Selling the Couch

Latest Episodes:

ENCORE: The Biggest Bookkeeping Blunders That Clinicians Make and Their Solutions Jan 26, 2023

Show notes

Balance sheet, profit/loss statements, cash flow, business expense----do these terms send you into a sudden state of anxiety and panic? If so, then this is the perfect show for you! The entire topic of keeping accurate records for your business can be ultra-intimidating for any clinician. Let’s try to make sense of it all together!

Greg Higdon is the founder of Grow the Books. He’s here to discuss the biggest bookkeeping blunders that clinicians make and offer solutions that make sense. If looking at your numbers makes you sweat, or if you’ve taken the ostrich approach of hiding your head in the sand, then I hope this episode will make things more manageable and less stressful for you. Join us!

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.

ENCORE: The Concept Of Using Telemedicine For Mental Health Clinicians And Practical Measures To Take Jan 19, 2023

Show notes

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 Alma!

ENCORE: Ups And Downs of Transitioning From a Full-Time job Into Private Practice Jan 12, 2023

Show notes

Chances are you’ve thought about today’s topic at least once, or you may have your own similar experience. Many clinicians have gone through the transition from a full-time job into private practice. Today’s show is all about navigating the ups and downs of this important move.

Tricia Miller is a LIcensed Professional Counselor in Houston, Texas. She has a unique background, with an undergrad degree in business, a job as a business analyst, and a stint as a school counselor. It was here that she realized she wanted to take the next step and start her private practice. Today’s show covers the steps in Tricia’s journey, what she’s learned along the way, and what the transition looked like for her. Tricia also shares how she worked through the fine line of disclosure.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

ENCORE: Creating A Conference To Share Your Message In Private Practice Jan 05, 2023

Show notes

As clinicians, we often think about creative outlets for our messages of hope and healing. One of those that you might not have considered is creating a conference. It may sound like an overwhelming task, but it’s one that can be effective and fulfilling. Let’s discuss it in today’s show!

Mercedes Samudio, LCSW, does a lot of good work around all things related to parenting. She’s written Shame-Proof Parenting and has created The Diversity in Parenting Conference, which explores the diverse ways that clinicians work with parents and families. The conference is coming up soon on September 13-14 in Anaheim, CA. In today’s show, Mercedes takes us behind the scenes to learn what it takes to put together a conference of this magnitude. Mercedes is excited to share with all of us what she’s learned from this first-time experience. She’ll share about the planning process and why she chose a conference as the medium to share her message instead of a webinar. Mercedes also fills us in on how she selected speakers and set fees for the event, along with the biggest lessons she’s learned along the way.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

ENCORE: What A Clinician Needs To Have In Place Before Scaling To Multiple Income Streams Dec 29, 2022

Show notes

I can’t believe it’s here----Episode 200! I’m thrilled to have made it this far in my journey and to have so many of you along with me. Podcasting has made me more confident as a person and a speaker, and I’m thankful for the ways I’ve grown on this path. Today’s topic is one I’m very passionate about, and you’ve heard it mentioned many times on the show. We’re discussing what a clinician needs to have in place before scaling to multiple income streams.

Nicole Liloia, LCSW, practices in New Jersey. She’s someone whose advice I trust regarding creating multiple income streams, which is becoming more and more common for those in private practice. We don’t often think about the groundwork that needs to be laid before we take that step, but systems and processes must be in place for things to flow smoothly. Each income stream brings its own level of stress, which must be managed. In today’s conversation, we’re discussing the biggest advantages to creating additional income streams, things to be aware of, and the most important things to have in place before branching out.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

ENCORE: The First Online Marketplace Exclusively For Mental Health Professionals To Buy And Sell Their Original Products Dec 22, 2022

Show notes

Today’s show is a little different than normal. We’re highlighting the first online marketplace exclusively for mental health professionals to buy and sell their original products. We’re talking to one of the founders of Practikat about her journey--and how this platform might be just what you’re looking for!

