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

Since the beginning of this podcast in 2015, I’ve thought a lot about how I can use YouTube to maximize the impact of STC. I’ve pondered many questions about the sustainability of this endeavor and whether I should be creating separate content on YouTube or simply repurposing these podcast episodes on YouTube. 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:How our fears are usually rooted in some sort of trauma or feeling unseen or unheardTop considerations for me in starting out on YouTube:YouTube is intentionally appealing to podcasters and is becoming an ever more popular podcast platform.Putting a video editing team in place (Flocksy) makes the jump to YouTube much easier.YouTube (owned by Google) is very beneficial for discoverability and SEO.I plan to use t

Many of us aspire to add public speaking as a way to grow our impact beyond the therapy room, but it can be overwhelming to get started. Join us to learn more from today’s guest!Our Featured GuestJasmin HaleyJasmin Haley has an interesting career that blossomed from her years in healthcare doing public speaking around the topics of substance use and HIV. From that platform, she launched her business consulting business to help others become better public speakers by honing in on their legacy messages. Her framework, the Heart Framework, emphasizes crafting your public speaking message to align with your heart and your authentic self. Our conversation covers why the public speaking platform can be so impactful, Jasmin’s practical tips about storytelling, and how to seamlessly merge podcasting with public speaking. Website and Free ResourcesYou’ll Learn:Why public speaking is currently a trendy thing to do, fueled by social media exposureWhy your voice is an impactful marketing tool from the moment you sta

It’s not unusual for a podcaster to rebrand and head in a new direction after podcasting for a while. The big questions in this transition are around the logistics of the rebranding process. Today’s session is a coaching call with a member of our Healthcasters Podcasting Course who is unsure about the best way to handle this big transition. Join us as we talk it out and figure out her best next steps!Our Featured Guest for Today’s Coaching Call:Marie Vakakis, MA, AMHSWMarie Vakakis is the founder of The Therapy Hub, and she’s a group practice owner who lives in Australia. She has been doing her podcast, Inside Social Work, for about five years, but she’s decided to rebrand to reach a bigger audience. We will discuss whether she should start a whole new podcast since she has chosen to go in a different direction. We’ll also talk about monetization strategies around podcasting and lining up specific episodes with paid endeavors, such as speaking engagements and online courses. I think you’ll enjoy this look at

Building relationships with journalists can be an open door to having your work featured, spotlighted, and available to a wider audience. The opportunities and possibilities are endless, but how do we build those authentic relationships? I hope this session will be helpful and informative for you as we learn more from today’s guest!Our Featured GuestAisha R. ShabazzAisha R. Shabazz is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the Philadelphia area. In addition, she is a private practice strategist, business coach, and strategic consultant for leaders in the mental health industry. In today’s conversation, she shares her business journey and how imposter syndrome plagued her as she put her talents out into the world. She discusses pitfalls that therapists encounter, along with how we can work through our insecurities in building relationships with journalists. You’ll Learn:How the pursuit of her dream job naturally progressed into Aisha’s learning to promote herself in media coverageHow a comment on a LinkedIn

Today’s topic is a popular one that affects many people. I’m not ashamed to say that I have struggled with mental health and depression. It’s especially important to know how to balance mental health and the challenges of entrepreneurship. Join us for this incredibly open and honest conversation. Our Featured Guest-Rebekah Shackney, LCSWRebekah Shackney has struggled with depression, which runs on both sides of her family. She’s here to share her story and how her life and business have been impacted. She will help guide us and share what she has learned in building a successful practice around therapy and DBT groups. If you hear those voices of doubt and fear in your head, join us to hear Rebekah’s helpful insight about the delicate dance of managing mental health and the demands of entrepreneurship. Rebekah ShackneyYou’ll Learn:● How Rebekah’s struggle with genetic depression began● Why one of the worst parts of depression is believing the lies that depression tells you● How motherhood intensified depressio

I have to admit that the topic of personal finance excites the nerd in me. I love reading and learning more about all things around finance! Investing intelligently and planning for retirement are often intimidating areas in which we can always benefit from expert advice. Join us to learn how you can make solid investment decisions and better prepare for your future.Our Featured Guest-Dave Frank, Certified Financial PlannerDave Frank is the founder of Turning Point Financial Life Planning, which focuses on helping clinicians in private practice manage their retirement and finances. Dave has the heart to empower therapists around money and finances so they can be more present and centered in all areas of personal and professional life. In today’s show, we will begin by looking at the information and misinformation about investing that have come forward during the pandemic. Dave shares strategies for financial management, including why investing in the stock market is a good idea. Our conversation turns to reti

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, LMFTKristen 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 BoiceYou’ll Learn●     Why Kristen started her podcast about two years ago to provide another opportunity for &nb

