In this episode, I reflect on something I’ve been noticing lately, both in my own life and in conversations with other business owners:

Even though AI makes it easier to write, create, and move faster… many of us aren’t using that time to slow down.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why AI doesn’t actually create freedom (and what it creates instead)
• The subtle trap of turning efficiency into more work
• How “doing more” quietly pulls us away from the life we wanted to build
• The difference between efficiency vs. alignment
• Why protecting empty space is more important than ever
• How to define “enough” in a world where there’s always more you could do

Grounding reminders shared in this episode:

1. Efficiency is not alignment
2. Just because you can do more doesn’t mean you should.
3. Empty space is not a problem
4. That quiet time? That slower pace? That’s the whole point.
5. If you don’t define “enough,” it disappears
6. Without friction, there’s always one more thing to do.

The goal was never to do more. It's to build a life that feels like your own.

--

RESOURCES

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients.

You support your clients. Alma supports you.

Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE–an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

--

Ready to launch (or grow) your online course?

Haven is our membership for therapists who want to turn their expertise into sustainable online income through courses, content, and simple systems that actually work.

You’ll get access to trainings, live accelerators, and a community that supports you every step of the way.

Get on the waitlist: sellingthecouch.com/haven

In this conversation, I sit down with Daniel Fava from Private Practice Elevation to explore what’s actually changed with blogging, SEO, and content creation, and what still works today.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why blogging has traditionally been such a powerful strategy for therapists
• The biggest shifts in SEO and content creation since the rise of AI
• What Google’s E-E-A-T framework really means, and why it favors therapists
• How to make your content stand out in an AI-saturated world
• The role of social signals in building authority
• A smarter way to approach blogging
• Where to start if you haven’t blogged in months (or ever)

Blogging isn’t dead, but generic blogging is. In an AI-driven world, storytelling is your unfair advantage.

Because blogging isn’t about writing on a weekly schedule. It’s about creating content that actually connects, builds trust, and compounds over time.

--

Connect with Daniel & Private Practice Elevation:

Website: https://privatepracticeelevation.com

Free Clarity Call: https://privatepracticeelevation.com/kickoff

--

RESOURCES

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients.

You support your clients. Alma supports you.

Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE–an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

--

Ready to launch (or grow) your online course?

Haven is our membership for therapists who want to turn their expertise into sustainable online income through courses, content, and simple systems that actually work.

You’ll get access to trainings, live accelerators, and a community that supports you every step of the way.

Get on the waitlist: sellingthecouch.com/haven

Then I saw the data, and it challenged a lot of assumptions.

In this episode, I break down what actually drives podcast downloads today, based on real-world insights and my own experience growing Selling the Couch into a top 0.5% podcast.

Because here’s the truth:

• Audience size doesn’t guarantee downloads
• Big-name guests aren’t the growth lever you think they are
• And visibility alone isn’t what moves the needle

In this episode, we cover:

• Why audience size ≠ downloads (and what matters more)
• The real difference between a “vitamin” vs. “painkiller” episode
• Why titles matter more than your guest list
• How to write titles that get 2–3x more downloads
• The ideal episode length
• How to think about podcast guesting strategically (not randomly)
• The strategy that beats social media for growth
• Your best discovery tool
• The biggest shift in downloads

Plus, we'll go over a simple experiment to try to see what your audience actually responds to, and how to double down on it.

If your podcast isn’t growing the way you expected, it may not be your consistency. It may be your alignment—between your title, your topic, and the real problems your listeners are trying to solve.

If you found this helpful, consider sharing it with a friend or colleague who is building (or thinking about starting) a podcast.

And don’t forget to subscribe for more insights on podcasting, online business, and building something that compounds quietly over time.

--

RESOURCES

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients.

You support your clients. Alma supports you.

Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE–an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

--

Ready to launch (or grow) your online course?

Haven is our membership for therapists who want to turn their expertise into sustainable online income through courses, content, and simple systems that actually work.

You’ll get access to trainings, live accelerators, and a community that supports you every step of the way.

Get on the waitlist: sellingthecouch.com/haven

Statistics show that the self-improvement industry is a $10-11 billion industry, so we know that there are a lot people who crave knowledge and want to learn.

Join me for more!

--

Want to launch your online course?

Our new membership is open for enrollment! Find out more and join Haven here

Samara Stone is a return guest to the podcast, and I’m thrilled to welcome her back! In addition to her work as a therapist, Samara is a branding expert who has a curated community, Be Full Grown, for black women over 40 who are ready to imagine, create, and live a life of their own design. Samara is in the process of launching a podcast, and she has already proven her courage in showing up imperfect through some major life difficulties. We will discuss how we, as clinicians, can show up imperfect when perfectionism always has a pull on us. Samara also shares helpful guidelines for sharing appropriately on social media, which is something we all need to keep in mind.

Be Full Grown

You’ll Learn:

1. How things have changed in our field in beautiful ways; “Your Saturday self CAN show up on Monday morning.”
2. Why many therapists struggle with perfectionism and are afraid to show up as 100% human
3. Why clients appreciate transparency because it conveys a non-judgmental attitude
4. Why there is a huge shift happening in how we understand marketing and our personal brand
5. How therapists need to share enough about the real dynamic of themselves so clients can see the healing possibilities
6. How Samara decided to share on social media the experience of her divorce a few years ago
7. Why we have to be polarizing at times in order to find our true audience–and that’s OK
8. The importance of realizing that you can’t and won’t appeal to everyone
9. How to use your clear purpose and intention to determine how much of your life to share on social media

--

Want to launch your online course?

Our new membership is open for enrollment! Find out more and join Haven here.

Michael Rothermel is my videographer who filmed the welcome video for STC. We were part of the same faith community while Michael lived in the Philly area.

Join us to learn his top tips to improve the quality of live videos.

--

Want to launch your online course or YouTube channel?

Save your spot for our free live webinar: The Calm YouTube Flywheel here!

Or check out our new membership site! Find out more and get on the Haven Waitlist here.

As a result of coaching, taking courses, and obsessively (nerdily) studying YouTube, I have decided to finally leap into YouTube in 2024. In today’s session, I’ll share what went into this decision for me and what you should consider as a current or aspiring therapist podcaster.

You’ll Learn:

1. How our fears are usually rooted in some sort of trauma or feeling unseen or unheard
2. Top considerations for me in starting out on YouTube:
3. YouTube is intentionally appealing to podcasters and is becoming an ever more popular podcast platform.
4. Putting a video editing team in place makes the jump to YouTube much easier.
5. YouTube (owned by Google) is very beneficial for discoverability and SEO.
6. I plan to use the best of both playlists (podcasts, YouTube) and feed platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn).
7. I plan to use “Walden months” to prioritize self-care and big projects. (My inspiration is the commitment to be a fully present family man and what I learned from Tim Ferris’ 2020 blog, 11 Reasons Not To Become Famous.)
8. How I plan to keep you updated and document my YouTube journey in the weekly STC Newsletter
9. Why I’m grateful for the support of STC listeners on this new path that has me feeling vulnerable, nervous, and fearful

--

Want to launch your online course or YouTube channel?

Save your spot for our free live webinar: The Calm YouTube Flywheel here!

Or check out our new membership site! Find out more and get on the Haven Waitlist here.

I wish that were true.

Over the past decade, both as a course creator (since 2015) and as a teacher helping therapists launch their own courses, I’ve seen something surprising:

Great content alone is rarely enough.

In this episode, we talk about why most online courses fail, even when the material inside is research-backed, thoughtful, and genuinely helpful.

Because the truth is:

Content is only one part of the equation.

Completion, clarity, and connection build a real course business.

Inside this video, I break down:

1. Why the most important video in your course isn’t what you think
2. The 80/20 mistake most course creators make
3. Why your course is competing with everything (not just other courses)
4. The hidden anxiety that leads to overstuffed, overwhelming modules
5. How to simplify your curriculum without losing depth
6. A practical way to map and refine your modules (using tools like Miro)
7. How gentle gamification (completion badges, progress nudges) increases completion rates
8. Why the clearest courses—not the deepest ones—tend to win

If you’re a therapist or clinician thinking about creating an online course (or wondering why yours isn’t gaining traction), this episode will help you shift your focus from perfection → to promotion → to sustainable momentum.

--

Resources:

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients.

You support your clients. Alma supports you.

Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE–an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

--

Want to launch your online course?

Save your spot for our free live webinar: The Calm YouTube Flywheel here!

Or check out our new membership site! Find out more and get on the Haven Waitlist here.

But what about the parts no one posts about?

In today’s episode of Selling the Couch, I’m joined by my friend Dr. Justin Dodson, a group practice owner in Memphis, Tennessee, for an honest, real-world conversation about what it actually takes to run (and sustain) a small business as a therapist.

Justin is heading into year 6 of private practice, and I’m in year 11 with STC—so we wanted to pull back the curtain on the things therapists often learn the hard way: pricing, confidence, leadership, loneliness, burnout, and what success really looks like after the early hustle phase.

In this conversation, we cover:

1. Why most therapists start with zero business training (and what to do anyway)
2. The “version 1 vs version 10” trap therapists fall into
3. How Justin set his first fee (and why he’ll never haggle again)
4. A realistic approach to raising rates without spiraling
5. Why “don’t base your business on someone else’s secret” matters more than ever
6. The hidden loneliness of entrepreneurship (no-shows, cancellations, declined cards, overhead)
7. How becoming a business owner changes you—emotionally, mentally, and relationally
8. Managing burnout + anxiety while still showing up for clients
9. The leadership challenges that come with scaling and relinquishing control
10. How to build trust in yourself by keeping your word to yourself

If you’re in private practice, thinking about starting one, or navigating the messy middle of business ownership... this episode will feel like a deep exhale.

--

Resources:

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients.

You support your clients. Alma supports you.

Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE–an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

--

Want to launch your online course?

Check out our new membership site! Find out more and get on the Haven Waitlist here.

Not because the host isn’t talented.

Not because their strategy is bad.

But because they quit too soon, or they measure ROI the wrong way.

In this episode, I break down what 11 years of podcasting (and nearly 2 million downloads) have taught me about building a podcast that actually pays off.

The 3 Forms of Podcast ROI

1️⃣ Trust – Deep relational credibility that compounds quietly over time

2️⃣ Longevity – Most quit early; sustainable rhythm wins

3️⃣ Assets – Turn episodes into evergreen SEO infrastructure

Podcasting is not about going viral.

It’s about building something that compounds.

If you’re a therapist building a podcast (or considering it), this episode will help you think beyond downloads, and design something sustainable, profitable, and aligned.

Resources:

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients.

You support your clients. Alma supports you.

Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE–an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

--

Want to launch your online course?

Check out our new membership site! Find out more and get on the Haven Waitlist here.

TJ introduces a simple but powerful framework:

Push. Pull. Propel.

It’s a guide for navigating professional discomfort, emerging desires, and the momentum that comes from integrating both.

We talk about:

* Why branding is worked out in real time

* Letting go of perfectionism and overthinking

* The emotional cost of being “the product” in therapy work

* How to know when it’s time to pivot

* Building Quiet Builder and navigating multiple identities

* Intuitive practices for clarity and alignment

* Why slow growth is often the greatest gift

If you're in a season of change — whether it's launching a new offer, exploring a new part of yourself, or simply wondering “what’s next?” — this one is for you.

Resources:

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients.

You support your clients. Alma supports you.

Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE–an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

--

Want to launch your online course?

Check out our new membership site! Find out more and get on the Haven Waitlist here.

Over the past decade of building Selling the Couch, I’ve had a front-row seat to both the power and the cost of online visibility. And lately, I’ve been asking myself: What does success look like without the performance? What if we chose privacy over performance, resonance over reach?

In this episode, I share 3 core insights I’ve learned from personal experience and from conversations with fellow clinicians:

🧠 The illusion that fame heals insecurity

📉 The emotional weight of influence

🕵️ Privacy as the hidden cost of visibility

I also reflect on how slow growth gave me space to emotionally regulate, why I’m focusing more on deeper offline conversations (including my golf journey 👀), and how I’ve come to define enough in business and life.

Whether you're feeling burned out from social media, questioning your relationship to personal branding, or just wondering if there's a quieter way to grow, I hope this episode offers encouragement and clarity.

Resources:

Want to launch your online course?

Check out our new membership site! Find out more and get on the Haven Waitlist here.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dan Cumberland, founder of Dan Cumberland Labs, to explore how therapists, coaches, and small business owners can use AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude without sounding robotic or generic.

We cover:

* Common therapist concerns about using AI

* How to treat AI as a collaborator (not a replacement)

* The POWER Framework: How to get better AI output

* Building a brand voice guide

* How AI frees up time for life, family, and creative work

* Using AI to repurpose podcast & YouTube content

* Dan’s tips for delegating content without losing your voice

This episode is packed with practical tips if you're looking to scale your message, free up your schedule, and still sound like you.

Resources:

Want to launch your online course?

Check out our new membership site! Find out more and get on the Haven Waitlist here.

After 20+ years in the mental health field and over a decade running Selling the Couch, I'm sharing 5 things I wish I had done during grad school to set up a more sustainable, meaningful, and flexible career.

I also share one bonus tip that’s been the most important for long-term success (especially if you want to avoid burnout and build a career that supports your life, not consumes it).

This episode covers:

#1: Don’t Just Learn—Build Something

#2: Say Yes to What Scares You

#3: Learn the Language of Business

#4: Build Relationships, Not Just a Resume

#5: Don’t Burn Bridges (Ever)

And tune in to get the BONUS tip!

Resources:

Want to launch your online course?

Check out our new membership site that just opened! Find out more and join us in Haven here.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

In this episode of Selling the Couch, I’m joined by psychologist and author Dr. Emily Anhalt to explore how we can strengthen our emotional muscles to prevent burnout, set boundaries, and lead with compassion (without losing ourselves in the process).

