Selling The Couch 

•I founded a blog to serve aspiring and current mental health private practitioners as we use our clinical skillset to grow our impact and income beyond the therapy room (podcasting, online courses, video, etc).

Course Instructor

• I host a podcast called Selling The Couch where I interview successful therapists in private practice about how they've built their businesses, their failures, and how they use their skills to move their impact + income beyond the therapy room.  
• I also chat with top entrepreneurs, business/marketing, productivity, and social media experts to help therapists learn the business and marketing skills we didn't learn in school.
• The podcast has grown from 9 downloads to 1.2 million and is heard in over 130 countries. It's rated one of the top career podcasts on Apple Podcasts.  I recorded the first 13 episodes on a tv dinner stand from Walmart =). 
• To learn more about my podcast: https://selling-the-couch.captivate.fm/

Podcast Host

Maven

• Invited to be an instructor for a new cohort-based course platform called Maven founded by the co-founder of Udemy and the co-founder of altMBA. Maven has raised $20 million in a Series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz.
• Part of Maven's 3rd cohort made up of 145 instructors from 27 countries in 100+ cities (out of 2,000+ applicants)
• To learn more about my course:  Online Course School - A live experience for therapists who want to serve on a bigger stage, move beyond 1:1 income, and live their dream schedule. **Link Coming Soon**

WES HEALTH SYSTEM

I completed over 700 comprehensive biopsychosocial evaluations on individuals aged 5-70 to diagnose learning and behavioral concerns.

Assessment and Evaluation Psychologist

💪Girl dad 🛋️Psychologist 🌅I pulled back from a prestigious (but overworked) clinical path to design a 6-figure career around my family 🤝🏾I help therapists build and make money from their online courses and podcasts

In 2012, I became a licensed psychologist, dreaming of a career in therapy, testing, and supervision. 

But life threw two curve balls.

In 2015, a massive blizzard slammed into the northeast.

With downed power lines and icy roads, I had to cancel 21 fee-for-service therapy clients.

The worst part?

We were saving up for the 20% down payment on our first home. 

In 2018, our daughter was born 2 months early.  

Our little NICU warrior ended up needing another 1.5 years of grueling physical therapy to get to the level of her peers.

So, I pivoted towards a more flexible career based on three goals:

•Diversify income sources beyond 1:1 work.
•Build a career around my loved ones, health, and hobbies.
•Use clinical skills beyond "what a psychologist is supposed to do."

I started the Selling The Couch podcast in 2015, steadily growing to 1.8+ million downloads with listeners in over 100 countries. 

Colleagues asked for podcasting advice that same year, leading me to create a course that has brought in 232+ students and $316k+ in revenue.

Despite initial mistakes (and still making plenty of them!), I now run an online course mastermind for therapists who want to launch and grow their online courses. 

In the Summer-Fall of 2024, I'm jumping back into a small private practice primarily working with founders of color, VC-backed founders, and founder dads.

Please DM me if you're interested in therapy. 

I share my journey as a course creator, podcaster, and entrepreneur dad here on LinkedIn.

We all have a message to share and people to serve. 

I'm honored to hear your story. ❤️

Hi friends, 

I'll be taking the next week off from social.

I just want to unload a few things from my plate to be fully present with loved ones during this Thanksgiving season. 🙂

Two years ago, I created my first LinkedIn post (after fighting against it for a few months before that!).

But I'm so grateful that a platform like LinkedIn has allowed us to connect. 

It's been incredible to see each of you sharing what you learned and for us to support one another. 

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy Thanksgiving. 🦃

Melvin Varghese PhD

💪🏽 Psychologist + proud girl dad | Helping therapists launch podcasts & courses 🎙️ Podcaster (1.81M+ downloads, top 0.5%) 💻 Course Creator (242 students, $327K+ sales) ✍️ Writing about the journey

Today is not business as usual. 

Today is a day for empathy, for humanity, for giving ourselves permission to feel. 

I know that many of us—and many of the people we care for—are moving through a blend of emotions: hurt, confusion, anger, maybe even numbness and fear after the election. 

