Episode 147: Redefining Success, Healing Through Business, and Sustainable Online Growth with Melvin Varghese, PhD

What if your business could be a source of healing—not just hustle?

In this episode of The Innovative Therapist Podcast, I had the joy of talking with Dr. Melvin Varghese—licensed psychologist, host of the Selling the Couch podcast, and founder of one of the most thoughtful, heart-centered online business communities for therapists.

Melvin is someone I deeply admire—not only because he’s built a wildly successful podcast and sustainable business—but because he’s done it with integrity, intention, and a whole lot of wisdom. We went deep in this honest, funny, and eye-opening conversation about what it really takes to build a business that supports your life (and doesn’t deplete it).

We talked about so much, including:

• Melvin’s journey from group practice to online entrepreneur
• The 4:30 AM recordings that started his podcasting journey
• Burnout, hair loss (!), and what it taught him about sustainability
• The internal work required to charge what you’re worth
• How podcasting helped him reconnect with younger parts of himself
• How he built a business that fits around family, health, and deep work
• AI, creativity, and the future of online business for therapists
• The courage it takes to slow down and trust your own pace

Melvin didn’t jump into online business overnight. After years of juggling group practice, community mental health, and part-time clinical work, a snowstorm in Philly changed everything—he lost 21 client hours in one week and began wondering: Is there another way?

Inspired by mentors like Pat Flynn and driven by a desire for more time freedom, Melvin launched Selling the Couch in 2015 – using an ironing board in his home for some of the early interview episodes. His early episodes were recorded before sunrise and edited by hand between client sessions. Slowly and strategically, he built a podcast that now reaches listeners in over 120 countries and has surpassed 1.8 million downloads.

“I wanted to design a career around my family and health instead of fitting my family and health around a career.”

Unlike many therapists who try to leap into online business and end up burned out (