{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Maria Tsoukalas: From Forensic Assessments to Nomadic Therapy | Ep 204","description":"Is there something you have been wanting to try in your Canadian private practice, but you\u2019re unsure of how to approach it? Could you be waiting for permission to be creative? Well, here you have it!  Maria pivoted her career from working as a forensic psychologist in prison systems and other group practices when she sat down with herself and was honest about chasing her goals: she wanted to travel the world while seeing her clients virtually.  She figured it out, kept her clients at the center of her itinerary (including her interests), and found a way to bring her goal and dream to life. In this podcast episode, Maria and I discuss her journey - and encourage you to build the work\/ life balance you desire!  MEET MARIA Maria Tsoukalas is a Calgary-based psychologist with over 15 years in practice and is the owner of Aware Psychology - a private practice that sees clients virtually across Alberta and the Northwest Territories. She specializes in working with adults dealing with anxiety, sleep problems & insomnia, relationship issues, and grief & loss. Since 2023, she has visited 20+ countries while continuing to see clients and teaches clinicians how to build the same freedom into their careers. She believes travel can be a catalyst for self-reflection and personal growth and explores these insights on her Substack \u2013 Nomadic Minds. Learn more about Maria on her practice website, Psychology Today, LinkedIn profiles, and Substack account.  In this episode:  Why Maria became a therapist  Starting a private practice and travelling Marketing the private practice Building the practice while travelling Advice for listeners  Why Maria became a therapist  Maria completed her Master\u2019s in Forensic Psychology because her passion at the time lay more in understanding criminal minds than in working as a therapist for the general population.  She did that for a few years: Maria worked at a jail, at a security prison, but she found after a while that completing forensic assessments became a little boring.  This discovery led Maria to pivot her career and work more therapeutically with her clients, building long-term relationships based on trust rather than doing forensic assessments.  Starting a private practice and travelling Maria did open up her Canadian private practice, but before that she worked in other group practices and in the prison system.  However, after some time, she decided that she felt more drawn to opening her own and working for herself. So, Maria left the agency where she was working part-time and started her own practice - while pursuing her dreams of travelling.  Marketing the private practice When it comes to marketing her solo practice, Maria is doing what works best for her.  For example, she\u2019s getting involved with Google Ads but choosing not to spend much time or money on SEO, since it fits her approach to her private practice in its current size better.  However, Maria enjoys podcasts and researches ways to meet people and get her practice\u2019s name out there into the therapy community directly. Building the practice while travelling Once Maria got started, and after a few months in, she realized she could find a way to make it work and suit her schedule as well as her clients. She wasn\u2019t active in marketing or trying to build a caseload; Maria took it as it came.  Maria would bunch her sessions together on a day that she knew she was going to be settled somewhere, having three or four sessions a day. Her workday would be over by noon, and she\u2019d use the rest of the day to explore wherever she was.  Advice for listeners Maria\u2019s advice for new therapists coming into the work: you don\u2019t have to practice the same way everyone else does. As long as you are following the ethics, regulations, and protecting your clients, you can bring in your creativity and find ways to do things differently!  Secondly, bring your values front and center, and be brave to curate the life that you want. Allow your business to support your life, rather than building your life exclusively around your business  Connect with me: Instagram Website  Resources mentioned and useful links: 6 Mistakes To Avoid When Starting A Canadian Private Practice | EP 203 Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS2MO for two months free) Get started with Hushmail here and get one month for free! Learn more about Maria on her practice website, Psychology Today, LinkedIn profiles, and Substack account Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn ","author_name":"Fearless Practice","author_url":"https:\/\/fearlesspractice.ca","html":"