Selling The Couch Llc

What Selling The Couch Llc does

Selling The Couch LLC is a privately held, bootstrapped digital education company founded in 2015 by licensed psychologist Melvin Varghese, PhD, and operated from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company serves licensed mental health professionals — psychologists, counselors, social workers, and therapists — who operate or aspire to operate private practices and want to diversify their income beyond billable 1:1 clinical hours. Its primary customer pain point is the structural income ceiling of trading time for dollars in private practice, compounded by the absence of business training in clinical graduate education and the ethical/licensure constraints unique to mental health professions.

The core product is the Selling The Couch podcast, an Apple Top Career-ranked show with 1.8M+ downloads across 400+ episodes and 125+ countries, which functions as the primary top-of-funnel discovery and trust-building channel. The product suite layers from free to paid: a 7-day Course Creator Starter Kit email course and a 90-minute free podcasting workshop serve as lead magnets; the $1,497 lifetime-access Healthcasters Podcasting Course is the self-serve monetized flagship with 240+ students and $600k+ in cumulative course-related revenue; the year-long STC Elite mastermind serves first-time course creators; the Established Elite mastermind serves veteran course creators; and the Haven Community (launched January 2026) extends the model into a sustained paid community with periodic 3-week accelerators. Underlying technology is assembled from off-the-shelf SaaS rather than proprietary code: WordPress with Divi for the website, Kartra for course delivery and email marketing (93% of online sales come through email), Captivate for podcast hosting, Circle for the mastermind community, Easy Webinar for the evergreen workshop, and Fathom Video for AI-generated meeting notes.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across one-time course sales ($1,497 lifetime), recurring mastermind subscriptions (pricing not publicly disclosed, sold via direct inquiry), podcast sponsorships (~ $32k annually), newsletter-driven funnel conversions, and a small private practice. Go-to-market is community-led and product-led, anchored by organic content (podcast, blog, YouTube) and email, with no paid social advertising and no third-party distribution. The company is fully founder-owned with no disclosed institutional capital and a 1-10 person team.

Name

Selling The Couch Llc

Legal name

Selling The Couch LLC

Website

https://sellingthecouch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Selling The Couch LLC is a bootstrapped digital education company that helps licensed therapists diversify income beyond 1:1 practice through a podcast, online courses, and paid mastermind communities. Founded in 2015 by psychologist Melvin Varghese, it serves individual practitioners globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Therapist Business Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Standalone Creator Course Platforms (Branded Schools) (MPACALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Course Bundle Subscriptions & Learning Membership Marketplaces (EDAFAIAI), Learning Content Bundling & Subscription Passes (All-Access Libraries) (MPACALAL)

Keywords

• Therapist business education
• Podcasting training courses
• Online course creation
• Private practice consulting
• Mastermind communities

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Online Courses: Primary revenue driver including the Healthcasters podcasting course ($1497 lifetime access) and potentially STC Elite/Established Elite masterminds. The course business has generated $600k+ in revenue according to multiple sources.
2. Podcast Sponsorship: The STC podcast generates sponsorship revenue, with the podcast generating approximately $32k/year from sponsorships according to source material.
3. Mastermind Programs: Year-long mastermind communities for course creators (both new and veteran) with live teaching, community access, and private support channels.
4. Free Resources and Newsletter: Free 7-day email course for validating course ideas, free podcasting workshop, and newsletter (3400+ subscribers) that drives conversion to paid products.
5. Private Practice: Melvin maintains a small private practice (1-2 clients per week) for clinical work and product testing, generating additional income while staying connected to the therapist community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Selling The Couch sells online education, courses, and mastermind communities that help licensed therapists diversify their income beyond 1:1 clinical sessions. The core paid offerings are the Healthcasters Podcasting Course ($1,497 lifetime access), the STC Elite mastermind for new course creators, the Established Elite mastermind for veteran course creators, and the Haven Community. Free entry products include a 7-day Course Creator Starter Kit email course and a 90-minute podcasting workshop, with the Apple Top Career STC Podcast serving as the primary acquisition channel.

