Episodes

  • Jillian Bagan: Growing a Queer-Informed Practice | Ep 183

    Jillian Bagan: Growing a Queer-Informed Practice | Ep 183
    Nov 26 2025

    We're revisiting episode 143: Jillian Bagan: Growing a Queer-Informed Practice. Their powerful reflections on growing a queer-informed practice continue to resonate, and we're excited to share this encore episode with both new and longtime listeners.

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

    Connect with me:

    Instagram

    Website

    Resources Mentioned and Useful Links:

    Jennifer Bonilla: Building a Culturally Responsive Private Practice | EP 182

    Sign up for my free e-course 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

    Jane App (use code FEARLESS2MO for two months 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
    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • Jennifer Bonilla: Building a Culturally Responsive Private Practice | Ep 182

    Jennifer Bonilla: Building a Culturally Responsive Private Practice | Ep 182
    Nov 19 2025
    Have you noticed gaps in your community where there are needs that require attention? Are you hearing the same or similar pains over and over in the lives of the people around you? This is what happened to Jennifer, and she took the initiative to provide services to those whom she saw needed them the most. In this episode, Jennifer and I discuss how she based her new, growing Canadian private practice on the values of cultural awareness, belonging, and identity, and how she is making the transition to solo practice financially stable. We also talk about blogs, working with AI, instilling balance, and why adaptability is an important gift that you should give yourself when working in this mental health field. There are many gems to share, so welcome our conversation! MEET JENNIFER Jennifer Bonilla is a Registered Psychotherapist and the founder of Therapy Across Seasons, serving adults and families online across Ontario. She specializes in helping clients understand how attachment and family dynamics shape their confidence, boundaries, and relationships. Guided by compassion and cultural awareness, Jennifer supports people in moving through life's seasons with greater clarity, connection, and resilience. Learn more about Jennifer on her practice website, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles. In this episode: Why Jennifer decided to become a therapist Starting a private practice Centering Culture in Private Practice Financial prep to curb fear Marketing the practice Jennifer's advice for listeners Why Jennifer decided to become a therapist Jennifer started in the mental health field as a child and youth worker. While Jennifer enjoyed working with youth and children in Toronto, she saw gaps in care. Starting a private practice Jennifer appreciated the experience that she had working in other group practices, but she knew that she wanted to start her own practice because she wanted to lay her own foundation. Apart from wanting to ground her practice on a specific set of goals and values, Jennifer also wanted to live a professional life that had more flexibility to it. She wanted to create her own schedule, rather than follow one from someone or something else. Centering Culture in Private Practice Jennifer noticed that many of her clients kept having the same or similar issues around culture, identity, belonging, and self-assurance. These conversations kept coming up, and Jennifer noticed that at the core of some of her clients' anxieties were anxieties around cultural identity. Financial prep to curb fear Jennifer is working in phases. She still has a caseload in the other group private practice, and sees clients on the side in her new, growing private practice. She's slowly transitioning out of one and into the other as her income grows to make this change carefully and intentionally, without risking her income and livelihood. By taking it slowly, such as building up emergency savings, relying a little on contract work, and slowly transitioning into private practice, Jennifer can keep making her professional choices from a place of intentionality, not fear. Marketing the practice Jennifer is going full-tilt on marketing her solo practice. When she has the time - or makes the time - she writes blogs, vlogs, and networks to get her business off the ground. When it comes to writing blogs, Jennifer does use AI tools to help her with prompts, but is careful to keep her words her own. Furthermore, Jennifer is brainstorming about the possibility of hosting workshops from 2026 onwards. Jennifer's advice for listeners Take a seasonal perspective. Remember that things come and go, times change. What is sustainable overall? How can you adapt throughout the times? Connect with me: Instagram Website Resources mentioned and useful links: Encore: Affordable Ways to Start a Canadian Private Practice in 2025 | EP 181 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) Create your website with WordPress! Learn more about Jennifer on her practice website, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn
    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
  • Affordable Ways to Start a Canadian Private Practice in 2025 | Ep 181

    Affordable Ways to Start a Canadian Private Practice in 2025 | Ep 181
    Nov 12 2025

    We're bringing back Episode 157: Affordable Ways to Start a Canadian Private Practice in 2025 for an encore. Whether you missed it the first time or need a refresher, this episode is packed with practical tips to help you launch your practice without breaking the bank.

