The Build Your Private Practice Podcast

Has Psychology Today—or another therapist directory—suddenly stopped sending you inquiries?
It is easy to assume you did something wrong.
Maybe your profile needs another rewrite. Maybe your fees are the problem. Maybe you are no longer standing out.
But the issue may not be you.
A directory can make you findable, but it cannot guarantee that you will be chosen.
In this episode of The Build Your Private Practice Podcast, Liane is explaining why relying on a directory is not the same as having a marketing strategy—and what helps create a practice that remains steady when a platform goes quiet.
Because your practice should not depend on a list you do not control.
In this episode, we cover:
Why directory inquiries can slow down without anything changing about your clinical skills

The difference between being findable and being chosen

Why many therapist profiles sound interchangeable

How referral relationships create a more stable source of clients

Why networking does not have to feel pushy or sales-focused

How one strong referral relationship can support your practice for years

Why trying to speak to everyone often connects with no one

How a specific message helps potential clients recognize themselves

Why your website, directory profile, content, and introductions should share the same message

How to rewrite the first two lines of your directory listing

One simple action to begin building a practice you own—not visibility you rent

You do not need to delete your directory listing.
A directory can be a useful front door.
The mistake is treating the front door like the entire house.
This week, write one sentence describing the specific person you most want to help.
Then share that sentence with one person who may be able to refer the right clients to you.
That is how a chosen practice is built:
One clear message shared with one right person at a time.
Explore tools, programs, and support at:
https://buildyourprivatepractice.ca
Join our Facebook community for Canadian therapists:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/buildyourprivatepractice
Listen and subscribe here:
https://thebuildyourprivatepracticepodcast.libsyn.com
Build Your Private Practice is turning 10!
Celebrate with us on Friday, September 25, 2026, live in Toronto or online.
Register here:
https://pages.buildyourprivatepractice.ca/bypp-10yr-registation

If every task in your private practice still runs through you, it is no wonder your week feels so full.
The intake emails, invoices, appointment changes, website updates, insurance receipts, and marketing may each seem small.
Together, they can swallow hours of your time and leave very little capacity for your clients, your business, or your life.
In this episode of The Build Your Private Practice Podcast, Liane is talking about delegation—and why handing off work is not about lowering your standards or losing control.
It is about protecting the work that only you can do.
Because "I have always done it" does not mean "I have to keep doing it."
In this episode, we cover:
Why doing everything yourself can increase stress

How to identify the work only you can do

Which private practice tasks may be ready to delegate

A four-box exercise for sorting your workload

Why urgent does not always mean important

How unclear instructions create many of the errors practice owners fear

The different levels of delegation and how trust develops

Why delegation requires a process—not a rushed handoff

How regular one-on-one meetings make delegation work

Why handing off tasks can improve response times and client experience

How delegation creates capacity for clinical work, strategic decisions, and your life

You do not need to hire someone or overhaul your practice today.
Start by writing down everything you did in your business this week.
Then sort each task into one of four categories:
Do. Schedule. Delegate. Delete.
That simple exercise can show you where your time is going—and where you may be the bottleneck.
You do not have to figure this out alone.
Explore tools, programs, and support at:
https://buildyourprivatepractice.ca
Join our Facebook community for Canadian therapists:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/buildyourprivatepractice
Listen and subscribe here:
https://thebuildyourprivatepracticepodcast.libsyn.com
Build Your Private Practice is turning 10!
Celebrate with us on Friday, September 25, 2026, live in Toronto or online.
Register here:
https://pages.buildyourprivatepractice.ca/bypp-10yr-registation

A slower August calendar can feel like a warning sign.
Clients are travelling, appointments get cancelled, and the white space in your schedule can quickly start to look like lost income.
But what if that space is not a problem?
What if it is the runway you need to prepare for the busiest season of the year?
In this episode of The Build Your Private Practice Podcast, Liane is reframing the summer slowdown and sharing practical ways to use August to create a smoother, stronger, and more sustainable fall.
Because September's momentum does not come from nowhere.
It comes from the quiet work you do before the inquiries arrive.
In this episode, we cover:
Why a slow August does not mean something is wrong with your practice

How unused quiet time can contribute to an overwhelming September

When to review your fees before the fall rush

How to make your website clearer and easier to navigate

Why an efficient intake process matters during busy seasons

How to reconnect with referral partners without feeling pushy

How to prepare marketing content before your schedule fills up

Why real rest is an important part of preparing for fall

How reviewing the past year can help you decide what you want more—and less—of

A simple 90-minute action step to make the most of your August calendar

You do not need to complete everything on the list.
Choose the one move that would make the biggest difference to your September self, and block 90 minutes to work on it.
That empty appointment slot is not necessarily lost income.
It may be the space that makes the rest of your year more profitable, calm, and sustainable.
Explore tools, programs, and support at:
https://buildyourprivatepractice.ca
Join our Facebook community for Canadian therapists:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/buildyourprivatepractice
Listen and subscribe here:
https://thebuildyourprivatepracticepodcast.libsyn.com
Build Your Private Practice is turning 10!
Celebrate with us on Friday, September 25, 2026, live in Toronto or online.
Register here:
https://pages.buildyourprivatepractice.ca/bypp-10yr-registation

