Heidi Sturgeon: How I Launched and Grew My Canadian Private Practice | EP 31
Episode description
What does success look like to you in your Canadian private practice? Where do you want to place your focus and time within your practice? Do you even have to hire more therapists?
In this episode, Heidi and I speak about our respective Canadian private practice journeys – how surprisingly similar they are! – and what lies in store for us now. From networking to overcoming hurdles to reclaiming our approach to a work-life balance, we talk about it all.
MEET HEIDI STURGEON
Heidi is a clinical social worker that has a group online private practice in Halifax. Her vision to offer another option for clients seeking therapy led to her developing an Online Mental Health Private Practice in 2016, www.heidisturgeon.com, that provides secure and confidential therapy to clients in the comfort of their home, office, or location of their choice. In 2019 her practice expanded to become the first Online Mental Health Group Practice in Atlantic Canada.
When not working with clients or working on her Private Practice Heidi can be found on or near the water, reading or appreciating a good cup of coffee.
Learn more about Heidi on her website.
In this episode:
- Launching an online practice
- Allow flexibility and change
- Heidi's tips for finding clients
- Do you want to hire therapists?
Launching an online practice
Heidi launched her private practice into the digital space after she resigned from her government job in 2015. Way ahead of the curve, Heidi decided to have this feature in her Canadian private practice to make it more client-focused and accessible.
There are often barriers to clients accessing therapy due to transportation issues or finding affordable child-care services to take care of their families while they seek professional counselling.
More than that, Heidi wanted to work from a home office space and have more control over her schedule, and building a Canadian online private practice helped her to achieve those goals.
Allow flexibility and change
For any Canadian therapist on their private practice journey, Heidi's advice is to have a plan in mind and to work towards your goals but to also allow some flexibility.
There will be changes and shifts that happen in your business and life and practicing being flexible and open-minded will help you to more easily overcome those challenges.
Heidi's tips for finding clients
Get going on building your network. Referrals can find you through any stream whether through past or current clients, or fellow therapists who need to refer other clients out.
Networking efforts can look different and range from:
- Joining an organization for business in your community or province
- Connecting with fellow Canadian therapists who see clients with similar pain points to yours
- Building relationships with health practitioners that work with your clients
- Creating authentic and relatable content on social media platforms
- Signing up for online directories to help clients find you
Do you want to hire therapists?
There is the hustle-capitalist culture in our society that urges people to constantly push to the next level, to never stop, and to always be chasing a goal.
If you want to grow a successful and large Canadian private practice, hiring more therapists is key. However, is that what you want? Are you defining your work fulfillment based on the quick succession of successes, or on the quality of the work that you do with clients and colleagues?
Resources mentioned and useful links:
Ep 30: Tara Scullion: What You Need to Know About Canadian Private Practice Insurance
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
Learn more about Heidi on her website, Psychology Today profile, Instagram page, and Facebook page.
Listen to my podcast episode What I Wish I Knew When Starting a Canadian Private Practice | EP 27
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