For those of us in the therapy room, it's a reminder of just how deeply we’re connected to our communities and how much we take on, even when our hearts are heavy.

This is a moment to pause. 

To let that new project wait, to hold off on sending out that email. 

To give ourselves and others grace and space. 

When we sat down this morning to share the news with our daughter, I saw so much feeling behind her eyes when we said, "Kamala Aunty didn't win, but it's going to be okay." 

We told her, “It’s okay to feel everything you’re feeling right now. We’re going to get through this, and we’re going to do it together.”

In a world that pushes us to keep moving, sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is stop and listen. 

To ourselves, to those we care for, to the collective pulse of our community. 

The work can wait a little while. 

Right now, let’s honor what it means to be human.

I took the past week off from social media.

We visited loved ones in Texas, and I unplugged completely. It felt magnificent.

I’ve started doing these "fasts" several times a year for a few reasons:

✅ I’ve noticed I crave external validation, especially when I spend a lot of time creating content. 

Stepping away helps me reset.

✅ I wanted to test whether our business systems could run smoothly without me. 

I spent so many years working in my business vs on it.

This feels especially important as we enter a season of caregiving for aging parents.

✅ I want to step back and focus on building less but better. 

For me, that means refining Healthcasters, our podcasting community for therapists, and our online course mastermind for therapists.

Here’s what I took away:

🧠 I want to keep taking breaks like this and use the time to reconnect with people in real life—over dinners, coffee, or just spending time together.

🧠 My definition of success is shifting. It’s not just about revenue, downloads, or followers anymore. 

It’s also about getting quality sleep, daily exercise, eating well, and investing in relationships.

And honestly, I really like this new definition of success.

If you’ve ever taken a break like this, what did you learn? 

How did it shape the way you think about your work and life? 

🙂I’d love to hear your thoughts.

P.S. Pic is from one of my early morning 4 mile walks 🙂

No alternative text description for this image

This month (and next), I'm doing a thing...

Around this time last year, I was teetering on the edge of burnout. 😔

It just became too much with life, a young child, aging loved ones, and business. 

The result was:

❌ a terrible bout of insomnia
❌ anxiety
❌ some pretty bad depression

So, this year, I decided to do something called Walden Months (inspired by Thoreau's Walden). 

These are months, spread throughout the year, when I throttle down my business and life.

I picked these months based on our daughter's school schedule and months where I do new podcast episodes. 

I spaced them out so I'm forced to slow down even when I feel well.

The main reason?

I know how easy it is for me to "push through" the early stages of burnout (or just not even see it).  

I used to think entrepreneurship was about building and growing 24-7 and 365 days. 

I do think most of us have to learn closer to that in the early stages and in certain seasons.

But I don't think it should become the norm.

B/c, the danger of entrepreneurship is that there aren't always people or things like holidays to check ambition.   

I am excited about these guard rails. 

But even more excited that I don't feel guilty like I once did for taking pauses.

But that's another post for another time...😅

❓QUESTION: How do you think about pace as an entrepreneur?

Can we normalize how creating a successful online course isn’t an instant win for most of us?

It’s a gradual process that takes both time and resilience. 

But I think this is great.

For therapists balancing clinical work, launching a course on the side helps manage the challenges and growth at your own pace.

It helps you figure out what your "enough is."

The journey can be intense, but each step forward—each lesson, each student—brings you closer to a lasting income stream. 

Remember, there are no shortcuts here. 

You’re building a long-term investment in the future you envision, one lesson at a time.

Thinking of naming your course? 

Here’s a tip: Grab the .com for your course name. 

Why? 

Because it simplifies branding, tech, and makes logging in easy for your students.

Also it makes it easier to mention on things like podcast interviews or YouTube videos marketing your course. 

Having a clear and professional domain helps your course feel legitimate and polished from the start. 

Secure that domain now—it’s a small step that makes a big difference later. 🙂

P.S. I know many of us are clinicians are thinking about launching our online courses next year. 

