Why the Switzer Clinical Model?

Switzer Counselling is a full-service psychotherapy practice for clinicians seeking to build a stable, sustainable practice within a supportive professional environment. What sets Switzer apart is not only our offices, referral network, and administrative support, but the high standards of clinical practice behind them.

Founded and led by Shauna Switzer, the practice is shaped by more than 20 years of clinical experience, advanced psychotherapy training, and years of supervising developing clinicians. Shauna founded Switzer to create a practice where clinicians can become exceptional therapists while clients receive thoughtful, high-quality care.

At Switzer, we believe becoming an exceptional therapist requires more than clinical knowledge. It requires maturity, self-awareness, sound judgment, emotional capacity, and an understanding of the responsibility that comes with being trusted with another person’s vulnerability.

Moral character matters. We look beyond credentials to consider the qualities that allow clinicians to use their knowledge responsibly—with humility, integrity, appropriate boundaries, accountability, and genuine commitment to their clients.

Psychotherapy is demanding work, and clinicians need support too. Mentorship, consultation, continuing education, and professional development are woven into the Switzer model, giving clinicians opportunities to reflect on their work, learn from one another, and continue developing their skills.

This applies to experienced clinicians as well as those earlier in their careers. We believe ongoing reflection and accountability strengthen clinical practice and ultimately benefit clients.

Switzer is more than a place to see clients. It is a clinical community built around excellence, integrity, mentorship, accountability, and continuous growth—supporting clinicians as they become the therapists they are capable of becoming.

There is an important difference between having a professional space to see clients and being part of an established psychotherapy practice.

A room-rental or therapist-collective model can provide an office and the freedom to work independently, but the clinician is often responsible for building the practice around that space—generating referrals, responding to inquiries, developing a caseload, managing client communication, scheduling, administration, and creating the systems needed to sustain the practice.

Switzer Counselling takes a different approach.

Our Clinical Associates have access to the infrastructure, referral network, administrative support, and professional environment of an established psychotherapy practice, allowing them to focus more fully on their clinical work and professional development.

But the difference goes beyond infrastructure.

Switzer is led by Shauna Switzer, an experienced clinician who is actively invested in the growth of the therapists within the practice. With more than 20 years of clinical experience, extensive psychotherapy training, and experience supervising developing clinicians, Shauna brings clinical knowledge and perspective to the practice that extends beyond administration or oversight.

Clinical Associates have the opportunity to learn from an experienced therapist who understands both the complexity of clinical work and what it takes to build a sustainable psychotherapy practice. Through mentorship, consultation, reflection, and professional development, clinicians are supported in strengthening not only their practice, but also who they are as therapists.

That combination of established practice infrastructure, clinical leadership, mentorship, and professional community is what makes the Switzer model different.

Switzer is designed so clinicians can devote more of their energy to clinical work while benefiting from the infrastructure of an established psychotherapy practice.

Our model brings together:

• Practice-generated referrals and established referral relationships
• Intake and initial client processes
• Administrative and scheduling support
• Client communication systems
• Professional office space
• Established practice policies and procedures
• Clinical consultation and support
• Mentorship and professional development
• A collaborative professional environment
• High standards for client care and clinical practice

This means you are not expected to build every part of a private practice on your own. The infrastructure is already in place, allowing you to focus more of your time and energy on your clients and your clinical work.

But our support goes beyond helping you build a caseload.

At Switzer, we believe that building a sustainable clinical practice and becoming a stronger clinician should happen together. As you develop your caseload, you also have opportunities to strengthen your clinical knowledge, skills, professional judgment, and effectiveness.

The practice is shaped by Shauna Switzer’s clinical experience, professional knowledge, and commitment to high standards of care. Her mentorship provides Clinical Associates with an opportunity to learn from an experienced therapist who understands both the demands of clinical work and the process of building a sustainable psychotherapy practice.

This is different from simply having an office, receiving referrals, or working alongside other therapists. You are part of a practice where the environment supports your practice and clinical leadership supports your development.

The goal is not simply to help you see more clients. It is to help you build a sustainable practice while continuing to grow into a thoughtful, capable, and exceptional ther