We break down:

The difference between emotional intelligence and emotional fitness

The 7 traits of emotionally fit people

The early warning signs of burnout—and how to prevent it

Why boundaries are the blueprint for sustainability

How playfulness improves therapy outcomes (and leadership!)

A powerful "emotional push-up" you can try today

Whether you're in private practice, leadership, or building something new, this episode will help you stay grounded and grow with intention.

Resources:

Want to launch your online course?

Check out our new membership site that's starting in January! Find out more and join us in Haven here.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

If you’re worried that AI tools might replace the need for your course, this episode will help you rethink that fear, and give you a framework to build something deeply human, emotionally intelligent, and resilient.

Learn the 3 keys to future-proofing your course:

Sustainable Community – Build connection that lasts beyond the launch

Blue Ocean Positioning – Create a course that stands alone in your niche

Meaningful Gamification – Design experiences that transform, not just inform

You’ll also get a behind-the-scenes look at how Melvin made the difficult decision to retire his previous programs, and what led to the creation of Haven, a calm, supportive community for therapists moving into online income.

Resources:

Want to launch your online course?

Check out our new membership site that’s launching in January! Find out more and join us in Haven here.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest for today’s coaching call:

Nikki Sewell, LCSW

Nikki was ready to get her pilot students into her course, but she has encountered a lot of fear around charging her worth for her grief course for therapists. Nikki built a successful private practice focusing on the niche of grief counseling, motivated by losing her father to suicide during her grad school years and suddenly losing her husband at age 41 back in 2013. Join the coaching call with Nikki and Melvin!

Nikki Sewell

You’ll Learn:

● How Nikki found her niche in grief counseling with widows, suicide survivors, and orphaned adults

● Why Nikki views her grief counseling work as something beautiful that empowers people to see “what’s lost, what’s left, and what’s possible”

● How Nikki decided to create her online course to help other grief and trauma therapists

● Why the best online courses combine clinical training with personal experience–like Nikki is doing

● How money blocks, shame, and internal voices get in the way to create imposter syndrome for Nikki

● The new perspective: Nikki’s course is helping clinicians to become better clinicians, help their clients more fully, and become better business owners (who make more money)

● Why we struggle with shame in charging what we are worth because we are a “helping profession”

● How Nikki can implement the same steps in charging for her online course that she employed in establishing her private practice

● How to take a “ladder view” of our expertise and experience, realizing that there are always people on lower rungs who need your help

● Why it’s better to take the tortoise approach and pace yourself in launching a course

Resources:

Want to launch your online course?

Check out our new membership site that’s launching in January! Find out more and join us in Haven here.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

If you are struggling along those same lines, I hope today’s show gives you insights, clarity, and encouragement. Join us to learn more!

Our Featured Guest

Angela Williams, LCSW

Angela Williams is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Orlando, Florida. She has made the transition from clinician to coach, and she now works with other therapists who are making the same change in their lives. Angela shares her thoughts about why so many clinicians are leaving for the world of coaching, along with the biggest roadblocks that may come up on this path. She gives her best tips for overcoming those big roadblocks and recommends several books as helpful resources. 

Website

You’ll Learn:

• Why so many therapists are becoming coaches
• How the therapy field, with its inherent regulations, contains many barriers to providing services to clients—and coaching is different
• The biggest mental roadblock for Angela in moving from clinician to coach
• Why each clinician feels like the “insecure expert” and has to intentionally build up their confidence
• Why it’s challenging to become an online, visible brand rather than a care provider
• What holds clinicians back the most and presents the biggest roadblocks
• How a mindset coach can help us rewrite our roadblocks into our success story
• How perfectionism, fear of failure, and standards of success can prevent us from taking action
• Why money blocks and financial literacy play into our beliefs about money
• Why the fear of success can be just as crippling as the fear of failure
• Books recommended by Angela:  The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks, Get Rich, Lucky Bitch by Denise Duffield-Thomas, and You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero

Resources:

Want to launch your online course?

Check out our new membership site that’s launching in January! Find out more and join us in Haven here.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Kieran Drew

Kieran Drew lives in Leeds, England, and is my writing coach for Twitter. In an interesting career twist, he was a dentist who left behind his stressful, work-filled life to become a copywriter/storyteller. My first connection to Kieran came through the viral story he wrote about his unique medical experiences as a teenager. He is a talented storyteller who has helped my writing immensely, and I know his insights will be helpful to anyone looking to improve their writing. 

Website

You’ll Learn:

• Why Kieran made the unconventional transition from dentist to copywriter/storyteller
• An overview of Kieran’s spinal issues involving a tumor, surgeries, and titanium rods—this is the experience that helped him discover storytelling and a new love for life
• 3 tips to become a better storyteller:
• Make a story bank by writing down everything that happens to you with specific details.
• Cut through the noise to impart a lesson. 
• Even in sales, start every point with a story. 
• How specific details make your stories more impactful
• How to draw a “lesson” from each story
• How storytelling breaks down skepticism and improves your selling ability
• How storytelling can be your differentiator in the online world
• A storytelling template: what happened/the lesson, why people should care, and a call to action
• How Kieran reviews his story bank to choose his next story

Resources:

Want to launch your online course?

Join our Free 90-Minute Workshop happening on December 10th: Will AI Make My Course Irrelevant? Save your spot at sellingthecouch.com/aiwebinar

Check out our new membership site that’s launching in January! Find out more and join the interest list for Haven. 

You’ll Learn:

• The 10 biggest mistakes I made as an online course creator:
• 1–I didn’t understand how my childhood trauma affected my course pricing. 
• Check out these resources: “The Psychological Price of Entrepreneurship” (Inc Magazine), We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers, and courses by Tiffany McLain.
• 2–I gave my students lifetime access to coaching and community.
• This caused me to feel resentment for not charging more for that kind of access to me.
• 3–I focused too much on gear instead of creating a steady marketing system. 
• I have learned that marketing, which is not my strength, is all about authenticity and connection.
• 4–I focused on being in the “middle of the pack” on pricing instead of in the upper tier.
• Ask yourself, “Do you want to be the Apple or the Walmart in your niche?”
• 5–I didn’t realize that I could invite students into other experiences beyond my course.
• Options include a mastermind, cohort-based course, and other recurring income buckets.
• 6–I realized that looking at my bank account doesn’t drive sales as testimonials do.
• 7–I thought I’d be stuck on one business model, so I built a “strip mall model.”
• 8–I thought having a mentor with a similar course meant that I couldn’t create one.
• When someone else has a similar course, you can niche down into a more specific message.
• 9–I was too concerned about the sale over the relationship.
• This came from a poverty mindset instead of the abundance mindset to which I aspire. 
• 10–I didn’t think about the one-off sale on the front end and the recurring invitation on the back. 
• A certain number of students will want a more in-depth experience with us. 

Resources:

Want to launch your online course?

Join our Free 90-Minute Workshop happening on December 10th: Will AI Make My Course Irrelevant? Save your spot at sellingthecouch.com/aiwebinar

Check out our new membership site that’s launching in January! Find out more and join the interest list for Haven. 

Heather McKenzie came through Online Course School as a beta student back in the fall of 2021. Online Course School is a live, eight-week experience that takes your online course from a simple idea all the way through the development stages so that you are ready to record. Heather created a course specifically focused on anxiety that can be found at Dial Down Anxiety. Like most of us who create an online course, she faced a common struggle about how to handle marketing time and costs to promote her course. Join us to hear the coaching call!

McKenzie Counseling 

You’ll Learn:

• How to handle logistical challenges in the online presentation of your course
• Why Heather’s course is an eight-week course to help people understand anxiety and DBT emotion regulation skills
• How marketing options for an online course can be overwhelming for most people 
• How to pinpoint your own superpowers in teaching and the style that works best for you
• How to structure the content levels for promoting your course in six-month blocks:
• Start with webinars, both free and paid.
• Offer a downloadable guide or cheat sheet.
• Use a core blog post as a stand-alone feature that blows people away.
• Tips from Melvin about content levels:
• Offering too many things can confuse people, so stick with one core webinar.
• Less is more!
• Be thoughtful about using the words “webinar” and “workshop” so as not to intimidate people.
• Link your blog post videos to YouTube to drive more traffic back to your webinar.
• Consider that high-quality offerings through webinars, guides, and blog posts help to establish your authority as an expert and give people value that keeps them returning.
• How podcasting can help with future promotion by giving a call-to-action to your webinar
• Why you need to take notes during the first offering of your course with beta students to know what content resonates the most; that content can be used for future free webinars
• In summary, five tools to market an online course that have evergreen potential:
• Webinar (start with live ones and then transition to evergreen ones)
• Downloadable guides or cheat sheets
• Core blog post
• Select podcast episodes
• Mini-podcast 

Resources:

Want to launch your online course?

Join our Free 90-Minute Workshop happening on December 10th: Will AI Make My Course Irrelevant? Save your spot at sellingthecouch.com/aiwebinar

Check out our new membership site that’s launching in January! Find out more and join the interest list for Haven. 

You’ll Learn:

• How online courses can help fill in the gap for those who need mental health services
• 7 Questions to Ask Before Launching an Online Course:
• Have people paid me one-on-one for this course idea?
• Can I see myself being in this space for 10+ years?
• Is this course idea confronting a “massive pain” vs. an “annoying inconvenience” for my audience?
• Can this population afford the course I’m selling? Do they have purchasing power?
• Is this a population that is easy to target and find online?
• Is my course idea a growing concern/need for my audience?
• Are there others out there creating information products for this niche?

Resources:

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

Check out our new membership site that’s launching in January! Find out more and join the interest list for Haven. 

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Dr. Jessi Gold

Dr. Jessi Gold is the first Chief Wellness Officer for the University of Tennessee System, which comprises five campuses and more than 60,000 students. Also serving as an associate professor of psychiatry, Dr. Gold is a speaker, media advocate, author, and mental health consultant. She recently wrote How Do You Feel? One Doctor's Search for the Humanity in Medicine.  In today’s session, Jessi shares her experience in teetering on the edge of burnout and what she learned about herself. 

Dr. Jessi Gold

You’ll Learn:

• The basics of Dr. Jessi’s role with the University of Tennessee and what it means to be a Chief Wellness Officer
• The differences and barriers from campus to campus in a university system
• “Silo-breaking” as it relates to mental health
• The difficulty in caring for ourselves while caring for others
• Perfectionism, burnout, and why “it’s OK not to be OK”
• The pandemic’s part in training us to wear a “badge of honor” for not caring for ourselves and our mental health
• We are human—and we forget that very often.
• The event that was the impetus for Dr. Jessi’s book—and why it left her feeling horrible
• Signs of early burnout that Dr. Jessi only noticed in hindsight
• Making the shift to navigate perfectionist tendencies to prevent burnout
• The importance of having self-compassion and reframing the mean things we say to ourselves
• The value of timeout for ME

Resources:

Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE–an exclusive offer for STC listeners. 

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

Check out our new membership site that’s launching in January! Find out more and join the interest list for Haven. 

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• The underlying question to ask: “How do I build something that lasts without losing myself in the process?”
• Announcement about closing STC Elite, our mastermind that has lasted for 4 years
• Closing the mastermind, all related to my stress level, focus, and mental clarity
• “Sometimes, the highest ROI decision we can make in our businesses is subtraction.”
• Feedback about concerns over the $9K investment
• Highlights of a new membership site, Haven, launching in January 2026 (A much more affordable option!) Find out more and join the interest list. 
• The Quiet Builder Newsletter: How this movement resonates with so many people
• What’s coming up for me in the form of courses, books, and new platforms to create space for my clinical skills
• My tip: Create your first course to support your enduring identity.
• Factors in life that go beyond business
• Choosing clarity over complexity
• Legacy, stewardship, and charitable giving
• My passion to help those who’ve been rescued from sex trades
• Thank you for your support over these past 10 years!

Resources:

Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE–an exclusive offer for STC listeners. 

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist looking to transition from clinical to online course income, we have a specialized mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Check out our new membership site that’s launching in January! Find out more and join the interest list for Haven. 

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Kenya Crawford

Kenya Crawford is a licensed therapist and trained facilitator who works with individuals, companies, and therapists to create healing spaces for our collective liberation. In today’s conversation, Kenya provides a behind-the-scenes look at the current state of DEI programs and discusses how to balance DEI and anti-racist work with running a sustainable business. This is a practical conversation around building and designing practices and businesses with strategic intentionality. 

Kenya's Website

Cultivated Healers Community

You’ll Learn:

• The current state of DEI work: It’s not dead, but it has shifted.
• Our companies reflect our communities.
• Kenya’s focus from 2020-2025, aiming for overall sustainability in her practice
• Kenya’s personal example of navigating life with an “All money is not good money” philosophy
• “Is it really worth it to do work that doesn’t align with my values?” 
• Considerations in a fee structure that make therapy more accessible
• Actions to cultivate space, community, and gratitude
• First steps in starting an anti-racist practice
• An anti-racist practice is intentional in every touch point in your business. 
• Finding your community (and accountability partners) with a shared vision
• Balancing anti-racist work with running a sustainable business 
• Challenges in the differing language used to describe “psychological safety”
• Kenya’s perspectives on the removal of DEI language from websites, publications, etc. 

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• There was no grand vision or monetization plan when I began back in 2015.
• The #1 recurring question I’m asked: “How did you launch a podcast?”
• My journey into online courses—how it began and grew (To date, that first course has generated over $340,000 in revenue!)
• The STC podcast, which started with just the basics in my home office, was the foundation to show people they could trust me.
• My view of a podcast as a “channel of authenticity,” when it’s built with care and intention
• 3 anchors for turning your podcast into a platform:
• Listen closely to what your audience asks for. 
• Create soft invitations, not hard pitches.
• Build systems behind the scenes.
• My approach to calls-to-action at the end of each podcast episode (invitation-based, not pressure-based)
• Want to know more about starting YOUR podcast? Check out our FREE Podcasting Workshop. 

