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

Have you heard much about “sales funnels”? If you have, the phrase might have conjured up visions of slick and slimy marketing schemes that haven’t left you with a positive feeling. Today’s show is all about building a funnel in an ethical way, along with things to think about regarding using funnels to grow your business--without the slick and slimy schemes. Joel Louis is the founder of Integrator and Co., where he focuses on funnel-building with his clients, helping them to grow their businesses in profound ways. He’s here to break funnels down so we can understand how to use them to attract our ideal customers. We will cover several funnel-related topics, including the essential pieces to building a sales funnel and why an email list is so important in growing your business. You can read the full show notes at: Session208 Support this podcast

Many clinicians think about creating online courses, and some may even feel pressured to take this step. Online courses are sometimes portrayed as the “golden egg” for clinicians and the pinnacle of achievement. While this is certainly a product with much potential, the key is in balancing online courses with the other aspects of your practice while making sure you are motivated by the right reasons. Learn more in today’s show! Miranda Palmer is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist from ZinniMe.com. She’s a good friend who is very knowledgeable about the transition from clinical work to online courses. Miranda has helped develop three online courses, so we are having an honest conversation about the good, the bad, and the ugly of online courses. It’s easy to get sucked into feeling obligated to create online courses, but there are unique challenges to be faced. We’ll also get Miranda’s perspective on the hazards and roadblocks inherent in this transition. www.sellingthecouch.com/session222   Support t

Today’s show covers an interesting topic that has come up in the STC community. We discuss multiple income streams frequently, but what is the best way to put those in place? Do I need to build my therapy practice before I launch a second income stream? Let’s answer these questions and more with today’s guest. Annie Schuessler lives in the San Francisco Bay area. She’s been in private practice for 20 years, and she’s mentored other therapists for 10 years. She has insights learned along the way in her journey, and she’s here to share those secrets with us. We’ll discuss why it’s important to have additional income streams as a clinician, and Annie shares the three minimum steps to take before launching into other income streams. Join us for more from Annie! www.sellingthecouch.com/session227 Support this podcast

Today’s show wraps up this season of new episodes for 2020. STC will feature replays of our most popular episodes through November and December. I’ll be taking some extra time for self-care and family activities during the holiday months, along with putting together exciting new shows for 2021. This show keeps with that theme of following your heart and finding compassion for yourself. Join us! Tori Press is a writer, artist, and therapy enthusiast. She has an Instagram following of over 250,000 people! Tori is here to discuss her journey from a long career in graphic design to where she is today, along with what it took to give up that career and move forward. Tori explains why her art focuses on cartoons, and we’ll wrap up by discussing how business owners can employ more self-love and self-compassion. www.sellingthecouch.com/session260     Support this podcast

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. www.sellingthecouch.com/session259   Support this podcast

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. www.sellingthecouch.com/session258     Support this podcast

How can the concept of coworking spaces apply to the world of therapy? Can a coworking space sufficiently meet the needs of clinicians? We’re exploring this topic in today’s show. Join us to learn more. Connor McClenahan is a licensed psychologist in Los Angeles. He had a realization that some of the most successful clinicians were leaving group practices, so he wanted to do things a bit differently. He decided to create a coworking space for therapists where they share the costs by paying a flat fee. Connor shares how he devised this system, how it’s working, and the lessons he’s learned along the way. www.sellingthecouch.com/session257   Support this podcast

Today’s show covers a topic we’ve talked about before, but there are many aspects for a clinician to consider around money. The topic carries many nuances and emotional ties, so we need to have continuing conversations about how we feel and think about money. Michael Spencer is a holistic declutter coach. She has an interesting background in the accounting/auditing space prior to transitioning to a career in the mental health field. Surprisingly, Michael found that she wasn’t very grounded in her thoughts around money, and she’s open and willing to share her experiences with us. Struggling to charge for her worth impacted her creativity and overall work. In today’s show, we’ll break down what Michael was taught about money as she grew up, how these realizations impacted her career, and what she has learned about the deeper work around money. Michael also shares how she’s moving forward in what she’s learned. www.sellingthecouch.com/session256   Support this podcast

Today’s show focuses on the importance of doing our own work in therapy to be effective as business owners and good people in the world. In light of all the difficulties in navigating 2020, this topic has been extremely relevant, and I’ve seen firsthand the value of therapy in my own life. Join us to learn more. Elizabeth (“Biz”) Cush is a good friend who knows the value of doing her own work. She’s a psychotherapist in Annapolis, Maryland, who joins us to talk about how and why she got into therapy and how that has benefitted her as a business owner. She’s also transparent in sharing lessons learned along her journey. www.sellingthecouch.com/session255       Support this podcast