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

    Connect with me:

    Instagram

    Website

    Resources Mentioned and Useful Links:

    Leading with Authenticity in Private Practice: Year 9 | ep 180

    Sign up for my free e-course 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

    Jane App (use code FEARLESS2MO for two months 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
    Show More Show Less
    14 mins
  • Leading With Authenticity in Private Practice: Year 9 | Ep 180

    Leading With Authenticity in Private Practice: Year 9 | Ep 180
    Nov 5 2025
    This is a very special episode: my ninth annual yearly review! In this episode, I share insights into how my Canadian private practice has been going this year. Including the significant changes that have occurred, how their impacts landed, and where we are going from here … into Year 10 in 2026! Thank you to my listeners for being on this path alongside me. I'm so excited for another great year of episodes ahead! Onwards and upwards! In this episode: Direct billing has been great Success with lowered prices Monthly land tax donations My transition Here's to year 10! Direct billing has been great As you may have heard, from year eight we implemented direct billing and that has continued to be an asset. If you are interested in learning more about the process of including direct billing and how I did it, you can listen to this podcast episode. Or, if you're sitting on the fence and still deciding whether or not you want to use direct billing, and some more information could be useful to you, you can listen to this episode. Success with lowered prices Last year we decided to lower our rates and haven't looked back! If you want some more information and guidance on lowering or raising your rates, check out this episode I did discussing this exact topic. Monthly land tax donations The third change we've been implementing since the middle of this year has been donating monthly to the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Again, if you are interested in doing the same or you want to learn more, you can listen to this episode. My transition If you're a long-time listener (hello!) you may have heard the episode on my personal big change which happened in the middle of last spring, where I shared the personal story of my transition. In episode 163 I talk about coming out as trans nonbinary, and why I decided to share this news on this platform, and with my audience. In fact, when this episode airs and you are listening to it, I'll be healing from top surgery! 'I am so excited for this next part of my journey. I feel so lucky that I am able to get top surgery, I just can't wait for it to happen.' - Jules Smith However, while this change has been profound and important, my biggest fear about transitioning in an established private practice was realized: my client intake dropped significantly. It can take time to build trust and I think it may be due to the inconsistencies in branding as I redo my professional photos and video. As this episode airs, my private practice website should be finished with my updates! Luckily my associate's intakes have remained steady, and my current client caseload has sustained itself, but I won't lie that it was stressful initially when the dip happened. 'I forgot a bit about how difficult it is when you are starting a private practice, and how stressful it can be to brand yourself. So, I have a renewed sense of respect for all the Canadian therapists out there that have decided to go into private practice! It can be stressful, but I'm here with you, and we'll get through it together!' - Jules Smith Here's to year 10! There will be another year of the Fearless Practice Podcast thanks to Jane App! I truly enjoy working with them and love using their EMR :) Additionally, Jane App decided to upgrade the promo code so that you can now have a two-month grace period when you sign up! The new code is: FEARLESS2MO. Thank you so much to my podcast team and lastly, thank you to my audience. Here's to another year of podcasting together! Connect with me: Instagram Website Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 179: Grace Kim: How Therapy Sparked a Private Practice | EP 179 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 some help and freebies on your website with WordPress! Check out my private practice Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn
    Show More Show Less
    12 mins
  • Grace Kim: How Therapy Sparked a Private Practice | Ep 179

    Grace Kim: How Therapy Sparked a Private Practice | Ep 179
    Oct 29 2025
    Have you ever had a therapy experience so powerful that it clarified exactly how you want to help others? Has a specific modality inspired your niche in private practice? That's exactly what happened to Grace Kim, whose experience shaped her path as a Canadian private practice therapist. Once she experienced EMDR therapy, Grace changed her career path, and the journey that she's taken has been nothing short of exciting and fulfilling. MEET GRACE Grace Kim, MSW, RSW, is the founder of REM Therapy Services, a small and growing group practice based in Markham, ON. The practice specializes in EMDR therapy, supporting high-achieving yet heavy-hearted individuals, as well as those who feel stuck in the past. REM Therapy Services offers EMDR intensives for clients seeking faster relief in therapy, along with clinical consultations for trauma therapists learning the EMDR modality. With a vision to grow as expert providers and educators of EMDR, REM Therapy Services is committed to serving both the local community and beyond. Learn more about Grace on her practice website, Psychology Today, and Instagram profiles. In this episode: How Grace became a therapist Taking off the golden handcuffs Going from client to therapist Building up a solo private practice Grace's advice to listeners How Grace became a therapist As Grace explains, her journey to becoming a therapist and running a group private practice in Canada today has been a winding road. While she started grad school with a certain plan in mind, by her graduation, the plan had changed. At first, after graduation, she worked in child welfare, community mental health, and in some hospitals. Taking off the golden handcuffs Grace joined this group private practice in 2018, six years after she graduated. It was a scary transition for her at first, going from a secure, salary job to a billable hours-based income. At that time, however, Grace was newly married and living in a home with her partner where they enjoyed dual income streams, so the risk of going into a financial red zone, so to speak, was low. Going from client to therapist In 2018 and early 2019, EMDR therapy entered into Grace's professional picture, which changed her path and steered her more towards the idea of opening up her own Canadian private practice after she had a strong personal experience with it. After Grace first experienced EMDR therapy, it sparked her interest in offering it as a modality herself as a therapist for other clients. She started practicing it, saw great results, and got strong, positive feedback: all of which encouraged her to nurture her own small side private practice while still working for the other, larger group practice. Building up a solo private practice Grace's milestone and goal to quit working in the other group practice and go full-time on her own was when she had 10 clients per week. That was what she was working towards, and once she hit that goal - and she did - she made the jump. Now, Grace has recently hired her first associate and is developing her solo practice into a group practice! Grace's advice to listeners Networking is your friend! You can be a wonderful, highly skilled clinician, but you need to get your name and your practice's name out there. Connect with other brilliant therapists to plug into the referral and sharing network. The more we support each other, the more clients get seen, the more good work gets done, and the more we all change our communities for the better. Connect with me: Instagram Website Resources mentioned and useful links: Alexina Picard: Starting a Private Practice After Graduation | EP 178 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 Grace on her practice website, Psychology Today, and Instagram profiles Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn
    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • Alexina Picard: Starting a Private Practice After Graduation | Ep 178

    Alexina Picard: Starting a Private Practice After Graduation | Ep 178
    Oct 22 2025
    Third 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: Becoming a therapist Why go back to school after working? Going into solo private practice How the practice is going 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: Instagram Website 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 Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
  • Alison Chisholm: Building More Than a Private Practice | Ep 177

