In today's encore, we're tapping into creative thinking. How are you at thinking outside the box?

This episode is perfect for everyone who has thought about creating, marketing, and selling a product. What is the process like? How do you take care of all the little details? What about the marketing piece of your product? We’re diving deep into these questions and more on today’s show.

My guest is Rosanne Marmor, LCSW, in Portland, Oregon. She created a Feelings Wheel as a way for clients to identify their feelings both inside and outside the therapy room. Rosanne went on a journey that took almost two years of gathering data, development, and production. She was finally able to put this tool in the hands of her clients and has been overwhelmed by its success.

Today's encore is on the 400th episode of Selling the Couch!

It was 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 wanted 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 slowly when the world often tells us to go fast? The truth in this concept of depth over scale is the most impactful lesson I’ve learned on this journey.

In this episode, I’m focusing on 3 reflections that I hope encourage you, especially if you are in a season of slow growth.

You’ll Learn:

• My experience: Feeling behind when everyone else seemed to be scaling faster: “Am I doing this wrong?”
• What clicked for me: “Speed makes noise, but depth builds roots.”
• 3 Quiet-Builder truths for longevity and depth:
• Slow growth is often the healthiest growth.
• We often think reputation comes from a single moment, but it comes from quiet consistency.
• Depth protects your nervous system. (“There is a cost for going fast. Depth is kinder.”)
• A business should give you life—not drain you.
• Want to know more about being a Quiet Builder? Check out The Quiet Builder Newsletter to get more of my reflective thoughts.

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Ready to launch (or grow) your online course?

Haven is our membership for therapists who want to turn their expertise into sustainable online income through courses, content, and simple systems that actually work.

You’ll get access to trainings, live accelerators, and a community that supports you every step of the way.

Get on the waitlist: sellingthecouch.com/haven

Are therapists focusing on the wrong kind of content in the age of AI?

In this episode, Mel explores one of the biggest shifts happening online right now: why Google and AI-powered search are quietly rewarding depth-first, human-centered, experience-based content, while most social media content disappears within 24–48 hours.

If you’re a therapist building:

• a private practice,
• a podcast,
• a course,
• a coaching business,
• or a thought leadership platform…

this conversation may completely change how you think about content creation moving forward.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why social media content is a perishable asset
• What Google’s new EEAT framework means for therapists
• Why AI-generated “generic content” is getting buried
• How clinicians have a unique advantage in AI search
• The difference between a blog post and an authoritative guide
• Why long-form, depth-filled content is quietly winning
• How therapists can create evergreen content that compounds over time
• What AI should actually be used for in content creation
• Why specificity and lived experience matter more than ever
• How one well-built guide can become a podcast, YouTube video, workshop, and newsletter
• Why therapists should stop waiting to feel like “experts” before publishing

“The guide you don’t write can’t help anyone. The one you do, it works while you sleep.”

The internet is changing.

And for the first time in a long time, it may actually be shifting in therapists’ favor.

Because what Google increasingly rewards now is depth, specificity, real-world expertise, and trustworthy human insight.

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RESOURCES

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients.

You support your clients. Alma supports you.

Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE–an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

--

Ready to launch (or grow) your online course?

Haven is our membership for therapists who want to turn their expertise into sustainable online income through courses, content, and simple systems that actually work.

You’ll get access to trainings, live accelerators, and a community that supports you every step of the way.

Get on the waitlist: sellingthecouch.com/haven

What happens to your private practice if you suddenly become incapacitated… or pass away?

It’s a difficult question, and one most therapists never want to think about.

But in this deeply practical and important conversation, Mel sits down with Dr. Robin Miller to discuss one of the most overlooked responsibilities in private practice: creating a professional will.

Dr. Miller shares the personal story that led her to found TheraClosure after unexpectedly losing a close colleague and stepping in to manage the aftermath of her private practice, client care, records, and continuity planning.

