Selling the Couch

Today’s encore features a coaching call about how to build an email list simultaneously with an online course.

You’ve probably heard that social media is the best option for building an email list, but is it? There are pros and cons to consider. Join us as we discuss this topic that is relevant to many people. I hope it’s helpful for you!

Our Featured Guest for today’s coaching call:

Tami Zak, AMFT

Tami Zak was part of our first beta group for Online Course School last fall. Her prac...

What does 11 years of building a business actually teach you — especially when things don't go according to plan?

In this final episode of Selling the Couch for 2026, Mel reflects on 11 years of entrepreneurship, more than 2 million podcast downloads, and some of the hardest lessons he's learned along the way.

And rather than focusing on the milestones or successes, he's sharing something more personal: the mistakes, unexpected challenges, and changes that have reshaped how he thinks about building a sustainable business.

One of those lessons came from STC Elite, our former mastermind for therapists cr...

What actually makes someone decide to buy your online course?

It's not just the information you're teaching or how polished your webinar looks. More often, it's the trust you've built with the people you're trying to help.

In this episode of Selling the Couch, Mel takes you behind the scenes of a live coaching session inside Haven, our small, intentional community for therapists building sustainable online income beyond the therapy room.

This time, we're talking about how to market and sell an online course using webinars, email marketing, and storytelling, without relying on...

What if growing a YouTube channel as a therapist didn't require posting constantly, chasing trends, or becoming an influencer?

In this episode of Selling the Couch, Mel takes you behind the scenes of Haven, our small, intentional community for therapists building sustainable online income beyond the therapy room.

He's sharing an excerpt from the first session of our Calm YouTube Flywheel Accelerator, where we explored a different approach to YouTube — one built around being found, creating meaningful content, and building momentum slowly over time.

Because YouTube doesn't have to be another platform where yo...

What if you could use social media to grow your therapy business without feeling like you have to be online all the time?

For many therapists, social media comes with a complicated relationship.

You know it can help people discover your work, build trust, and create new opportunities. But you also know how easily it can pull you into constant checking, comparing, posting, and wondering whether you're doing enough.

After 11 years of building Selling the Couch, Mel has seen both sides of social media. But that growth also came with costs to his...

Do you ever feel like you're just… bad at marketing?

You don't want to become an influencer. You don't want to post every day, chase an algorithm, manufacture hot takes, or turn every part of your life into content.

And maybe that's not actually a problem.

In this solo episode of Selling the Couch, Mel explores why conventional marketing advice can feel so uncomfortable for therapists, and why the very skills clinicians have spent years developing may actually be some of the most valuable content skills in an increasingly AI-generated world.

Th...

What happens when the life you’ve been building toward suddenly has to change?

In this solo episode of Selling the Couch, Mel shares a personal update about entering a new season of caregiving, and the difficult questions it has raised about business, ambition, family, and what success actually looks like when life gets heavy.

For several years, Mel knew that increased caregiving responsibilities for aging parents would eventually become part of his family’s story. This summer, that season arrived.

It meant selling a recently paid-off home, temporarily moving in with his in-l...

What if hosting a meaningful retreat didn’t require a luxury resort, a huge audience, or 50 people in the room?

In this episode of Selling the Couch, Mel sits down with licensed psychologist Dr. Shawn Hondorp to talk about what she’s learned from creating small, intimate retreats — including the logistics, the challenges, and the deeper value of bringing people together in person.

Shawn shares how her first retreat started with just eight people at an Airbnb near her home, how she finds and chooses vendors, and why she believes relationships and the energy people bring...

Could churches and other faith communities become one of your private practice's strongest referral sources?

For many therapists, networking with churches can feel intimidating—or even a little unclear. Who do you contact? What do you say? Should you offer free workshops? And how do you build these relationships without feeling like you're simply asking for referrals?

In this episode of Selling the Couch, Mel sits down with licensed therapist and group practice owner Whitney Owens to talk about a more relational approach to connecting with churches and faith communities.

Whitney shares what sh...