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Dr. Jen Blanchette

Dr. Jen Blanchette is a licensed psychologist, podcaster, speaker, career coach, and business consultant. Her passion is helping therapists and other caring professionals say goodbye to burnout culture and find the support they need. In the early years of the pandemic, Dr. Jen made the decision to close the private practice she had worked hard to build; a combination of burnout and the realization that she wanted to focus on other things fueled her decision. In today’s conversation, we cover the real, emotional side of shutting down a private practice, which includes terminating relationships with clients and handling logistical challenges. Guilt and shame accompany this difficult decision, and Dr. Jen shares what she wishes she had known back then. She gives her insight into other details of the closing process, along with an optimal timeline for closing. 

Website: drjenblanchette.com

You’ll Learn:

• Considering what comes “on the other side”---finding freedom and clarity
• Tips for planning to shut down
• How to communicate with clients about closing
• The grief element for you AND your clients requires time to heal
• Dr. Jen’s hindsight into what she wishes she had done in the process of shutting down her private practice
• Ethical questions about the termination of treatment
• Top 3 logistical tasks in shutting down your private practice:
• Contacting your liability insurance carrier
• Handling records appropriately
• Contacting your state board
• Considerations for choosing an appropriate attorney
• Most common mistakes therapists make: not having the support they need and trying to handle it all solo
• Dr. Jen’s advice: What she wishes every therapist knew about closing down a private practice
• Visit Dr. Jen’s website, drjenblanchette.com, for information about the Ethical Practice Closure Course, her free Quick Start Guide, and The Therapist Burnout Podcast.

Resources:

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. 

With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients.

You support your clients. Alma supports you.

Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE–an exclusive offer for STC listeners. 

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist looking to transition from clinical to online course income, we have a specialized mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• Course building strategies that don’t overload your students
• Building a course for them, not me
• In course creation, look for the most straightforward path from A to B.
• “A finished course is more powerful than a perfect one.”
• 3 anchors for course design to improve completion rates:
• Design for real-life energy, not ideal circumstances.
• Layer-in accountability and gentle community to serve “one to many” over 1:1.
• Keep the path simple and straightforward. Don’t overwhelm people with too many options or resources.
• “Clarity builds momentum; confusion kills it.”
• Check out our free email course, The Course Creator Starter Kit.

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• My experience: Feeling behind when everyone else seemed to be scaling faster: “Am I doing this wrong?”
• What clicked for me: “Speed makes noise, but depth builds roots.”
• 3 Quiet-Builder truths for longevity and depth:
• Slow growth is often the healthiest growth.
• We often think reputation comes from a single moment, but it comes from quiet consistency.
• Depth protects your nervous system. (“There is a cost for going fast. Depth is kinder.”)
• A business should give you life—not drain you.
• Want to know more about being a Quiet Builder? Check out The Quiet Builder Newsletter to get more of my reflective thoughts.

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Adrienne Wilkerson

Adrienne Wilkerson is a personal friend and the CEO of Beacon Media + Marketing, a marketing agency that works closely with practices and clinicians in the mental health field. Our conversation begins with the starting point in thinking of yourself as a “brand,” clarifying and communicating who you are and what you stand for, and how clinicians can become thought leaders. Adrienne shares insights about branding principles to follow in building a platform and sharing a message that feels true and genuine. We conclude with a look at how to stay authentic in branding and content in today’s AI-dominated world. 

Beacon Media + Marketing

You’ll Learn:

• To think of yourself as a brand, start by telling your story!
• Clarifying and communicating who you are without being sales-y and fake
• The intersection of social media content, branding, and authentic connection
• Authentic vs. fake (“Perfect comes across as fake.”)
• Heart and intention connect people through the know, like, and trust factor (Don’t be afraid to share!)
• Things to consider in AI content vs. authenticity (AI is thought support, not a thought leader.)
• Adrienne’s branding principles
• Ways to stand out in a busy, crowded place
• Adrienne’s book, Digital Marketing for Mental Health: From Complex to Clarity

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• The guilt loop running in my head (“I became a therapist to help people, not to sell things.”)
• Mindset shift that made it all make sense to me
• Ethical selling: a path to transformation with deep care and clarity
• 3 sales mistakes therapists make—and what to do instead:
• Thinking “sales equals sleazing”
• Think of aligned sales as clear communication with a gentle and generous invitation.
• Avoiding the “ask” entirely
• If someone is clearly interested, don’t make them guess how to work with you. Give them a clear call-to-action.
• Not believing in the value of your course
• Your confidence comes from alignment. Focus on the transformation you can offer.
• Want to learn more about developing an online course? Find our FREE 7-day email course, The Course Creator Starter Kit, by clicking the link. 

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

How you can find Heather’s course, free webinar, and other resources at www.lovefilledlife.com 

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Dr. Nathalie Edmond

Dr. Nathalie Edmond is a licensed psychologist and the author of Mindful Race Talk: Building Literacy, Fluency, and Agility. She is the perfect guest to help us approach race as clinicians in the therapy room and in our advocacy work. We are covering topics such as what it means to have an “embodied” conversation about race, the importance of our language, and how we can strike a balance between honesty and accountability. Our discussion includes the elements of conversations that are truly beneficial in light of today’s racially charged climate of cancel culture and “colorblindness.” We wrap up with a look at how clinicians can build cross-racial solidarity. 

Website

You’ll Learn:

• The impetus and inspiration for writing Mindful Race Talk
• An “embodied conversation” about race—What does that mean?
• The importance of practicing to balance compassion and accountability
• Not talking about race is NOT the answer!
• The danger that clinicians face regarding multicultural awareness
• The myth of “colorblindness” vs. living with an attitude of racial and cultural awareness
• Steps to build racial competence, literacy, and agility
• The “charge” associated with the topic of race
• Dr. Nathalie’s advice for clinicians about tuning in and developing mindfulness and awareness
• Actions clinicians can take to develop cross-racial solidarity—What does this look like?

Resources:

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. 

With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients.

You support your clients. Alma supports you.

Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE–an exclusive offer for STC listeners. 

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Dustin Riechmann

Dustin Riechmann is a new friend with whom I connected on LinkedIn. From an engineering background, Dustin has become an internet marketing and copywriting whiz. His entire niche is focused on helping entrepreneurs pitch themselves to bigger and bigger podcasts, which is a huge accelerant to business growth. Podcasting appearances help you establish social proof and open the doors to partnerships you could never imagine. Dustin shares his background story of coming to this niche and what he has learned along the way. He gives practical insights into crafting pitches to podcasters and much more valuable information on this topic.

You’ll Learn: 

• The steps Dustin took as an engineer, consultant, entrepreneur, and digital marketer before his COVID-forced entrance into the podcasting world
• Why Dustin began guesting on established podcasts instead of starting his own
• How Dustin has used his three elements of a podcast pitch (relational anchors, clear service to the audience, and a clear and friendly call to action) to an 80% success rate
• Why Dustin sees podcast guesting as a specific part of the umbrella of partnership marketing
• Dustin’s mindset shift: “No one else has to lose for me to win. We can all win together!”
• How Dustin approaches his podcast pitch with his three elements, customizing the relational anchors to connect with the host on an authentic and personal level
• An overview of Dustin’s work and the Podcast Pitch Playbook

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• Why starting a podcast has been one of the most rewarding personal and professional endeavors of my life
• Why podcasts are the perfect way to produce authentic, evergreen content and establish trust
• How a podcast becomes a way to avoid burnout and take self-care breaks while staying consistent with releasing and re-releasing content
• How podcasts allow dynamic ads, which are pure magic (Captivate makes it easy!) and help build your email list
• How the podcasting format allows pre-roll, mid-roll, and end-roll ads to market your courses/resources consistently
• How the “flywheel effect” serves to compound your efforts over time if you leverage your existing course students on your podcast

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

How you can find Heather’s course, free webinar, and other resources at www.lovefilledlife.com 

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Dr. Corey Wilks

Dr. Corey Wilks is a good friend and licensed psychologist who joins us for an open and honest look at his transition from therapy to coaching.  In giving a glimpse into the circumstances and perspectives that led him to make this decision and shift his career, he shares how his career goals have changed over the years, what autonomy means to him, and why it is important. We wrap up by discussing mistakes that therapists often make in this career change and the drawbacks to leaving a traditional career in mental health.

Corey's Website 

You’ll Learn:

• Corey’s career goals back in grad school—and how they have changed
• Understanding autonomy, freedom, and why these are Corey’s top priorities
• Corey’s realizations about therapy, wellness, and burnout
• Considerations in making the shift to entrepreneurship
• The biggest mistake people make in turning from therapy to coaching
• The difference in coaching as a much more solo-based endeavor than therapy
• Corey’s advice to a therapist considering becoming a coach
• The distinction between the roles of therapist and coach—and how Corey navigates “the line”

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

How you can find Heather’s course, free webinar, and other resources at www.lovefilledlife.com 

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest for today’s coaching call:

Heather England, Ph.D., LCP, LCPC, CST, CDWF

Dr. Heather England is a coach, certified sex therapist, and licensed clinical psychotherapist in Overland Park, Kansas. She is part of our online course mastermind, which you can explore at www.sellingthecouch.com/mastermind. Heather is in the process of creating a course on erectile dysfunction, and she has already learned a lot in preparation to launch her course. Her biggest question is how to present her course without information overload for her students. You are invited to listen to the coaching call with Heather and Melvin!

Love Filled Life

You’ll Learn:

• How Heather evolved as a sex therapist and realized the need for more information
• How Heather found the niche for her online course in helping men with erectile issues
• A common mistake that our colleagues make in creating an online course
• How the STC Mastermind course has fast-tracked Heather’s course creation and launch (scheduled to begin in a few short weeks!)
• How Heather’s four-week course is structured with videos, downloadable resources, and a coaching call
• Why Heather is being intentional to allow her students to maintain anonymity if they prefer
• Tool options that can be used to allow students to submit questions to Dr. Heather privately
• Why Heather is struggling to uphold her standards of competency and concrete research without overwhelming her students with information and exercises
• How Heather is approaching a particular module of her course that includes a lot of information
• How to pare down exercises and activities to the most important “Aha moment” for students
• The value of using a survey to get feedback at the end of EACH module–rather than waiting until the end of the entire course
• Heather’s top takeaways from this coaching call and how she plans to implement what she has learned

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

How you can find Heather’s course, free webinar, and other resources at www.lovefilledlife.com 

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Kevon Cheung

Kevon Cheung is the founder and head teacher at Small School. He was a previous guest on the podcast several years ago, and I’ve taken his Build in Public Mastery Course to help overcome my fears about posting on social media. I learned a lot of helpful information about creating effective posts on LinkedIn, YouTube, and the STC podcast. Kevon’s wisdom and practical knowledge have helped me lean into vulnerability in many areas. In light of his rebranding from Public Lab to Small School, Kevon shares the pain and difficulties in business building and rebranding, why he felt the need to rebrand, and what he teaches in his online “small courses.” He also explains where he sees course creators stumbling the most. 

Small School

You’ll Learn:

• The painful parts of Kevon’s rebranding process (Changing your identity and “rebuilding what you’re known for”)
• Kevon’s thoughts about working through the inevitable feelings of failure when a change became necessary (How to reframe your mindset about a pivot)
• The biggest mistake course creators make
• Kevon’s #1 piece of advice for entrepreneurs and course creators
• Kevon’s reasoning behind his “all in” attitude about online courses
• Knowing when to add a course as a new offering (Have you validated your expertise with your audience?)
• Where course creators stumble the most–and why the goal is to create an experience that connects, surprises, and delights
• Kevon’s perspective on what a “small course” is

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Linda Murphy, MEd, MA, LMHC

Linda Murphy is a group practice owner in Florida, and she’s a member of the STC Online Course Mastermind group for therapists. Linda is the founder of the Banana Man Society and the Relationship and Divorce Counseling Center. She developed her idea to create a course for dealing with a difficult person because she saw that topic come up often for her clients, and she realized over time that there had to be a better way to distill and share information beyond 1:1 therapy. She created “Banana Man” as a metaphor for dealing with a difficult person–and the Banana Man Society was born. In this session, Linda gives an open, honest look at her course creation journey, along with insights into how she refined her idea. She shares tips and strategies she has learned that might be helpful to others in the course creation process. 

Website

You’ll Learn:

• How to embrace the mindset of connection, support, and collaboration
• How Linda realized in her first career, as a teacher, that connection is more important than content
• How Linda developed the idea for her online course
• The origins of Banana Man as a metaphor for options in dealing with difficult people
• Why Linda created an animated video of the Banana Man story (through the STC Mastermind group)
• Linda’s best tips for others about creating a successful online course:
• Lean into who you are and be authentic.
• Market yourself and be creative with social media.
• Where Linda sees her course going in the future with a specifically targeted niche
• Linda’s thoughts about the impact and benefits of the STC Online Course Mastermind group 

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• View your profile as a landing page, not a sales page. 
• Tips for your banner (Canva is a great resource!), profile picture, text, and graphics
• My philosophy when trying something new: “Get going, get good, and then get smart.”
• Including credibility and social proof in your LI profile
• Beware of playing the analytics game!
• Taplio is a great resource for scheduling LI posts.
• Structure your “About” section with an emphasis on storytelling.
• Gauge your level of engagement with your ideal client.
• Be clear and simple about your call to action.
• Connect with your audience on a deeper level through your “Featured” section.
• Thoughts about maximizing the impact of your “Activity” section
• Tips for other sections on your LI profile

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• My explanation of the basics of an affiliate program and how it works
• 5 things successful creators told me to think about:
• Start with a small group of beta testers and get their valuable feedback. (I’m starting with a group of four people.)
• Establish your affiliate’s tax status from the start. (You’ll need to fill out the proper forms.)
• Set up auto payouts and refunds. (Take advantage of systems that make these processes easier. We use Kartra.)
• Think of your course as a way to build a “microphone” for your student, their message, and their social media/email marketing. (This makes it easier to bring in affiliate income.)
• Consider the 80/20 principle. The top 80-90% of your sales will come from the top 20% of your affiliates. (Ask, “What can I create to fuel the top 20% of my affiliates?”)

