Fearless Practice Julia Smith

Celissa and Melissa noticed the clear need for mental health services in Ontario over the pandemic, and decided to team up to put their expertise and skills to use to serve the community. 
As a team, Celissa and Melissa were able to balance starting a practice between the two of them while continuing their social work positions that they love. Their Canadian private practice has now grown into a successful group private practice where they have the benefits of running their own practice while still working jobs that they cherish. 
In this podcast episode, I chat with the two of them about their progress, their ups and downs, and what they recommend to you for your Canadian private practice career!
MEET CELISSSA AND MELISSA 
Celissa and Melissa are the owners of Virtual CBT, a private psychotherapy practice specializing in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for clients in Ontario that are struggling with symptoms of depression, anxiety, phobias, OCD, and trauma.
Learn more about Celissa and Melissa on their practice website and Instagram profile. 
In this episode: 
How Celissa and Melissa found their niche
Working as a team 
Using Jane App 
The future of Virtual CBT
Melissa and Celissa’s advice to listeners
How Celissa and Melissa found their niche
Both Celissa and Melissa are social workers. Between the two of them, they had dabbled in different sectors trying to find what suited them both best before specializing further. 
Melissa thoroughly enjoyed working within CBT and she found it effective and helpful for both her services as a therapist and for her client’s needs. 
For Celissa, the path was a little different in that she only knew that she wanted to become a social worker after she graduated. 
Celissa’s expertise has become more narrow as the years have passed, from CBT and DBT to specialized CBT and others.
Working as a team 
Over the pandemic, both Celissa and Melissa were working for a not-for-profit organization when the public mental health system was being flooded with referrals. 
Also, over the pandemic they went from working completely in person to completely virtual almost overnight. 
One day, a doctor connected with Celissa asking if she had a private practice, and she ended up texting Melissa to see what she thought about it. They decided to work together to launch their own private practice since they could see that the need was there.  
Using Jane App 
Melissa recommends to all practice owners that Jane App is a great investment to commit to early on in your private practice journey since it streamlines so many processes in a way that they complement one another, helping you to stay organized and helping your clients to easily book appointments. 
Jane’s intuitive and automatic systems that you can customize to your needs allows it to help you with what you want help with. 
The future of Virtual CBT
Since September 2023 their practice has grown so much, which is why they have decided to take a step back and rest a bit before continuing to expand their practice together. 
Diversifying your practice is also a good idea to consider because it can take away some of the stress and allows for the owners and staff to engage with clients and modalities in new and innovative ways. 
Melissa and Celissa’s advice to listeners
Be willing to invest in your business, whether it is finances or time and effort, if you want to have a strong foundation and a successful practice. Be patient with the process as well! 
Connect with me:
Instagram
Website 
Resources mentioned and useful links:
Ep 125: Kelly Hoskin: Trusting the Process for Success in Canadian Private Practice | EP 125 
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)
Learn more about Celissa and Melissa on their prac

Sometimes people can feel nervous to start their careers since they don’t know where it will end up. We may feel like we need to know exactly how the journey will look before we head towards a new destination. 
In this podcast episode, Kelly and I discuss how she had no intention of working in psychotherapy initially after grad school, but found her way there. She discovered more of what she loved along the way!
MEET KELLY
Kelly Hoskin (BSW, RSW) is a registered social worker and psychotherapist passionate about supporting teenagers and adults, Indigenous peoples, and those grieving the loss of a pet. Kelly lives in Angus, Ontario and provides sessions virtually and in-person, including walk and talk therapy. She feels strongly in meeting clients where they’re at and staying flexible to their needs. The client is the expert in their own life, and Kelly helps them to navigate their healing journey.
Learn more about Kelly on her Instagram and Psychology Today profiles. 
In this episode: 
Kelly’s entrance to social work 
From social work into private practice 
Working in NIHB 
Kelly’s advice for listeners 
Kelly’s entrance to social work 
Kelly got her bachelor’s degree after high school, and then she worked for a few years at an employee assistance program. Eventually, she decided to complete her bachelors of social work. 
After she graduated from her bachelors of social work, it took her another few years to figure out what to do with her degree. 
From social work into private practice 
Kelly worked as the coordinator in a collective of therapists, and she was well-known there. She did potential client’s risk assessments and recommended them to a therapist in the collective. 