With all that’s going on in the world around us, dealing with grief in various forms and degrees has become extremely relevant. Additionally, we all know people who are hurting through the loss of a loved one, so wisdom from an expert is timely and helpful. Besides, it’s always fun to have a good friend on the podcast! Join us! Dr. Sonya Lott is a local psychologist in my hometown of Philadelphia. We met years ago at a meetup group for therapists, and we’ve stayed in touch and become good friends. Sonya has become a valuable part of the STC community as a moderator, and her clinical specialty is complicated grief. She obtained advanced training in complicated grief from the Center for Complicated Grief at Columbia University’s School of Social Work. She’s one of a small but growing group of complicated grief therapists here in the US. Sonya is also the CEO and founder of CEMPSYCH, a continuing education company in multicultural psychology. Many of us want to do more work around grief in this season of COVID-

Today’s show is an interesting conversation about how unexpected things can happen, even in the world of private practice. You just never know what the future may hold! Laura Vaillancourt previously appeared on STC to discuss her group private practice that focused on the elderly and their caregivers. Since that time, she was approached by a corporate company about selling her practice. It’s something she never imagined, but the offer came at the perfect time for Laura. She’s here today to tell us what happened in this unusual process and what she learned through it all. www.sellingthecouch.com/session253   Support this podcast

As we enter a new STC season, we are all aware of the challenges for clinicians during the coronavirus pandemic. Many practitioners have pivoted and transitioned into the world of telehealth, which still presents obstacles. Join us to learn more in today’s show. Dr. Adina Silvestri works as an addictions therapist and has a podcast called Atheists in Recovery. The global pandemic presents unique challenges for someone in addiction recovery. Adina saw a golden opportunity to serve her audience while continuing to grow her business. In today’s show, we are discussing her growth journey during this time, along with topics related to the pandemic, such as conquering fears and serving others. Adina shares how she generates content for her podcast and provides resources and support while expanding her professional network and referral network. www.sellingthecouch.com/session252   Support this podcast

How do you succeed in marketing your practice when you tend toward introversion? So many clinicians are not extroverts and don’t feel comfortable with the traditional networking that is required in marketing. There are challenges to face, and fortunately, there are non-traditional forms of marketing that can be done. This show will give you some valuable information and practical insights about marketing for non-extroverts. Patricia Young, LCSW, is based in California, but also offers teletherapy sessions for her clients. Her practice focuses on helping HSP’s (highly sensitive people) experience more ease and peace and thrive with less overwhelm and fatigue. In today’s show, Patricia discusses marketing and the fears around it, along with how we can honor who we really are and still present our business in authentic ways. She shares with us three non-traditional marketing methods that have worked well for her that might be just what you’re looking for! You can read the full show notes at : Session171 Suppo

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a millionaire? Most of us have probably spent some time dreaming about how we would use that kind of wealth, but you might be surprised to learn that millionaires don’t live and spend the way we think they do. The show will take a short break for the month of April. This is because I like to practice what I preach about self-care; to stay at my optimal health, I’ll take this break and then return with more shows in May. Today’s show centers around topics presented in a book I read recently, The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy, by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko. Let’s dive into the best takeaways from this book! www.sellingthecouch.com/session155 Support this podcast

With the growth of the telemedicine industry in recent years, have you considered using this technology in your private practice? If your curiosity is piqued, then you might wonder about the differences in marketing online counseling vs. a traditional private practice. Join us to learn more about this intriguing concept. Shelly Smith, LMFT, shares a private practice with her business partner, Jennifer. They have ventured into online counseling with their practice, United Counseling Wellness, based in Minneapolis and Milwaukee. Shelly will share what she has learned in this endeavor and how the therapy field is changing. She will also answer a few listener questions about online counseling, liabilities, and client screening. You can read the full show notes at: Session172 Support this podcast

Where do your ideal clients hang out? Who are the people and organizations that are serving them? These are questions you should answer as you consider narrowing your focus and attracting your ideal clients. Today’s show dives into the practical steps you can take to accomplish these important goals. Keri Nola is a dear friend who has been on the show before. Keri has branched out of her psychotherapy background to mentor, awaken, and support healers of all kinds through her newly established practice in San Diego. She has a lot of answers to the questions we might ask about attracting ideal clients. She explains why it’s best to focus on the ideal client, how to find those ideal clients, and why those ideal clients need the services you offer. This will be the final episode of 2018, as I take some time to focus on my new responsibility as a father and enjoy the holidays with my family. I hope you’ll plan to join us for more great conversations in 2019! You can read the full show notes at: Session177 Supp

In this last episode before the usual August break for STC, I wanted to highlight my colleagues and valued listeners. So much knowledge and wisdom have been shared in these first few years of the podcast, and today’s show includes clips from other clinicians sharing what they have learned and how they have implemented those lessons into their practice. I’ll wrap up the compilation with my top personal takeaways. www.sellingthecouch.com/session251   Support this podcast

The pandemic and months of quarantine have many of us relying more than ever on video. We use video for meetings, live sessions, live-streaming, and other content, so it’s important to have the best quality possible. Join us to learn more. Michael Rothermel is my videographer who filmed the welcome video for STC back in 2017. We were part of the same faith community while Michael lived in the Philly area, and I can’t believe I haven’t had him on the show until now. He’ll share his top tips to improve the quality of live videos. www.sellingthecouch.com/session250   Support this podcast

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/session249   Support this podcast

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