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn: 

• 7 habits that have changed everything for me:
• Design for longevity, not growth.
• Learn how I structure my podcast schedule around the life I want.
• Capture ideas daily.
• I use a private Slack channel to keep podcast ideas and give me a pipeline of new content.
• Follow a repeatable episode outline.
• Establish a framework for solo and guest episodes, and use solo episodes to invite people to your products and services.
• Batch record on off-months.
• I record January and February episodes in November and December and keep 3-6 episodes “in the bank” to create a buffer and flexibility.
• Warm up my voice and energy before recording.
• There are simple habits (tea, deep breathing, diction exercises, etc.) that work to help me treat my podcast like a speaking engagement.
• Promote my own offers first, and not just sponsors.
• Research shows that podcasters are the most trusted media personalities, and inviting people in through dynamic ads is a game changer. (Check out Captivate and the discount available for STC listeners.)
• Engage with listeners on a regular basis.
• Ask listeners what topics they want you to cover. Podcasting is not a one-way street!

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• The best course ideas aren’t invented but are discovered in the questions your people are already asking.
• Three anchors for validating a good course idea:
• Your audience is already dropping clues.
• Pay attention to how you are seen as an expert.
• If someone asks you the same question three times or more, that’s a signal.
• Validate before you build.
• Don’t spend time creating slides without validating your idea.
• Put together a poll or Google form to get feedback. (Fathom.video is a helpful resource!)
• Don’t chase what’s trending; choose what’s enduring.
• Ask, “Will this course idea still be relevant 10-15 years from now?”
• Use AI tools to gather information.
• If you’re looking for a great free resource about your online course, check out our Course Creator Starter Kit.

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Linda Murphy, MEd, MA, LMHC

Linda Murphy is a group practice owner in Florida, and she’s a member of the STC Online Course Mastermind group for therapists. Linda is the founder of the Banana Man Society and the Relationship and Divorce Counseling Center. She developed her idea to create a course for dealing with a difficult person because she saw that topic come up often for her clients, and she realized over time that there had to be a better way to distill and share information beyond 1:1 therapy. She created “Banana Man” as a metaphor for dealing with a difficult person–and the Banana Man Society was born. In this session, Linda gives an open, honest look at her course creation journey, along with insights into how she refined her idea. She shares tips and strategies she has learned that might be helpful to others in the course creation process. 

Website

You’ll Learn:

• How to embrace the mindset of connection, support, and collaboration
• How Linda realized in her first career, as a teacher, that connection is more important than content
• How Linda developed the idea for her online course
• The origins of Banana Man as a metaphor for options in dealing with difficult people
• Why Linda created an animated video of the Banana Man story (through the STC Mastermind group)
• Linda’s best tips for others about creating a successful online course:
• Lean into who you are and be authentic.
• Market yourself and be creative with social media.
• Where Linda sees her course going in the future with a specifically targeted niche
• Linda’s thoughts about the impact and benefits of the STC Online Course Mastermind group 

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Matthew Bierds

Matt Bierds, from Duke City Counseling, is a licensed professional counselor, course creator, and professional speaker who does in-person and virtual counseling and LPC supervision in Texas and New Mexico. As far back as ten years ago, Matt realized that the world of online education was expanding, and he recognized the potential for LPCs in the field of online courses. After jumping into this arena, Matt went through a “failing forward” phase before making a few tweaks and creating a course for LPC supervisors. In today’s session, Matt shares the lessons learned along his fascinating journey and the mistakes and successes that have brought him to where he is today. 

Matt's Website

You’ll Learn:

• Matt’s wisdom: “I learned the hard way that selling general continuing education courses online is pointless and a waste of time and money.”
• The value in pivoting and niching down when something isn’t working
• Discovering the sweet spot: How Matt created a course designed for a specific person in a specific situation
• Course creation is successful when you see the need and solve the pain point.
• Matt’s path to building trust and cultivating repeat customers
• The progression and development of Matt’s 40-hour course and 6-hour refresher courses
• The challenges in maintaining compliance and navigating changes in licensing requirements
• Course creation challenges: creating content and incorporating more video interaction and student engagement
• Matt’s biggest mistakes and successes in marketing his courses

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn: 

• 5 things I want to share about launching an online course:
• Focus on what you already know and love to teach. (Stay within your niche!)
• Hear my thoughts on course creation and AI.
• Start small and build slowly. (Think about your “value ladder.”)
• Think about recurring offers related to your course.
• Validation is non-negotiable. (Validate your course idea before you proceed.)
• Download the free Course Creator Starter Kit. 
• Embrace the tech, but don’t let it overwhelm you. 
• Start with “good enough,” and upgrade your sound, lighting, and camera when you can.
• Hear my recommendations for basic tech for someone just starting out in course creation. 
• Take a “defaulting to action” perspective rather than waiting for perfectionism. 
• Build your audience early.
• Don’t wait until your course launch to build your email list.
• Use social media and discovery platforms. 
• Use these affiliate links for more information: Teachable, ConvertKit, and Cartra

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• My pandemic story of stepping back and reassessing my business
• 3 anchors for building a life-first business in an uncertain world:
• Design for margin, not maximum.
• Clarity comes from creating margin, not hustling.
• Designing for margin is how we stay well enough to serve others.
• Build products that don’t require your constant presence.
• Design for asymmetry, where value isn’t tied to one-to-one time.
• A life-first business scales impact, not just hours.
• Plan around what you can’t plan for.
• Your business should be designed to absorb disruption, not collapse under it.
• Strategies that work for me are “Walden months,” a hard growth ceiling on STC, and allowing maximum flexibility to travel when loved ones need extra help. 
• To sum up today’s topic: “A resilient business doesn’t break when life happens; it bends with grace.”
• Need help in this area? Check out 50 Free ChatGPT Prompts for Quiet Builders on our website.
• Sign up here for our new newsletter, The Quiet Builder, that comes out twice monthly. 

Free Resources for Quiet Builders, Podcasters, and Course Creators

Validate Your Online Course Idea

Get our free 7-day email course for therapists

sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Start Podcasting as a Thought Leader

Watch our free workshop on using podcasting to build authority sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop

The Quiet Builder Newsletter

A $97/year premium newsletter for thoughtful therapists, founders, and leaders sellingthecouch.com/quietbuilder

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Jonathan Rudiger, PsyD

Jonathan Rudiger is a licensed psychologist who lives and works in the Nashville, TN, area. He was one of my clinical supervisors when I was at Vanderbilt, and he’s become a dear friend and mentor who helped shape me into who I am today. Besides his time at Vanderbilt, he has spent a number of years working at the VA and in various capacities in private practice. One of his areas of focus is with clients with “nice guy syndrome,” and he’s sharing about his work in this conversation. We will take a look at this unusual niche through a clinical lens and a business perspective. We wrap up with common mistakes therapists make when working with men who present as “nice guys” but are actually in a lot of pain. 

LinkedIn (Website coming soon!)

You’ll Learn:

• Jonathan’s path to finding a niche and designing a private practice around it
• Characteristics of the “nice guy syndrome” and typical patterns in relationships
• Issues inherent in “nice guy syndrome” include low self-esteem, shame, fear of rejection, and a fundamental dishonesty with themselves.
• Niching down defines the best space for your work and the place with the least chance of burnout.
• Going from a clinical explanation to real-world language in marketing (Storytelling is key!)
• Framing psychotherapy with storytelling empowers people to tell their stories.
• Common mistakes therapists make when working with “nice guy syndrome” clients:
• They assume that the nice demeanor means things are okay.
• Neglecting the role of shame

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Melody Wilding

Melody Wilding, LMSW, has been in the coaching space for the past few years, doing amazing work through speaking engagements, workshops, and coaching. She recently wrote Managing Up: How to Get What You Need From the People in Charge. “Managing up” refers to the process of navigating relationships and improving trust with people who have more power than you. We all want to lead well, but there are many opportunities to learn and improve in our leadership. Melody helps us discover how to set boundaries around our availability and tackle the uncomfortable process of raising rates. She shares the necessary mindset shifts to make in advocating for our value while keeping relationships intact, which is one of the most delicate situations for most clinicians. 

Website and Book

You’ll Learn:

• The clinician’s role in setting boundaries while providing customer service
• Importance of understanding power dynamics as a clinician
• Practical strategies for managing client expectations with clarity
• Key conversation elements to “manage up,” beginning with alignment
• Why hesitancy is normal around raising rates: How to have “the money conversation”
• Difference in the value you’ve already provided vs. the potential ROI going forward
• Clear communication regarding raising your rates
• Mindset shifts to empower you to raise your rates
• Creativity in adding value for clients without increasing your live time with them

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• The best course ideas aren’t invented but are discovered in the questions your people are already asking.
• Three anchors for validating a good course idea:
• Your audience is already dropping clues.
• Pay attention to how you are seen as an expert.
• If someone asks you the same question three times or more, that’s a signal.
• Validate before you build.
• Don’t spend time creating slides without validating your idea.
• Put together a poll or Google form to get feedback. (Fathom.video is a helpful resource!)
• Don’t chase what’s trending; choose what’s enduring.
• Ask, “Will this course idea still be relevant 10-15 years from now?”
• Use AI tools to gather information.
• If you’re looking for a great free resource about your online course, check out our Course Creator Starter Kit.

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Jeremy Zug

Jeremy Zug is a partner at Practice Solutions, which offers support and insurance billing for therapists and private practices. Their mission is to partner with and empower providers to focus on patient care by removing the burden of billing. Jeremy shares information about denials and rejections, the difference between the two, and how to fix them. He also shares the top three reasons for denials and rejections. We are thrilled to welcome Jeremy as a returning guest to STC!

Practice Solutions 

You’ll Learn:

• What is a denial?
• The tricky layers of denials
• What is a rejection? (This is better than a denial and is usually fixable in a short amount of time.)
• Assessing your risk tolerance (low, medium, or high?)
• Fact: Some insurance companies are easier to work with than others. (Check their denial rates!)
• Insurance companies’ tactics to “control the spend”
• Jeremy’s advice about denials and appeals, especially for solo practitioners
• The top three reasons for denials: duplicate claim and service, coordination of benefits, and “denied for medical necessity”
• The top three reasons for rejections: credentialing issues, patient demographics, and “modifier inconsistent with place of service”
• The top actions therapists can take to fix denials and rejections: track them, look for a pattern/cause, and manage your insurance mixture
• An overview of Practice Solutions and their services (book, billing, and billing department support) Use this link for 20% off any of their services for STC listeners! 

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• 3 Marks of a Quiet Builder:
• Quiet builders create from depth, not noise.
• They focus on long-form content.
• Quiet builders design their businesses around their lives, not the other way around. 
• They ask, “How do I build something I won’t resent 5-10 years from now?”
• Building with “margin” has become my goal.
• Quiet builders play the long game.
• They focus on timeless principles, like service, trust, and consistency as they look to cultivate a legacy.
• For building a values-driven, life-first business that goes against hustle culture messaging, join our new premium newsletter that is published twice monthly. Learn more about The Quiet Builder Newsletter. 

Resources:

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

Want to launch your podcast?

Please check out our free podcasting workshop called from Therapist To Thought Leader: Why Podcasting Could Be Your Next Big Move at https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Mary Walker

Mary Walker is the new owner of Simplified SEO Consulting, a firm dedicated to helping therapists and other professionals grow their practices through strategic search engine optimization. In this conversation, Mary explains how AI is enhancing SEO, how she sees website SEO evolving with AI, and some of the biggest mistakes therapists make with SEO and AI. 

Simplified SEO Consulting

You’ll Learn:

• Words of encouragement to clinicians about SEO
• Ways that AI is enhancing SEO (what we need to understand)
• Thoughts on changing your perspective if you’ve been fearful of AI
• Benefits of using social media and AI searches together
• Mary’s tips for maximizing SEO content on all platforms (Find out why YouTube is her #1 choice!)
• Don’t discount the effectiveness of video posts to share content and engage with your audience.
• Wisdom in balancing the frequency of social media posts and using AI tools to repurpose existing content (Mary recommends Pictory AI for easy video creation.)
• The scoop on schema markup–what it is and what it does (Find out more at schema.org.)
• Top SEO mistakes therapists make in the world of AI:
• Resisting change and being unwilling to adapt
• Writing content at a higher level, which AI doesn’t like
• Learn more about SEO with a free course and YouTube video series. Click here.

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• In a noisy world, depth builds trust, and podcasting creates space for depth.
• Three ideas about using podcasting to build your thought leadership:
• Thought leadership begins with trust, and podcasting builds trust–one episode at a time.
• People follow voices that they trust, and podcasting gives them the time and space to be human and not just polished. Authenticity is a strength!
• Podcasting helps you organize and articulate your ideas.
• You learn to refine frameworks, language, and points of view.
• Podcasting positions you as a thoughtful voice in a noisy world.
• You don’t need to be the loudest; you need to be the most aligned. Going viral and building a massive audience has a lot of downsides.
• Therapists who podcast consistently become trusted voices. 

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Prerna Malik

Prerna has worked with well-known entrepreneurs like Pat Flynn as a conversion copywriter. She and I connected on LinkedIn, and I immediately saw that she comes from a place of integrity and wisdom. In this session, we discuss what offers are and the top three conversion secrets that make offers sell like crazy. You’ll find our conversation informational and inspirational. 

Prerna's Website and Free Email Course

You’ll Learn:

• What is an offer? (and what is it not?)
• Five key elements to an offer:
• The core offer
• Your unique mechanism
• Trust builders
• Desire drivers
• Objection demolishers
• Prerna’s top three conversion secrets to strong offers:
• Lead with emotion, simplicity, and clarity.
• Use specific messaging and positioning.
• Use user-based urgency.
• Maximizing the impact of your copy on your audience
• The most common mistakes entrepreneurs make in their offers
• A conversion mistake most people make without realizing it
• Thoughts on bonus offers: “Every bonus should have a purpose; otherwise, it’s just fluff.”

