Written by Evelyn Mytka, Contributing Writer
Michael Snow is taking counselling therapy out of the office and into Calgary’s parks, such as Prince’s Island and Confederation Park.
Through Snow Psychology Counselling Services, Michael offers walk-and-talk therapy sessions that give clients the opportunity to have conversations while moving outdoors.
The approach grew from a gap Michael saw in traditional counselling settings, particularly for men and others who might find the idea of sitting face-to-face in a therapist’s office uncomfortable.
“I wanted to provide a more attractive option within the mental health landscape through a more natural environment where we can walk shoulder to shoulder,” he says.
For Michael, that idea became the starting point for something else new: moving across the country, changing careers, and building a business in Alberta before he felt entirely ready.
A Walk-and-Talk Approach
For Michael, taking counselling outdoors isn’t simply about creating a more casual setting. Helping ground clients mind and nervous system through movement and mindfully connecting with nature are part of the experience.
Michael says walking provides a rhythmic, alternating movement quality similar to bilateral stimulation found in other mind-body therapeutic approaches, which he finds can help with regulation, while intentionally connecting with the natural environment can contribute to a sense of calm. Michael thinks of walking as a “co-therapist,” helping create the conditions for conversation before much has even been said.
“I view walking as a co-therapist.”
There’s also something more natural about talking while moving. Instead of sitting face-to-face across an office, Michael and his clients can walk shoulder to shoulder through Calgary’s parks avoiding less intense direct eye contact allowing for sharing to be easier.
While the idea was partly inspired by Michael’s interest in making mental health support more accessible to men, his practice isn’t limited to male clients. The approach is also available to clients beyond his focus on men’s mental health, offering walk-and-talk sessions alongside virtual counselling.
Choosing to Build Something Different
In Michael’s field, opening a private practice isn’t always the obvious first move.
He had seen many new practitioners spend years working for mental health agencies or established group practices before considering going out on their own. Michael chose a different route.
He had a clear idea of the kind of counselling experience he wanted to offer, and building his own practice as a Certified Canadian Counsellor meant he could create it that way from the start.
That didn’t mean he felt completely prepared.
“I’d say probably it’s the classic imposter syndrome,” Michael says. “When you’re starting a new business, you don’t know what you don’t know.”
His training had prepared him to work with clients, but not necessarily for everything that comes with running a business. Suddenly, there were decisions about registration, cash flow, websites, marketing, and all the other details involved in turning a professional skill into a functioning business.
Michael decided that not knowing everything wasn’t a reason to wait.
“You never really feel truly ready when you’re starting things,” he says.
A New Business in a New City
When Michael moved from Ontario to Calgary, he didn’t have friends, family, or an established professional network waiting for him.
So, while building Snow Psychology Counselling Services, he was also building a life in a new city.
“It’s been a whirlwind journey,” he says. “I’ve been really trying to make as many connections as possible and push myself out of my comfort zone.”
Alberta appealed to Michael for both practical and personal reasons. He saw opportunities to start a business here, but as someone who loves the outdoors, the move west also suited him.
In hindsight, Calgary turned out to be a fitting place to build a counselling practice that sometimes trades an office for a park path.
The experience of starting over, meeting new people, and building a business at the same time has been significant for Michael.
“It’s been probably one of the most transformative parts of my life,” he says.
Knowing When to Ask for Help
As a counsellor, Michael understands the value of reaching out for support when you need it. Starting a business turned out to be no different.
Michael knew counselling. Running a business was another matter.
At the suggestion of an entrepreneurial friend, he searched online for small business support in Alberta and found Business Link Alberta.
“It was very reassuring to be able to have someone who knew all of the things that I didn’t know,” Michael says.
Those unknowns ranged from registering his sole proprietorship and thinking through cash flow to figuring out how to build a website that people could actually find.
That last piece became particularly important as Michael worked to establish a new practice in a new city. Through Business Link Alberta’s Digital Marketing Program, he dug into the details of building an online presence, including SEO, keywords, meta titles, social media, and branding.
“Business Link Alberta is going to be there, they’re going to be supportive, and they’re going to help you regardless of what stage you’re at.”
For someone entering a crowded online space, the small details mattered. The program helped Michael better understand how people searching for counselling in Calgary might discover his practice and what he could do to improve that visibility.
More importantly, he didn’t have to figure it all out from scratch. He left the program with a comprehensive report he could continue referring to as he worked on his website, marketing, and growing the practice.
From City Parks to the Rockies
Michael isn’t short on ideas for where Snow Psychology Counselling Services could go next.
Right now, he’s building his client base and revamping his website, with plans to eventually expand beyond individual counselling into couples and family therapy. Further down the road, he can imagine collaborating with other practitioners on multi-day mental health and wellness retreats in the Rockies.
It’s an ambitious direction for a practice that is still relatively new, but Michael has already learned not to wait until everything feels perfectly figured out.
“Get started before you feel ready,” he says. “You’re never going to feel ready.”
It’s the same mindset that took him from a career with the federal government in foreign aid to counselling, from Ontario to Alberta, and from an idea about making therapy more approachable to launching a practice of his own.
And underneath all of those plans is the part of the work Michael values most.
“It really is a true privilege to be able to have someone open up to you in a way that they may have never opened up with anyone before,” he says.
For Michael, building Snow Psychology Counselling Services has meant learning plenty along the way, including when to ask for support. His advice to other entrepreneurs is to be open about what you don’t know, understand the responsibility that comes with starting a business, and take the first step anyway.
Thinking about starting or growing a business in Alberta? Connect with Business Link Alberta for free one-to-one support, market research, resources, and programs to help you figure out your next steps.