Kelly was then motivated to start a private practice, with just a Bachelors of Social Work. She wanted to make sure that there wasn’t a specific rule stating that she wasn’t allowed, and within her province, it is allowed - but maybe not always recommended! Since further studying is often encouraged or required. Always check with your college! 
Kelly approached the team as joining a psychotherapist, and was met with a warm welcome. They were supportive of her trying it out, and it just took time, her confidence, and support from other psychotherapists - with peer supervision - but Kelly did get there! 
Working in NIHB
People who have status, either Inuit or indigenous, can access this service and they can receive up to 22 counselling sessions per calendar year. The therapist is paid directly from the government, so the client doesn’t have to pay at all. 
In order to be a part of this program you can fill out an application as to why you would be competent to be part of this program. 
You can learn more about this service on their official website. Kelly markets to her clients via her social media platforms, as well as receiving clients through her referral network.
Additionally, Kelly hosts a networking event each month for both fellow practitioners as well as clients, which allows more people to find out about her work, as well as allowing her to provide a platform for more therapists and clients to meet. 
Kelly’s advice for listeners 
You are not the only one who doesn’t know what they are doing with the business side of private practice! 
Connect with your community of fellow therapists and practitioners, so that you have people to learn from and lean on, this is not a journey that you have to walk alone. 
Connect with me:
Instagram
Website 
Resources mentioned and useful links:
Ep 124: Seeking Out and Mastering Work/ Life Balance | EP 124
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)
Learn more about Kelly on her Instagram and Psychology Today profiles
Rate, review, and subscribe to this

We always hear about “optimization”, and to the extent that many folks may be influenced to outsource everything possible so that they have more free time. 
But imagine this; if you had all this extra free time, after the time to rest, exercise, and spend time with loved ones, what would you be doing? If you had more free time and the mental capacity for tasks that you enjoy, what would they be? 
You don’t have to outsource all the parts of your private practice, maybe only the parts that you either need help with, or that you really don’t like doing. If you’re a great therapist, but you also love marketing or SEO (like me!) then there’s nothing wrong with structuring your tasks so that you still get to do these tasks that you enjoy doing in your practice.
Work-life balance is just that, a balance that you have to test out to discover where it lies for you. This is what I’ve done, listen in to learn more!
In this Episode:
Some background on my experience so far
The reality of my choices 
Do things because you love doing them 
Some background on my experience so far
Sometimes therapists can only stay in the profession for a while because they can get severely burnt out, and I didn’t want that to happen to me. 
When I started my Canadian private practice part-time, I was still working at university as a therapist. Even though I loved both jobs, I could tell that I was getting burnt out.
So, once I fully transitioned into private practice, things started to slowly get better! And I started to finally achieve some more work-life balance. I share more about this on this podcast episode; a 50/50 work week. Additionally, I share how having more free time helped me to overcome some obstacles that cropped up during this time. 
The reality of my choices
At a time, this 50/50 work week split was great because it provided me with the chance to get to everything I needed to in my practice while allowing myself to rest on the off days. 
However, with this additional extra time, I was getting a little bored.
I started to ask myself what fills my soul, beyond doing the therapy work that I love. I could sense that there was something more that I wanted to do and contribute to with my time and energy; I just had to figure out what that was. 
What I came to understand was that by outsourcing everything that I possibly could, there were types of work that I was no longer doing that I did enjoy doing. 
Do things because you love doing them
So, even though a business owner could technically outsource every single thing in their business to someone else - besides only what they can do - that’s not something that you have to do!
You can still find the balance between hiring outside assistants and help, and still doing the tasks that you enjoy doing! 
Remember that you don’t have to follow everyone else’s example. Take advice and learn from other people’s experience, but at the end of the day, you are the one who can build a system that is best-suited for your needs and desires. 
Some questions for you to think about could include: 
What do you enjoy doing? 
How do you make time for it? 
What can you outsource so that you have the time to do these things? 
Connect with me:
Instagram
Website 
Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: 
Ep 123: Michelle Ham: Joining a Collective to Build a Successful Practice | EP 123
Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice
Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website  
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)
Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn

Many therapists may feel daunted by the idea of returning to school to get their masters or a PhD, especially after they have settled into their adult lives. However, it truly is never too late! 
If you have a desire to take your Canadian private practice to the next level, or you feel frustrated working on someone else’s schedule, and you desire more professional autonomy, taking a step forward with additional training may be very helpful to you. 
In this podcast episode, I chat with Michelle who did just that. 
MEET MICHELLE
Michelle Ham, C.C.C., is a compassionate and dedicated psychotherapist based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. With a Bachelor's Degree in Family Social Sciences and a Master's in Counselling Psychology, Michelle brings over a decade of experience in social work to her practice. She is committed to creating a safe and inclusive space. Michelle's therapeutic approach is rooted in a holistic, integrative, and person-centered framework, allowing her clients to collaboratively navigate their pathway to change. Through evidence-based modalities such as Internal Family Systems, somatic-based work, narrative therapy, EMDR, and mindfulness, Michelle provides personalized therapy sessions that empower her clients to find healing, understanding, and growth.
Learn more about Michelle on her website, Instagram account, and Psychology Today profile
In this episode: 
Michelle’s journey into psychotherapy 
Michelle’s steps into private practice 
The lessons learned thus far
Marketing a private practice 
Michelle’s advice for new therapists or practice owners 
Michelle’s journey into psychotherapy 
Michelle graduated with an undergraduate degree in family social sciences in 2008. She then started working in the social work world, holding various different positions.
Following this desire to have more autonomy over her time, Michelle returned to school in 2021. She took her masters in counselling psychology online so that she could manage her course work, while continuing with her job, and being a mom. 
Michelle’s steps into private practice 
Once Michelle graduated, she opened up a sole-proprietorship for her own private practice, and she rents office space in a local collective. The office space is shared with other therapists, and Michelle is able to reap the benefits of an extensive referral network through her collective’s director, as well as enjoying the professional company of others while scheduling and working her own hours. 
The lessons learned thus far 
Even though there has been so much change and trial and error moments, as Michelle explains, she also says that she enjoys having the chance to set her own hours, set her own schedule, and to see the clients that she wants to. 
Marketing a private practice 
Even though Michelle’s only been in private practice for a few years, her caseload is already filling up. She credits this partially to the well-connectedness of the collective, which networks with the local community. 
Additionally, when Michelle was still a student, she was intentional about working on her social media platform to slowly and organically begin growing an online presence. 
Michelle’s advice for new therapists or practice owners 
Michelle encourages listeners to explore what is most suitable for them in terms of whether they want to do a sole-proprietorship or to take another approach. You can tailor the way your business works to your preferences - that’s important to do!
Whether you want to open an in-person Canadian private practice or offer therapy services online, make sure that it is what you want to do, feel qualified in doing, and that you have a strong support network around you. 
Connect with me:
Instagram
Website 
Resources mentioned and useful links:
Ep 122: Embracing the Dynamic Nature of Niching | EP 122
Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice
Sign up

As the saying goes; “the only constant thing is change”, and it’s true for Canadian private practices too. Sometimes you will set up a system that works well, but after months or years the practice has changed, and so the systems need to be updated. 
Or, the offering that you used to love doing with your clients is no longer something that used to light your spark - because you’ve most likely changed as a person and a therapist along the way - so you decide to change it up. 
The point is that niching can be a great way to build your business, but it can also be necessary to change your niche over time. It’s something that I have experienced as well, so listen in on this episode if you’re searching for some guidance!
In this Episode:
Why niching is important 
How to niche 
My experience with niching
Why niching is important 
If you want a further, more in-depth episode into niching in Canadian private practice, I recommend that you listen to my previous episode on this topic! However, for a short recap, niching is important because it: 
Helps you to stand out from the crowd 
Helps you to focus on the issues that you are passionate about serving 
How to niche 
Some of the factors that you can keep in mind when you are figuring out your niche may include: 
The size of the population of this niche 
What you like working with clients through
What you are qualified to do 
My experience with niching 
Private Practice
With my website: I actually had a little mis-step with niching in my own private practice this past year! When I was redoing my website, I hired a website developer to give it a full make-over, as well as a copy editor. Overall, I realized that I had become way too excited about all the possibilities with the new website and adding services. I hadn’t niched down enough, which  made it overwhelming for a potential client to browse through.
