AMY ERIKSSON: ESTABLISHING A SUCCESSFUL GROUP PRIVATE PRACTICE IN CANADA | EP 155
Amy worked as a social worker for 20 years in crisis management in tandem with police and emergency services. She saw how intense and difficult the work could be, and wanted to create a place where her clients could receive their therapy that was softer, more welcoming, and curated to their requirements.
Now, Amy runs a large private practice in Canada with therapists and staff working together all under the same shared values and goals.
In this episode, we discuss building a practice from the ground up, how much therapy changes lives, and how we can create a practice that is tied in with our personal dreams while serving our client’s needs.
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MEET AMY
Amy is a genuine, empathetic, and caring therapist capable of cultivating meaningful connections with people in an open, honest, and non-judgmental manner. She is a qualified and respected social worker with 20+ years of frontline community, hospital and clinical experience. Among the population that Amy has served include, youth, adults and seniors who struggle with mental health and addiction issues, relational, stress or crisis, trauma, physical health, diagnosis, and palliation. Amy perceives her role as a therapist in very simple terms – she gives you permission to give her all of your stress, worries and fears!
Learn more about Amy on her practice website, Psychology Today, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles.
In This Episode
- Being a social worker for 20 years
- Transitioning from full-time work into private practice
- Hiring staff and building the practice based on values
- Growing her practice
- Amy’s advice to listeners
Being a social worker for 20 years
‘It definitely has been an exciting journey and something that I am very proud to be a part of.’ – Amy Eriksson
In March 2021, Amy decided to open up her own private practice after having been in the field for 20 years working for other mental health organisations in Port Hope, Ontario.
Before she opened her private practice, Amy was working full-time for a community hospital in crisis where she worked directly with a police service and attended the 911 mental health calls.
‘It was very limited work that you did in crisis, and you built a rapport with [people] very quickly … But there wasn’t a lot of follow-up, and that’s [what] I was really wanting to dive into … I was on this journey with people, but I wanted to continue on that journey and support them … which meant therapy, and that’s when I decided to start a private practice!’ – Amy Eriksson
Transitioning from full-time work into private practice
Amy opened her private practice in 2021 but only committed to working in it fully in 2023 once she had built up her client caseload.
‘I was a respected social worker, so when the doctors I worked with knew I started a private practice, they would start referring people to me … it started out slowly and then began to increase.’ – Amy Eriksson
Amy knew that she had reached every goal she had wanted to as a crisis worker, and felt like she wanted to open up her professional career and reach by committing more fully to her private practice. She wanted to continue doing great work and grow professionally while avoiding unnecessary burnout.
‘I contemplated for months about leaving [my full-time job] and I remember walking out of the police station for the last time … The door closed behind me … But there was a different noise to that door … I remember thinking, “I can’t walk back in!” … But [when] I saw my reflection in the car window, I was like, “No, you’ve got this!”’ – Amy Eriksson
Hiring staff and building the practice based on values
Amy hired people that she had previously worked with into her new practice when she wanted to develop it further. She made sure to hire practitioners who shared the same or similar values that she had founded the practice.
‘I take a lot of pride in client privacy and confidentiality. I guide my practice in offering a safe place for people to come and tell their stories and for them to know that their stories are safe with us and stay with us. I take pride in all of us being real and honest, and the biggest thing for me is that I want to be known as having an impeccable reputation, that we lead with integrity.’ – Amy Eriksson
Amy wanted a practice that felt like a well-loved home. She wants her clients to walk into the practice and immediately relax as if they were going to sit in their living room with a cup of tea and conversation with a good person.
Growing her practice
Since her passion for her work has grown and she has started hiring more staff, Amy was able to level up her practice from solo to group. She credits part of this success with making the foundation of her practice rest upon the values and principles that she shares with her staff.
‘I feel like it’s an honour for people to allow us into their world, into their trauma, their grief, their anxiety. No matter what. I mean, we’ve all had difficult times in our lives where we’ve had to lean into therapy, so that’s how I guide my practice. I know what it’s like to not be okay, and I know what it’s like to go and get help … That’s what I wanted [for my clients].’ – Amy Eriksson
Now it’s been four years since Amy started her private practice as a solo therapist, and how she is currently hiring for therapist number 18!
She feels grateful for the success that started with her and that has now grown and been encouraged by her team. The practice has grown larger than her and is now supported and furthered by her staff, therapists, and the community around their practice.
Amy’s advice to listeners
Start your private practice with a solid business plan, consult with an accountant and lawyer, and go slow! Practice self-gratitude and celebrate your small wins.
Connect With Me
Resources Mentioned and Useful Links:
Ep 154: Pacific Pines: Working as a Team to Fulfil a Private Practice Dream | EP 154
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 Amy on her practice website, Psychology Today, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles
Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn
About Julia
Julia Smith, MEd, RCT, CCC is a registered Counselling Therapist who owns a group private practice in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is also the owner of Fearless Practice Consulting and hosts the Fearless Practice podcast. Through the Fearless Practice podcast, she provides invaluable insights and practical advice on starting and growing a successful Canadian private practice. Julia’s wealth of knowledge also extends beyond the podcast, as she provides personalized one-on-one consulting to therapists who are feeling burnt out and overwhelmed with their solo or group private practices. With Julia’s expertise, therapists can confidently navigate the complexities of owning a private practice and find work life – balance.
Julia also has written articles for the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy association. You can learn more at www.ccpa-accp.ca/blog/.