Please be sure to check out our free course starter kit.  

This free 7-day course will help make sure your idea can actually make money:  https://lnkd.in/efETUuGd

Naming your online course is one of the biggest mistakes I see. 

Common pitfalls include:

❌ picking names that are too long, 
❌overly complicated, or 
❌ use weird spellings. 

If people can’t spell or remember it, they won’t find you or buy from you. 

Keep it simple and clear. 

A little exercise that I really like:  

Imagine that an existing course student was talking to a future course student.

We want them to say, "You gotta check out [name of course]."

Names that are easy to remember stick.

What a difference a quality hair light makes. 😅

About 1.5 years ago, we decided to go fully in with video, taking the video of our audio podcasts.

This way, we could edit the video for YouTube, embed this video in blog posts, and chop the video into shorts for LinkedIn.

But I noticed that I didn't pop as much as I would have like from the background.

So we invested in a hair light.

It's hovering over me and lights up my shoulder and hair.

🧰 Here's my gear list:

1️⃣ Aputure Amaran p60x: This is my main hair light.

I love it because I can control it via an app, and the quality is top-notch.

2️⃣ Neewer T stand: This stand has a long arm that allows me to hang the light at the end.

This means I can get it to hover over my hair and shoulder.

The other nice part?

It has a counterweight, so the gadget doesn't tip over on me! 😬

💡PRO TIP: Buy 3 bags of dried beans from Walmart or Target and stick those in the bag vs sand.

Much less messy. 🙂

3️⃣ I used a cheap ballhead b/c I noticed the light was not quite where I wanted it.

This allowed for more nuanced control.

We're rolling in ad reads for YouTube for podcast episodes starting next year (DM me if you're interested!).

So, I'm excited about this new setup. 🙂

❓ QUESTION: What do you think?

P.S. If you're a fellow studio nerd, this is at 35 mm, f 2.8, iso 800. 😬

I heard a great phrase recently:

Don’t Wait for Inspiration, Create It.

As a podcaster, I used to sit in front of my computer, waiting for ideas.

But they usually never did...😅

So I started capturing ideas (in a private Slack channel) on my hikes or on phone walk and talks with friends.

 Now, when I sit down on Tuesday mornings to outline an episode, I usually have a range of ideas that I can build on. 

I will usually do keyword research on 70% of these ideas (I use Ahrefs, VidIQ, and will look in Reddit threads/FB groups). 

The other 30% I just put out there b/c it either feels interesting or I'm living out what I'm talking about.

For example, I recently did a podcast episode on little things I learned from my first conference talk. 

This wasn't keyword optimized but I figured it would be helpful to someone who's about to speak at their first conference. 

❓QUESTION: Any little hacks like this you've found (it doesn't have to be podcasting specifically)?

Want to know the secret to a successful course launch? 

It’s not just the name—it’s the hook. 

The hook grabs attention, draws in the right audience, and keeps them engaged. 

This isn’t about manipulation (because most of us could read this from a mile away); it’s about intention. 

Your hook needs to connect with your audience on a deep level. 

Spend time crafting a powerful hook that speaks to your ideal student. 

That’s where the magic happens.

To do this, ask yourself:

✅ What's something that I believe about my course that is against the norm?

✅ How do I create a course for a micro niche so that my course becomes the default option.

P.S. I wanted to share an example as I thought about my podcasting course. 

I thought about just keeping the first lines simple (e.g., this is a course about)

But then I thought about the tensions many therapists (including me) feel with starting a podcast. 

"Will this be worth it?"

So we started the sales page with, 

"I never thought a podcast could change my career"

The main reason?

B/c I was super skeptical that something like a podcast could have that much of an impact. 

And I figured my colleagues would have the same struggle as well.

Stuck on what to name your course? 

Sometimes, the best names are functional. 

Some Examples:

Creating Awesome Online Courses, Speaking Marketing Workshop. 

Functional names get straight to the point and tell potential students precisely what they’re getting. 

Keep it simple. 

A clear, functional name can be just as effective—if not more—than something overly clever.