This conversation is thoughtful, grounded, and incredibly relevant for every clinician in private practice.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What a professional will actually is
• Why every therapist in private practice should have one
• What happens to client care and medical records if a clinician dies unexpectedly
• The emotional and ethical impact on clients after sudden therapist loss
• How professional wills differ for solo practitioners vs. group practices
• Common mistakes therapists make when planning for continuity of care
• Why “I’ll deal with this later” can create major problems for loved ones and clients
• How retirement, incapacitation, and practice sales impact continuity planning
• What therapists should think about regarding passwords, EHR access, payroll, and two-factor authentication
• Why professional wills are about protecting clients — not just protecting businesses

A powerful idea from this conversation:

“We can’t prevent loss.

But we can prevent traumatic loss.”

Very few conversations ask: What happens if something happens to you?

This episode is an invitation to think proactively, ethically, and compassionately about continuity of care — for your clients, your loved ones, and your profession.

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RESOURCES

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients.

You support your clients. Alma supports you.

Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE–an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

--

Ready to launch (or grow) your online course?

Haven is our membership for therapists who want to turn their expertise into sustainable online income through courses, content, and simple systems that actually work.

You’ll get access to trainings, live accelerators, and a community that supports you every step of the way.

Get on the waitlist: sellingthecouch.com/haven

In this deeply personal episode, Mel shares an honest update on a new chapter he’s building: one that sits at the intersection of psychology, nervous system regulation, golf, performance under pressure, and the future of clinical work in the age of AI.

This is not a polished “success story.” It’s a real-time reflection on what AI is changing in mental health, why traditional private practice models no longer fit for some clinicians, and how to build work that feels deeply aligned with your life instead of consuming it.

In this episode, Mel shares:

• The childhood basketball story that shaped his understanding of pressure and performance
• Why the same person can succeed under pressure one year and crumble the next
• How AI is transforming therapy, healthcare, and human work
• Why the future belongs to the irreplaceable parts of human connection
• The difference between burnout from the work vs. burnout from the model
• Why he chose not to return to traditional private practice
• The vision behind a new golf-focused performance psychology retreat
• How golf became a “laboratory” for understanding nervous system regulation under stress
• Why experiences and human presence may become the most valuable forms of care in the AI era
• The concept of building the one model only you could build

Questions to reflect on:

• What population have you spent the most time with, and what do they truly need that nobody is delivering?
• What life experiences or non-clinical skills could become part of the intervention itself?
• What would you build if you weren’t trying to make it look like what a therapist is “supposed” to offer?

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RESOURCES

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients.

You support your clients. Alma supports you.

Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE–an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

--

Ready to launch (or grow) your online course?

Haven is our membership for therapists who want to turn their expertise into sustainable online income through courses, content, and simple systems that actually work.

You’ll get access to trainings, live accelerators, and a community that supports you every step of the way.

Get on the waitlist: sellingthecouch.com/haven

Do therapist websites still matter in the age of AI?

With platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Google AI Search, social media, and online directories changing how people search for support, many therapists are wondering:

Is it even worth investing in a website anymore?

In this episode, Mel sits down with Sarah Gershon of Strong Roots Web Design to explore why therapist websites may actually matter more than ever, especially in a world where AI is becoming the intermediary between clinicians and potential clients.

Together, they unpack how websites shape a client’s first impression, why authenticity matters more than “marketing,” and how therapists can create websites that feel safe, human, and deeply aligned with their values.

We cover:

* What potential clients are really looking for in the first few seconds on a therapist website * Why websites still matter in the AI era

* The difference between “rented” platforms (social media) vs. owned platforms (your website)

* How to write website copy that feels authentic instead of salesy

* Why therapists are uniquely positioned to create high-quality, human-centered content

* Google’s evolving EEAT standards

* A simple homepage audit exercise every therapist should do this month

Your website isn’t just a marketing tool.

It’s a place where potential clients can feel safe, understood, and begin building trust before they ever reach out.

