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Selling the Couch

Selling the Couch

Melvin Varghese, PhD 300 Episodes Oct 9, 2026

Selling the Couch is a top career podcast for mental health private practitioners. Hosted by psychologist Melvin Varghese, it features interviews with successful therapists and business experts on building a private practice. Topics include referrals, growth strategies, overcoming fears, and generating income beyond therapy. The podcast has been featured in Psychology Today and Psych Central.

Episodes

429: How to Grow Your Therapy Business Without Living on Social Media
429: How to Grow Your Therapy Business Without Living on Social Media Oct 9, 2026 19:40 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'r
428: The Marketing Advantage Therapists Don't Realize They Have
428: The Marketing Advantage Therapists Don't Realize They Have Oct 1, 2026 20:45 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 ve
427: When Life Doesn't Fit Your Business Plan
427: When Life Doesn't Fit Your Business Plan Sep 24, 2026 17:40 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 fo
426: How to Host a Small, Intimate Retreat as a Therapist
426: How to Host a Small, Intimate Retreat as a Therapist Sep 17, 2026 41:00 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 h
425: A Relationship-First Approach to Getting Referrals From Churches
425: A Relationship-First Approach to Getting Referrals From Churches Sep 10, 2026 29:20 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
424: Why Therapists Should Pay Attention To LinkedIn
424: Why Therapists Should Pay Attention To LinkedIn Sep 4, 2026 28:29 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 w
ENCORE: Finding Your Enough As An Entrepreneur with Jeanetta Garrison, LCSW
ENCORE: Finding Your Enough As An Entrepreneur with Jeanetta Garrison, LCSW Aug 27, 2026 41:34 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 Gues
ENCORE: 5 Lessons from 2 Years on LinkedIn
ENCORE: 5 Lessons from 2 Years on LinkedIn Aug 21, 2026 27:51 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:5 lessons learned over the l
ENCORE: The Anxiety Of Finding A Private Practice Niche
ENCORE: The Anxiety Of Finding A Private Practice Niche Aug 13, 2026 25:08 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 wo
ENCORE: Why Every Course Creator Should Start A Podcast
ENCORE: Why Every Course Creator Should Start A Podcast Aug 6, 2026 22:08 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 a
ENCORE: Could Keeping Your Business Small Be the Next BIG Thing?
ENCORE: Could Keeping Your Business Small Be the Next BIG Thing? Jul 30, 2026 29:14 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
ENCORE: 3 Meetings 99% of Course Creators Don’t Schedule But Absolutely Need
ENCORE: 3 Meetings 99% of Course Creators Don’t Schedule But Absolutely Need Jul 23, 2026 12:03 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:After-action review (AARS)--takes place after a launch. Ask and a

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