Staying true to our values is important in the work we do as clinicians. True business success for us is not based solely on the revenue we generate but on many other important aspects, such as working in a way that our genuine gifts and talents show forth in the meaningful and purposeful work that we do. Join us to learn more.Our Featured Guest-Jennifer Kasey, PsyDJennifer Kasey is a good friend, mentor, and sister in the Christian faith. She and I met way back in 2009 in Nashville, and I’m thrilled that she’s joining us today. She’ll share her perspective on making a slow and intentional transition to full-time private practice. She started as a psychologist at Vanderbilt’s University Counseling Center and then transitioned to a large healthcare system with a small private practice on the side. Over this decade of transitional change, Jennifer has learned many valuable lessons. She will share the logical steps she took in her transition to full-time private practice, the hard moments in the journey, and wha

In any solo episode, I love to be transparent in sharing the behind-the-scenes processes in the entrepreneurial journey. On social media, we see highlights and the finished product, but we rarely see the struggle and obstacles in getting there.Today’s focus is on confronting and overcoming fear as I go through the process of building a new product. My hope is that this episode will give you encouragement and inspiration to keep going in whatever new endeavors you undertake. You’ll LearnThree ways to combat the voices of doubt and fear:Work on showing the imperfect side of building something vs. just the finished productLearning and growing “in the open” helps others learn from both your failures and successes. (From Show Your Work, see Resources)Bringing what you fear will be judged by others can help dissipate the fear and bring encouragement and support.Realize that the first version of anything will not be the final version.Putting out beta versions during the development process reduces the pressure

If the topic of building your personal brand on social media brings feelings of anxiety and insecurity, then today’s show is for you. As clinicians, we know it makes sense to have a digital footprint in the online world, but it’s difficult to know just how to establish yourself with authenticity and transparency. There are so many nuances to the intimidating world of social media! Today’s conversation will give you valuable insight and practical tips to help people get to know, like, and trust you. Join us to learn more.Our Featured Guest-Lisa Mustard, LMFTLisa Mustard is a personal brand coach, psychoeducator, therapist, podcaster, and self-described personal development junkie in South Carolina. This mom of two has created an awe-inspiring presence on social media around topics like fitness, health, mindset, and goals. Recording with her phone, Lisa proves that a high-quality, high-dollar studio is not a requirement for building your personal brand, and she does it in very unique and authentic ways. Lisa jo

Today’s show is about a topic that has been a struggle for much of my life and career.I’ve fallen victim to comparing myself to others and feeling like I’m not measuring up.It’s taken a lot of personal work for me to learn to compare in healthy ways that don’t cripple and stifle my creativity and purpose.Are you in the same boat? Join us to learn more!Our Featured Guest - Supriya Blair, PsyDDr. Supriya Blair is a psychologist in Albany, NY. We have connected through the STC community, and I wanted to get her input on the topic of comparing ourselves to others.We’ll start by discussing how comparison comes too easily for many of us and how Supriya noticed thiscomparison impacting her life until she was able to reframe her perspective.We will consider an all-too-familiar scenario in which a colleague’s success triggers insecurity in our lives, along with helpful tips and resources to navigate the tricky field of comparison to others.Dr. SupriyaYou’ll Learn●     Why comparison is so prevalent in the he

What if I told you that there is something simple and free that most of us can do daily for an hour or less that yields amazing physical and mental benefits? Would you want to know what it is? Since the pandemic has forced us to take a closer look at our habits and make some changes, I want to share this life-changing activity that has become an almost daily habit for me. It’s hiking! Incorporating a midday hike several times each week helps me sleep better at night and stay centered for daily tasks. My inner “research nerd” got curious and took a deeper look at the intersection of hiking, mental health, and entrepreneurship, and I want to share with you what I’ve found.You’ll Learn●     Why hike? What are the benefits?○     Hiking helps keep our minds sharp and agile.○     Hiking helps us to focus better.○     HIking can spark serious creativity.●     If you’re a hiker, please share with the STC Community what benefits you’re seeing in your personal and

Many of us find the concept of networking to be an intimidating endeavor. Even though it’s a vital element of business success, it can feel scary and shady, and a little too sales-y. Join us to learn more about what you should be focusing on in your networking relationships.Our Featured GuestPatrick Casale, MA, LCMHC, LCASPatrick Casale is a clinician in Asheville, NC. He provides coaching for clinicians who are transitioning from a group practice or agency to a solo practice. He’s here to talk about networking in authentic ways. We’ll discuss what authentic networking means to Patrick and how to make your networking relationships count. We will also examine different scenarios that might be a win-loss situation, a win-win situation, and the most common mistakes that happen in the networking space.Casale Coaching Resilient Mind Counseling You’ll Learn●     How clinicians aren’t taught to use collaborative communication to support each other’s businesses in reciprocal ways●     Wh

