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

Welcome to Session 300! I never even imagined reaching this point, and I’m very grateful to be at this milestone. I love everything about connecting with people through podcasting, so thank you for joining me on this journey. Today’s show is a coaching call about online courses and the imposter syndrome that sneaks in with fear and doubt. Join us to learn more!Our Featured Guest for today’s coaching call:Nikki Sewell, LCSWNikki Sewell was part of our beta group for Online Course School’s eight-week live experience where we went through each step from start to finish in setting up your online course. Nikki is 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!N

If you are struggling to build your email list, today’s show can help! With over 300 STC newsletters and 5K subscribers, I’ve learned a few lessons about what works–and what doesn’t. We are fortunate that the STC newsletter has a much higher “open rate” than the 20% average, which can be attributed to what I have discovered along the way. Join me as I go solo today to share my insights that you can put into practice right now. You’ll Learn:● Why your mindset should be to make recipients excited to open your weekly newsletter● My tips for building your email list through newsletters:○ Spend time crafting the subject line. (The Headliner app helps!)○ Write to one person. (Picture yourself sitting with a friend around a campfire.)○ Use the intro section to share a personal story. (Have boundaries and safety considerations in place; I don’t say anything that would embarrass Grandma!)○ Stick to a consistent format. (We use sections for an intro, top tool, podcast info, and top STC community posts. The Alltop and A

Today’s show covers lessons I have learned from launching a successful cohort-based course (CBC). The process takes a lot of work but is very rewarding, so if a CBC is in your future, don’t miss this episode.You’ll Learn:● How I launched my first online course, The Healthcasters, in 2015, even though I felt like an inadequate novice● How Online Course School launched in late 2021, with 16 workshops for nine colleagues in the beta cohort group● Ten lessons learned from my CBC launch:○ Get your beta students through your email list, previous courses, and Mastermind class colleagues.○ Screen the participants well. (I did this through one-on-one Zoom calls.)○ Do welcome calls with breakout rooms, so the students get to know each other.○ Keep the CBC length around 6-8 weeks, or structure a break after a few weeks if it is longer.○ Have an assistant with you on all workshops.○ Tier your support for students at multiple levels.○ Start with the “I do/we do/you do” framework for teaching.○ Prep your lessons ahead of t

Today’s show covers a topic that always brings out the nerd in me. If you are an STC regular, then you know the importance I place on my video and audio gear. With the future of our field being that telehealth is here to stay, a quality home studio setup can help you stand out in your field. For me, the quality of my studio has evolved over the years as I’ve had more money to invest. Join the conversation to learn how to take your videos to the next level by building a dream home studio.Our Featured GuestKevin ShenKevin Shen is a consultant who has been producing online videos for more than ten years, doing most of his work on YouTube. He has developed courses to teach what he has learned about making powerful videos and building a professional quality studio. He shares why a professional studio matters, along with practical considerations to make if building a home studio is on your radar for the future.Dream Studio CourseYou’ll Learn: Why a professional video studio matters Why online video content is like

One of the new things for STC this year is the incorporation of coaching calls into the podcast from time to time. Join us for a glimpse into today’s coaching call about online courses.Our Featured Guest for today’s coaching callHeather McKenzie, LCMHCSHeather 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 courseWhy Heather’s course is an eight-week course to help people understand anxiety and DBT emotion regulation skil

I’m excited to begin a new year and a new season with you! While we were on the holiday break, STC hit a huge milestone of 1.2 million downloads, which is unbelievable to me. I’m so grateful for the success of STC and being able to offer this resource. Today’s show focuses on one of my favorite topics, which is personal finance. Investing can be overwhelming and very confusing. Join us to learn how anyone can approach investing with knowledge and confidence.Our Featured Guest:Andy GuptaAndy Gupta and I have become good friends over the past couple of months. He is a kind and genuine person who worked for 20 years on Wall Street. He is a graduate of Harvard Business School who understands the ins and outs of investing, and he wants to make investing more approachable for average people. Andy has a particular passion to help women understand investing, and he looks to use his wealth in ways that help others.Andy’s 30-day investing course: Anyone Can Invest NowAndy's Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/grou

Today’s solo episode topic may be one you’ve thought a lot about, or it may be something that hasn’t crossed your mind. We are discussing the ins and outs of creating a membership site, something that comes up frequently in discussions in the STC Facebook community. It’s something I’ve been trying to figure out over the past 13 months.We are talking about what goes into creating a membership site, how to launch it, how to create it, and more. I’m sharing the lessons I’ve learned along the way, and I really hope this closer look at creating a membership site is helpful for you, either right now, or as something you might utilize in the future.Join us!RESOURCES 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 cont

When it comes to your business, how much is ENOUGH? How do you even know what enough is? These are questions we can all use some clarity about, along with evaluating the success of our business.Today’s show is a solo episode and the last one before I take the month of August off for a time of self-care and refreshment before returning with new shows in September. I’ve begun doing this a few times each year and have seen great benefit in the downtime. This particular break has added meaning, as we prepare to welcome our first baby in just a few weeks. I know that this transition to parenthood will mean changes in my personal life and in my business, so it’s a very fitting time to take a reflective look at this concept of ENOUGH.RESOURCES 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 n

