In this episode, I’m breaking down one of the most frustrating realities therapists face when trying to build online programs: traditional business advice simply doesn’t work for us.

You’ve probably felt it — you join a business webinar or invest in a coaching program, and halfway through you realise: this doesn’t fit. The strategies feel pushy, unsafe, or completely out of alignment with your clinical values. And if you’ve ever thought, “Maybe I’m just not cut out for business,” you’re not alone.

The truth is, you’re not broken. The advice you’ve been given wasn’t designed for therapists. It ignores our ethics, our scope of practice, our insurance requirements, our time constraints, and the unique way we’re trained to think and work.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through the five big reasons generic business advice fails therapists — from topic selection and program design, to pricing, marketing, and capacity. You’ll understand why the advice feels so misaligned, what’s really going on when you get stuck, and why the solution isn’t to become “more business-y,” but to use frameworks that actually translate your clinical expertise into sustainable, ethical online programs.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. The advice isn’t built for therapists – You’re not stuck because you don’t know enough. You’re stuck because you’re trying to apply strategies designed for generic entrepreneurs, not registered health professionals.
2. Clinical training creates unique challenges – Our “encyclopedia brains,” focus on thoroughness, and ethical obligations are strengths in therapy… but they can sabotage program design without therapist-specific frameworks.
3. You already have what it takes – Your clinical skills can be translated into program frameworks, ethical pricing, and authentic marketing. But you need tools designed for therapists, not for Etsy shop owners or generic coaches.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

If this conversation resonates, join me for the From Couch to Course Bootcamp, running September 23–26.

For just $37, I’ll guide you through how to map, price, and structure your first ethical online program using frameworks designed specifically for therapists.

In four focused days, you’ll move from feeling like business advice doesn’t fit, to having a clear roadmap for building a program that honours your scope, your ethics, and your capacity.

👉 Secure your spot at: therapistsrising.com/bootcamp

MORE FROM DR. HAYLEY KELLY

• The Therapist Rising Incubator – For therapists ready to create their first sustainable online program with ongoing support: therapistsrising.com/incubator
  
  
• Follow me on Instagram @dr.hayleykelly
  for daily insights on therapist innovation and sustainable practice

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If this episode helped you realise why traditional business advice doesn’t fit therapists, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more therapists who are ready to build programs that actually work for them and their clients.

Thanks for tuning in to Therapists Rising — see you next week!

In this episode, I’m talking about one of the most painful myths therapists buy into: the belief that your only options are to keep grinding in 1:1 sessions until you collapse, or burn your practice down and walk away completely.

Maybe you’ve felt it too — cancelling family dinners because of client demand, fantasising about a “normal” 9–5 job, or even Googling “alternative careers for therapists” late at night. It’s an awful false binary, and it’s keeping too many talented therapists stuck, exhausted, and questioning their future.

I’ll walk you through why this binary shows up in our profession, what it actually costs when you stay stuck in it, and how to pivot in a safe, gradual way that doesn’t mean torching everything you’ve built. You’ll hear real stories from therapists in our community, plus my own 18-month pivot journey, and you’ll leave with the belief that your therapy career can expand, not end.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. The “grind or burn” binary is a lie – Most therapists believe their only options are to overwork in 1:1 forever or walk away entirely. In reality, there’s a third path: gradual, layered pivots that create sustainability without blowing up your practice.

2. Staying stuck has real costs – Burnout, chronic health issues, guilt about waitlists, identity crises, and even leaving the profession altogether. This isn’t just uncomfortable — it’s unsustainable for you and for the mental health system.

3. Pivots can be small, safe, and successful – From pilot workshops to beta groups to my own 18-month gradual shift, the most effective pivots aren’t leaps off a cliff. They’re experiments that create breathing room while protecting your existing practice.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

If today’s conversation resonated and you’re ready to try your own safe pivot, join me for the From Couch to Course Bootcamp, running September 23–26.

For just $37, I’ll guide you through how to map, price, and structure your first ethical online program using frameworks designed specifically for therapists.

In four focused days, you’ll move from being stuck in the binary to having a clear roadmap for building a sustainable program that works alongside — not against — your therapy career.

👉 Secure your spot at: therapistsrising.com/bootcamp

MORE FROM DR. HAYLEY KELLY

• The Therapist Rising Incubator – For therapists ready to create their first sustainable online program with ongoing support: therapistsrising.com/incubator
  
  
• Follow me on Instagram @dr.hayleykelly
  for daily insights on therapist innovation and sustainable practice.

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If this episode helped you see that your only choices aren’t grind or burn, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more therapists who feel stuck but deserve to discover their third path.

Thanks for tuning in to Therapists Rising — see you next week!

In this episode, I'm talking about the invisible wall that stops most therapists from turning their brilliant program ideas into actual programs. You know the one - you've got this amazing concept that could genuinely help people, but every time you sit down to build it, you just... stare at the screen.

Most therapists think this gap exists because they don't know enough or aren't qualified enough. The reality? You're stuck because your therapeutic training - the thing that makes you incredible in the therapy room - is actually working against you when it comes to program design. We're trained for responsive, individualised work, but programs need to be structured and predictable.

I'm walking you through why this gap feels so insurmountable, what happens to most therapists who never cross it, and the simple framework that can help you bridge from "great idea" to "something people can actually follow." You'll understand why having expertise isn't enough and what you actually need to turn that knowledge into something sustainable.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

The gap isn't about your qualifications – You're not stuck because you don't know enough. You're stuck because you're trying to turn expert knowledge into structured learning without a framework for how that translation actually works.

Your therapeutic training creates the problem – We're conditioned to be responsive and comprehensive, accounting for every possible scenario. Programs need the opposite: clear, linear progression that works whether you're there or not.

Most people either quit or overcompensate – Without a bridge across this gap, therapists either abandon their program dreams entirely or create something so complicated that no one completes it. Neither serves anyone.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

That simple exercise I mentioned - writing down your program idea in one sentence, then asking "what's the ONE main transformation someone gets?" - that's actually just the first step in a bigger framework we dive deep into in the bootcamp.

Join me for the From Couch to Course Bootcamp this September 23-26. For just $37, I'll walk you through exactly how to map, price, and structure your first ethical online program using frameworks designed specifically for how therapists think.

In four focused days, you'll move from staring at that blank screen to having a clear roadmap for turning your expertise into something people can actually follow and complete.

Secure your spot at therapistsrising.com/bootcamp

MORE FROM DR. HAYLEY KELLY

• The Therapist Rising Incubator – For therapists ready to create their first sustainable online program with ongoing support: https://therapistsrising.com/incubator
• Follow me on Instagram @dr.hayleykelly

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If this episode helped you see that gap differently, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more therapists who have brilliant ideas but need help turning them into reality. Thanks for tuning in to Therapists Rising! See you next week!