Katie Englert has a group practice in Paducah, Kentucky, and fills her time with counseling, consulting, and public speaking. Today’s show focuses on her newest endeavor, Practikat, which came about because Katie was looking for a hub of resources for clinicians. She shares how she came up with the name and the branding advice she received from experts and attorneys. Katie explains how to go about setting up something like Practikat, how revenue is generated, how to test it out, and the logistics of the development process. Katie wraps up our time by sharing the advice she would give to herself in the past and the future.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

ENCORE: A Live vs. Pre-Recorded Online Course Dec 15, 2022

Show notes

Today’s show is a live coaching call regarding a topic that has been very relevant to me recently. We are talking about the many nuances of online courses. I hope this episode will be helpful to you and bring new ideas if an online course is on your radar.

Our Featured Guest-Kristen Boice, LMFT

Kristen Boice is a therapist in private practice and a fellow podcaster. She has realized the need among her listeners for an online course. Her podcast, Close the Chapter, is about closing the chapter on certain things in our lives so we can open ourselves up to new opportunities. In today’s coaching call, I’ll share some lessons I’ve learned along the way about online courses. We’ll talk about the rationale behind creating a live course vs. a pre-recorded one. We will wrap up with a pre-launch strategy to help get buyers for your course before you launch.

Pathways To Healing Counseling

Kristen Boice

You’ll Learn

● Why Kristen started her podcast about two years ago to provide another opportunity for deeper work for her clients

● How an online course can help you get more information out to curious people

● The options for your course and other services

● Why niching down is a big challenge for therapists

● How Kristen sees the epidemic of people feeling “not good enough” and being scared to speak up

● How a niche can help you offer value and find your sweet spot

● How the best courses take people from one place to another

● Why Kristen focuses on helping with the hard conversations

● How to use phraseology that appeals to people and addresses their need

● Step-by-step actions to build your email list and create effective opt-ins

● How to create value on the front end of your course by validating your content

Today's Sponsor: Online Course School

I know that many of us want to launch a successful online course whether it's to share our message with a larger audience or to diversify our income beyond 1:1 work.

Speaking from personal experience, I also know that there are a ton of barriers to getting started: the tech, the mental hurdles, being unsure of whether our course will make money, or even how to market and grow our online course.

Online Course School is a live 8-week cohort-based experience where you'll gather with other therapist course creators to create your online course. It includes teaching workshops from Mel

and the STC team, weekly assignments, and opportunities to work together to get things done. By the end of our time together, you'll have your lessons and modules outlined, know what tech, software, and platform you need to record your online course, a working sales page, and have a concrete growth plan for your online course.

We'll be launching our first cohort in Sept 2021 with six members. If this sounds like something you'd love to be a part of, please check out my free A to Z Online Course Guide.

The guide will help you learn from my mistakes over the past 6+ years of being an online course creator and lessons I've learned from moving the Healthcasters podcasting course from a $297 first sale to over 275 students and passing the $200k revenue mark in 2021.

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 from qualifying purchases.

MY FREE ONLINE WORKSHOPS (These Can Be Watched At A Date/Time That Works For You):

🎙️ Using Podcasting To Grow Your Business (Lessons Learned From 9 Downloads On Day 1 To 1.2 Million And a 7 Income Stream Business)

💻 How To Launch And Grow A Successful Online Course (Lessons Learned From A $297 First Sale To $150k Online Course)

MY FREE GUIDES:

🎤 Start your Podcast: The QuickStart Guide

🖥️ The A To Z Online Course

MY COURSES:

🎧 The Healthcasters (A podcasting course + community for helpers/healers):

💻 Online Course School (A course to create, sell, and grow a successful online course): COMING IN 2022 (please feel free to download the online guide course above and I can keep you updated as I'm trying to build this with ample input and care including a chance to work 1 on 1 with me!):

MY FAVORITE SOFTWARE:

🧳 My Podcast Hosting Platform (Captivate-Includes 7 Day Free Trial):

🚀 My All In One Online Business Platform (Kartra-Includes 14 Day Free Trial):

🤖 What I Use For Evergreen Webinars (Easy Webinar)

🌐 My Website Host (SiteGround-Includes Discount)

🎨 My WebSite Theme (Divi)

MY FAVORITE GEAR:

❤️ STC Home Office Tour!