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn: 

• 7 habits that have changed everything for me:
• Design for longevity, not growth.
• Learn how I structure my podcast schedule around the life I want.
• Capture ideas daily.
• I use a private Slack channel to keep podcast ideas and give me a pipeline of new content.
• Follow a repeatable episode outline.
• Establish a framework for solo and guest episodes, and use solo episodes to invite people to your products and services.
• Batch record on off-months.
• I record January and February episodes in November and December and keep 3-6 episodes “in the bank” to create a buffer and flexibility.
• Warm up my voice and energy before recording.
• There are simple habits (tea, deep breathing, diction exercises, etc.) that work to help me treat my podcast like a speaking engagement.
• Promote my own offers first, and not just sponsors.
• Research shows that podcasters are the most trusted media personalities, and inviting people in through dynamic ads is a game changer. (Check out Captivate and the discount available for STC listeners.)
• Engage with listeners on a regular basis.
• Ask listeners what topics they want you to cover. Podcasting is not a one-way street!

Resources:

Try our FREE Podcasting Workshop to learn more.

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• My online course journey and how it all began for me
• The biggest lessons I learned from my multiple fears of getting started
• Are you ready to launch your online course? Here are five signs to help you say YES!
• You are looking for a scalable impact. (Do you have a bigger vision?)
• You have mastered a specific skill or have become a known expert in a particular niche.
• You have a passion for teaching.
• You are open to learning new skills.
• You are willing to validate your idea. 
• My belief: “Every therapist has an online course inside them.” 
• Our free email course can help you become a course creator! Find it here.

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

James Childress

James Childress is a CPA whose practice primarily focuses on working with therapists, giving him a unique perspective on today’s topic. In this episode, we cover the top three uncomfortable aspects of private practice that can lead to imbalance and big problems. James shares insights that help us better understand business ownership, financial stability, and the seasonal nature of private practice.

James' Website

You’ll Learn:

• Common factors that lead clinicians into private practice and entrepreneurship
• Key considerations before launching into private practice
• The importance of trusting your gut and paying attention to the data

Uncomfortable Truths About Private Practice Finances:

1. There is a size of private practice that is inherently unstable. (This is a normal phase to pass through.)
2. Assessing your supervisor/admin load is critical to maintaining balance.
3. Therapists often strive to succeed in every area and “want it all.”

Additional Insights:

• The need for balanced growth and attracting more people into the field
• Ensuring the external environment aligns with the internal environment
• Achieving product-market fit for long-term sustainability

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more! here!

Want to launch your online course?

Check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you’re a seasoned therapist transitioning from clinical work to online course income, join our mastermind group! We meet to build, grow, and scale online courses. Learn more here.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Michael Fulwiler

Michael Fulwiler is Head of Brand Marketing at Heard, a company that assists therapists with bookkeeping and financial needs. I’ve come to rely on Mike’s expertise as a good friend as I navigate the aspects of STC, trying to be a protector of our field while staying in alignment with my values. In this session, Mike and I discuss the mindblowing numbers around the multitude of mental health tech startups and how clinicians can be informed about which ones are most likely to succeed or fail. We also discuss the vitally important topic of client data privacy and the top three considerations we should have before signing up for a product or service. 

Heard Website

You’ll Learn: 

• How to view tech startups in the mental health industry in terms of “headwind” and “tailwind” tendencies since the COVID-19 pandemic
• What the data shows about tech startups: 90% will fail!
• Why the big risk also comes with big opportunities in the startup world
• What happens when a clinician contracts with a mental health tech startup
• Why client data privacy is a valid concern when working with a tech startup (Hear Mike’s advice about watching out for red flags!)
• Top three considerations for a therapist about a tech startup:
• How they handle the data 
• Whether or not there is a mental health professional on their team who helps with decisions and development
• How compensation for therapists is structured
• Mike’s advice about doing your due diligence when contacted by a tech startup
• An overview of Mike’s work and mission at Heard and what they provide for therapists

Resources:

Interested in starting a podcast?

https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• View your profile as a landing page, not a sales page. 
• Tips for your banner (Canva is a great resource!), profile picture, text, and graphics
• My philosophy when trying something new: “Get going, get good, and then get smart.”
• Including credibility and social proof in your LI profile
• Beware of playing the analytics game!
• Taplio is a great resource for scheduling LI posts.
• Structure your “About” section with an emphasis on storytelling.
• Gauge your level of engagement with your ideal client.
• Be clear and simple about your call to action.
• Connect with your audience on a deeper level through your “Featured” section.
• Thoughts about maximizing the impact of your “Activity” section
• Tips for other sections on your LI profile

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• Fame is more accessible than ever today.
• The path I’ve chosen values peace, depth, and privacy over chasing online recognition.
• Three key reasons why I don’t seek social media fame (and powerful reflection questions for you to consider):
• The illusion of fame as a solution to personal insecurities
• The lesson: If you aren’t grounded before you attract attention, more attention will only amplify your struggles.
• The emotional toll of public exposure
• The lesson: When you have a platform, you aren’t simply sharing content, but you are influencing people’s emotions, choices, and mental health. 
• The erosion of personal privacy
• The lesson: Privacy is precious, and I want to build a business that supports my life, not one that makes me feel like I’m on display. 
• My thoughts here are influenced by an impactful 2007 blog post by Tim Ferriss. You can check it out here. 

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn: 

• 7 habits that have changed everything for me:
• Design for longevity, not growth.
• Learn how I structure my podcast schedule around the life I want.
• Capture ideas daily.
• I use a private Slack channel to keep podcast ideas and give me a pipeline of new content.
• Follow a repeatable episode outline.
• Establish a framework for solo and guest episodes, and use solo episodes to invite people to your products and services.
• Batch record on off-months.
• I record January and February episodes in November and December and keep 3-6 episodes “in the bank” to create a buffer and flexibility.
• Warm up my voice and energy before recording.
• There are simple habits (tea, deep breathing, diction exercises, etc.) that work to help me treat my podcast like a speaking engagement.
• Promote my own offers first, and not just sponsors.
• Research shows that podcasters are the most trusted media personalities, and inviting people in through dynamic ads is a game changer. (Check out Captivate and the discount available for STC listeners.)
• Engage with listeners on a regular basis.
• Ask listeners what topics they want you to cover. Podcasting is not a one-way street!

Resources:

Try our FREE Podcasting Workshop to learn more.

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Uriah Guilford

Uriah Guilford is a group practice owner based in northern California. He also owns Productive Therapist, which provides virtual assistants and intake coordinators for therapy practices. Uriah has been a group practice owner since 2015 and has a lot of wisdom to share about the journey to hire and train an intake coordinator. We cover all the bases on this topic, including if hiring an intake coordinator makes sense for your practice and the most common responsibilities of an intake coordinator that can help you reclaim valuable hours in your day. We also cover data privacy, how an intake coordinator should handle this, and the top mistakes clinicians make in hiring for this role. We wrap up with the metrics in determining when an intake coordinator is a great fit for your practice. 

Productive Therapist

You’ll Learn:

• The purpose and role of an intake coordinator
• Trends in intake processes—what works best?
• Too many options confuse and overwhelm people looking for therapy.
• Is it time for me to hire an intake coordinator? How do I know? (Take Uriah’s quiz to find out!)
• How an intake coordinator can help you grow your practice
• Uriah’s opinion on the importance of an intake coordinator: “Your Intake Coordinator is the MVP of your practice.”
• Understanding when to delegate to your intake coordinator
• Uriah’s journey of letting go and transitioning responsibilities to his intake coordinator
• Top responsibilities of an intake coordinator
• Considerations about data privacy for your practice and your intake coordinator
• Solutions when your intake coordinator is sick or away on vacation
• Uriah’s advice on hiring (and retaining) intake coordinators for growing practices
• Top mistakes therapists make in hiring an intake coordinator
• Important considerations in training an intake coordinator
• Solid metrics to determine if an intake coordinator is right for you
• Uriah’s course, The Intake Coordinator Starter Pack: Find the course here and use the discount code “STC” for 25% off!

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• My online course journey and how it all began for me
• The biggest lessons I learned from my multiple fears of getting started
• Are you ready to launch your online course? Here are five signs to help you say YES!
• You are looking for a scalable impact. (Do you have a bigger vision?)
• You have mastered a specific skill or have become a known expert in a particular niche.
• You have a passion for teaching.
• You are open to learning new skills.
• You are willing to validate your idea. 
• My belief: “Every therapist has an online course inside them.” 
• Our free email course can help you become a course creator! Find it here.

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

James Childress

James Childress is a CPA whose practice primarily focuses on working with therapists, giving him a unique perspective on today’s topic. In this episode, we cover the top three uncomfortable aspects of private practice that can lead to imbalance and big problems. James shares insights that help us better understand business ownership, financial stability, and the seasonal nature of private practice.

James' Website

You’ll Learn:

• Common factors that lead clinicians into private practice and entrepreneurship
• Key considerations before launching into private practice
• The importance of trusting your gut and paying attention to the data

Uncomfortable Truths About Private Practice Finances:

1. There is a size of private practice that is inherently unstable. (This is a normal phase to pass through.)
2. Assessing your supervisor/admin load is critical to maintaining balance.
3. Therapists often strive to succeed in every area and “want it all.”

Additional Insights:

• The need for balanced growth and attracting more people into the field
• Ensuring the external environment aligns with the internal environment
• Achieving product-market fit for long-term sustainability

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more! here!

Want to launch your online course?

Check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you’re a seasoned therapist transitioning from clinical work to online course income, join our mastermind group! We meet to build, grow, and scale online courses. Learn more here.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• 5 lessons learned over the last 2 years on LinkedIn:
• The magic is in the DMs.
• Focusing on thoughtful relationships is better than chasing followers.
• LinkedIn’s search tool is amazingly helpful for making connections.
• The algorithm will always change.
• Don’t chase trends, but focus on consistency and diversified content.
• Experiment on LinkedIn, but don’t overthink the metrics.
• Watch out for growth gurus.
• Be wary of those who over-promise and under-deliver.
• I’m more interested in posting things that will help a young therapist like I used to be.
• Followers are less relevant than you think.
• It’s about the right people—not ALL people.
• Try creator mode and curate your network intentionally.
• The daily posting game is a slow burn.
• I’ve learned to pace myself in posting.
• I would rather focus on slower growth in followers and have consistency and sustainability.
• Connect with me on LinkedIn!

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Dr. Jennifer Blanchette is a licensed psychologist, podcaster, speaker, career coach, and business consultant. She helps therapists get unstuck in their careers and lives. In this episode, Dr. Jen discusses the hazards of our profession, how it’s changing, and the emphasis on certain markers around revenue and numbers. Jen gives a sense of why we can't talk about burnout very often, along with telltale signs she noticed in her personal experience with burnout. We also discuss the strange juxtaposition of finding freedom in private practice but taking on more administrative roles, experiencing isolation, and bearing the heavy emotional toll. We close with honest insights about tuning into our bodies and learning to listen. Jen gives practical advice for any therapist who could be teetering on the edge of burnout. 

Website (and The Therapist Burnout Podcast)

You’ll Learn:

• Burnout—why we are afraid to talk about it
• Unexpected isolation and the need to find community
• Private practice offers freedom, right??
• Learning to listen to your body
• Factoring your body into major decisions in life and giving yourself space for rest
• Jen’s private practice experience during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Managing our resources, energy, and our ability to give
• Telltale signs of burnout for Jen
• It’s okay to ask for help!
• Looking at all aspects of private practice and the actual costs
• Jen’s perspective on burnout today and what therapists need to look for
• Burnout prevention vs. burnout recovery
• Jen’s advice to therapists who are teetering on the edge of burnout

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

This episode is an honest look at my decision in 2024 to return to private practice, which I detailed in a podcast episode and on social media posts. I’m being extremely vulnerable in explaining why I’ve decided to pause my private practice journey for now. It’s tough for any people pleaser like myself to realize that others may be disappointed in my decision, so I want to explain. Join me for this solo episode as I lay out the details. 

You’ll Learn:

• The reality is that we don’t build a business in a vacuum, and external factors are always in play.
• Three significant life events impacting my decision:
• Susan’s job changes mean more home responsibilities for me.
• Aging parents–and their need for more consistent care
• More church responsibilities in leading a small group
• A look at my typical daily schedule
• My commitment to viewing parenting as a privilege–and what that looks like for me as a dad
• My simple insights about the totality of life and my next steps:
• Income is only one part of success.
• My brain is not wired for the mental load of running two businesses.
• I’m hitting my “enough” number with STC revenue.
• Caregiving for our parents is on the horizon, and I have the most flexibility in our family to do this.
• I’m realizing how I can best leverage what we’ve built with STC to bring the maximum benefit to our field and the world.
• My big dreams to do good and effect meaningful change to help more people

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn: 

• 5 things I want to share about launching an online course:
• Focus on what you already know and love to teach. (Stay within your niche!)
• Hear my thoughts on course creation and AI.
• Start small and build slowly. (Think about your “value ladder.”)
• Think about recurring offers related to your course.
• Validation is non-negotiable. (Validate your course idea before you proceed.)
• Download the free Course Creator Starter Kit. 
• Embrace the tech, but don’t let it overwhelm you. 
• Start with “good enough,” and upgrade your sound, lighting, and camera when you can.
• Hear my recommendations for basic tech for someone just starting out in course creation. 
• Take a “defaulting to action” perspective rather than waiting for perfectionism. 
• Build your audience early.
• Don’t wait until your course launch to build your email list.
• Use social media and discovery platforms. 
• Use these affiliate links for more information: Teachable, ConvertKit, and Cartra

Resources:

Try Upheal Secure AI Therapy Notes! Visit https://sellingthecouch.com/upheal and enter the promo code “COUCH” to get 50% off for the first three months! 