    Alison Chisholm: Building More Than a Private Practice | Ep 177
    Oct 15 2025
    Everyone comes to private practice from different paths, but there can be a common thread between them: wanting to help others. For my guest today, Alison, she had a very personal experience of becoming a mother, and noticed that there was a gap in the market wherein many new parents needed pre- and peri-natal support. This sparked a passion project to fill that need and spread support, ultimately helping both clients and clinicians along the way. In this podcast episode, join us to learn more about building a collective, an affordable website, and how to live and work by your values. MEET ALISON Alison is a Registered Psychotherapist with over 10 years of experience across diverse practice settings. She co-founded Collectivus Psychotherapy in response to the increased isolation often experienced in private practice. Alison is passionate about fostering spaces where both clients and clinicians can thrive. She believes that when clinicians are connected and supported, their work becomes more authentic: helping clients truly thrive. Learn more about Alison on her Psychology Today profile and website. In this episode: Getting into private practice Building a collective Setting up a private practice website Incorporating your values Getting into private practice For Alison, getting onto her private practice path came from a very personal experience. Throughout Alison's work with youth in her previous years in mental health, she always made an effort to support the parents too. Now, with her personal experience of becoming a mother, she wanted to combine and align these values into her new private practice. Building a collective Alison, her partner, and her best friend are all therapists and decided to go all-in on building up this new private practice. It was a shared passion project, and in 2025, they decided to rebrand and shift the practice to welcome more clinicians and therapists, since they were getting a lot of inquiries about hiring additional staff. This is why Alison and her team wanted to create the collective: to serve therapists and clinicians who can then better serve their clients. Setting up a private practice website At the beginning of a private practice journey, things can get costly very quickly. Alison and her team built up their website using some affordable stock images and videos, but as their business grows, they edit, upgrade, and elevate their website piece by piece. Alison and her team also invested in some marketing experts at the beginning to help them launch their practice online with their best foot forward. Incorporating your values Collaborating with experts, professionals, and other therapists is a central pillar of Alison's business approach, both when it comes to hiring people to help maintain the business, and to help give the clients the best experience. She firmly believes that when therapists come together to support each other, their clients end up benefiting as well. Therefore, the business that Alison strives to create nourishes and meets the needs of professionals and clients alike. Connect with me: Instagram Website Resources mentioned and useful links: Finding Clients in a Saturated Market | EP 176 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 Alison on her Psychology Today profile and website Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn
    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
  • Finding Clients in a Saturated Market | Ep 176

    Finding Clients in a Saturated Market | Ep 176
    Oct 8 2025
    Do you own a Canadian private practice and are finding it hard to attract clients? Have you found yourself with your head in your hands, trying to figure out how to stand out and get noticed? Over the last few months, I've been tweaking my marketing strategies to test what works and what doesn't, and along the way, I have found some helpful results. In the following podcast episode, I'll be sharing my discoveries and tips with you. In this episode: The situation in Canada right now It's often said but still true: niche Splitting the niches with staff Maintaining Psychology Today profiles Keep up to date with AI practices The situation in Canada right now If you have been listening to my recent interview episodes with guests, you will have heard a lot of Canadian therapists pointing out one thing: the market is saturated. 'Over the past couple of years, our profession has tripled! Which is so great for people who are trying to find a therapist, but it can lead to some challenges when it comes to marketing your private practice.' - Jules Smith So, today, I wanted to share a few tips with you that I'm using myself to stand out from the crowd! It's often said but still true: niche 'Niching is so important and I feel sometimes like a broken record to always bring it up in the podcast, but it is so important!' - Jules Smith Three important things happen when you niche down in your Canadian private practice: Clients instantly know that you're the right fit Other professionals can refer to you more easily because you're a specialist rather than a generalist You can use it to tailor your marketing message If you want to learn more about nichings, feel free to listen to this episode of the Fearless Practice Podcast, which dives in deep! Splitting the niches with staff Instead of giving long lists about all the ways in which we can help our clients, we decided to reorganize our approach in this way: we each have three specialties, and we share two specialties. Now, when someone goes to our practice website's menu, they can see exactly which therapist can help them with what, making it easy to find and decide who to reach out to. Maintaining Psychology Today profiles The next thing is to monitor and make sure your social media profiles, and especially therapy directory pages like Psychology Today, are consistently updated Also, Psychology Today recently added HST for Canadian therapists using the platform, meaning that it costs more money to have a profile on their directory. So make sure that your Psychology Today profile is worth it to have! If you want to get involved and elevate your Psychology Today profile, making it look sharp and effective, you can check out this podcast episode for the full scope of advice. Keep up to date with AI practices Disclaimer: I use WordPress because I love that I own my website (unlike website builders)s. If you want to learn more about this, you can listen to this episode about my journey with WordPress. Now, one of the things that you can do on your WordPress website is to add an LLMS.txt file. It has been designed to help AI assistants know what your website is all about. 'This file is designed to help AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini better understand your website, especially when they are answering questions about it.' - Jules Smith Connect with me: Instagram Website Resources mentioned and useful links: Ep 175: Marta Evans: Mastering Growth in Canadian Private Practice | EP 175 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
    Show More Show Less
    9 mins