Overwhelmed. That’s the best word to describe how most podcasters feel as they take the leap and start on their podcasting journey. Perhaps the biggest source of overwhelm is confusion about the gear needed to get going, and I remember this well from my beginning in 2015. I didn’t have a pro-level setup when I began, and I wondered and worried about how I would be perceived in this new world. In all honesty, I had about $100 in gear, the biggest part of that being a $60 mic.Things have changed since those early days, and STC has blossomed from nine downloads initially to over 1 million today. The tech-junkie part of me has enjoyed being able to upgrade my gear, and those upgrades have been a process of learning and experimenting. Even though your gear IS important for podcasting, I believe strongly that the most important keys are consistency and personality–and you don’t have to spend a fortune to have those elements. In today’s episode, I’m discussing my tech stack, what I use now, and what I recommend to o

Today I’m sharing what I’m using for no-code tools and my tech stack as an online course creator. Believe me, I’ve experimented with a lot of different things, and I’m always willing to share what I’ve learned and what I recommend to others. If you aren’t familiar with the term “no-code,” it simply refers to tools that don’t require a code or advanced programming to use. I hope this information is helpful to anyone who is creating a course or thinking about this endeavor in the future. Join me to learn more!You’ll Learn:11 no-code tools I’m using to create online courses:Kartra is an all-in-one platform with features that fit our needs. Circle provides a place for community outside mainstream social media. Stripe allows us to take payments within Kartra.Loom is great for recording online course videos because there are many recording options.Notion helps with lesson planning because there are lesson and template options that make it easy to repurpose content later. Testimonial.to makes it easy

Are you a course creator who wants to get better and better at your craft? I launched my first online course back in 2015, and I’m glad I did it and started on this journey. The truth is that I had no clue what I was doing! I feel like I’ve learned so much since then, and I’m happy to share those things with all of you. In today’s session, I’m discussing three non-negotiable meetings that I’ve implemented with my online courses. This simple technique has played a massive role in making over $300K more than the original $2K I made from the same course in 2015. Are you curious to hear more? Join me!You’ll Learn:Three meetings course creators need:After-action review (AARS)--takes place after a launch. Ask and answer three questions: What went well? What did not go well? What was missing?This simple step has a massive impact on course growth and future scaling.Live chat–is a way to “put yourself out there”I recommend a quarterly live chat with existing students, whether one-on-one or in a group.This feedbac

When I was a first-time course creator in 2015, I was excited and scared at the same time. The tension around building fast or building thoughtfully was difficult to navigate. In today’s session, I’m discussing three important questions that I wish I had asked myself back then. You’ll Learn:3 questions to ask before launching your online course:Do I want a “strip mall or a skyscraper”? (This concept comes from a session with Nathan Barry of ConvertKit and Jay Klaus of Creator Science.)Both models require energy in different ways, and both have several benefits and challenges. The key question to ask: What do I want to optimize for?Why I have gone from a strip mall to a skyscraper modeWhere should I focus my marketing?Focus on one platform at a time.Remember that it takes time to build trust and rapport. How can I validate my online course?The secret is to validate with paying students each step of the way.Take a long-term view and grow slowly with care, intention, and thoughtfulness. Resources:

As clinicians and entrepreneurs, we are always looking to use our skills more creatively and expand our offerings and services. We recently released the STC Online Course Creator Kit, which is a 7-day free email course. In today’s session, I want to share the framework and strategies we used and explain why we are giving them away for free. Curious? Join us!Our Featured GuestDaniel BustamanteDaniel Bustamante is an entrepreneur who helps content creators build high-converting sales funnels. He is the Head of Ops and Automation at Ship 30 for 30, a cohort-based writing course that teaches the fundamentals of online writing. Daniel and I met on Twitter, and he is the one I turned to for this online course project. We explore how an email course differs from a traditional email opt-in, how to visualize the purpose of the course and give you a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process. We also highlight the tech used in the course creation, along with why I take the unpopular approach that it’s better to giv

If you’ve thought about getting more active on LinkedIn and building an audience there to increase the number of referral sources for your private practice or to move from clinical to online income, today’s session will be helpful for you. Since my very first LinkedIn post a few months ago, I’ve gone from 789 to 1864 followers and from 1000 to over 245,000 views. The growth has been phenomenal! Throughout this process, I’ve done some things right and a lot of things wrong, and I hope you can learn from my experiences. In today’s session, I’m sharing the mistakes I’ve made in the past six months in writing on LinkedIn and the best lessons I’ve learned along the way. You’ll Learn:Why I started writing on LinkedIn in November 2022–and was shocked at the views on my very first postMy best tips for writing on LinkedIn:Turn on Creator Mode when you begin. Make narrowly-focused carousel posts related to your paid offerings–and this process can evolve over time. (Use these links to find out more about Shiel

In today’s busy online world, virtual presentations are everything in how you are received AND perceived. If you put forth the effort to create an online course, webinar, or speaking engagement, you want to show up authentically and masterfully to engage your audience. This is an important area in which there is always room for improvement! My guest today is a proven expert in virtual presentation, and she’s here to share her knowledge with us. Join us to learn more!Our Featured GuestLorraine K. LeeLorraine 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 WebsiteYou’l