Have you ever wondered whether you could travel the world without stepping away from your private practice?
In this episode of The Build Your Private Practice Podcast, Liane sits down with Maria Tsoukalas, Calgary-based psychologist and founder of Nomadic Minds, to talk about what it really takes to work with clients while living and travelling abroad.
Maria shares how discovering her regulatory college's telepsychology guidelines opened up a new possibility: as long as her clients were located in Alberta, she could provide care from elsewhere. That realization led her to digitize her practice, build strong virtual systems, and eventually spend more than a year travelling while continuing her clinical work.
This conversation explores both the freedom and the responsibility involved in working abroad as a therapist. Maria explains why it is essential to check your own regulatory requirements, have reliable privacy and technology systems in place, and make sure your clients are appropriate for virtual care.
She also shares how she manages time zones, scheduling, internet access, and continuity of care. While the logistics can feel overwhelming at first, she has found that clients are often more flexible than expected when communication is clear and the quality of care remains consistent.
Maria also speaks honestly about the challenges of long-term travel, including decision fatigue, constant planning, and the importance of keeping a manageable caseload. At the same time, working while travelling helped her recover from burnout, slow down, reconnect with her interests, and become more grounded in her work.
Most importantly, Maria wants therapists to know that this kind of freedom is possible. It does not have to mean becoming a full-time digital nomad. It may simply mean allowing yourself to imagine a different way of working and taking the first practical steps toward it.
In This Episode, You'll Learn
How Maria began working with clients while travelling abroad

Why checking with your regulatory college is an essential first step

What systems you need for a strong virtual practice

How to manage time zones, scheduling, and continuity of care

Why clients may be more flexible than you expect

How to decide whether your caseload is appropriate for virtual work

The difference between vacation travel and living abroad while working

Why long-term travel can create decision fatigue

How travel helped Maria recover from burnout

The first step to take if you are considering working while travelling

Connect with Maria Tsoukalas:
https://nomadicminds365.substack.com/
https://www.instagram.com/nomadicminds.ca

Learn more about Maria and Nomadic Minds:
https://nomadicminds.ca
Explore the Nomadic Minds Live group program:
https://nomadicminds.ca/live-group
Build a Practice That Supports Your Life
For practical resources, programs, and support created for Canadian therapists, visit:
https://www.buildyourprivatepractice.ca

The middle of the year is a natural time to pause.
You have six months of real information about how your private practice is working — not just what you hoped would happen when you made your plans in January.
But looking at your revenue, caseload, fees, cancellations, and referrals can bring up a lot of feelings.
Am I earning enough?
Am I working too much?
Is my practice actually sustainable?
Before those questions turn into judgment or panic, it helps to remember:
Your numbers are not a grade.
They are information.
In this episode of The Build Your Private Practice Podcast, Liane is walking you through a calm, grounded mid-year checkpoint so you can understand what the first half of the year is telling you — and make thoughtful decisions for the months ahead.
Because a number rarely tells the whole story.
Lower-than-expected revenue may not mean you need more clients. It may mean your fee needs attention.
Strong revenue paired with exhaustion may point to a capacity problem.
An unpredictable income pattern may be connected to your cancellation policy.
And relying on one referral source may leave your practice more vulnerable than it appears.
The goal is not to judge the first six months of the year.
It is to take an honest compass reading and decide where you want to point next.
 
In this episode, we cover:
Why the middle of the year can be more useful than January for reviewing your practice
How to look at your business numbers without treating them like a measure of your worth
The key numbers to review, including revenue, sessions, new clients, referrals, fees, cancellations, and no-shows
How to complete a simple mid-year checkpoint without fancy software or a complicated accounting project
Why your revenue may actually be telling you a fee, capacity, policy, or referral story
How to identify what is working — and what may need to change before the fall intake surge
Why a full caseload does not always mean your practice is financially sustainable
How to protect your energy by choosing a realistic caseload for the fall
Why you should choose only one or two intentions for the second half of the year
A simple "what, what, and when" structure for turning your insights into action
This episode is not about creating a giant list of everything you need to fix.
It is about looking gently and honestly at what has happened so far, choosing one or two meaningful priorities, and making decisions based on evidence instead of fear.
You do not need a perfect audit.
You need an honest, good-enough picture.
Rough and real beats precise and never done.
Your numbers do not define your value as a clinician or a person. They simply help you understand where you are so you can build a practice that remains financially healthy, ethically grounded, and sustainable for the long term.
Take your compass reading.
Be kind to yourself while you do it.
Then point yourself toward a second half of the year that supports the life you actually want.
Explore tools, programs, and support at:
https://buildyourprivatepractice.ca
Join us inside our Facebook community for Canadian therapists:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/buildyourprivatepractice
If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to The Build Your Private Practice Podcast and share it with another Canadian therapist who may need a gentle reminder that looking at their numbers is not greedy — it is part of building a practice that can last.
Build Your Private Practice is turning 10!
Celebrate with us on Friday, September 25, 2026.
We'll be gathering live in person in Toronto, Ontario, with a virtual option available for those joining us from home.
You can view the details and register here:
https://pages.buildyourprivatepractice.ca/bypp-10yr-registation