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Megan Gunnell

In addition to being a business owner, author, and triathlete, Megan Gunnell is a Clinical Social Worker who has been hosting 1-day retreats, workshops and weekend/week long retreats for 20+ years.

She hosted her first one at a local community center–complete with harp music! From these humble beginnings, Megan’s retreats have evolved into weekend retreats and international retreats that started in 2012 in Costa Rica, Italy, France, and other places around the globe.

In this episode, we discuss why therapists find it so appealing to consider hosting a retreat, along with common fears related to the risk of hosting your first retreat.

Megan explains how to find suitable venues that offer 100% refund options and points out the important legal and logistical considerations. We wrap up our conversation by discussing retreat marketing, which is vital to the success of your retreat. Megan shares what she has learned along her journey as a retreat host. 

Megan's Website and Thriving Therapists ® Facebook Group

You’ll Learn:

• Megan’s inspiration to expand beyond private practice into hosting retreats
• Megan’s #1 lesson learned: Start small and grow later.
• The attraction of retreats? They are transformative spaces for people to pull away from everyday life and reinvigorate their passion and purpose.
• The major differences between private practice work and group retreats as income sources
• Legal considerations around liability, disclaimers, emergencies, etc.
• Megan’s low-risk tips for hosting retreats:
• Start small with a test audience and test venue with a half-day or one-day retreat.
• Look for 100% refundable venues through a certain date prior to the event.
• Do the math and “beta-test” your audience.
• Making your retreat a profitable venture
• Finding 100% fully refundable venues—and why international properties are desirable
• Megan’s top marketing strategies for retreats:
• Be very clear about your intentions. (Who is this for, and what is the purpose?)
• Think about your runway. (Make sure it is long enough to “land the plane.”)
• Build a warm excitement with your audience around the date for open registration.
• Handling the cancellation or rebooking of your retreat with flexibility and transparency

Resources:

Want to launch your podcast? Check out our free podcasting workshop

https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworshop

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Linda Murphy, MEd, MA, LMHC

Linda Murphy is a group practice owner in Florida, and she’s a member of the STC Online Course Mastermind group for therapists. Linda is the founder of the Banana Man Society and the Relationship and Divorce Counseling Center. She developed her idea to create a course for dealing with a difficult person because she saw that topic come up often for her clients, and she realized over time that there had to be a better way to distill and share information beyond 1:1 therapy. She created “Banana Man” as a metaphor for dealing with a difficult person–and the Banana Man Society was born. In this session, Linda gives an open, honest look at her course creation journey, along with insights into how she refined her idea. She shares tips and strategies she has learned that might be helpful to others in the course creation process. 

Website

You’ll Learn:

• How to embrace the mindset of connection, support, and collaboration
• How Linda realized in her first career, as a teacher, that connection is more important than content
• How Linda developed the idea for her online course
• The origins of Banana Man as a metaphor for options in dealing with difficult people
• Why Linda created an animated video of the Banana Man story (through the STC Mastermind group)
• Linda’s best tips for others about creating a successful online course:
• Lean into who you are and be authentic.
• Market yourself and be creative with social media.
• Where Linda sees her course going in the future with a specifically targeted niche
• Linda’s thoughts about the impact and benefits of the STC Online Course Mastermind group 

Resources:

Mentioned in this session: Sign up for the newsletter for high-achievers!

Want to launch your podcast?

Check out our free podcasting workshop for therapists (and therapists turned coaches and consultants). Visit https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop.

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Kevon Cheung

Kevon Cheung is the founder and head teacher at Small School. He was a previous guest on the podcast several years ago, and I’ve taken his Build in Public Mastery Course to help overcome my fears about posting on social media. I learned a lot of helpful information about creating effective posts on LinkedIn, YouTube, and the STC podcast. Kevon’s wisdom and practical knowledge have helped me lean into vulnerability in many areas. In light of his rebranding from Public Lab to Small School, Kevon shares the pain and difficulties in business building and rebranding, why he felt the need to rebrand, and what he teaches in his online “small courses.” He also explains where he sees course creators stumbling the most. 

Small School

You’ll Learn:

• The painful parts of Kevon’s rebranding process (Changing your identity and “rebuilding what you’re known for”)
• Kevon’s thoughts about working through the inevitable feelings of failure when a change became necessary (How to reframe your mindset about a pivot)
• The biggest mistake course creators make
• Kevon’s #1 piece of advice for entrepreneurs and course creators
• Kevon’s reasoning behind his “all in” attitude about online courses
• Knowing when to add a course as a new offering (Have you validated your expertise with your audience?)
• Where course creators stumble the most–and why the goal is to create an experience that connects, surprises, and delights
• Kevon’s perspective on what a “small course” is

Resources:

Mentioned in this session: Sign up for the newsletter for high-achievers!

Want to launch your podcast?

Check out our free podcasting workshop for therapists (and therapists turned coaches and consultants). Visit https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop.

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Matthew Bierds

Matt Bierds, from Duke City Counseling, is a licensed professional counselor, course creator, and professional speaker who does in-person and virtual counseling and LPC supervision in Texas and New Mexico. As far back as ten years ago, Matt realized that the world of online education was expanding, and he knew there were interesting opportunities for LPCs in the area of online courses. After jumping into this arena, Matt went through a “failing forward” phase before making a few tweaks and creating a course for LPC supervisors. In today’s session, Matt shares the lessons learned along his fascinating journey and the mistakes and successes that have brought him to where he is today. 

Matt's Website

You’ll Learn:

• Matt’s wisdom: “I learned the hard way that selling general continuing education courses online is pointless and a waste of time and money.”
• The value in pivoting and niching down when something isn’t working
• Discovering the sweet spot: How Matt created a course designed for a specific person in a specific situation
• Course creation is successful when you see the need and solve the pain point.
• Matt’s path to building trust and cultivating repeat customers
• The progression and development of Matt’s 40-hour course and 6-hour refresher courses
• The challenges in maintaining compliance and navigating changes in licensing requirements
• Course creation challenges: creating content and incorporating more video interaction and student engagement
• Matt’s biggest mistakes and successes in marketing his courses

Resources:

So you’ve probably heard that blogging is one of the best ways to attract your ideal clients as a therapist. 

But I know that it can be intimidating to SEO optimize your blog post so that it’s actually getting found by your current and future clients. 

Simplified SEO Consulting is a team of mental health professionals who genuinely want to help you attract more of your ideal clients using a proven on-page SEO process.

Please visit https://sellingthecouch.com/simplifiedseo.

**Use the code “MELVIN” to get 20% off any online, DIY SEO courses, and mention Melvin during your consultation for $100 off your onboarding fee for Done-For-You SEO services!

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more at

https://sellingthecouch.com/jointhehealthcasters  

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest for today’s coaching call

Katie Lear, LCMHC, RPT, RDT

Katie Lear is a therapist in solo private practice near Charlotte, NC. She was part of the Online Course School Live Cohort, and she’s part of the Online Course School Mastermind this year. She is preparing for the beta group launch of her course, and her next step will be to record the digital version. This process gives a chance to collect feedback from beta students on the lessons and modules before creating the digital version. Join us for this open and honest conversation around fear and perfectionism.

Katie's Website

You’ll Learn:

• A look at how Katie arrived at her private practice niche working with preteens and tweens around anxiety and OCD symptoms
• Why Katie decided to jump into the online course world
• How an online course income stream helps clinicians build a balanced life outside their career, have more time and capacity for family, and utilize another way to reach clients
• The starting point for content in Katie’s course: teaching about coping skills
• How Katie is looking to incorporate a playful element into her course
• How Katie is dealing with “blank-page syndrome” in creating her course slides
• Tips for Katie in distilling and refining the content for her course
• Why heart and intent matter more in an online course than “Hollywood-level” production
• Why there is great value in teaching with the structure of three tips, three steps, and common mistakes

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Lorraine K. Lee

Lorraine Lee is a top career and business virtual keynote speaker who has been featured in several publications and on podcasts with numerous accomplishments and awards throughout her career. She has worked in several editorial roles at LinkedIn and Prezi and has built a LinkedIn following of over 300,000, so she is very much immersed in the world of virtual presentations and online learning. She is the perfect person to help us understand more about improving our virtual presentations. 

Lorraine's Website

You’ll Learn:

• How virtual presentations give you access to a wider audience and help you stand out in your expertise
• Why the entertainment factor of virtual presentations cannot be ignored
• Examples of different types of virtual presentations
• Lorraine’s tips for improving your virtual presentations:
• Add movement to your presentations and incorporate “state changes.”
• Curate your background with features that are calming, positive, personable, and professional.
• Include visuals on your screens to help people learn and remember. (90% of the information processed by our brains is visual!)
• Use eye contact to improve your connection to your audience.
• How to implement visuals like logos, color gradients, and simple info on your screen
• How to use artwork, photos, and personal elements to cultivate a deeper connection
• How to set up your monitor, camera, laptop, etc. to maximize eye contact with your audience
• Lorraine’s tips for introverts in showing up better in visual presentations
• An overview of Lorraine’s expanding consulting business

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn: 

• 5 things I want to share about launching an online course:
• Focus on what you already know and love to teach. (Stay within your niche!)
• Hear my thoughts on course creation and AI.
• Start small and build slowly. (Think about your “value ladder.”)
• Think about recurring offers related to your course.
• Validation is non-negotiable. (Validate your course idea before you proceed.)
• Download the free Course Creator Starter Kit. 
• Embrace the tech, but don’t let it overwhelm you. 
• Start with “good enough,” and upgrade your sound, lighting, and camera when you can.
• Hear my recommendations for basic tech for someone just starting out in course creation. 
• Take a “defaulting to action” perspective rather than waiting for perfectionism. 
• Build your audience early.
• Don’t wait until your course launch to build your email list.
• Use social media and discovery platforms. 
• Use these affiliate links for more information: Teachable, ConvertKit, and Cartra

Resources:

Try Upheal Secure AI Therapy Notes! Visit https://sellingthecouch.com/upheal and enter the promo code “COUCH” to get 50% off for the first three months! 

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guests

Dan Mayer and Dr. David Yood

Dan Mayer is an attorney who works with many mental health and healthcare practitioners. Dr. David Yood is a licensed psychologist and private practice owner who gives his perspective of the Corporate Transparency Act and its requirements. Dan and Dave co-host the Protecting Your Practice Podcast for mental health practitioners. In this session, they use simple language to explain what the CTA is, what the filing requirements and processes are, the implications of non-compliance, and the constitutionality of the act. 

Dan's website

Dave's website

Protecting Your Practice Podcast

You’ll Learn:

• What is the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA)?
• Dave’s perspective about the CTA, his private practice, and compliance requirements
• A look at the compliance requirements of the CTA (mostly about ownership of companies)
• Who needs to register under the CTA? (Get professional help if you aren’t sure!)
• Thoughts on the constitutionality of the CTA
• Dave’s perspective on what the CTA requires of him
• Consequences of not filing under the CTA
• Dan’s recommendations for business owners
• Find out more about the CTA and how to file (in just a few minutes): fincen.gov

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• 7 things I wish I had known earlier about speaking at conferences:
• Know the setup. 
• This varies from conference to conference. Know about rehearsal opportunities, Green Room, mic/sound/slides check, timekeeping, etc. 
• Find a place to rest and re-center before you go backstage.
• I didn’t do a great job at this, and I should have made other arrangements.
• Make sure the mic doesn’t hit your clothes when you move.
• I’ll be more careful with this and test it better next time.
• Use social media to share “before/after” posts to document your journey.
• I did LinkedIn posts and selfies and had friends in the crowd take pictures during my presentation.
• Have a small squad of friends sit near the front in the crowd.
• This 100% helped give me confidence.
• Start with a story that people will remember.
• Leading with a story makes an impact and connects you to your audience. (Hint: Be clear about your topic.)
• Understand the crazy power in public speaking. Pace yourself.
• The endorphin rush of being “in flow” brings an amazing level of external validation. I loved it!

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Dr. Jessi Gold

Dr. Jessi Gold is the first Chief Wellness Officer for the University of Tennessee System, which comprises five campuses and more than 60,000 students. Also serving as an associate professor of psychiatry, Dr. Gold is a speaker, media advocate, author, and mental health consultant. She recently wrote How Do You Feel? One Doctor's Search for the Humanity in Medicine.  In today’s session, Jessi shares her experience in teetering on the edge of burnout and what she learned about herself. 

Dr. Jessi Gold

You’ll Learn:

• The basics of Dr. Jessi’s role with the University of Tennessee and what it means to be a Chief Wellness Officer
• The differences and barriers from campus to campus in a university system
• “Silo-breaking” as it relates to mental health
• The difficulty in caring for ourselves while caring for others
• Perfectionism, burnout, and why “it’s OK not to be OK”
• The pandemic’s part in training us to wear a “badge of honor” for not caring for ourselves and our mental health
• We are human—and we forget that very often.
• The event that was the impetus for Dr. Jessi’s book—and why it left her feeling horrible
• Signs of early burnout that Dr. Jessi only noticed in hindsight
• Making the shift to navigate perfectionist tendencies to prevent burnout
• The importance of having self-compassion and reframing the mean things we say to ourselves
• The value of timeout for ME

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• Fact: Podcasting has made my life a lot easier in many ways. 
• Five unexpected insights into podcasting as a beneficial addition:
• Batch record and automate.
• This will save you a ton of time, which is your most precious asset. 
• Look at your schedule and identify a 2-3 hour block of time for recording episodes. (Captivate makes it easier!)
• Bonus tip: Stack this by creating a podcast on your live schedule so you don’t have to record new episodes every week/month. 
• Repurpose your existing content.
• Look for common themes and pain points with your clients.
• Capture ideas during the course of your day with notes or a notes app.
• Bonus tip: My private Slack subchannel helps me. 
• Use podcasting as a client-attraction tool.
• Your podcast can reduce your marketing workload and attract clients and customers organically.
• Podcasters are the most trusted media personalities.
• Podcasts are evergreen and have binge potential.
• Bonus tip: Create episodes around questions clients ask that are related to your niches and specialties. 
• Keep episodes short and impactful.
• Shorter episodes are easier for you AND the listener. (15-25 minutes is an ideal length.)
• Bonus tip: Set a 20-minute timer and cover one question relating to a common struggle within your niche. 
• Outsource editing to free up your time.
• You don’t have to be the editor; hire someone!
• Outsourcing allows you to focus on your zone of genius and not get bogged down with the technical side. 
• Bonus tip: Reach out to local colleges and universities for students who are looking for work. 
• Check out the free workshop, Using Podcasting to Grow Your Business. Click here.

Resources:

Try Upheal Secure AI Therapy Notes! Visit https://sellingthecouch.com/upheal and enter the promo code “COUCH” to get 50% off for the first three months! 

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Dr. Adam Assoian 

Dr. Adam Assoian is a licensed clinical psychologist and the owner of Ally Psychological Services. His full private-pay group practice began in 2019 and now employs more than eight clinicians. They experienced their busiest month this past summer when there is traditionally a seasonal slowdown. Adam joins us to share his transition from solo practitioner to private practice group practice and why he did not go the insurance route, which is seen as the “safer” move. We get Adam’s take on logistical tips about finding office space, finding clients, marketing, and payment options. Our conversation wraps up with a discussion of sustainability during uncertain economic situations. 

Adam’s Website: Ally Psych

You’ll Learn:

• An overview of Ally Psych’s growth over the last five years
• Factors in Adam’s decision to be private pay vs. insurance
• Tips on maintaining a “people over profits” mentality
• Considerations in choosing a physical space and location for an office
• The importance in figuring out the numbers for sustainability in a group practice
• Adam’s commitment to prioritizing the comfort of the client as part of the entire therapy experience
• Adam’s perspective on what his clinicians charge for therapy services
• The biggest stressor for Adam as a practice owner
• Factors in Adam’s diversified marketing approach
• The importance of networking relationships and referrals
• Common mistakes therapists make in this transition
• Adam’s structure for accepting payments at Ally Psych
• How Adam prepares for sustainability in his practice during seasonal slowdowns and an uncertain economy

Resources:

Want to launch your podcast?

Check out our free podcasting workshop for therapists (and therapists turned coaches and consultants). Visit https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop.

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Sarah Mueller

Sarah Mueller is a friend I’ve known for several years. She started The Decluttering Club to teach people to declutter in a way that doesn’t create burnout, lets them keep the things they love, and actually lasts for the long term. She has grown a huge online following based on the concept of decluttering. It’s a relatable problem that we all face, and learning to let things go is important. Sarah discusses why decluttering is part of her story and part of who she is. She explains what decluttering is, what the benefits are, and how to declutter even when you feel overwhelmed. We wrap up by covering how decluttering can be an advantageous supplement to therapy.

The Decluttering Club

You’ll Learn:

• Sarah’s story that led her to create The Decluttering Club
• Sarah’s tagline: “Less stuff, more life!”
• The impacts of the personal and professional growth for Sarah as she fulfills the needs of others
• Decluttering defined: “Letting go of anything that doesn’t serve me”
• Being honest about what serves you and what “is clutter and needs to go”
• The internal work around stories, emotions, and our attachments that goes along with decluttering
• Benefits of decluttering
• Decluttering when you feel overwhelmed
• Sarah’s tips for decluttering books
• How letting go of sentimental items can be part of healing
• Working with a decluttering expert can supplement therapy in many ways
• Why decluttering is a combination of practical work and emotional work to boost someone’s self-worth

Resources:

Want to launch your podcast?

Check out our free podcasting workshop for therapists (and therapists turned coaches and consultants). Visit https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop.

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Dr. Corey Wilks

Dr. Corey Wilks is a good friend and licensed psychologist who joins us for an open and honest look at his transition from therapy to coaching.  In giving a glimpse into the circumstances and perspectives that led him to make this decision and shift his career, he shares how his career goals have changed over the years, what autonomy means to him, and why it is important. We wrap up by discussing mistakes that therapists often make in this career change and the drawbacks to leaving a traditional career in mental health.

Corey's Website 

You’ll Learn:

• Corey’s career goals back in grad school—and how they have changed
• Understanding autonomy, freedom, and why these are Corey’s top priorities
• Corey’s realizations about therapy, wellness, and burnout
• Considerations in making the shift to entrepreneurship
• The biggest mistake people make in turning from therapy to coaching
• The difference in coaching as a much more solo-based endeavor than therapy
• Corey’s advice to a therapist considering becoming a coach
• The distinction between the roles of therapist and coach—and how Corey navigates “the line”

Resources:

Mentioned in this session: Sign up for the newsletter for high-achievers!

Want to launch your podcast?

Check out our free podcasting workshop for therapists (and therapists turned coaches and consultants). Visit https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop.

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Join me in this episode as I discuss the factors in this decision. 

You’ll Learn:

The six major considerations in making this decision:

• The impending season of caregiving for aging parents and the role of business in my family life
• My original goal for STC and my changing definition of success (“Do I want the successful version of this?”)
• The sustainable cadence and level of social engagement I’ve found with the STC podcast, YouTube, and the STC newsletter
• Managing a large Facebook community takes a lot of emotional bandwidth and leadership.
• The realization that I can’t be everywhere on social media and need to “do less but in a better way”
• My manageable strategy and goals for social media posts on discovery platforms and relationship-deepening platforms

I’m still alive, well, and active on social media! Please find me on YouTube and LinkedIn!

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Kevon Cheung

Kevon Cheung is the founder and head teacher at Small School. He was a previous guest on the podcast several years ago, and I’ve taken his Build in Public Mastery Course to help overcome my fears about posting on social media. I learned a lot of helpful information about creating effective posts on LinkedIn, YouTube, and the STC podcast. Kevon’s wisdom and practical knowledge have helped me lean into vulnerability in many areas. In light of his rebranding from Public Lab to Small School, Kevon shares the pain and difficulties in business building and rebranding, why he felt the need to rebrand, and what he teaches in his online “small courses.” He also explains where he sees course creators stumbling the most. 

Small School

You’ll Learn:

• The painful parts of Kevon’s rebranding process (Changing your identity and “rebuilding what you’re known for”)
• Kevon’s thoughts about working through the inevitable feelings of failure when a change became necessary (How to reframe your mindset about a pivot)
• The biggest mistake course creators make
• Kevon’s #1 piece of advice for entrepreneurs and course creators
• Kevon’s reasoning behind his “all in” attitude about online courses
• Knowing when to add a course as a new offering (Have you validated your expertise with your audience?)
• Where course creators stumble the most–and why the goal is to create an experience that connects, surprises, and delights
• Kevon’s perspective on what a “small course” is

Resources:

Mentioned in this session: Sign up for the newsletter for high-achievers!

Want to launch your podcast?

Check out our free podcasting workshop for therapists (and therapists turned coaches and consultants). Visit https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop.

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Dr. Ajita Robinson

Dr. Ajita Robinson is a dear friend, a highly respected colleague, and a sister in the faith. She has secured many millions in government contracts both for her private practice and in coaching other clinicians to do the same. In sharing her wealth of knowledge today, Ajita explains how to build relationships with government agencies and the top three things she looks for in available contracts. She shares the biggest mistakes our colleagues make in securing contracts and her unusual perspective on contracts that appear to already be given out. We wrap up our discussion with a transparent look at how Ajita’s strong faith influences her work and impacts the contracts she pursues. 

Website 

You’ll Learn:

• How working in marginalized communities led Ajita to pursue contracts with local and federal governments–and solved a problem she was passionate about
• How Ajita leveraged what she knew firsthand about social programs, combined with her research skills, to access available systems
• Where a clinician should begin in forming connections and relationships that lead to government funding opportunities
• How state-level certifications position a clinician for government contracts and can assist in the corporate contracting market
• Why the biggest barrier to securing government contracts is mismanaging money and not having your books in order
• What business insurance is required to become a government subcontractor
• The top three things Ajita considers with any contract opportunity: the scope of work, payable terms, and whether the contract is renewable or not
• How Ajita has been able to strategically position herself to recover contracts when they have fallen through for others
• The biggest mistakes our colleagues make around securing government contracts: they think they aren’t qualified to pursue them, they aren’t open to partnering with others, and they get stuck in DIY-mode
• How Ajita’s Christian faith aligns with the contracts she pursues, how she operates as a therapist, and how she functions as a Black, female business owner
• An overview of The Purposeful and Profitable Therapist Summit, an annual conference focused on diversifying income scheduled for July (2024) in Washington, DC 

Resources:

Visit https://sellingthecouch.com/upheal and enter the promo code “COUCH25” for a special 25% off a paid plan for the first 2 months just for STC fans.

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more at

https://sellingthecouch.com/jointhehealthcasters  

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

 You’ll Learn: 

• 7 Lessons I Learned from Ali and Sahil:
• Change the wealth scoreboard.
• Don’t define self-worth based on net worth. 
• A new definition of success bases “wealth” on health, relationships, and the time I have for the things I enjoy.
• Set daily non-negotiables.
• Live with intention by identifying 3-5 things that must happen each day for me to be at my best.
• Friends over followers
• The quality of my relationships greatly impacts my health. 
• Schedule time to connect with genuine friends.
• More growth equals more haters.
• Sharing my message attracts people with a lot of pain, so I should default to empathy.
• Don’t be a slave to social media. 
• Be careful about posting pictures of kids and sharing revenue numbers. 
• This is difficult to navigate while still establishing credibility and the human connection that people crave. 
• Build micro-businesses.
• These can generate cash flow with minimal involvement.
• An example: having an in-house agency along with doing a podcast.
• Connection over mass content
• With AI, content is easier than ever to create, but connection and authenticity help others know, like, and trust me. 

Resources:

Visit https://sellingthecouch.com/upheal and enter the promo code “COUCH25” for a special 25% off a paid plan for the first 2 months just for STC fans.

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more at

https://sellingthecouch.com/jointhehealthcasters  

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Michael Fulwiler

Michael Fulwiler is Head of Brand Marketing at Heard, a company that assists therapists with bookkeeping and financial needs. I’ve come to rely on Mike’s expertise as a good friend as I navigate the aspects of STC, trying to be a protector of our field while staying in alignment with my values. In this session, Mike and I discuss the mindblowing numbers around the multitude of mental health tech startups and how clinicians can be informed about which ones are most likely to succeed or fail. We also discuss the vitally important topic of client data privacy and the top three considerations we should have before signing up for a product or service. 

Heard Website

You’ll Learn: 

• How to view tech startups in the mental health industry in terms of “headwind” and “tailwind” tendencies since the COVID-19 pandemic
• What the data shows about tech startups: 90% will fail!
• Why the big risk also comes with big opportunities in the startup world
• What happens when a clinician contracts with a mental health tech startup
• Why client data privacy is a valid concern when working with a tech startup (Hear Mike’s advice about watching out for red flags!)
• Top three considerations for a therapist about a tech startup:
• How they handle the data 
• Whether or not there is a mental health professional on their team who helps with decisions and development
• How compensation for therapists is structured
• Mike’s advice about doing your due diligence when contacted by a tech startup
• An overview of Mike’s work and mission at Heard and what they provide for therapists

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more at

https://sellingthecouch.com/jointhehealthcasters  

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

As I prepare to see clients very soon in my return to private practice, I’ve been given unique opportunities to do two talks related to mental health for folks near my childhood home of Dallas, Texas. Through a childhood friend, I became connected to a nonprofit there and was asked to share my personal experience with mental health. As a high-achiever, I grew up as a South Asian kid in the US, struggling with anxiety and depression. It was REAL and led me to see a psychologist, prompting my love for psychology and changing the course of my life. I shared my story with parents of high-achieving kids through this nonprofit and led a Q & A session with them; it was truly one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I was subsequently asked to do a second talk with another organization on a similar topic, focusing on risk factors for kids/teens growing up in hyper-competitive public and private schools. These kids are in what I call “the gilded pressure cooker,” feeling enormous pressure to achieve almost impossible feats. In today’s session, I want to share the three biggest lessons I’ve learned as a result of these unexpected opportunities to talk about the intersection of my experiences, passions, and callings. 

You’ll Learn: 

• My three biggest takeaways after doing these talks:
• Leaning into social media platforms, podcasting, and teaching workshops has helped me refine my speaking skills and learn to enjoy public speaking. (I’ve learned to silence my ever-present inner critic!)
• Doing talks like these takes a LOT of work and planning. (These were pro bono talks, but I will charge a fee in the future because of the multiple hours required. I don’t want to focus on revenue but on reach)
• For every talk I do in the future, I will capture the email addresses of the audience members to expand my community. (Adding people to your email list takes them from a “rented” audience on social media to an “owned” audience.)
• My thoughts and plans for the future in creating community, products, and services for this niche of families of high-achievers
• This is a new area for me, but I would love to connect with more groups and organizations around this topic of high-achieving kids and their parents. If you have a contact for me, please email me!

Resources:

Mentioned in this session: Sign up for the newsletter for high-achievers!

Want to launch your podcast?

Check out our free podcasting workshop for therapists (and therapists turned coaches and consultants)

sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Jeanetta Garrison, LCSW

Jeanetta Garrison is an anxiety therapist in private practice in Charlotte, NC. She is the perfect person to share insights into today’s topic. In this episode, Jeanetta shares a personal story about what she learned about money during her childhood, along with how we navigate our aspirations and what we go after to achieve success. We wrap up with a discussion of knowing what is “enough” and being cautious about who we follow after as mentors and examples. 

Crown Counseling & Consulting

You’ll Learn:

• Common characteristics of entrepreneurs in private practice
• Jeanetta’s family story of how she learned about money from her upbringing
• Having big hearts of service sets us up to allow boundaries to be crossed
• The need for clarity in communication with clients about cancellations and no-shows
• Chasing the proverbial “carrot” to reach success
• Jeanetta’s advice: “Remember your WHY and center your head, heart, and spirit around it.”
• Think about your success in terms of what you are sacrificing for it!
• Navigating the ebbs and flows that are inherent in entrepreneurship
• How Jeanetta grounds herself with what is “enough” for her in her business
• Thinking about money in terms of what it symbolizes to us (“All money is not good money.”)