What techniques have you found that help you stay on task each day? Maybe you have some tried and true habits, or maybe you recognize the need to put in place a little more structure. Either way, there is inspiration waiting for you in today’s show!Solo episodes are always fun for me because I love getting to share with you what I’m learning. Today’s topic is about the habits I’ve incorporated to maximize my productivity on a week-to-week basis. For many of us, our self-worth is measured by how much we get done, and it’s taken work for me to get past that judgmental place. I’ve found some things that work well for me; some are based on experience, learning, and tweaking, and some are based on research. I hope my tips will inspire you to evaluate your productivity and see what might work better for you.RESOURCES 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 wh

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.RESOURCES 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

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.RESOURCES 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 us

As a clinician, do you have a social media policy? Is it something you’ve ever considered? If not, then this show may open your eyes to this topic. How can we as clinicians create a sound social media policy while navigating the intersection of our personal and professional lives?Dr. Keely Kolmes is a psychologist, speaker, consultant, writer, researcher, and innovator in San Francisco and Oakland, CA. Dr. Keely’s work covers many areas, but the development of a social media policy is one specific area of expertise. Let’s hear more about this interesting topic from Dr. Keely!RESOURCES 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 f

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.RESOURCES TO GUIDE YOUR BUSINESS JOURNEY Disclosures: Please note that all opinions are my own

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.RESOURCES 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 l

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.RESOURCES TO GUIDE YOUR BUSINESS JOURNEY Disclosures: Please note that all opinions are my own and based on my personal experience. Sponsors are acknow

This is the last podcast episode for this year as I take some extra time off to refresh, recharge, and get new episodes ready for 2022. In this solo episode, I’m reflecting and sharing the top five business lessons I have learned this year and what I’ll be focusing on for the upcoming year. You’ll Learn:● How I was intentional about taking an indefinite sabbatical from clinical work to focus fully on STC (See Episode 210 for the full story.)● Why humbling realizations came to me about the difficulties in running two businesses, delivering clarity about my calling, and my desire to build a life around my family● How this decision has significantly improved my mental health and sleep quality● Five Business Lessons I’ve Learned this Year:○ #1--”I don’t want to keep swapping Corelle plates.”■ I’m focusing now on four things: the STC podcast, The Healthcasters course and community, Online Course School, and a high-level Mastermind group--and this feels right to me.○ #2--What is ENOUGH?■ Success and personal worth

Today’s topic is one that many clinicians have navigated, are navigating, or will navigate in the future. It’s the idea of increasing fees with existing clients. I’ve seen this topic come up repeatedly in online groups for therapists, and I know it brings anxiety and confusion. Let’s dig into it together!Our Featured GuestsKelly Higdon and Miranda PalmerKelly Higdon and Miranda Palmer are therapists, private practice owners, and the founders of ZynnyMe, where they teach and train therapists to build valuable and gratifying businesses. Their year-long training program, Business School Bootcamp, is a super-powerful system that teaches therapists everything they wish they had learned in grad school about running a successful private practice. In this episode, Kelly and Miranda will discuss the idea that we are betraying our client if we increase fees, along with ways to work through that mindset. We will cover the nitty-gritty of how to communicate fee increases to clients with all the logistical nuances. Our co

Have you ever considered writing a children’s book? I’ll admit that I’ve thought about it, and it might be a new endeavor in my future. Writing a children’s book takes creativity and planning, and much perseverance is required to navigate the publishing process. Join me as I talk to a longtime friend who has been through the process and published two children’s books.Our Featured GuestAmy JivaniAmy is a childhood friend of mine who has become a children’s book author. Her latest book, Meera’s Flowers, tells the story of a young girl celebrating an Indian holiday while living in America. She also wrote More Than Words: A Book About Body Language, a story about body language and feelings. Amy is a former first-grade teacher who is inspired by her students and her cultural background to write children’s books with ethnically diverse characters. Amy shares with us where she gets ideas for books and how the creative process works. We also discuss the concept of self-publishing compared to the traditional publishin

What would it be like to own and run your own group therapy practice--including the building? And to complicate matters, what if the whole endeavor is getting off the ground during a global pandemic? It might sound crazy, but you’ll hear the details from today’s guest who is making it all happen after facing down all the obstacles. Join us!Our Featured GuestKaren Grayson, PhD, LPCDr. Karen Grayson had a vision a few years ago of owning a therapy practice building, so she followed through with the big purchase in 2018. She’s here to help us navigate through the challenges of owning a therapy practice building during a pandemic. The Center for Inner Transformation, in St. Louis, is a place where Karen combines philosophy, therapy, and spirituality on an integrated pathway to her clients’ personal and collective development, and it’s also home for the practices of three other clinicians. She shares where the idea of buying a building came from, how she went into the process, along with practical steps that she t

Today’s show is about navigating long-haul COVID symptoms and life as a private practitioner. I wanted to have a non-academic conversation about this intriguing topic from a real-life perspective. Join us to learn more!Our Featured GuestRobert Cox, MA, LPC, NCCRobert Cox is a private practitioner in Kentucky. He contracted COVID back in December. After a few weeks, he noticed that his symptoms improved a little but then continued. You’ll hear Robert’s story of his long-haul COVID symptoms and navigating through it as a private practitioner, especially regarding what to disclose to clients. Tristn Jevon Center for RecoveryYou’ll learn:● What it means to have “long-haul COVID”● How long-haul COVID symptoms can vary with dementia-like brain fog, heart problems, physical exhaustion, night sweats, etc. ● Robert’s story of contracting COVID last December from his daughter and facing moments of panic because of his asthma● How Robert’s symptoms were complicated by the death of his son in February 2021● How Robert le