Running a business doesn’t mean running yourself ragged.
You’ve got people to support your marketing, your operations, maybe even your vision.
What about your mind: your emotional steadiness, your nervous system, your mental load?
That’s where I come in.
Think of me as your CMHO, your Chief Mental Health Officer, here to support you (not just your business).
Does this sound like you...?
You know keeping a positive mindset as an entrepreneur is critical.
And yet there are times where it seems laughably impossible to be positive, and it’s all you can do to get through the day.
The ups are really up and man-oh-manishewitz those lows are really low!
You know this is the nature of being in business for yourself and yet you wish it wasn't such a rough ride.
You also yearn to share the wins and losses with someone who gets it.
Last week you lost your shit on your spouse when all they did was ask what you wanted for dinner.
Yesterday you cried when your Amazon order got messed up.
Normally you're cool as a cucumber. You're wondering, "What's happened to me?"
It's a struggle to stay focussed. You find yourself staring at the computer screen, wondering what you were supposed to be doing.
Your thoughts are scattered and you can't gather them enough to make a plan.
You can't make sense of the information in front of you and use it to make a decision.
When your mental health is overloaded, even simple choices can feel impossible.
Nobody really gets you. Your friends and family are supportive but they don't get entrepreneurship.
Your team and your clients are driving you nuts but you've got no-one who understands and can help you process the emotional labour of being in a leadership role.
From the outside, your business might look strong.
But inside, there’s a part of you that’s been managing alone for far too long.
That part deserves care, and qualified, business-aware mental health support.
It's complicated.
Life and business intersect. They amplify one another, in good and also in not-so-good ways.
Your life issues show up—and sometimes trip you up—in your business... and vice versa!
You want to be able to sort this out and get on with things but it's hard on your own.
Just like your business needs a COO, your emotions need a CMHO.
Imagine being the calm, clear-headed leader your business needs. Not because you're pushing harder, but because you’re supported where it matters most.
Imagine your days holding more ease—even with the same to-do list—because your mind and nervous system finally have room to breathe.
Imagine having someone on your executive team, not for your numbers or your marketing, but for you. To witness, steady, and support you.
That’s what I do.
Think of me as your Chief Mental Health Officer: the person on your team who cares for the human behind the business.
Here's how we can make that a reality:
First, I help you create steadiness. We ease emotional intensity and support your nervous system, so you can think clearly and creatively again.
Next, we explore the deeper patterns and beliefs that are influencing your business—things like money fears, people-pleasing, and over-responsibility. You’ll begin to meet these parts of yourself with compassion and understanding.
From there, we’ll make practical shifts. We’ll coach around real-time business challenges and build on the skills you already have. I’ll introduce personalized tools and practices to help you set boundaries, regulate your emotions, and lead with greater confidence.
Finally, we focus on integration. You’ll embody the changes you’ve made, implement sustainable habits, and build a version of success that supports you—emotionally, mentally, and practically.
Throughout our work together, I offer what a Chief Mental Health Officer would: thought partnership, emotionally attuned support, space to reflect, and gentle accountability (but only if accountability is what you want).
This is the kind of support that builds your capacity.
As your CMHO, I provide a framework of support for your mental and emotional wellbeing so you can stay rooted in yourself, prevent burnout, and lead in a way that feels clear, calm, and human.
You’ll start to feel like yourself again, not just functioning, but actually flourishing.
With a life and a business that are both thriving and sustainable.
Because your success shouldn't come at the cost of your wellbeing.
Ready to bring your mental health into the heart of your business so you can prevent burnout and lead with clarity, steadiness, and support? Let’s talk about what it could mean to have your own Chief Mental Health Officer.
Because I value transparency: if you choose to work with me after our conversation, you should know that my fees range from $300 (for single sessions) to $1100 (for support subscriptions). I bill in USD or CAD depending on the currency in which you earn your living.
—Shula for short (she/her).
I support women business owners as their Chief Mental Health Officer, offering grounded, business-aware mental health care in a world full of relentless stressors, decision fatigue, and days that make you want to throw your laptop out the window.
With this kind of steady, attuned support, you’re able to care for your mind and nervous system, prevent burnout, and stay connected to yourself.
So you can lead like you, not just functioning, but present, clear, and laying the foundation for long-term, sustainable success.
I’ll be your Chief Mental Health Officer, and together we’ll find what works for you and your mental and emotional well being. You’ll have the responsibility for implementing the solutions. I’ll support you and hold you accountable.
(In case you’re wondering if I’m legit, click here for some more information.)
Let's explore working together.
Yes! I have a boutique practice and accept 1-2 new clients each month.
I work with women who own small businesses: founders, freelancers, entrepreneurs, consultants, service providers and creatives. Many of my clients are ambitious and capable who feel like they’re carrying too much. They come to me when the pressure to keep going on their own has started to cost them their wellbeing.
I work with clients all over the world, in person here at home in my local community of Merrickville, Ontario, and remotely with business owners elsewhere in Ontario, Canada, the US and Europe. Remote appointments are held by video using a secure telehealth platform, or by phone.
I am in the Eastern time zone. My office hours are from 10:30 am – 5:00 pm Eastern time on Tuesdays and 12:30pm to 5:00pm Eastern on Wednesdays. My hours of business can fit well with Pacific, Mountain, Central and Atlantic time zones, and for the UK & Western Europe if you prefer evening sessions.
If you are a resident in the province of Ontario, Canada, I can provide receipts for submission to your insurance company for reimbursement. Please verify the details of your extended health care benefits to ensure that social work services are included in your coverage.
If you are a resident of the province of Ontario, Canada, you can either submit my fees as a medical expense on your income tax return or write my fees off as a business consultation expense.
If you are not a a resident of the province of Ontario, Canada, my understanding is that you can write my fees off as a business consultation expense, but please verify with your accountant or tax advisor what would be the best option for your situation.
Yes. Everything you share is confidential. Even the fact that we are working together is confidential. That’s actually a huge benefit of therapy: you can say the unsayable and there won’t be any ripples out into the world unless you decide that’s needed. There are a few legal and ethical exceptions related mostly to safety that I’ll review with you in our first session.
Usually I am available for free calls on a weekly basis. You are welcome to book your first session at the time of the free call if that feels right (but there’s never any pressure) and most often can have our first appointment within a week.
No. All you need to work with me is to book a free call. If you are using your insurance to cover my fees (available only to residents of the province of Ontario, Canada), the insurance company may need a referral letter.
Research indicates that half of clients report they have made some progress within 15-20 sessions, and many factors can affect the frequency and duration of therapy.
At the end of each session, you will have an opportunity to decide on your progress and your needs. You determine when the work is complete.
Generally, unless there is a time-sensitive and emergent situation, clients book bi-weekly sessions.
Some business owners move faster and others decide they want a fractional chief mental health officer as a regular and ongoing member of their support team, the same as a bookkeeper would be, for example.
I offer session-by-session rates as well as packages for more wrap-around support.
My current fee range for individual sessions is $250-$350 (USD or CAD depending on the currency in which you earn your living). Learn more about fee ranges here.
More in-depth support starts at $1000/month. To learn more, book your free call here.
Coaches often focus on performance, goals, and business outcomes.
Therapy with me focuses on you: your emotions, your nervous system, your relationships with work, money, and leadership. It’s about creating space where you can be fully human, not just a producer of results. Learn more about the differences here.
I ask for a minimum of 48 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule. That way, I can offer the spot to someone else who may be waiting.
The first session is a chance to slow down. We’ll talk about what’s been going on, what you’d like support with, and what you hope to get out of therapy. At the end, I’ll offer some first steps you can implement outside of sessions, if that’s what would be helpful. The relationship is the foundation for all progress in therapy, so that’s where we will start: getting to know one another and building trust by creating a space that feels safe and useful for you.
Both. Talking things through can be powerful. I offer tools for nervous system regulation, parts work, and practical approaches you can use in daily life, as well as in-the-moment, inner-process-oriented support so you can root, reveal, reshape and rise into a version of success that supports you emotionally, mentally, and practically.
My work integrates somatic parts work, nervous system awareness, trauma-informed care, and decades of experience as both a therapist and entrepreneur. Everything I use has been demonstrated to help you feel steadier, kinder with yourself, and clearer in your leadership.
We’ll work with your nervous system, your patterns of overwork, and the emotional load of leadership. Together, we’ll create new ways of responding that let you rest, reset, and lead sustainably without losing your edge or your sense of purpose.
Entrepreneurship comes with unique stressors: money pressure, client demands, isolation, and the weight of being the one who holds it all. Therapy with me acknowledges that reality. I understand what it means to balance emotional needs with business decisions, because I’ve been there too.
That’s not uncommon. Finding the right fit matters. If we discover we’re not the right fit, I’ll support you in finding someone who is. Therapy is too important to settle for less.
That’s okay. You’re not locked in. You can stop at any time, and I’ll respect your decision. My hope is always that therapy feels like a resource, not another obligation.
The "Fine Print"
As your Chief Mental Health Officer, I will be focussed on supporting you, as a small business owner, with your emotional, mental and financial well being. Yes, life and business intersect and affect one another, and we will attend to those intersections, and business and money will be our focus. Although I am a Registered Social Worker in the province of Ontario, I do not provide psychotherapy or social work services to clients resident outside Ontario.
We will be engaging in counselling, meaning that:
1) I support you to explore the issues you bring forward and find solutions, and to identify both the strengths and needs you bring to any situation.
2) I provide you with resources and information relating to the issues you bring forward, and will explore and teach a variety of coping strategies.
The frameworks guiding our work together are rooted in the following non-clinical certifications and training: Certified Trauma of Money facilitator; Certified Resilience coach; Certified Inner Relationship Focusing Professional; Certified Trainer in Nonviolent Communication; Dare to Lead™ trained; Coaching Way (Tara Mohr) trained; Master of Arts in Counselling and Spirituality.
Let's explore working together. Book a free call here.