Product overview

Selling The Couch LLC operates a multi-product educational platform for mental health therapists transitioning from clinical practice to online income. The core product is the Selling The Couch Podcast (1.8M+ downloads, Apple Top Career podcast) which serves as the primary discovery and relationship-deepening channel. The product suite includes paid educational offerings: the Healthcasters Podcasting Course ($1,497 lifetime access) for launching podcasts, the STC Elite mastermind for first-time course creators, and the Established Elite mastermind for veteran course creators. Free entry products include a 7-day Course Creator Starter Kit email course and a 90-minute Podcasting Workshop. Recent additions include the Haven Community (launched 2026) for sustained peer support. The company also monetizes via podcast sponsorships generating approximately $32k annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STC Elite: A year-long mastermind for successful therapists building their first online course.
• Healthcasters
• Established Elite
• Haven
• Quiet Builder

Products and services

• Selling The Couch Podcast Apple Top Career podcast featuring weekly interviews with successful therapists sharing strategies for building private practices and online income. Free, publicly available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and other directories.
• Healthcasters Podcasting Course A 100% online self-paced course with 6 units covering podcast planning, building, recording, launching, growing, and monetization. Includes video tutorials, cheatsheets, templates, checklists, exclusive podcasting tool discounts, and 30-day money-back guarantee. Lifetime access at $1,497.
• STC Elite (New Course Creator Mastermind) Year-long mastermind for therapists building their first online course. Includes live teaching, hand-selected community, and private channel with the STC team for course development from idea to beta launch.
• Established Elite (Veteran Course Creator Mastermind)
• Haven Community Calm, intentional paid community for therapists growing online income through courses, podcasting, writing, and speaking. Features live strategy sessions, Voxer access, peer feedback, and 3-week accelerator programs.
• Free Podcasting Workshop A free 90-minute pre-recorded evergreen workshop for therapists wanting to launch a podcast to grow their business. Covers podcasting tips for beginners and monetization strategies.
• Course Creator Starter Kit (Free Email Course) A free 7-day email course that helps therapists validate an online course idea, ensuring the course created will have buyers before investing time and resources.
• STC Newsletter Free weekly newsletter trusted by over 3,400 therapists with podcast updates, tips, and strategies for expanding income and impact beyond the therapy room. Drives 93% of online sales through email marketing.
• STC Podcast Sponsorship Sponsorship inventory on the Selling The Couch podcast, generating approximately $32k/year in sponsorship revenue for the company.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students have launched podcasts that achieved #1 New and Noteworthy and Top 5 overall rankings in Apple Podcasts categories
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• KartracoreTechnology or IntegrationAll-in-one platform used for the STC website, course delivery, email marketing, membership sites, and product fulfillment. Melvin has been using Kartra since 2019 and offers affiliate deals to STC audience.
• Easy WebinarcoreTechnology or IntegrationEvergreen webinar platform used for the free podcasting workshop. STC has used Easy Webinar since 2018 for pre-recorded webinar content that drives course sales. Melvin offers affiliate deals to the STC audience.
• CaptivatecoreTechnology or IntegrationPodcast hosting service used for the STC podcast. Switched from a larger competitor after reports of questionable behavior. Captivate provides features for swapping ads and link sharing that help grow the podcast.
• Divi (Elegant Themes)supportingTechnology or IntegrationWordPress website builder used for sellingthecouch.com and melvinvarghesephd.com. The Phoenix theme is used for the STC blog. Melvin offers affiliate deals to STC audience.
• CirclecoreTechnology or IntegrationCommunity building platform used to host the STC Elite mastermind community. Circle provides a more beautiful and less distracted experience compared to Facebook Groups.
• SiteGroundsupportingTechnology or IntegrationWebsite hosting service used for both sellingthecouch.com and melvinvarghesephd.com. Melvin switched from a cheaper host in 2018 due to reliability issues.
• HeardsupportingTechnology or IntegrationBookkeeping software used for Melvin's private practice. Categorizes business income by stream (talks, therapy, etc.) for tax and financial snapshot purposes.
• TherapyNotessupportingTechnology or IntegrationElectronic health record (EHR) system used for Melvin's private practice. Local company with team relationships.
• UphealsupportingTechnology or IntegrationAI-powered, HIPAA-compliant case note generation used for Melvin's private practice. Works for telehealth and in-person sessions.
• ThrizersupportingTechnology or IntegrationInsurance billing service used when clients want to use out-of-network benefits. Thrizer handles claim submissions to avoid insurance company back-and-forth. STC readers get first $2,500 in waived fees.
• AlmasupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance credentialing and practice management platform promoted as podcast sponsor. Offers 45-day credentialing, HIPAA-compliant telehealth, guaranteed payouts, and CEU access. STC listeners receive 2 months free.
• ConvertKitsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEmail marketing platform recommended for therapists who want to piece-meal their online business tools rather than using an all-in-one platform. Low-cost entry plan available.
• TeachablesupportingTechnology or IntegrationOnline course platform recommended as an alternative to all-in-one platforms. Integrates with ConvertKit for email marketing.
• SenjasupportingTechnology or IntegrationTestimonial collection tool used to gather reviews from course students efficiently via link or within course platform.
• VoxercoreTechnology or IntegrationVoice-memo communication app used for mastermind member support, allowing asynchronous voice communication while walking, cooking, or doing other activities.
• ZoomsupportingTechnology or IntegrationVideo conferencing platform used for weekly mastermind calls. Integrates with Fathom Video for AI-powered meeting notes.
• Fathom VideosupportingTechnology or IntegrationHIPAA-compliant AI-powered meeting notes used for mastermind sessions. Generates transcript, video, and summary sheet with notes, takeaways, and next steps.
• TapliosupportingTechnology or IntegrationLinkedIn scheduling and analytics tool used by Melvin to schedule posts and study what content performs well. Helped grow his LinkedIn from 600 to 3,000+ followers in 16 months.
• VidIQsupportingTechnology or IntegrationYouTube analytics and keyword research tool certified by YouTube and used by 20M+ YouTubers. Helps create content that increases in views over years.
• FlocksysupportingTechnology or IntegrationDesign and video editing team used to edit podcasts for YouTube. Audio is uploaded to Captivate, video to YouTube via Flocksy.
• Ecamm LivesupportingTechnology or IntegrationVideo recording software (Mac only) used for YouTube videos with Local Record feature for higher quality than Zoom recording.
• Rank MathsupportingTechnology or IntegrationWordPress SEO plugin used for STC and private practice websites to optimize content for search engines.
• Fathom AnalyticssupportingTechnology or IntegrationPrivacy-focused website analytics replacing Google Analytics for simpler yet powerful traffic insights.
• Chase Ink Business PreferredsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness credit card used for Selling The Couch expenses, allowing points accumulation for travel redemption.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Amy Porterfield: Amy Porterfield is a leading educator for online course creators broadly, with a large podcast, signature courses, and masterminds. While not therapist-specific, she competes for the same entrepreneur-learner's attention and represents the broader course-creator education category Selling The Couch operates within.
• Jenna Kutcher: Jenna Kutcher built a large audience around podcasting, courses, and entrepreneurship for female founders and creative professionals. She is an incumbent in the broader 'build an online business' category overlapping with Selling The Couch's positioning.
• The Holistic Psychologist: Dr. Nicole LePera's The Holistic Psychologist brand includes a large social audience, books, and online programs targeted at mental health practitioners and the general public, positioning her as a broader incumbent in therapist-led personal development.
• Marie Forleo: Marie Forleo's MarieTV, B-School, and copy coaching programs are an established incumbent in the online-business-education space. She serves a much broader audience than therapists but competes for entrepreneurs seeking to diversify income through digital products.

