23 min
  • Amy Eriksson: Establishing a Successful Group Private Practice in Canada | Ep 155

    Amy Eriksson: Establishing a Successful Group Private Practice in Canada | Ep 155
    Feb 26 2025
    Amy worked as a social worker for 20 years in crisis management in tandem with police and emergency services. She saw how intense and difficult the work could be, and wanted to create a place where her clients could receive their therapy that was softer, more welcoming, and curated to their requirements. Now, Amy runs a large private practice in Canada with therapists and staff working together all under the same shared values and goals. In this episode, we discuss building a practice from the ground up, how much therapy changes lives, and how we can create a practice that is tied in with our personal dreams while serving our client’s needs. MEET AMY Amy is a genuine, empathetic, and caring therapist capable of cultivating meaningful connections with people in an open, honest, and non-judgmental manner. She is a qualified and respected social worker with 20+ years of frontline community, hospital and clinical experience. Among the population that Amy has served include, youth, adults and seniors who struggle with mental health and addiction issues, relational, stress or crisis, trauma, physical health, diagnosis, and palliation. Learn more about Amy on her practice website, Psychology Today, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles. In this episode: Being a social worker for 20 years Transitioning from full-time work into private practice Hiring staff and building the practice based on values Growing her practice Amy’s advice to listeners Being a social worker for 20 years In March 2021, Amy decided to open up her own private practice after having been in the field for 20 years working for other mental health organisations in Port Hope, Ontario. Before she opened her private practice, Amy was working full-time for a community hospital in crisis where she worked directly with a police service and attended the 911 mental health calls. Transitioning from full-time work into private practice Amy opened her private practice in 2021 but only committed to working in it fully in 2023 once she had built up her client caseload. Amy knew that she had reached every goal she had wanted to as a crisis worker, and felt like she wanted to open up her professional career and reach by committing more fully to her private practice. Hiring staff and building the practice based on values Amy hired people that she had previously worked with into her new practice when she wanted to develop it further. She made sure to hire practitioners who shared the same or similar values that she had founded the practice. Amy wanted a practice that felt like a well-loved home. Growing her practice Since her passion for her work has grown and she has started hiring more staff, Amy was able to level up her practice from solo to group. She credits part of this success with making the foundation of her practice rest upon the values and principles that she shares with her staff. Now it’s been four years since Amy started her private practice as a solo therapist, and how she is currently hiring for therapist number 18! She feels grateful for the success that started with her and that has now grown and been encouraged by her team. The practice has grown larger than her and is now supported and furthered by her staff, therapists, and the community around their practice. Amy’s advice to listeners Start your private practice with a solid business plan, consult with an accountant and lawyer, and go slow! Practice self-gratitude and celebrate your small wins. Connect with me: Instagram Website Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 154: Pacific Pines: Working as a Team to Fulfil a Private Practice Dream | EP 154 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 Amy on her practice website, Psychology Today, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn
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    30 min
  • Pacific Pines: Working as a Team to Fulfil a Private Practice Dream | Ep 154

