MARIA TSOUKALAS: FROM FORENSIC ASSESSMENTS TO NOMADIC THERAPY | EP 204
Is there something you have been wanting to try in your Canadian private practice, but you’re 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!
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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 – 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
‘It’s interesting because I actually didn’t have an interest in doing counselling or therapy at all when I went to grad school for psychology! What I was actually interested in was forensic psychology.’ – Maria Tsoukalas
Maria completed her Master’s 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.
‘Part of the role or responsibilities that I had at the prison was mostly doing assessments for the Parole Board of Canada, but then we would also be in charge of the units of inmates and provide them with therapy as needed, and I realized I [began] to enjoy the therapy part more than the assessment part, because the assessment part is just a snapshot in time. You don’t get feedback; you don’t know if it was useful … But with therapy, it was a lot more interesting and meaningful.’ – Maria Tsoukalas
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
‘I had started working in private practice when I was doing my provisional hours as a psychologist, just working at a group practice, and then I realized I’m never going to get my supervision hours in private practice! So I went to the prison system, and then finished my hours to get registered, but some of those people I had worked with initially in private practice wanted me to come back.’ – Maria Tsoukalas
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.
‘In 2023 I decided I was done waiting, that circumstances were never perfect, so I took off and travelled for over a year non-stop internationally, and kept running my private practice the entire time.’ – Maria Tsoukalas
Marketing the private practice
When it comes to marketing her solo practice, Maria is doing what works best for her.
For example, she’s 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’s name out there into the therapy community directly.
Building the practice while travelling
‘I didn’t have any models of other psychologists I knew doing that kind of work, and no one who was doing it at the extreme version of: “I’m going to travel internationally and do it non-stop!” and so I ended up keeping my caseload quite small while I was travelling so I could see how it went because I didn’t want it to overpromise and underdeliver.’ – Maria Tsoukalas
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’t active in marketing or trying to build a caseload; Maria took it as it came.
‘It was a lot easier than I thought it would be, and really the hardest part about travelling and seeing clients is everything that happens up until you leave.’ – Maria Tsoukalas
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’d use the rest of the day to explore wherever she was.
Advice for listeners
Maria’s advice for new therapists coming into the work: you don’t 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!
‘If I had waited for someone to give me permission to travel the world and see clients, I would never have left. I would still be working at an agency, and not doing the thing I wanted to do!’ – Maria Tsoukalas
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
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
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About Jules Smith
Jules Smith, MEd, RCT, CCC is a registered Counselling Therapist who owns a group private practice in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They are also the owner of Fearless Practice Consulting and hosts the Fearless Practice podcast. Through the Fearless Practice podcast, they provide invaluable insights and practical advice on starting and growing a successful Canadian private practice.
Jules also has written articles for the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy association. You can learn more at www.ccpa-accp.ca/blog/.