Direct peers

• Practice of the Practice: Founded by Jay Pawlacki, Practice of the Practice is one of the most established podcasts and educational platforms helping therapists build and grow private practices. It is the closest direct competitor to Selling The Couch in audience overlap, format (podcast + courses), and therapist-targeting.
• Abundance Practice-Building: Abundance Practice-Building provides coaching, courses, and community for therapists growing their practices and online income, targeting the same licensed-mental-health-professional niche with a comparable mix of podcast-led content and paid programs.
• How to Start a Private Practice: Kristin Walker and similar therapist-entrepreneurs run podcasts and courses that compete directly for the same audience of therapists transitioning into private practice or online income, making them a strong direct peer in the category.
• The Private Practice Startup: Whitney Owens' Private Practice Startup combines a podcast, courses, and mastermind communities specifically aimed at therapists launching private practices. The business model, target audience, and product structure closely mirror Selling The Couch's Healthcasters and STC Elite offerings.

Others

• Teachable: Teachable is a leading course-creation platform and infrastructure provider in the same value chain as Selling The Couch. STC actively recommends Teachable as an alternative to Kartra to its audience, making it an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a competitor.
• Kartra: Kartra is Selling The Couch's core all-in-one platform for courses, email, and memberships, and STC actively promotes it through affiliate partnerships. It is an enabling infrastructure participant rather than a direct competitor but defines the operational ceiling for many similar creator businesses.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/MelvinVarghesePhD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/selling-the-couch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Selling The Couch Llc