What if you didn’t need to post on LinkedIn every day to build real authority?

For years, the dominant LinkedIn advice has been pretty consistent: post constantly, engage with bigger accounts, chase visibility, and keep feeding the algorithm.

But what if there’s a quieter—and more sustainable—way to use LinkedIn?

In this episode, Mel shares what he’s learned after nearly four years of experimenting with LinkedIn, growing from roughly 400–500 followers to nearly 5,000 and generating more than 700,000 views without posting every day.

More importantly, he explores why LinkedIn may be becom...

More is not always better. We often find that what we are chasing in our pursuit of success is not what we thought it was. Entrepreneurship for private practice clinicians naturally attracts many high achievers and recovering perfectionists, so we need to take a pause and periodically reassess and redefine what success looks like. Join us for a closer look at this important topic!

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 to...

If you’ve been thinking about posting more on LinkedIn or if you’re curious about how to best use this social media platform, today’s encore is for you.

It took me a long time to understand the purpose of LinkedIn and how it can be beneficial in connecting me to the right followers. Join me for an honest look at my experience and the biggest lessons learned.

You’ll Learn:

In today's encore, I share my journey of going into private practice, in addition to keeping STC running and growing.

There were three main reasons for this decision: I missed the therapy room, a clinical arm to my business is a wise move, and I’d be able to more strategically diversify my income. But this decision brought me some anxiety, insomnia, and depression.

I address these issues with my wonderful therapist, and did all the things that we therapists tell our clients to do. My worries and fears are probably normal for someone who fe...

If you have ever considered creating an online course, or if you are already a course creator, you have probably thought a lot about marketing. The challenge is how to be thoughtful and creative in marketing your course, which becomes a separate income stream for your business.

Starting a podcast is one of the best ways to market your course while creating a solid, compound income stream, and we are talking strategy in today's encore as I share what I’ve learned through my experience. Join us!

You’ll Learn:

In today's encore, we will cover two questions that confront me daily:

How big do I actually want to grow STC?

What is the purpose of STC in relation to my overall life?

Freedom is my most important value, and building my business around my life, family, and health is most important to me. Not every entrepreneur has the same goals, but these are questions for every entrepreneur to consider. Let’s take a closer look in today’s session!

You’ll Learn:

Are you a course creator who wants to get better and better at your craft? Today's encore reflects on 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 course. Join me!

You’ll Learn:

Three meetings course creators need:

If you are considering launching an online course, today’s encore is for you!

I’ve learned a lot as a course creator, and I’m sharing an honest look at my biggest lessons learned and what I would tell anyone on this course creation path.

You’ll Learn:

Today’s encore is about leaving psychotherapy for coaching. This transition is one that many therapist colleagues have made, and the reality is that many more are shifting from the field of therapy into coaching.

Several major factors play into this decision, and my guest today gives a transparent look at his experience in this transition. Join us to learn more!

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...

Today’s encore is at the heart of the Quiet Builder philosophy. The question is, “How do we design a business that supports our lives, not swallows it?”

This becomes increasingly important as the world grows more uncertain and our responsibilities grow daily. This episode is for anyone building a business that fits into real life, and not the other way around.

You’ll Learn:

Today’s encore is on what therapists often get wrong about selling their first online course, considering all the assumptions we make and the misconceptions we hold about online courses.

I’m bringing full transparency to today’s topic as I share what I’ve learned through my years of experience with online courses.

You’ll Learn:

Today’s encore is from a live coaching call 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 coac...

In today's encore, we're tapping into creative thinking. How are you at thinking outside the box?

This episode is perfect for everyone who has thought about creating, marketing, and selling a product. What is the process like? How do you take care of all the little details? What about the marketing piece of your product? We’re diving deep into these questions and more on today’s show.

My guest is Rosanne Marmor, LCSW, in Portland, Oregon. She created a Feelings Wheel as a way for clients to identify their feelings both inside and outside the...

Today's encore is on the 400th episode of Selling the Couch!