📔 My Online Counseling + Coaching Gear

🎥 My YouTube + Live Streaming Camera Gear

SUBSCRIBE TO THE STC PODCAST:

Since 2015, I've hosted a weekly podcast where I interview successful therapists in private practice and other business owners to help us grow our impact + income in and beyond the therapy room.

The podcast has been downloaded over 1.2 million times and is heard in over 140 countries.

You can find also it by searching “Selling The Couch” on any podcast app (eg: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify etc) or simply saying "Alexa, listen to Selling The Couch" on your Amazon device. =

Or simply click below for ease =).

SUBSCRIBE HERE

LET'S BE FRIENDS:

💌 Sign up to receive the free A To Z Online Course Guide + receive the weekly STC email newsletter (trusted by over 7k colleagues)

🌍 My website / blog

📸 Instagram (I mainly post "behind the scenes" stuff about my life and business)

WHO'S THIS GUY?

Hi. I'm Melvin. I'm a psychologist (PhD), entrepreneur, and online creator living in Philadelphia, PA.

In 2014, I began to think about how to use the therapy skills we learn in grad school, and in our clinical work into different realms (e.g., podcasting, consulting, online course creation, etc).

This allows us to serve others on larger scales while diversifying our income beyond 1 to 1 work.

I make podcasts and videos about business, tech, productivity, and lessons I'm learning from becoming the CEO of a lean, mean 5 person 100% remote team (we're not really mean..it just rhymed =P).

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

ENCORE: How Online Reviews Help Improve The Private Practice with Keely Kolmes, PsyD Dec 08, 2022

Show notes

With today’s technology, most people rely on online reviews when it comes to products, services, restaurants, hotels, and much more. When it comes to clinicians and clients, online reviews can reveal a lot, but is that a good thing? Do people mainly leave online reviews when they are upset or dissatisfied with the service they have received? Join us for a deeper look at this issue on today’s show.

Dr. Keely Kolmes is a Licensed Psychologist in California. They did research via anonymous surveys about the experience of therapy clients who had accessed personal or professional information about therapists. We’re taking a close look at the results of the survey, how these results are interpreted, and how these results can help improve your private practice.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

ENCORE: Tips on Creating a Professional Livestream, Melvin Varghese, Ph.D. Dec 01, 2022

Show notes

Today’s show is the first of a two-part series about livestreaming. I jumped somewhat hesitantly into this world a few months ago, and surprisingly, I’ve enjoyed this new outlet. Join me as I share what I’ve learned about livestreaming.

I was nervous about starting The STC Online Income Stream because I am usually self-conscious on video. I’ve become more comfortable and more familiar with being in front of the camera over these months of livestreaming. My livestream focuses on podcasting and online courses, but I have plans to expand into other content areas. The current format is set for 15-minute talks about growing our impact and income beyond the therapy room, sharing tips and strategies that have proven to be successful. Today’s episode is all about the technical gear needed to set up a livestream, and next week’s Part 2 will focus on livestream content creation.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

ENCORE: How I Create Live Streaming Content With 30 Minutes of Prep: Melvin Varghese, Ph.D. Nov 24, 2022

Show notes

This is the follow-up to last week’s podcast about creating a professional livestream. We’ve already covered the gear you’ll need, so today’s show focuses on creating the content for your livestream. Join me for Part 2!

If you listened to Episode 258, you might be saying, “OK, Melvin, I have the gear, so what else do I need to do to prep for my livestream?” I’m glad you asked! After only doing livestreams for a few months, I’ve already learned a lot (including some very cool timesaving hacks and helpful tools), and I’m eager to share those experiences with you.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected