Selling The Couch With Melvin Varghese, Ph.d. | Weekly Conversations To Build And Grow Your Counseling Private Practice

Today’s show is a special episode as we celebrate STC hitting the ONE MILLION downloads’ milestone. When I started the podcast, I thought one million downloads was a reasonable 20-year-goal, but here we are, just five years along in the journey. To mark this occasion, I’m going solo today with advice to the younger me, or what I wish I had known five years ago.www.sellingthecouch.com/session249RESOURCES TO GUIDE YOUR BUSINESS JOURNEY Disclosures: Please note that all opinions are my own and based on my personal experience. Sponsors are acknowledged. Some links in the description are affiliate links where if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission at no additional cost to you. I use these funds to continue to create helpful content to serve our field. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.MY FREE ONLINE WORKSHOPS (These Can Be Watched At A Date/Time That Works For You):

As rewarding as it is to start your own podcast and share your knowledge and expertise with the world, there is one thing that makes it even better--and that’s monetizing your podcast. Wouldn’t it be a dream come true to make money from your podcast? You might think it’s the impossible dream, but today’s show brings practical information and simple tips for monetization that can expand your reach, extend the life of your podcast, and free up more of your time for quality content creation.Christy Haussler is the founder of Team Podcast, a full-service podcast editing and production company. She’s been my podcast editor since 2015, when I realized I needed help with podcast editing. Christy and her team work behind the scenes to produce, edit, and upload podcasts, and they are the main reason the STC podcast goes out each week. Christy began her podcast editing service around the same time as STC, and her team currently edits about 60 different podcasts and about 300 episodes each month. Christy has a unique an

July is an exciting month because STC will hit one million downloads! It’s something I could never have imagined during these first few years. As STC has grown, we’ve added new team members and made significant changes. One of the biggest changes to date is happening now, and we’re taking a closer look in today’s show.Nicole Denison has been my virtual assistant for the past three years. You may remember that she joined us in Episode 232 to talk about the benefits of having a VA. Nicole is back to discuss the changes taking place as we move all of our STC content into an all-in-one platform. Maybe a move like this is something you’ve considered because it’s tough to manage different content on several pieces of software at once. We began this journey about two months ago, so Nicole and I will share why we are making this transition, why we are excited about this new step for STC, and how this move fits into our dreams for the future. Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at STC!www.sellingthecouch.com/session2

During times like these, it’s essential to think outside the box, but every decision has business and financial implications. One way to survive the pandemic shutdown is to pull back from one-on-one work and create income streams that aren’t dependent on being there in person. If you’re curious to know more, then join us for this episode.Jackie Flynn teaches therapists how to integrate EMDR Therapy and Play Therapy techniques, and she is launching a membership site this year. In this episode, Jackie and I will discuss what I’ve learned through my experiences, and we’ll brainstorm the process of launching a membership site. Jackie talks about her struggles regarding creating content and how to best release it, and we’ll discuss how to handle testimonials legally and ethically. This conversation takes a deep dive, and we have lots of helpful information to share.www.sellingthecouch.com/session246 Mentioned in this episode:Sign up for the new online course workshop of a small launch to a $300K course at htt

Since STC usually focuses on aspects of the journey into private practice, today’s show is different. We are talking to someone who decided to take her skill set in another direction and move away from private practice. A traditional talk-therapy practice isn’t for everyone, and there are other therapeutic healing modalities that can be fulfilling and meaningful. Join us to learn more!Hayley Hansen is a body-centered healer based in Phoenix, Arizona. She was a Licensed Professional Counselor who became fascinated with bodywork healing methods through yoga; Hayley decided to give up her LPC license to pursue her calling. She shares her journey with us and what she’s learned along the way, including the early indicators that a traditional talk therapy practice just wasn’t the right fit for her. We will also discuss how she worked through internal and external struggles and decided to focus on bodywork healing methods.www.sellingthecouch.com/session245  Mentioned in this episode:Sign up for the new onl

Today’s show is different from the regular topics of business and entrepreneurship, and it may be one of the most important issues of all. Join us to learn some golden nuggets to help you in your relationships.Roger Nygard is best known for his highly acclaimed and successful documentary called Trekkies. Today’s conversation is focused on Roger’s latest documentary, The Truth About Marriage. He wanted to figure out what makes happy relationships, so he started out by reading a lot of books on the topic. Roger didn’t stop there because he went on to interview many of the world’s leading relationship experts about the insights they have learned. No matter our circumstances, we are all in relationships of various kinds, whether a romantic relationship, friendships, business relationships, etc. Roger is here to share what he’s learned about connection, expectations, conflict, and more.www.sellingthecouch.com/session244  Mentioned in this episode:Sign up for the new online course workshop of a small laun

We are tackling another topic relevant to the pandemic crisis. This particular time is a good chance to think about private practice in different ways than ever before. If you’ve ever considered blogging as a way to build your practice and expand your reach to your ideal clients, then this is the show for you.Lauren Hahn is a licensed mental health counselor in Orlando, Florida. She has built a successful private practice through blogging. In this episode, Lauran shares the process that she’s gone through for the past several years in starting her blog and evolving that blog to cater to her ideal clients. She explains where she finds inspiration and content for her posts that are now released regularly each week. We wrap up the conversation by discussing the most important lessons she’s learned along the way.www.sellingthecouch.com/session243 Mentioned in this episode:Try Quiet Builder!If hustle culture makes your soul itch. You'll love the quiet builder. It's for folks building businesses with heart, no

The concept of using telemedicine for mental health clinicians has become very relevant due to the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, meeting clients this way is something that is not just temporary; clinicians need to make this transition and set themselves up for successful telemedicine for the future.Roy Huggins has been at the forefront of telemedicine and how to do it ethically. In today’s show, he’ll share practical measures to take, like setting up your computer and tablet. He’ll also share tips around the expectations of telemedicine mental health and how to reframe those expectations for our new normal.Mentioned in this episode:Try Quiet Builder!If hustle culture makes your soul itch. You'll love the quiet builder. It's for folks building businesses with heart, not hype. You can take a peek inside at https://sellingthecouch.com/builder.

As clinicians, we occupy a unique role as we hold space for the grief of our clients while still navigating our own grief and disappointment in a time like this pandemic crisis. These times make us think differently about how we serve our clients, which makes today’s show about text-based therapy very relevant. Can it be used in an ethical and effective way?Bill Hudenko is a professor at Dartmouth College in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. He also teaches at Dartmouth’s School of Medicine and is the CEO of Trusst Health, a company that developed an app called Trusst. The app came about as the result of research Bill conducted at Dartmouth about the efficacy of text-based therapy and whether it can work well for certain populations. Our conversation brings fascinating knowledge and insight as we cover a range of topics. Bill explains his research, how the Trusst app works, and what the benefits are to using this medium.www.sellingthecouch.com/session241  Mentioned in this episode:

Even though today’s topic is very specific, it’s one that applies to many clinicians. We are discussing the unique situation of restarting a private practice after a military deployment. We include many helpful tips if you find yourself in that situation, or if your niche involves working with the military population. Chad Welch has a private practice outside St. Louis. He has an amazing story of deployment to the Middle East until July of last year and then restarting his private practice just one month later. We take a deep dive into his mindset about the valuable lessons he’s learned during his military service, as well as the special nuances to working with members of the military. Chad shares how he serves the military community with his practice regarding marketing, referrals, additional training, and the huge need that exists in this population. www.sellingthecouch.com/session240 Mentioned in this episode:Try Quiet Builder!If hustle culture makes your soul itch. You'll love the quiet builder. It's for

Today’s show is about search engine optimization (SEO), an essential aspect of your private practice website. The truth is that you can have the most beautifully designed website on the planet, but it won’t help your practice if it doesn’t attract people. If you’re confused about trying to navigate the world of SEO, then this is the show you don’t want to miss! Dr. Maelisa Hall is a licensed psychologist and digital marketing expert. She’s here to break down the intimidating world of SEO with language that’s easy to understand. She covers her three foundational tips and the things we need to do to beef up our website content to make sure our website has what it takes to attract those ideal clients. www.sellingthecouch.com/session239 Mentioned in this episode:Try Quiet Builder!If hustle culture makes your soul itch. You'll love the quiet builder. It's for folks building businesses with heart, not hype. You can take a peek inside at https://sellingthecouch.com/builder.

It’s a challenge to open up and be vulnerable about what you’ve learned along your journey. Often, it’s that authenticity that is most effective in helping others learn from what YOU have learned. Today’s guest is an example of openness and vulnerability. Katie Leikam, LCSW, has a private practice in Decatur, GA. She is sharing with transparency about how she went from zero clients after the first four months to a thriving $100,000 practice. There is wisdom to be found in Katie’s experience, in the difficulties of building a business and the struggle to get the results you want. Katie opens up today about why and how she opened her private practice--even to zero clients, what she learned, and how she maintained a positive mindset. She also talks about the unique marketing strategies she has used to build relationships along the path to building her practice. You can read the full show notes at: Session184Mentioned in this episode:Try Quiet Builder!If hustle culture makes your soul itch. You'll love the quiet

Welcome to a solo episode about a very important topic: Focusing on Your ONE Thing. This episode is an outgrowth of one of my personal goals for 2017, which is to read one business-related book per month. I’ve already read a book that has impacted me greatly and changed the way I approach my business. The book is The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. The book hones in on the principle that successful businesses with innovative products and services focus on one project at a time, instead of going in many different directions at once. Learn how these principles can positively impact your business. Join me!   You can read the full show notes at www.sellingthecouch.com/session108Mentioned in this episode:Try Quiet Builder!If hustle culture makes your soul itch. You'll love the quiet builder. It's for folks building businesses with heart, not hype. You can take a peek inside at https://sellingthecouch.com/builder.

This episode features . . . .you! Nineteen of our listeners took the time to record their tips for getting referrals, which just happens to be the most-asked question for clinicians. This episode is bittersweet for me because it’s the last one of this season. I’m taking some time off to focus on being a husband and daddy and to take some much-needed time for self-care. But before I say goodbye, for now, let’s listen to these great ideas for getting those coveted referrals! You can read the full show notes at: Session190Mentioned in this episode:Try Quiet Builder!If hustle culture makes your soul itch. You'll love the quiet builder. It's for folks building businesses with heart, not hype. You can take a peek inside at https://sellingthecouch.com/builder.

Today’s topic is one that puzzles many clinicians and leaves us feeling uncomfortable. We’ve approached setting fees on past episodes, but today we are diving deeper into setting fees that ensure our profitability. How do we make sure our business is growing, thriving, and allowing for future expansion? Join us as we learn more with today’s guest. Reina Lombardi is an art therapist based in Florida. She has a wealth of experience and knowledge about debt, building a business, and setting fees. Reina understands the many challenges in owning a private practice, and she knows that we need to be profitable. I hope our conversation gives you a practical perspective on using objective data, and not emotions, to figure out where your numbers should be. Mentioned in this episode:Try Quiet Builder!If hustle culture makes your soul itch. You'll love the quiet builder. It's for folks building businesses with heart, not hype. You can take a peek inside at https://sellingthecouch.com/builder.

Today’s show is about something a bit different, even though we’re in the middle of the coronavirus crisis. I’ve learned that we should have a virtual aspect of our business in place for scenarios like this. I’ve also learned how important diverse income streams can be when your regular practice is interrupted. I can’t maintain my business health if I rely solely on my clients. Five years ago, I launched my first online course, so now I’m sharing lessons learned over that time, especially about gear. Remember, though, that gear should help you achieve your goals and not just be another way to spend money. www.sellingthecouch.com/session233 Mentioned in this episode:Try Quiet Builder!If hustle culture makes your soul itch. You'll love the quiet builder. It's for folks building businesses with heart, not hype. You can take a peek inside at https://sellingthecouch.com/builder.

Today’s show is one that I’ve looked forward to for a long time. We are covering a topic that comes up frequently in the STC community, which is the process of hiring a virtual assistant. I’ve been through this process more than once, and it was a rocky road before finding Nicole three years ago. Hiring a VA teaches you about your strengths, weaknesses, and communication skills. I’ve learned what tasks I can delegate and what help I need for long-term sustainability in my business. Today you’ll meet Nicole Denison, who is my awesome VA. I found her through my colleague, Laura Reagan, who raved about Nicole and her abilities. I’m so thankful to have found Nicole three years ago, and I can honestly say that STC wouldn’t exist as it does today without Nicole’s hard work and dedication. www.sellingthecouch.com/session232 Mentioned in this episode:Try Quiet Builder!If hustle culture makes your soul itch. You'll love the quiet builder. It's for folks building businesses with heart, not hype. You can take a peek in

Today’s show is about a topic I’ve wanted to cover for a while. It’s about something many of us might have wanted to do in our practices. We are talking about retreats and mini-retreats, and I have the perfect person to fill us in on the details.Mikella Millen is an art therapist in NYC. She has taken a great idea and made it reality by creating retreats focused on self-care for clinicians. She’s sharing with us how she developed this idea and validated the fact that people would want to sign up. We’ll talk about what went well and what didn’t go well, along with Mikella’s lessons learned along the way.  Mentioned in this episode:Try Quiet Builder!If hustle culture makes your soul itch. You'll love the quiet builder. It's for folks building businesses with heart, not hype. You can take a peek inside at https://sellingthecouch.com/builder.

Today’s topic is a new one in the STC community. Have you ever thought about renting or subleasing extra office space? Whether you might be a prospective owner or renter, today’s show has great wisdom about how that extra office space can be put to good use in serving other clinicians and your community. Elena Clemente has a practice in North Tampa. She has learned many lessons through renting out parts of her four-person office suite. In today’s show, Elena shares how she found this office space and what kinds of contracts she uses with colleagues who are interested in leasing the space. She’ll also share lessons learned along the way, specifically about features of the office and managing busy schedules. If you’ve thought about sharing office space in this way, then this podcast might be helpful for you. A Special Thank You to Today's Sponsor: To check out the brand new FREE 4 Part Masterclass offered for therapists by ZynnyMe, go to sellingthecouch.com/zynnyme www.sellingthecouch.com/session230 Mentioned i

As STC has grown, I’ve been wanting to address this topic of getting on other podcasts as a guest. In a typical week, I receive several requests from people wanting to be a guest on STC.  There are several reasons why I cannot accept every one of those requests, and there are things to consider in remaining authentic while seeking podcast appearances. In this solo episode, we discuss some tips to follow if you want to increase your exposure by appearing on podcasts. www.sellingthecouch.com/session229    Mentioned in this episode:Try Quiet Builder!If hustle culture makes your soul itch. You'll love the quiet builder. It's for folks building businesses with heart, not hype. You can take a peek inside at https://sellingthecouch.com/builder.