In the end, I reduced the specialty pages on the menu so that they only relate to our main private practice focuses.
Fearless Practice
With my consulting: over five years ago I started my private practice consultation because I couldn’t find any in Canada. 
So, I started Fearless Practice to help other Canadian counsellors get the help that they needed with their private practices. Over the years, I created the workbook about how to start an online Canadian private practice, as well as scripts to send clients, private practice paperwork, an e-course, and more!
‘But as I continued to create these things, my consulting became irrelevant, because it’s all in the workbook! As well as with the podcast … There have been so many episodes where I have interviewed other Canadian counsellors … There’s just so much information that I have now on my website for Canadian counsellors, where you don’t have to pay extra to have a one-on-one with me.’ - Julia Smith 
Additionally, I nowadays direct people to take courses from LinkedIn and Google since they offer insightful and helpful courses for therapists to take. So, my consulting days have changed, and I niched down - again! I now focus specifically on helping Canadian private practice owners recover from burnout by helping them to restructure their practice so that it suits their needs and desires. 
Connect with me:
Instagram
Website 
Resources Mentioned and Useful Links: 
Ep 121: Mila Arsenijevic: Balancing Growth in a Canadian Private Practice | EP 121
Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice
Article: How to Set Up a Canadian Private Practice Website  
Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice
Listen to my previous episode on niching, why it is important, and how to do it!
Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free)
Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn

Do you feel pressured to always be scaling and growing your Canadian private practice? In modern business, the idea is usually to push growth - but that’s not always the case! Sometimes not growing can also help private practice. 
Every now and then you need to intentionally stop growing and instead focus on the foundations of your private practice, so that any future growth down the line actually holds and sticks because growth for growth’s sake is not necessarily everyone’s preference. 
In this podcast episode, Mila and I discuss how she launched her practice and how sometimes not aiming for growth is the best way to success!
MEET MILA
Meet Mila, the driving force behind Toronto Therapy Practice. With over a decade of experience specializing in perinatal mental health at esteemed institutions such as Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Mila is a compassionate and dedicated therapist committed to fostering trust and connection with her clients. Her journey in the mental health field began as a social worker, evolving into her role as the founder of Toronto Therapy Practice. 
Learn more about Mila on her Psychology Today profile and her Canadian practice website.  
In this episode: 
How Mila became a social worker 
Getting into private practice 
Mila’s advice on scaling via hiring 
Dreams and aspirations for a growing practice 
How Mila became a social worker
Since Mila had experience traveling internationally, she decided to study International Relations in Canada. She didn’t enjoy it as much as she thought she would, but Mila did take psychology as a minor and ended up loving it enough to focus on social work in her masters. 
In her second year of placement in the masters program, Mila was at Sunnybrook hospital providing counselling. The job that she worked there went well enough that once she completed her studies, she decided to get a more permanent position and started her work experience. 
However, she was offered a position in England which she ended up taking, and went to London to live and work. Mila was in England for some time before returning to Canada. 
Getting into private practice 
While Mila was working at the hospital, she was doing outpatient counselling. 
She experienced some limitations in terms of how she was able to provide therapy within the hospital system. Mila noticed long wait lists, loads of people seeking access and care, and within the specific hospital rules, she thought that she could offer these necessary services in another way. 
Mila’s advice on scaling via hiring
One associate hired was a friend of Mila’s, one was through word of mouth, and the other two were through Indeed. 
With a flexible schedule system that all her associates have, Mila is able to connect clients and clinicians on schedules that suit both of their needs. Additionally, Mila’s practice and her associates have a hybrid model of offering in-person and online therapy. 
Dreams and aspirations for a growing practice 
Even though Mila has a lot of dreams for her private practice, she wants to make sure that she firmly establishes it now. 
With appropriate scheduling, processes, and systems in place, Mila wants to give her private practice the best shot at success as she can, and that means taking the time and making the effort to lay strong yet flexible foundations for it - and her - to depend on. 
There are also so many ways to get to the same place, so explore to find out what works well for you!
Connect with me:
Instagram
Website 
Resources mentioned and useful links:
Ep 120: 5 Ways to Tackle Isolation with an Online Private Practice | EP 120
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)
Learn more about Mila on her Psychology Today profile and her Canadian practice webs