    Pacific Pines: Working as a Team to Fulfil a Private Practice Dream | Ep 154
    Feb 19 2025
    Natasha and Cherise met on an internship, became friends, and decided to work together to open up a Canadian private practice that is based on their shared values; accessibility, equity, and transparency. Working with a business partner in private practice is a great way to divide up the stress and double up the ideas. Together, they each handle specific roles, discuss new options, and help each other where they can. MEET NATASHA AND CHERISE Pacific Pines Wellness was founded with the mission to create a safe and nurturing space, Natasha and Cherise offer tailored counselling services to help individuals, couples, and families navigate life’s challenges. Committed to removing barriers to care, they provide solutions for equitable access, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to receive the support they deserve. They combine evidence-based approaches with a holistic perspective, empowering clients to achieve balance, resilience, and well-being. Learn more about Natasha and Cherise on their practice website. In this episode: What made Natasha and Cherise become therapists Funding an equitable cost of therapy Building an accessible and equitable group practice Working as a team Advice to listeners What made Natasha and Cherise become therapists For Cherise, she started in applied behavioral analysis at the beginning of her studies. Later on, she became drawn to a more personal and collaborative approach to working with clients. She completed her undergraduate degree in psychology, and while unsure of what to do after she graduated, she worked for a crisis line for a while. That is where she discovered her passion for making therapy more accessible to people who need it. For Natasha, she actually wanted to become a police officer and completed her undergraduate degree in forensic science! However, during the program, Natasha was often more interested in what happened to the person. Funding an equitable cost of therapy Natasha and Cherise try to find the sweet spot between being able to afford their own bills while making their services affordable to a broader population. A percentage of their caseload is reserved for low-cost counselling to service the populations who cannot afford most counselling services. Both of them have conversations with their clients to figure out what they can each afford at that moment in a collaborative approach to find a comfortable price for everyone. Building an accessible and equitable group practice Natasha and Cherise are interested in building out the practice in a group setting. They would like to one day hire more mental health professionals into the practice. The flat fee that they would offer is to allow the therapist to receive a higher income, instead of asking them to pay a percentage of their income. Transparency, accessibility, and barrier-free care are the guiding principles and foundations on which Cherise and Natasha lay their practice. Working as a team Natasha explains that initially she wasn’t sure how to approach a private practice, but in meeting Cherise, they discovered a great team in one another and felt excited to approach the opportunity. Cherise appreciated Natasha suggesting working together and it has been a great experience for them both! Advice to listeners It’s not going to be easy but it will be worth it! There will be doubt and you won’t always get a “yes”, but with a great business partner or support network, you can keep pursuing your goals. Be kind to yourself in the process! Connect with me: Instagram Website Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 153: An Update on Direct Billing | EP 153 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 Natasha and Cherise on their practice website, and individual Psychology Today (Natasha) Psychology Today (Cherise) profiles Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn
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    27 min
  • Canadian Direct Billing Updates for Therapists | Ep 153

    Canadian Direct Billing Updates for Therapists | Ep 153
    Feb 12 2025

    In this episode, I’ll update you on how direct billing is going in my Canadian private practice. If you have not yet listened to episode 141, I’d recommend that you start there and then return to this episode!

    I was apprehensive at first to include direct billing, but now I enjoy using it and the benefits that come along with it!

    In this episode:

    • What I love

    • What I had to change

    • What I don’t like

    What I love

    With Jane App (the EMR I use) direct billing works great. It is user-friendly for my clients and me since the platform offers direct billing.

    ‘For me what I’m really loving is how they organize claim submissions!’ - Julia Smith

    A brief description of the parts I love include:

    • Claim submissions are tracked when they are submitted, unsubmitted, or approved

    • Direct links with insurance company websites on clients' insurance policy files

    • Access to the Telus Health integrated feature

    • You can add the direct billing feature to a client’s intake form that asks clients to upload their insurance cards (which automatically then go onto the client’s file)

    ‘[Uploading insurance card details] makes it really easy for you to get the information you need to submit the claim with the insurance company.’ - Julia Smith

    The main thing that I love about direct billing so far is that clients are grateful and happy to have this option! It allows them to have easier access to therapy because they may not afford to put their therapy session cost on a credit card.

    What I had to change

    The biggest thing that I had to change was my pricing. In the past, I had different prices for my intake sessions since they often require a lot of energy to get to know the client and the intake notes can take more time, which means that intake sessions would be a bit more expensive than my standard subsequent session price.

    But when I started with direct billing, my associate and I decided that we should have one price for our sessions to make it easier for clients and to cut down on admin time.

    ‘In making this decision, we decided to value consistency and peace of mind instead of charging for that energy and the extra time it takes to write an intake session note.’ - Julia Smith

    What I don’t like

    Direct billing does take extra time. Since I have a small practice and enjoy doing some admin work, I decided to take on the extra hours to direct bill.. I’m now adding around an extra hour a week of work to complete my direct billing duties, but that’s okay, it is worth it!

    I also upgraded my plan so that I could have direct billing, but again, it is still totally worth it!

    ‘It feels so good to make my private practice more accessible, and it is totally worth the extra cost to do direct billing through Jane App because they make it so easy to do!’ - Julia Smith

    Connect with me:

    Instagram

    Website

    Resources mentioned and useful links:

    Ep 152: Mastering Stress in Today’s Canadian Private Practice | EP 152

    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!

    Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn
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    13 min