Selling the Couch

Whether you're in grad school for psychology, counseling, social work—or mentoring someone who is—this episode is for you. After 20+ years in the mental health field and over a decade running Selling the Couch, I'm sharing 5 things I wish I had done during grad school to set up a more sustainable, meaningful, and flexible career. I also share one bonus tip that’s been the most important for long-t...

What is emotional fitness, and why is it more important than ever for therapists, helpers, and quiet leaders? In this episode of Selling the Couch, I’m joined by psychologist and author Dr. Emily Anhalt to explore how we can strengthen our emotional muscles to prevent burnout, set boundaries, and lead with compassion (without losing ourselves in the process). We break down: The difference between...

Melvin kicks off Season 11 of Selling the Couch with a powerful and timely conversation on how therapists and online educators can AI-proof their online courses in 2026 and beyond. If you’re worried that AI tools might replace the need for your course, this episode will help you rethink that fear, and give you a framework to build something deeply human, emotionally intelligent, and resilient. Lea...

Today’s show is a coaching call about online courses and the imposter syndrome that sneaks in with fear and doubt. Join us to learn more! Our Featured Guest for today’s coaching call: Nikki Sewell, LCSW Nikki was ready to get her pilot students into her course, but she has encountered a lot of fear around charging her worth for her grief course for therapists. Nikki built a successful private prac...

Many clinicians are left wondering if their best work lies in the clinical field or the coaching/consulting arena. I’ve felt this dilemma myself, pondering how to balance my interests, endeavors, and the evolution of family life. I realized that I couldn’t sustain multiple paths, and I made the hard decision to give up my clinical work. If you are struggling along those same lines, I hope today’s...

Today’s topic is a fascinating one for me. As therapists, we are wired for stories, but telling an effective story online is a struggle for many of us. Fortunately for us, my guest has wisdom and tips to share to help us become awesome storytellers. Join us to learn more! Our Featured Guest Kieran Drew Kieran Drew lives in Leeds, England, and is my writing coach for Twitter. In an interesting care...

I’ve been focused on building a life around my family and self-care rather than fitting those things around a career. I’ve learned that there is much wisdom in slowing down and not keeping up a crazy pace. One thing that has helped me accomplish these goals is creating an online course. Even though I’m super grateful and blown away by the success, I made a lot of mistakes along the way. Join me as...

Our Featured Guest for today’s call: Heather McKenzie, LCMHCS Heather McKenzie came through Online Course School as a beta student back in the fall of 2021. Online Course School is a live, eight-week experience that takes your online course from a simple idea all the way through the development stages so that you are ready to record. Heather created a course specifically focused on anxiety that ca...

Today’s episode takes a closer look at a major passion of mine: online courses. Let’s talk about the important questions to ask–and answer–before launching an online course. Join me! You’ll Learn: How online courses can help fill in the gap for those who need mental health services 7 Questions to Ask Before Launching an Online Course: Have people paid me one-on-one for this course idea? Can I see...

The perfect recipe for burnout is to work in a caring profession, be a slave to perfectionism, and neglect your needs. As clinicians, we realize that we work in a flawed healthcare system in the US, but how do we exist in this environment to do good work and sustain ourselves from a holistic perspective that goes way beyond basic self-care? We are diving into this topic with today’s guest. Join us...

Here we are at the last episode of 2025, our 10th year of the podcast. For the last episode of the year, I usually try to focus on reflections about lessons learned, tough decisions, and pivots that are happening. My intent today is to be transparent and share in a “fireside chat” format. Take a pause with me, sit back, and think about your business as we approach the end of 2025. You’ll Learn: Th...

What does it mean to have an “anti-racist practice”? With all the changes taking place regarding DEI and the current US political climate, this is a challenging endeavor for clinicians. Join us for a closer look at this important topic in today’s session.  Our Featured Guest Kenya Crawford Kenya Crawford is a licensed therapist and trained facilitator who works with individuals, companies, an...

This session is the second part of a series called “Podcasting for Therapists.” You can check out the first part of the series on launching your podcast with this link. Today’s focus is on what happens after you launch your podcast. More specifically, how do you strategically and thoughtfully turn your podcast into a platform that leads to more income, impact, and invitations to do the work that l...

Today’s session is about shutting down your private practice, which is an inevitable step in the journey for many therapists. The two main options are to sell their private practice or shut it down, which can be the best choice for a therapist who wants to pursue other avenues and achieve more freedom in their life. Join us to learn more! Our Featured Guest Dr. Jen Blanchette Dr. Jen Blanchette is...

Today’s session is all about designing a therapist-friendly course that actually gets finished. This is the third in our series, The Therapist’s Path to a Successful Online Course. A lesser-known fact about online courses is that they have a notoriously low completion rate. The real challenge for course creators is to include content that is engaging yet concise, so that people stay engaged until...

This is the 400th episode of Selling the Couch! It is 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 want 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 slow...

Today’s topic strikes fear into the hearts of many clinicians. We are talking about branding, not in the sales-y way that feels icky, but with authenticity, heart, and grace. Whether intentional or not, you have a brand; why not make it one to be proud of? Want to be an influential thought leader? Your personal brand should reflect your heart and core values. Join us to learn more! Our Featured Gu...

Today’s solo episode is the second of a three-part series we call The Therapist’s Path to a Successful Online Course. Today’s focus 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...

Welcome to our fall season of new episodes! After a busy summer of family time and travel, I’m excited to be back with you on the podcast. Today’s conversation is an important one about mindful language in conversations touching on race and culture. Join us! Our Featured Guest Dr. Nathalie Edmond Dr. Nathalie Edmond is a licensed psychologist and the author of Mindful Race Talk : Building Literacy...

Today’s session is a conversation about how to navigate guest appearances on podcasts. Whether you have future aspirations to launch a podcast or desire to grow your visibility by appearing on podcasts, this will be a helpful session for you! Podcasting offers possibilities for interesting connections and unimaginable opportunities. Join us to learn more! Our Featured Guest Dustin Riechmann Dustin...

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 that course. 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 stre...

Today’s session 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...

Today’s session is a coaching call, and our main focus is on a struggle that many course creators face. When you are an expert in your course content, how do you find the balance in presenting information without overwhelming your students? I feel sure that every course creator has felt this struggle, so I hope you find today’s call to be helpful. Our Featured Guest for today’s coaching call: Heat...

Today’s session is all about rebranding. We are taking a behind-the-scenes look at how different circumstances might affect the business you’ve established and force you to rebrand. Should you view this kind of pivot as a failure? Absolutely not! Let’s explore this topic together. Our Featured Guest Kevon Cheung Kevon Cheung is the founder and head teacher at Small School . He was a previous guest...

Many therapists have created online courses or have thought about creating an online course. It’s one of the best ways to increase your visibility, establish your expertise, and expand your audience and impact in the world. The course creation journey is not an easy one, and it’s full of challenges and ups and downs. Join us for a transparent look at the process from today’s guest! Our Featured Gu...