Today’s session focuses on therapy work with men who struggle with “nice guy syndrome.” If you aren’t familiar with the term or wonder how that niche works in a private practice, join us to learn more!

Our Featured Guest

Jonathan Rudiger, PsyD

Jonathan Rudiger is a licensed psychologist who lives and works in the Nashville, TN, area. He was one of my clinical supervisors when I was at Vanderbilt, and he’s become a dear friend and mentor who helped shape me into who I am today. Besides his time at Vanderbilt, he has spent a number of years working at the VA and in various capacities in private practice. One of his areas of focus is with clients with “nice guy syndrome,” and he’s sharing about his work in this conversation. We will take a look at this unusual niche through a clinical lens and a business perspective. We wrap up with common mistakes therapists make when working with men who present as “nice guys” but are actually in a lot of pain.

LinkedIn (Website coming soon!)

You’ll Learn:

• Jonathan’s path to finding a niche and designing a private practice around it
• Characteristics of the “nice guy syndrome” and typical patterns in relationships
• Issues inherent in “nice guy syndrome” include low self-esteem, shame, fear of rejection, and a fundamental dishonesty with themselves.
• Niching down defines the best space for your work and the place with the least chance of burnout.
• Going from a clinical explanation to real-world language in marketing (Storytelling is key!)
• Framing psychotherapy with storytelling empowers people to tell their stories.
• Common mistakes therapists make when working with “nice guy syndrome” clients:
• They assume that the nice demeanor means things are okay.
• Neglecting the role of shame

Resources:

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Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Today’s session covers strategies for setting boundaries, managing client expectations, and raising rates. All of these tasks can be uncomfortable for clinicians, but we have expert tips for adjusting your mindset and understanding your value. Join us for more!

Our Featured Guest

Melody Wilding

Melody Wilding, LMSW, has been in the coaching space for the past few years, doing amazing work through speaking engagements, workshops, and coaching. She recently wrote Managing Up: How to Get What You Need From the People in Charge. “Managing up” refers to the process of navigating relationships and improving trust with people who have more power than you. We all want to lead well, but there are many opportunities to learn and improve in our leadership. Melody helps us discover how to set boundaries around our availability and tackle the uncomfortable process of raising rates. She shares the necessary mindset shifts to make in advocating for our value while keeping relationships intact, which is one of the most delicate situations for most clinicians.

Website and Book

You’ll Learn:

• The clinician’s role in setting boundaries while providing customer service
• Importance of understanding power dynamics as a clinician
• Practical strategies for managing client expectations with clarity
• Key conversation elements to “manage up,” beginning with alignment
• Why hesitancy is normal around raising rates: How to have “the money conversation”
• Difference in the value you’ve already provided vs. the potential ROI going forward
• Clear communication regarding raising your rates
• Mindset shifts to empower you to raise your rates
• Creativity in adding value for clients without increasing your live time with them

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Quiet Builder!

📬 The Quiet Builder: A premium newsletter for therapists, founders & leaders building thoughtful work + lives.

The Quiet Builder

How do you know if your idea for an online course is a good one? Today’s session kicks off a three-part series about online courses and how to build a sustainable online course as a therapist. The most common question I get is about ideas for online courses. If you’ve thought about launching an online course but have some hesitancy, this episode will be helpful for you. I remember going through the dilemma of choosing course ideas and wondering which ones are good. It was overwhelming, but I found a way to determine if a course idea is good, and I’m sharing what I’ve learned.

You’ll Learn:

• The best course ideas aren’t invented but are discovered in the questions your people are already asking.
• Three anchors for validating a good course idea:
• Your audience is already dropping clues.
• Pay attention to how you are seen as an expert.
• If someone asks you the same question three times or more, that’s a signal.
• Validate before you build.
• Don’t spend time creating slides without validating your idea.
• Put together a poll or Google form to get feedback. (Fathom.video is a helpful resource!)
• Don’t chase what’s trending; choose what’s enduring.
• Ask, “Will this course idea still be relevant 10-15 years from now?”
• Use AI tools to gather information.
• If you’re looking for a great free resource about your online course, check out our Course Creator Starter Kit.

Resources:

Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.

If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Quiet Builder!

📬 The Quiet Builder: A premium newsletter for therapists, founders & leaders building thoughtful work + lives.

The Quiet Builder