If you want to improve your website this month: ask: Would a hurting person feel safe here?

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RESOURCES

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients.

You support your clients. Alma supports you.

Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE–an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

--

Ready to launch (or grow) your online course?

Haven is our membership for therapists who want to turn their expertise into sustainable online income through courses, content, and simple systems that actually work.

You’ll get access to trainings, live accelerators, and a community that supports you every step of the way.

Get on the waitlist: sellingthecouch.com/haven

Are therapists quietly leaving social media… on purpose?

In today’s episode, we explore a growing shift: not burnout, but intentional withdrawal from platforms that promise connection... but often create fragmentation.

If you’ve ever felt conflicted about social media—needing it for visibility but feeling drained by it—this conversation will hit close to home.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why social media isn’t a neutral tool, it’s a shaping force
• The “dysregulation paradox” therapists face online
• What social media actually does to your brain (especially as a clinician)
• Why intentional creators are stepping back, or redesigning their relationship with it
• How to market your work without handing over your nervous system
• A simple framework to decide if social media is still serving you

Key insights:

• We teach nervous system regulation… on platforms designed for dysregulation
• Social media often trains reactivity, comparison, and fragmented attention
• Leaving (or limiting) social media isn’t about productivity, it’s about protecting your attention
• You don’t owe any platform your presence
• The most meaningful work rarely comes from constant scrolling, it comes from depth, slowness, and focus

Because the real question isn’t just: “Should I be on social media?”

It’s: “What is this platform shaping me into?”

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RESOURCES

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients.

You support your clients. Alma supports you.

Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE–an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

--

Ready to launch (or grow) your online course?

Haven is our membership for therapists who want to turn their expertise into sustainable online income through courses, content, and simple systems that actually work.

You’ll get access to trainings, live accelerators, and a community that supports you every step of the way.

Get on the waitlist: sellingthecouch.com/haven

What does it actually look like to market your work… without losing your humanity?

In today’s episode of Selling the Couch, I’m joined by Shayna Vance Roman to explore a powerful and often overlooked idea: human-centric marketing—and how to apply it in a way that feels grounded, ethical, and aligned.

If you’ve ever felt uncomfortable with marketing… overwhelmed by social media… or unsure how to grow your practice without becoming someone you’re not, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, we explore:

• What human-centric marketing really means (and why it matters more than ever)
• Why marketing can start to feel “transactional” instead of relational
• The tension between running a business and staying values-driven
• The rise of therapist influencers, audience growth, and revenue pressure
• How to create content that feels authentic, not performative
• Practical ways to build connection, compassion, and trust online
• The role of AI in marketing and how to use it without losing your voice
• Why “less but better” content may be the future

A few key takeaways:

• People aren’t just “clients” or “data points”, they’re humans navigating real struggles
• Your website, social media, and content should meet people where they are
• You don’t need to post constantly (consistency ≠ overproduction)
• The goal of marketing isn’t just visibility, it’s trust and connection

At the end of the day… Marketing isn’t about getting more people in the door.

It’s about helping the right people feel seen, safe, and supported, before they ever reach out.

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RESOURCES

Connect with Shayna:

🌐 https://shaynavanceetc.com

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Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients.

You support your clients. Alma supports you.

Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE–an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

--

Ready to launch (or grow) your online course?

Haven is our membership for therapists who want to turn their expertise into sustainable online income through courses, content, and simple systems that actually work.

You’ll get access to trainings, live accelerators, and a community that supports you every step of the way.

Get on the waitlist: sellingthecouch.com/haven

Is AI actually giving us more freedom… or just more to do?