P.S. There's also a great website called Namelix. 

You basically tell it what your course is about and/or who you serve.

It then uses AI to come up with some brandable names.

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, Lorraine Lee, is a proven expert in virtual presentation, and she’s here to share her knowledge with us. 

🧠YOU'LL LEARN:
✅ How virtual presentations give you access to a wider audience and help you stand out in your expertise
✅ Lorraine’s tips for improving your virtual presentations
✅  How to implement visuals like logos, color gradients, and simple info on your screen

🎧LISTEN/WATCH/READ:
https://lnkd.in/ekEwmMgr

🤝 PODCAST SPONSOR (TRY PSYCH CAREERS)

Try Psych Careers!
Today's podcast is supported by the American Psychological Association's Psych Careers. If you are a psychology professional looking to advance your career or thinking about a pivot, definitely encourage you to check out Psych Careers, which is the career center from the American Psychological Association Services, Inc. There are over 400 positions available. It's the perfect time to create a free account, upload your resume, and set up job alerts. 
sellingthecouch.com/APA

And if you're interested in sponsoring the STC podcast, you can learn more about that at: https://lnkd.in/gSXyPfqN

View company: Mental Health Marketing Conference

Missed MHM24? Here’s a highlight from Melvin Varghese PhD’s session “Are Video Podcasts The Next Big Thing?” that had everyone talking!

🌟Watch the full session for free at https://www.mhm365.com/mhm 

Selling The Couch #MentalHealthMarketing #VideoPodcasting

As a solopreneur, I'm learning that there are only so many things you can focus on.

This is especially true because I don't want to grow Selling The Couch beyond a certain level (was inspired by Paul Jarvis's book, Company Of One).

But it's forced me to prioritize things.

Among them?

Not focusing on SEO over the past 9 years.

But we've slowly shifted focus over the past year to SEO since March.

I'm still a complete noob, but this is a screenshot of how things are going.

A few observations:

✅ Of the 3700 visitors, 2k have come from clicks from our emails 
✅ 974 have some from Google search

✅ 87 visitors from LinkedIn and 54 from Facebook

A few things going forward:

🧠 I had a hunch to lean into building our email list is a great play, and that seems to bearing out (also, traditionally 92% of anything we've never sold has come through email purchases)

🧠 Creating SEO-optimized blog posts for our podcast episodes is also a great play.

🧠 We officially released our Podcasting Guide 2.5 weeks ago. 

Amazingly, 221 of the 3700 visitors have come from this guide.

🧠 Definitely need to improve bounce rates.

QUESTION: What's working for you these days?

graphical user interface, chart, line chart

I know many of us are considering launching an online course next year. 

Next year will be my 10th year as a course creator (seriously...feel like a dinosaur 😅). 

We recently welcomed our 243th student into our podcasting course.

In this week's podcast, I wanted to share 5 things to consider, especially if you're a successful therapist looking to launch your online course.

🧠 Check It Out: 
https://lnkd.in/eFcwknUQ

Also, this will be our last live podcast for 2024 (we'll run replays for the rest of the year). 

I mainly wanted to continue building my business around the life (and pace) I want vs just building for the sake of it. 🙂

I appreciate each of you for taking the time to tune in.

We're now in the top .5% of podcasts in the world (https://lnkd.in/eADdKQTy).

It's crazy that this all started with me recording on a TV dinner stand we bought at Walmart. 😬

🤝 PODCAST SPONSOR (APA PsycCareers)

If you're a psychology professional looking to advance your career, check out PsycCareers, the career center from the American Psychological Association Services, Inc. 

With over 400 positions available, it's the perfect time to create a FREE account, upload your resume, and set up job alerts. Visit sellingthecouch.com/apa to get started!

Open article: 378: therapists lauching an online course should do this… by sellingthecouch.com

378: therapists lauching an online course should do this…

Hi all. If you're a therapist in private practice in the U.S., you'll want to listen to this week's podcast episode. 

We're talking about the Corporate Transparency Act. 
 