It was truly surreal to think back to 2015 and the show’s humble beginnings; reaching this milestone is beyond anything I ever dreamed of 10 years ago. I wanted to use this milestone to reflect on a few meaningful thoughts about staying the course to reap the quiet rewards.

What does it mean to choose depth over scale and to build intentionally and slowly when the world often tells us to go fast? The truth in this concept of depth over scale is the most im...

Are therapists focusing on the wrong kind of content in the age of AI?

In this episode, Mel explores one of the biggest shifts happening online right now: why Google and AI-powered search are quietly rewarding depth-first, human-centered, experience-based content, while most social media content disappears within 24–48 hours.

If you’re a therapist building:

this conversation may completely change how you think about content creation moving forward.

In this episode, we discuss:

What happens to your private practice if you suddenly become incapacitated… or pass away?

It’s a difficult question, and one most therapists never want to think about.

But in this deeply practical and important conversation, Mel sits down with Dr. Robin Miller to discuss one of the most overlooked responsibilities in private practice: creating a professional will.

Dr. Miller shares the personal story that led her to found TheraClosure after unexpectedly losing a close colleague and stepping in to manage the aftermath of her private practice, client care, records, and continuity planning.

In this deeply personal episode, Mel shares an honest update on a new chapter he’s building: one that sits at the intersection of psychology, nervous system regulation, golf, performance under pressure, and the future of clinical work in the age of AI.

This is not a polished “success story.” It’s a real-time reflection on what AI is changing in mental health, why traditional private practice models no longer fit for some clinicians, and how to build work that feels deeply aligned with your life instead of consuming it.

In this episode, Mel shares:

Do therapist websites still matter in the age of AI?

With platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Google AI Search, social media, and online directories changing how people search for support, many therapists are wondering:

Is it even worth investing in a website anymore?

In this episode, Mel sits down with Sarah Gershon of Strong Roots Web Design to explore why therapist websites may actually matter more than ever, especially in a world where AI is becoming the intermediary between clinicians and potential clients.

Together, they unpack how websites shape a client’s fi...

Are therapists quietly leaving social media… on purpose?

In today’s episode, we explore a growing shift: not burnout, but intentional withdrawal from platforms that promise connection... but often create fragmentation.

If you’ve ever felt conflicted about social media—needing it for visibility but feeling drained by it—this conversation will hit close to home.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

What does it actually look like to market your work… without losing your humanity?

In today’s episode of Selling the Couch, I’m joined by Shayna Vance Roman to explore a powerful and often overlooked idea: human-centric marketing—and how to apply it in a way that feels grounded, ethical, and aligned.

If you’ve ever felt uncomfortable with marketing… overwhelmed by social media… or unsure how to grow your practice without becoming someone you’re not, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, we explore:

Is AI actually giving us more freedom… or just more to do?

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:

If you’ve been told to “just start a blog” to grow your private practice and be seen online, but you’re now wondering if AI has made that advice outdated... this episode is for you.

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:

After 11 years, 400+ episodes, and nearly 2 million downloads, I thought I understood what drives podcast growth.

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:

In this episode, we cover:

Today’s encore is covering creating and selling an E-Course. Since creating Healthcasters, I’ve definitely made many mistakes that I’m happy to share with you.

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!

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Want to launch your online course?

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

If there is one thing I’ve learned as a small business owner, it’s that it takes courage to show up imperfect. We want so badly to be perfect and put together in front of our audience, but perfectionism makes us less authentic and connected. Join us to learn more about being OK with being imperfect.

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...

We use video for meetings, live sessions, live-streaming, and other content, so it’s important to have the best quality possible.

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.

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Want to launch your online course or YouTube channel?

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

Or check ou...

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...

“If you build a great course, they’ll come.”

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 cou...

Most conversations about private practice are highlight reels.

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...

Most podcasts never make a dollar.

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<...

In this deeply honest and practical conversation, I’m joined by fellow clinician and creative coach TJ Walsh as we explore what it means to evolve your brand in real time — especially when your identity as a therapist is shifting.

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 em...