In this episode, I reflect on something I’ve been noticing lately, both in my own life and in conversations with other business owners:

Even though AI makes it easier to write, create, and move faster… many of us aren’t using that time to slow down.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why AI doesn’t actually create freedom (and what it creates instead)
• The subtle trap of turning efficiency into more work
• How “doing more” quietly pulls us away from the life we wanted to build
• The difference between efficiency vs. alignment
• Why protecting empty space is more important than ever
• How to define “enough” in a world where there’s always more you could do

Grounding reminders shared in this episode:

1. Efficiency is not alignment
2. Just because you can do more doesn’t mean you should.
3. Empty space is not a problem
4. That quiet time? That slower pace? That’s the whole point.
5. If you don’t define “enough,” it disappears
6. Without friction, there’s always one more thing to do.

The goal was never to do more. It's to build a life that feels like your own.

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RESOURCES

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients.

You support your clients. Alma supports you.

Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE–an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

--

Ready to launch (or grow) your online course?

Haven is our membership for therapists who want to turn their expertise into sustainable online income through courses, content, and simple systems that actually work.

You’ll get access to trainings, live accelerators, and a community that supports you every step of the way.

Get on the waitlist: sellingthecouch.com/haven

If you’ve been told to “just start a blog” to grow your private practice and be seen online, but you’re now wondering if AI has made that advice outdated... this episode is for you.

In this conversation, I sit down with Daniel Fava from Private Practice Elevation to explore what’s actually changed with blogging, SEO, and content creation, and what still works today.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why blogging has traditionally been such a powerful strategy for therapists
• The biggest shifts in SEO and content creation since the rise of AI
• What Google’s E-E-A-T framework really means, and why it favors therapists
• How to make your content stand out in an AI-saturated world
• The role of social signals in building authority
• A smarter way to approach blogging
• Where to start if you haven’t blogged in months (or ever)

Blogging isn’t dead, but generic blogging is. In an AI-driven world, storytelling is your unfair advantage.

Because blogging isn’t about writing on a weekly schedule. It’s about creating content that actually connects, builds trust, and compounds over time.

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Connect with Daniel & Private Practice Elevation:

Website: https://privatepracticeelevation.com

Free Clarity Call: https://privatepracticeelevation.com/kickoff

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RESOURCES

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients.

You support your clients. Alma supports you.

Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE–an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

--

Ready to launch (or grow) your online course?

Haven is our membership for therapists who want to turn their expertise into sustainable online income through courses, content, and simple systems that actually work.

You’ll get access to trainings, live accelerators, and a community that supports you every step of the way.

Get on the waitlist: sellingthecouch.com/haven

After 11 years, 400+ episodes, and nearly 2 million downloads, I thought I understood what drives podcast growth.

Then I saw the data, and it challenged a lot of assumptions.

In this episode, I break down what actually drives podcast downloads today, based on real-world insights and my own experience growing Selling the Couch into a top 0.5% podcast.

Because here’s the truth:

• Audience size doesn’t guarantee downloads
• Big-name guests aren’t the growth lever you think they are
• And visibility alone isn’t what moves the needle

In this episode, we cover:

• Why audience size ≠ downloads (and what matters more)
• The real difference between a “vitamin” vs. “painkiller” episode
• Why titles matter more than your guest list
• How to write titles that get 2–3x more downloads
• The ideal episode length
• How to think about podcast guesting strategically (not randomly)
• The strategy that beats social media for growth
• Your best discovery tool
• The biggest shift in downloads

Plus, we'll go over a simple experiment to try to see what your audience actually responds to, and how to double down on it.

If your podcast isn’t growing the way you expected, it may not be your consistency. It may be your alignment—between your title, your topic, and the real problems your listeners are trying to solve.

If you found this helpful, consider sharing it with a friend or colleague who is building (or thinking about starting) a podcast.

And don’t forget to subscribe for more insights on podcasting, online business, and building something that compounds quietly over time.

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RESOURCES

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients.

You support your clients. Alma supports you.

Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE–an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

--

Ready to launch (or grow) your online course?

Haven is our membership for therapists who want to turn their expertise into sustainable online income through courses, content, and simple systems that actually work.

You’ll get access to trainings, live accelerators, and a community that supports you every step of the way.

Get on the waitlist: sellingthecouch.com/haven