This act is part of an effort to reduce money laundering by shell companies, focusing on business ownership. 

This act requires that you comply by the end of 2024, so time is running out.

If you have an LLC or an S-corp, please take the time to listen and learn more.  

I'm joined by Daniel Mayer, an attorney who specializes in working with private-practice therapists, and Dr. David Yood, a psychologist in private practice. 

🧠YOU'LL LEARN:
✅  What is the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA)?
✅  Who needs to register under the CTA? (Get professional help if you aren’t sure!)
✅  Consequences of not filing under the CTA

🎧LISTEN/WATCH/READ:
https://lnkd.in/eYdWHWmY

🤝 PODCAST SPONSOR (PsycCareers)

If you're a psychology professional looking to advance your career, check out PsycCareers, the career center from the American Psychological Association Services, Inc. 

With over 400 positions available, it's the perfect time to create a FREE account, upload your resume, and set up job alerts. Visit sellingthecouch.com/apa to get started!

If you’ve had a standoff with perfectionism in starting something new, you’ll want to join us for this coaching call session. Like most clinicians who are branching out with an online course, my guest is struggling with her fears about this new endeavor and whether she will get it right. Join us to hear the conversation.

🧠YOU'LL LEARN:
✅ How Katie arrived at her private practice niche working with preteens and tweens around anxiety and OCD symptoms
✅ Why Katie decided to jump into the online course world
✅  How online course income streams help clinicians build a balanced life outside their career and capacity for family and utilize another way to reach clients

🎧LISTEN/WATCH/READ:
https://lnkd.in/eq6U-3qB

🤝 PODCAST SPONSOR (TRY PSYCH CAREERS)

Today's podcast is supported by the American Psychological Association's Psych Careers. If you are a psychology professional looking to advance your career or thinking about a pivot, definitely encourage you to check out Psych Careers, which is the career center from the American Psychological Association Services, Inc. There are over 400 positions available. It's the perfect time to create a free account, upload your resume, and set up job alerts. sellingthecouch.com/APA

And if you're interested in sponsoring the STC podcast, you can learn more about that at: https://lnkd.in/gSXyPfqN

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER 💌 Sign up for my weekly email newsletter (trusted by over 3700+ therapists and non-therapists) - https://lnkd.in/eVY469-j

🧰FREE STUFF TO BUILD YOUR PODCAST AND ONLINE COURSE:

🌍 Check out our FREE 7-day email course to validate your online course idea as a therapist: https://lnkd.in/efETUuGd

🎙️ Check out our FREE workshop to learn how to use a podcast to grow your impact and income as a therapist: https://lnkd.in/eXCZAmhb

⚒️ RESOURCES
My YouTube channel (please subscribe!): https://lnkd.in/ePW_9e_v
A podcasting course for therapists: https://lnkd.in/eShKv8Uj
A free podcasting workshop for therapists: https://lnkd.in/eXCZAmhb
Katie’s Website: Child Anxiety Counseling in Davidson, NC: Katie Lear

🧰LET'S PARTNER TOGETHER: 

💻 STC:  Elite (A mastermind for therapist course creators):    
https://lnkd.in/e78_Pmup

🖥️ STC: Established Elite (A mastermind for established course creators): 
https://lnkd.in/eSvx-EB7

🎧 The Healthcasters (A podcasting course and community for therapists): 
The Healthcasters - Selling The Couch | Melvin Varghese PhD

Hi all,

I thought about making a traditional LinkedIn post today. 

But I realize how exhausted I am from the recent election cycle.

Unfortunately, the candidate I voted for didn't win and that's okay.

I genuinely hope that the next President Trump term will unite us vs further divide us. 

I'm going to take some days away from social.

Just need to recalibrate, be out in nature, and see the good that still exists in the world. 

See you soon. <3

💪🏽 Psychologist and proud girl dad 🤝 I help therapists launch/grow podcasts and courses 🎙️Podcaster (1.81M+ downloads, top 0.5% global) 💻 Course Creator (242+ students, $327K+ sales) ✍️ Writing about the journey

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