• OVERVIEW
  • WHAT'S INCLUDED
  • PRICING
  • TESTIMONIALS
  • FAQ
Schedule A 1on 1 Call With Mel

Where Therapists Gather to Build & Grow An Online Course

Schedule A Call With Mel

INTRODUCING

Selling The Couch Elite

  A Mastermind for Therapist Course Creators  

As a therapist and course creator,

I know what you’re going through.

Hi, I’m Mel - girl dad and licensed psychologist. I understand how challenging it can be to be successful and busy as a clinician, especially when it's no longer as fulfilling as it used to be. While you still have a genuine love for your clients, you now yearn for a greater sense of ease, flow, and freedom in your work.

You may have thoughts like:

  • How can I continue to grow my income without sacrificing time with my family?

  • How can I reduce seeing clients so I can focus on growing my additional stream of income?

  • How can I use my knowledge and experience to create passive income with an online course?

Creating an online course is a challenge, but well worth the effort.

Embarking on the creative journey of creating an online course, from the initial spark of an idea to successfully launching and scaling it, is no easy task.

 

And as a therapist, you must do this while juggling time for your practice, loved ones, and other responsibilities.

Your inner critic keeps telling you it’s not possible.

 

Your colleagues and loved ones will even deter you with “well-intentioned” concerns like,

“You’re not going to see clients anymore?”

or

“I don’t think you can ethically do that.”

Creating passive income with an online course is possible! Here's my story: 

  • I went from working 35 hours a week over 5.5 days (clients and assessments) to working 4 days and 20 hours a week.
  • I now have more time for hiking, napping, “sacred learning” and “sacred writing”, and hanging out with our friends, partner, and daughter.
  • I get to work in my zone of genius, doing stuff I genuinely love (teaching, building, and mentoring) and helping the people I genuinely care for.
  • My podcast (the main way that people hear about my course) gained 1.7 million downloads and listeners in 130 countries while commanding premium fees for sponsorships.
  • My course (a podcasting course for therapists) has impacted the lives of over 275 colleagues, recently passed $300k in sales, and currently brings in around $6k/month.

If I Have Achieved This Life, You Can Too ...

I wasn't born into money. My family immigrated from India to the U.S. in 1989, and as a young boy, I saw my parents struggle and succeed through sheer hard work, unbelievable grace, and grit.


They taught me many wonderful lessons, but one unfortunate one was that I should “stay in my lane” to succeed.

 

So I went down the path to become a Counseling Psychologist, a career path that I was passionate about and that also, in some ways, "felt safe".   
 

After a while, I felt like I was meant to do so much more. The work was meaningful.  But it was also exhausting, and my income was capped.

 

I knew that it was possible to stop trading time for money, and my life took an incredible turn when I finally decided to bet on myself and become an online course creator.

In the early days of being a course creator and nervous about being on camera.

Here I am over 7 years and $300K in revenue later ...

There were a few bumps along the way ...

I left behind a stable clinical job offer at Vanderbilt when my partner and I got married in 2012.

 

We made the decision to move from Nashville to Philadelphia.  I was put in the terrifying place of having to start my clinical career from scratch.

 

With no professional network to lean on. 

I started in a group practice.  I met wonderful colleagues.  With a 90% show rate, clients I loved, and a 5+ week wait list, I looked successful on the outside.

 

But on the inside, I was starting to feel unfulfilled and burnt out by the work.

 

There was a part of me that felt like I was not fulfilling my creative potential.

I hated the crisis calls, the loads and loads of paperwork, and the cumulative toll on my own mental health of hearing heart-breaking story after story.

 

I also hated how all of my income was from a single income source, one that required me to trade my time for money.

Then a blizzard slammed the Northeast in January 2015.

It ended up dumping 20 inches of snow in a matter of hours, leading to me canceling over 20 clients due to downed power lines, spotty cell service, and icy roads.

 

The loss in income was devastating. 😥

We were in the midst of saving up for the down payment on our first home, and I knew then that I needed more reliable alternative sources of income if I was to be able to provide for my family. 

 

So, later that spring, I started to move away from 1:1 and towards online business.

 

It all started with the launch of the STC podcast, then when other therapists started asking me to give them tips on how to start a successful podcast, I began the journey to become a course creator. 

I made many mistakes along the way.

 

But I also have finally found a way to create an income independent of my 1:1 work. One that helps people without burning me out, or sacrificing precious time with my family.

Now, I'm on a mission to guide fellow therapists to follow a similar path. 

 

That’s why I designed the STC mastermind to give back to those who are earlier in their creator journey, and to save you from the challenges I had to go through to succeed.

STC Elite Is A Great Fit If:

  • You get things done when you can get it done alongside others.
  • You have the heart to learn and get helpful feedback from others.
  • You’re open to learning and geeking out with some tech.
  • You’ve been a business owner for at least 5 years AND have a successful business (most of us are $100K-$1.5M per year revenue bracket).
  • You have fear and anxiety about creating online income but have done or are doing the work to be able to walk through it together with your fellow mastermind members.
  • You can make time on your Thursdays from 11 AM-12:50 PM EST | 8-9:50 AM PST.
  • You’re emotionally and financially in a season to invest.

STC Elite Is NOT A Great Fit If:

  • You have a hard time setting small, incremental goals and getting them done.
  • You don’t have an active social media platform or are completely averse to being on social media.
  • You shut down or are not open to helpful feedback from others.
  • You're a “know-it-all.” There’s probably nothing we can help you with beyond what you know.
  • You've been a business owner for less than 5 years AND don’t have a successful business. We have this criteria to set your online course up for success.
  • You’re burnt out and looking to create online income to remedy the burnout.
  • Your schedule is packed; it’s hard for you to show up on Thursdays.
  • You have outstanding credit card debt

With all that said, I can guarantee you that if you are committed to creating your online course, open to feedback, and do well in a community of other heart-centered,

mission-driven therapists, STC Elite is right for you.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

1: Live Teaching Twice Per Month

But our live teaching is not straight lecture. 

Instead, you walk away from each session with a building block created for your online course. 

Module 1: How To Validate Your Online Course Idea

Gain interested buyers even before your course is launched. Discover how to validate and refine your online course idea through "stress testing" and engaging potential students collaboratively.

Module 2: How To Nail Your Niche

Explore the power of niche targeting, a concept familiar to course creators: "The riches are in the niches." Through exercises and feedback from cohort members, you'll gain clarity on your niche and refine your focus.

Module 3: How To Create An Irresistible Course Title & Subtitle

Get into a series of exercises to craft and iterate your course title and subtitle that provides a clear map of what your course is about and who it is and is not for.

Module 4: How To Design Effective Modules, Lessons & Bonuses

Combine traditional Post-it notes with technology to outline your course effectively. Discover our proven method for course planning and engage in brainstorming sessions with cohort members to develop exciting course bonuses.

Module 5: How To Craft An Engaging Course Lesson

Master the art of crafting lessons for your online course. Gain valuable insights into best practices and get an exclusive look behind the scenes at the STC template. Plus, you'll be able to create your first lesson during the session.

Module 6: How To Record Your Online Course

Overcoming the overwhelming task of recording and uploading a course is a common challenge. Learn to record a "more than good enough" first video and discover higher-priced tools. Receive a custom course lesson tracker to keep things organized.

Module 7: How To Get Your First Paying Client

Explore how successful course creators attracted their first students, regardless of their existing audience. You'll receive practical tools, scripts, and strategies used by others so you can develop a concrete plan to secure your first 3-5 paying students.

Module 8: How To Craft A Free Webinar That Attracts Paying Clients

90% of our Healthcasters course sales have come through live and pre-recorded webinars. Access our slide deck and work alongside your colleagues and our team to create an outstanding (and authentic, non-salesy/slimy type) webinar.

2. Monthly Mindset and Course Growth & Scaling Coaching

Unlock the Potential of Your Online Course Business with the STC Mastermind

So many therapists struggle to make the transition from clinical work to online course creator. 

 

So we have monthly hours with a trained coach to work through mental roadblocks so that you become the best course creator possible.

 

Past topics include:

 

•Who am I to be creating an online course?

•Why do I feel unworthy of charging $500+ for my online course?

•How do I work through the perfectionism that's creeping up?

 

We also have a monthly coaching hour focused on course growth and scaling.  In other words, you'll also create a webinar presentation to help market your online course. 

 

3. VOXER

Voxer is a walkie talkie app. The benefit is that you can simply send a voice memo in between sessions or while cooking a meal. You'll have a private 1 on 1 channel with Mel + the STC team where you can ask questions Mon-Thur.

 

4. Digital Marketing Team 

Gain access to STC's video editors and graphic designers

 

  • You get a personal seat in our Flocksy account (this is $997/month if you pay for this through their website).
  • The team can help you with all your graphic design and video editing needs.  

 

 

 

 

Where You Will Be After Our Year In Elite 

STC Elite Coaches

Our Team

These incredible people are here to guide you every step of the way. They are more than just experts and coaches, they are compassionate individuals who genuinely care about your success!

Nicole Denison, Director of Operations

She is the Director of Operations for STC since 2015. Nicole holds a BA in Business as well as certificates in Virtual Business and Marketing and has 20 years of experience in these areas.

Mineela Chand, Mindset Coach

Mineela Chand, MDiv, LMFT is our mindset coach, She is a therapist in private practice and also a corporate consultant for Fortune 50 companies, where she works with senior leadership teams (e.g., Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 leadership team).   Mineela will help you work through the fears of going from therapist doing clinical work to course creator.

Brent Stuntzman, Storybrand Coach

Brent partner owns a successful child therapy group practice and he's helped over 12 therapy practice grow from the ground up.  He is a former music pastor turned brand marketing expert, and he is StoryBrand Certified. Brent helps facilitate our hot seats and has a knack to help you get unstuck when it comes to marketing and growing your course.

Daniel Bustamonte, Sales & Funnels Coach

He is an entrepreneur who helps content creators build high-converting sales funnels that achieve strong sales on autopilot. Daniel is the Head of Ops and Automation at Ship 30 for 30, a seven-figure-earning cohort-based writing course that teaches the fundamentals of online writing.

TESTIMONIALS

Mel, Will This Work For Me?

Melvin speaks with Kristen Boice, a practitioner, podcastor, course creator and aspiring author about the power and impact of the STC Mastermind.

Melisha Franks loves therapy and intends to continue seeing clients, but she also wants to shift toward a CEO role. STC Elite helped her turn that wish into reality.

Check out her full story.

Heather McKenzie is a DBT-trained licensed clinical mental health counselor who made $4,798 on her first course launch. 

 

Check out her full story.

Want to hear what some of our other clients have to say?

STC Wall of Love Continued ... 

Brian Mayer, LCSW

 

Biz Cush, LCPC

 

Want to hear what some of our other clients have to say?

STC Wall of Love Continued ... 

Brian Mayer, LCSW

 

Biz Cush, LCPC

 

Want to hear what some of our other clients have to say?

STC Wall of Love Continued ... 

Brian Mayer, LCSW

 

Biz Cush, LCPC

 

Overview

Overview 

  • Twice Per Month Live Teaching

    Unlike other masterminds, we actually teach our materials LIVE (we record everything in case you need to miss a session or want to review).  We follow the "I do-We do-You do" framework in each workshop.  What this means is that I share some the lessons we've learned about a certain part of course creation, we do joint exercises to cement these learnings, and then you actually do work on your course. This way, you actually walk away with work done on your course vs just head knowledge. This curriculum was rated 9.7/10 by our 18 colleagues who helped beta test our course. 

  • Monthly Mindset and Course Growth/Scaling Coaching 

    As you know, launching an online course is not just about putting a course into the world. Stuff comes up.  So we have a monthly coaching session  where we do vulnerability and talk about the hard things (e.g., worries that my course won't make money, worries about what colleagues will think if I launch a course, etc.).  During our course scaling hours, we actually work on helping you create an engaging and effective webinar to market your course (90% of my $300k+ course sales have come through webinars, and we've done over 80 live webinars and currently have two evergreen ones).

  • On-Demand Voxer Chat with the STC Team

    Voxer allows you to send voice memos conveniently between sessions. As part of STC Elite, you will be granted access to a private 1-on-1 channel with Mel + the STC team to submit questions at any time M-Thu.

  • 12-month access to our Private Circle Community

    Gather with other therapists within your cohort in this distraction-free community (off of Facebook!) and connect with like-minded professionals. 

  • 12 Month Course Video Editing & Graphic Design Support

    Access to our dedicated Flocksy account for on-demand design support for the next 12 months. This way you can edit your videos and create social media assets without having to hire more people.  (~$11,964 value)

 

 

 

Total Investment: $9000

(Can be paid in full or at $750/month over 12 months)

 

1.5 weekly client sessions pays for the mastermind.

 

 

If all of this sounds like a great fit, and you're seriously interested in joining our Spring 2025 group (starts on Thursday, March 7th, 2025 from 11 AM-12:45 PM EST), let's schedule a quick chat.  

 

More than anything, I want to get to know you as a person, hear about your course dreams, and answer any questions  to help you make an informed decision.  🙂

 

Schedule A 1 on 1 Call With Mel

You scrolled to the bottom, this means you're really interested or you still have questions. 

Here are answers to my most Frequently Asked Questions: 

What if something unexpected happens and I need to pause the program?

There's a 12-month commitment for a reason. We place a great deal of importance on building a cohesive, warm and supportive community. That's challenging if members do not show up for each other and themselves. We ask that, unless there is a life-altering emergency, you show up consistently and do the work.

 

However, if there's a life-altering emergency (i.e., death of a spouse, parents, or child), please email us as soon as possible. We can offer a 2-month extension to your participation in the Mastermind. You will still be responsible for payments as usual, but you will have an additional 2 months to receive additional coaching. 

Can you showcase more clients that have launched successful courses?

Yes! Hopefully, you got a chance to read Melissa and Heather's case studies above. If you are still curious, and want to look at more successful courses you can check out the links below: 


•Dr. Heather England (ED Course For Couples)

•Heather McKenzie (DBT Course For Anxiety)

•Nikki Sewell, LCSW (Grief Course For Therapists)


I can't wait to see the course you'll create on through STC Elite!

Do you have a free resource that I can use to get an idea of how you teach?

Absolutely. Please check out http://coursecreatorstarterkit.com/

 

This is a free 7 day email course to validate your course idea as a therapist so that you don’t spend time and money creating a course that no one wants to buy.

I have another question not answered here. How can I get in touch?

Our goal is to give you all the information you need to make an informed decision. You can choose to apply and speak to Mel directly or you can email melvin@sellingthecouch.com. 

© Copyrights by Selling The Couch LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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