Resources:

Want to launch your podcast?

Check out our free podcasting workshop for therapists (and therapists turned coaches and consultants)

https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworshop

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• My gear setup as I started the STC podcast in 2015 with a teeny, tiny budget
• My advice for beginning podcasters: “Don’t go out and purchase all the gear I mention, but go with the basics as you focus on building and honing your storytelling and interviewing skills.”
• Four podcasting scenarios and the recommended equipment:
• 1- A single host with solo episodes and guest interviews via the Internet.
• I recommend the Samsung Q2U dynamic mic, Koolertron mic shock mount, OnStage foam windscreen, pop filter, mic stand, and Rode PSA mic arm.
• 2- A single host who interviews guests in person.
• In addition to the basic equipment in Scenario #1, I recommend a 2-3 camera set-up (very expensive!), Calendly to coordinate interviews, 2 tabletop stands/mic arms, the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 for recording, and XLR cables.
• 3- Co-hosts who connect and interview guests via the Internet.
• I recommend the basic equipment in Scenario #1 for EACH co-host, along with a recording platform, like Zoom or Ecamm Live.
• 4- Co-hosts who get together in-person to interview guests in person. This is a dream set-up, but it is very expensive and complicated. 
• I recommend the basic equipment in Scenario #1 for EACH co-host and guest (Yes, that is at least three of everything!), along with the Rodecaster Pro (the Rodecaster Pro II or Pro Mini), 32 GB SD card, and XLR cables.
• My advice: “Start with a lean setup. My current gear costs around $5000, but I didn’t upgrade for several years when I started out.”
• Check out the free workshop, Using Podcasting to Grow Your Business.

Resources:

Want to launch your podcast?

Check out our free podcasting workshop for therapists (and therapists turned coaches and consultants)

https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworshop

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Raj Lulla

Raj Lulla is a StoryBrand Certified designer and strategist. He and his partner, Ben Lueders, are the co-owners of Fruitful Design & Strategy, where they “create and grow compelling brands.” Raj has spent the last few years writing a book called The Caring House, and he joins us to dive deeper into the book-writing process. He shares why he chose to write a fiction book, how he approached the publishing aspect, and the financial outlay for a project like this. We wrap up with Raj’s perspective on the things no one tells you about marketing a book and Raj’s best tips for anyone who wants to write a book. 

Fruitful Design and Raj Lulla

You’ll Learn:

• Raj’s choice: fiction vs. nonfiction?
• Big questions to confront around the grief-processing journey
• Raj’s idea for The Caring House as part of his personal healing process
• Writing to answer the question, “What is this book for?”
• Narrowing your purpose to the “most important thing”
• Understanding the publishing dilemma: a traditional publisher, indie/hybrid publishing, or self-publishing? 
• Differences in the pitching/publishing process between a fiction vs. nonfiction book
• Financial considerations in the book-writing process
• Details about the “print-on-demand” publishing option and the hard work required to market a self-published book
• Raj’s advice to aspiring writers

Resources:

Want to launch your podcast?

Check out our free podcasting workshop for therapists (and therapists turned coaches and consultants)

https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworshop

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

You’ll Learn:

• The increasing responsibility I feel to be a good steward in today’s podcasting environment
• Three ways to make money from your podcast from Day One:
• One-on-one work–I share how to use analytics to pinpoint your niche and impact to specialize your focus and offerings. (I use and recommend Fathom Analytics.)
• Scalable work–This includes things you can continue to do for the next 8-10 years, like paid speaking engagements, coaching groups, therapy groups, writing books, and establishing a “private podcast” feed. 
• Online courses–The time and energy investment comes on the front end, but they become an asset into which you can invite others.
• It’s best to view podcast sponsorship as “the cherry on the top” that may come to you, but not as the financial foundation to depend on from month to month.
• Our free podcasting workshop can help you launch your podcast! 

Resources:

Want to launch your podcast?

Check out our free podcasting workshop for therapists (and therapists turned coaches and consultants)

https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworshop

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Megan Gunnell

In addition to being a business owner, author, and triathlete, Megan Gunnell is a Clinical Social Worker who has been hosting 1-day retreats, workshops and weekend/week long retreats for 20+ years.

She hosted her first one at a local community center–complete with harp music! From these humble beginnings, Megan’s retreats have evolved into weekend retreats and international retreats that started in 2012 in Costa Rica, Italy, France, and other places around the globe.

In this episode, we discuss why therapists find it so appealing to consider hosting a retreat, along with common fears related to the risk of hosting your first retreat.

Megan explains how to find suitable venues that offer 100% refund options and points out the important legal and logistical considerations. We wrap up our conversation by discussing retreat marketing, which is vital to the success of your retreat. Megan shares what she has learned along her journey as a retreat host. 

Megan's Website and Thriving Therapists ® Facebook Group

You’ll Learn:

• Megan’s inspiration to expand beyond private practice into hosting retreats
• Megan’s #1 lesson learned: Start small and grow later.
• The attraction of retreats? They are transformative spaces for people to pull away from everyday life and reinvigorate their passion and purpose.
• The major differences between private practice work and group retreats as income sources
• Legal considerations around liability, disclaimers, emergencies, etc.
• Megan’s low-risk tips for hosting retreats:
• Start small with a test audience and test venue with a half-day or one-day retreat.
• Look for 100% refundable venues through a certain date prior to the event.
• Do the math and “beta-test” your audience.
• Making your retreat a profitable venture
• Finding 100% fully refundable venues—and why international properties are desirable
• Megan’s top marketing strategies for retreats:
• Be very clear about your intentions. (Who is this for, and what is the purpose?)
• Think about your runway. (Make sure it is long enough to “land the plane.”)
• Build a warm excitement with your audience around the date for open registration.
• Handling the cancellation or rebooking of your retreat with flexibility and transparency

Resources:

Want to launch your podcast? Check out our free podcasting workshop

https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworshop

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

I’m addressing these issues with my wonderful therapist, and I’m doing all the things that we therapists tell our clients to do. My worries and fears are probably normal for someone who feels the pressure to be successful in multiple businesses and endeavors. In today’s solo session, I’m sharing my insights on finding my private practice niche. Join me for a closer look!

You’ll Learn: 

• What is a niche, and how did I choose my niche for private practice? Who do I want to work with?
• My top four insights on finding my private practice niche:
• Niches are living and breathing things that evolve over time.
• Family and friends will always recommend people outside your niche.
• There is a relational component to marketing beyond your website.
• Even though my niche focuses on tech and business founders, working within other branches of these niches will add diversity to my work. (These last two insights come from my friends, Raj Lulla and Ben Lueders, the founders of Fruitful Design.)

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more at

https://sellingthecouch.com/jointhehealthcasters  

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Thad Frye, LCSW

Thad Frye is a licensed clinical social worker in Boulder, CO. As a certified brainspotting consultant, Thad has gone through multiple levels of training in this therapy technique. In our conversation, Thad explains why he was motivated to pursue training in brainspotting after previously focusing his work with families through hospice care and end-of-life journeys. He describes the technical aspects of brainspotting and how he uses it in his work with athletes, specifically in those with the “yips,” a puzzling phenomenon of the loss of an ability.

Thad Frye Counseling and Brainspotting Coaching for Athletes

You’ll Learn:

• Why Thad pursued training in brainspotting in 2016 as a way to serve families better
• How Thad experienced the somatic connection with his personal grief in new and real ways during his brainspotting training
• How brainspotting differs from EMDR
• Technical aspects of “inside window” and “outside window” reflexes within brainspotting
• How different clients might respond during a brainspotting session
• How training phases are structured in the brainspotting certification process
• Why Thad chose to use brainspotting with performance athletes
• How Thad uses brainspotting with athletes who experience muscle-guarding and the “yips”

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more at

https://sellingthecouch.com/jointhehealthcasters  

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Michael Fulwiler

Michael Fulwiler is Head of Brand Marketing at Heard, a company that assists therapists with bookkeeping and financial needs. I’ve come to rely on Mike’s expertise as a good friend as I navigate the aspects of STC, trying to be a protector of our field while staying in alignment with my values. In this session, Mike and I discuss the mindblowing numbers around the multitude of mental health tech startups and how clinicians can be informed about which ones are most likely to succeed or fail. We also discuss the vitally important topic of client data privacy and the top three considerations we should have before signing up for a product or service. 

Heard Website

You’ll Learn: 

• How to view tech startups in the mental health industry in terms of “headwind” and “tailwind” tendencies since the COVID-19 pandemic
• What the data shows about tech startups: 90% will fail!
• Why the big risk also comes with big opportunities in the startup world
• What happens when a clinician contracts with a mental health tech startup
• Why client data privacy is a valid concern when working with a tech startup (Hear Mike’s advice about watching out for red flags!)
• Top three considerations for a therapist about a tech startup:
• How they handle the data 
• Whether or not there is a mental health professional on their team who helps with decisions and development
• How compensation for therapists is structured
• Mike’s advice about doing your due diligence when contacted by a tech startup
• An overview of Mike’s work and mission at Heard and what they provide for therapists

Resources:

So you’ve probably heard that blogging is one of the best ways to attract your ideal clients as a therapist. 

But I know that it can be intimidating to SEO optimize your blog post so that it’s actually getting found by your current and future clients. 

Simplified SEO Consulting is a team of mental health professionals who genuinely want to help you attract more of your ideal clients using a proven on-page SEO process.

Please visit https://sellingthecouch.com/simplifiedseo.

**Use the code “MELVIN” to get 20% off any online, DIY SEO courses, and mention Melvin during your consultation for $100 off your onboarding fee for Done-For-You SEO services!

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more at

https://sellingthecouch.com/jointhehealthcasters  

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Matthew Bierds

Matt Bierds, from Duke City Counseling, is a licensed professional counselor, course creator, and professional speaker who does in-person and virtual counseling and LPC supervision in Texas and New Mexico. As far back as ten years ago, Matt realized that the world of online education was expanding, and he knew there were interesting opportunities for LPCs in the area of online courses. After jumping into this arena, Matt went through a “failing forward” phase before making a few tweaks and creating a course for LPC supervisors. In today’s session, Matt shares the lessons learned along his fascinating journey and the mistakes and successes that have brought him to where he is today. 

Matt's Website

You’ll Learn:

• Matt’s wisdom: “I learned the hard way that selling general continuing education courses online is pointless and a waste of time and money.”
• The value in pivoting and niching down when something isn’t working
• Discovering the sweet spot: How Matt created a course designed for a specific person in a specific situation
• Course creation is successful when you see the need and solve the pain point.
• Matt’s path to building trust and cultivating repeat customers
• The progression and development of Matt’s 40-hour course and 6-hour refresher courses
• The challenges in maintaining compliance and navigating changes in licensing requirements
• Course creation challenges: creating content and incorporating more video interaction and student engagement
• Matt’s biggest mistakes and successes in marketing his courses

Resources:

So you’ve probably heard that blogging is one of the best ways to attract your ideal clients as a therapist. 

But I know that it can be intimidating to SEO optimize your blog post so that it’s actually getting found by your current and future clients. 

Please visit https://sellingthecouch.com/simplifiedseo.

**Use the code “MELVIN” to get 20% off any online, DIY SEO courses, and mention Melvin during your consultation for $100 off your onboarding fee for Done-For-You SEO services!

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more at

https://sellingthecouch.com/jointhehealthcasters  

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

As I prepare to see clients very soon in my return to private practice, I’ve been given unique opportunities to do two talks related to mental health for folks near my childhood home of Dallas, Texas. Through a childhood friend, I became connected to a nonprofit there and was asked to share my personal experience with mental health. As a high-achiever, I grew up as a South Asian kid in the US, struggling with anxiety and depression. It was REAL and led me to see a psychologist, prompting my love for psychology and changing the course of my life. I shared my story with parents of high-achieving kids through this nonprofit and led a Q & A session with them; it was truly one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I was subsequently asked to do a second talk with another organization on a similar topic, focusing on risk factors for kids/teens growing up in hyper-competitive public and private schools. These kids are in what I call “the gilded pressure cooker,” feeling enormous pressure to achieve almost impossible feats. In today’s session, I want to share the three biggest lessons I’ve learned as a result of these unexpected opportunities to talk about the intersection of my experiences, passions, and callings. 

You’ll Learn: 

• My three biggest takeaways after doing these talks:
• Leaning into social media platforms, podcasting, and teaching workshops has helped me refine my speaking skills and learn to enjoy public speaking. (I’ve learned to silence my ever-present inner critic!)
• Doing talks like these takes a LOT of work and planning. (These were pro bono talks, but I will charge a fee in the future because of the multiple hours required. I don’t want to focus on revenue but on reach)
• For every talk I do in the future, I will capture the email addresses of the audience members to expand my community. (Adding people to your email list takes them from a “rented” audience on social media to an “owned” audience.)
• My thoughts and plans for the future in creating community, products, and services for this niche of families of high-achievers
• This is a new area for me, but I would love to connect with more groups and organizations around this topic of high-achieving kids and their parents. If you have a contact for me, please email me!

Resources:

Mentioned in this session: Sign up for the newsletter for high-achievers!

Want to launch your podcast?

Check out our free podcasting workshop for therapists (and therapists turned coaches and consultants)

sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

Our Featured Guest

Keith Kurlander

Keith Kurlander is the co-founder of the Integrative Psychiatry Institute (IPI) and the co-host of the Higher Practice Podcast. The IPI is the largest training provider of clinicians in psychedelic psychotherapy. In this conversation, we explore psychedelic psychiatry, the drugs available for use, and the causes of the recent surge in this field. We also discuss the practical cautions and considerations for therapists. 

Keith's Website and The Integrative Psychiatry Institute

You’ll Learn: