Every therapist has a body of knowledge that extends far beyond what they can share in a 50-minute session. You have frameworks for managing anxiety, tools for improving communication, strategies for navigating grief, and insights into human behavior that most people will never access -- because they will never sit in your therapy chair.
Online courses allow you to package that expertise into a product that reaches hundreds or thousands of people, generates revenue while you sleep, and positions you as a thought leader in your specialty. And unlike adding more client hours to your schedule, creating a course does not trade more of your time for more money. It scales.
But the path from "I should create a course" to actually generating revenue is littered with abandoned Teachable accounts and half-recorded video modules. This guide will walk you through the complete process -- from identifying what to teach to launching and selling your course -- so you can avoid the common pitfalls and build something that genuinely works.
Why Online Courses Make Sense for Therapists
Before we get tactical, let us address why this matters strategically for your practice and your career.
The Ceiling of One-on-One Therapy:
If you see 25 clients per week at $175 per session for 48 weeks per year, your gross revenue ceiling is $210,000. That is strong income, but reaching it means you are working at or near capacity. There is no room to grow without working more hours, raising your rates, or hiring other clinicians.
An online course breaks through that ceiling. A well-positioned course priced at $197 needs only 500 sales per year to generate $98,500 in additional revenue -- and those sales can happen while you are in session, on vacation, or asleep.
Beyond Revenue: The Strategic Benefits
- Authority building: A published course positions you as an expert in your niche, which drives more referrals and higher-value client inquiries
- Client pipeline: Course students who need deeper support often become therapy clients
- Clinical impact at scale: You can help people who cannot afford or access one-on-one therapy
- Professional fulfillment: Teaching is deeply rewarding and exercises different creative muscles than clinical work
Step 1: Choose the Right Course Topic
This is where most therapists go wrong. They try to teach everything they know instead of solving one specific problem. The most successful therapist-created courses are narrow, outcome-driven, and clearly named.
The Problem-Solution Framework:
Your course should answer one question: "What specific transformation will this course help someone achieve?"
Compare these two course concepts:
Too broad: "Understanding Anxiety: A Complete Course"
Focused and sellable: "Calm Your Performance Anxiety: A 6-Week System for Professionals Who Freeze in High-Stakes Moments"
The second version names a specific audience (professionals), a specific problem (freezing in high-stakes moments), and implies a clear outcome (calm performance under pressure).
Finding Your Course Topic:
Ask yourself these questions:
- What do clients ask you about most frequently in early sessions?
- What concepts do you find yourself explaining over and over?
- What workshop or psychoeducation topics generate the most enthusiasm?
- What is the most common "pre-therapy" problem your ideal client faces -- something they could address with education before needing clinical support?
- What questions do people ask you at dinner parties when they learn you are a therapist?
Validating Demand:
Before you invest weeks creating a course, validate that people will pay for it:
- Search for competing courses. If other courses on your topic exist and have reviews, that is a good sign -- it means there is a market. No competition often means no demand.
- Survey your audience. If you have a social media following or email list, ask what they would most value learning.
- Test with a workshop. Offer a live, paid workshop on your course topic. If people pay $30-$50 to attend a 90-minute workshop, they will likely pay $150-$300 for a comprehensive course.
- Research keyword volume. Use tools like Google Trends or Ubersuggest to see how many people are searching for solutions to the problem your course addresses.
Step 2: Design Your Course Structure
A great course is not a therapy session and it is not a graduate lecture. It is a guided journey from a specific starting point to a specific destination.
The Transformation Map:
Start by defining two points:
- Point A: Where your student is now (their problem, frustration, or knowledge gap)
- Point B: Where they will be after completing the course (their transformation)
Then map the journey between them in sequential modules. Each module should move the student measurably closer to Point B.
Recommended Course Structure:
- Module 1: Foundation and Mindset -- Help students understand their problem in a new way. This is where you reframe their experience and build motivation to engage with the material.
- Modules 2-5: Core Content -- Teach your framework, tools, and strategies in a logical sequence. Each module should build on the previous one.
- Module 6: Integration and Maintenance -- Help students apply what they have learned to their real lives and plan for ongoing practice.
Keep Modules Focused:
Each module should have:
- One clear learning objective
- 2-4 video lessons (10-20 minutes each)
- At least one practical exercise, worksheet, or reflection prompt
- A summary of key takeaways
Total Course Length:
For most therapist-created courses, 4-8 modules with 6-15 hours of total content hits the sweet spot. Enough depth to deliver real value, not so much that students feel overwhelmed and abandon the course.
Step 3: Create Your Content
This is the phase that intimidates most therapists. The thought of recording hours of video content feels overwhelming. Here is how to make it manageable.
Content Formats That Work:
You do not need a studio or professional equipment to create a compelling course. Here are formats that work well for therapists:
- Talking-head videos: You speaking to the camera, ideally in a well-lit, visually appealing space. This is the most common and most personal format.
- Slide-based presentations: You narrate over slides. This is ideal for therapists who are less comfortable on camera or who are teaching conceptual material.
- Hybrid format: A mix of talking-head and slides, which keeps visual interest high.
- Audio lessons with companion workbooks: Some therapists create audio-first courses (almost like a private podcast) with downloadable worksheets. This is the fastest to produce and can be highly effective.
Production Tips:
- Use your phone. Modern smartphones produce excellent video quality. You do not need a $2,000 camera.
- Invest in audio. Poor audio is the number-one reason students abandon courses. A $50-$100 lapel or USB microphone makes a dramatic difference.
- Film in natural light. Sit facing a window for soft, flattering light. No ring light needed.
- Batch your recording. Film all your videos in 1-2 days rather than spreading it over weeks. This maintains energy and visual consistency.
- Imperfection is fine. Your students are there for your expertise, not your production values. A few ums and ahs actually make you more relatable.
Creating Supporting Materials:
The materials that accompany your videos often provide more value than the videos themselves:
- Workbooks and worksheets -- fillable PDFs that guide students through exercises
- Reflection journals -- structured prompts for self-exploration
- Checklists and action plans -- concrete steps students can take immediately
- Resource lists -- curated books, apps, and tools related to your course topic
- Community guidelines -- if you offer a discussion space, set clear expectations
Step 4: Choose Your Platform
The platform you choose to host your course affects the student experience, your revenue, and your administrative workload.
Popular Platforms for Therapist Courses:
- Teachable: User-friendly, handles payments and taxes, good for first-time creators. Pricing starts at approximately $39/month.
- Thinkific: Similar to Teachable with strong free-tier options. Good for therapists testing the waters.
- Kajabi: All-in-one platform that includes course hosting, email marketing, and website building. More expensive (starts around $149/month) but reduces the need for multiple tools.
- Podia: Clean, simple interface with courses, digital downloads, and community features. Good value for the price.
- Your own website: Using WordPress with a plugin like LearnDash gives you maximum control but requires more technical setup.
What to Prioritize:
- Easy checkout and payment processing
- Mobile-friendly student experience
- Drip content capability (releasing modules on a schedule rather than all at once)
- Integration with your email marketing platform
- Professional appearance that reflects your brand
Step 5: Price Your Course
Therapists consistently underprice their courses. Let us fix that.
Pricing Psychology for Therapist Courses:
Your course price should reflect the value of the transformation, not the number of hours of content. A six-module course that helps someone overcome social anxiety is worth far more than the $30-$50 many therapists charge.
Pricing Tiers That Work:
- $47-$97: Mini-courses and workshops. Short, focused offerings (1-2 hours of content) that solve one narrow problem. Great as entry-level products.
- $147-$297: Standard courses. Comprehensive programs (4-8 modules) with video lessons, workbooks, and practical exercises. This is the sweet spot for most therapist courses.
- $397-$997: Premium programs. Courses that include live group calls, community access, direct feedback, or personalized elements. The live component justifies the higher price.
- $1,000+: Signature programs. High-touch programs that may include one-on-one coaching sessions, intensive workshops, or certification components.
The Anchor Principle:
Your course price should be a fraction of what the equivalent transformation would cost in one-on-one therapy. If resolving the issue your course addresses would take 12 therapy sessions at $200 each ($2,400), a $297 course represents extraordinary value.
Step 6: Launch and Market Your Course
Creating the course is half the battle. The other half is getting it in front of the right people.
Pre-Launch Strategy (4-6 Weeks Before Launch):
- Build anticipation. Talk about your course on social media and in your email newsletter weeks before it launches. Share behind-the-scenes content, preview a lesson, and let people know it is coming.
- Create a waitlist. Set up a landing page where interested people can sign up to be notified. This gives you a built-in audience for launch day.
- Offer early-bird pricing. Give waitlist subscribers a discount (10-20%) for purchasing during the first week. This creates urgency and rewards early supporters.
Launch Week Strategy:
- Email your list daily during launch week (yes, daily -- this is the one week it is appropriate). Each email should address a different objection or highlight a different benefit.
- Go live on social media. Host a live Q&A about the course topic (not a sales pitch -- provide genuine value and mention the course as a resource).
- Share testimonials. If you did a beta launch or had workshop attendees, share their feedback.
- Create a deadline. Close enrollment after a defined period (7-10 days) or limit seats. Real scarcity drives action.
Ongoing Marketing (Post-Launch):
- Evergreen funnel: Set up an automated email sequence that nurtures new subscribers and presents the course on autopilot.
- Content marketing: Continue creating free content related to your course topic. Each blog post, social media post, or podcast episode is a potential entry point.
- Affiliate partnerships: Invite other therapists, coaches, or professionals to promote your course for a commission (typically 20-30%).
- Testimonials and case studies: As students complete your course, collect their success stories and use them in your marketing.
Ethical Considerations for Therapist Course Creators
Creating educational content as a licensed therapist carries specific ethical responsibilities:
- Be clear that your course is education, not therapy. Include disclaimers and encourage students to seek professional support for clinical concerns.
- Do not promise clinical outcomes. You can share what students may experience, but avoid guarantees about symptom reduction or recovery.
- Protect student privacy. If your course includes a community component, establish clear confidentiality guidelines.
- Stay within your scope. Only create courses on topics where you have genuine expertise and training.
- Provide crisis resources. Include information about crisis hotlines and emergency services in your course materials.
The Revenue Math: What Is Realistic?
Let us ground expectations with realistic numbers for a first course launch:
Conservative Scenario (First Year):
- Course price: $197
- Launch sales: 50 students = $9,850
- Ongoing monthly sales: 10-15 students = $1,970-$2,955/month
- Year one revenue: $33,490-$45,310
Growth Scenario (Year Two, with Established Audience):
- Course price: $247 (increased based on testimonials and demand)
- Two launches per year: 100 students each = $49,400
- Ongoing monthly sales: 20-30 students = $4,940-$7,410/month
- Year two revenue: $108,680-$138,320
These numbers assume consistent marketing effort and a course that delivers genuine value. They are achievable, not aspirational.
From Expertise to Impact
Creating an online course is one of the most meaningful ways to extend your impact beyond the therapy room. It allows people who may never become your clients -- because of geography, finances, or readiness -- to benefit from your knowledge and perspective.
The therapists who succeed as course creators are not the ones with the fanciest production or the biggest social media following. They are the ones who deeply understand their audience's pain, package their expertise into a clear transformation, and show up consistently to share it.
Thinking about turning your expertise into a course? Therapist Growth Partner helps clinicians design, create, and market digital products that generate meaningful revenue. From course strategy to launch execution, we provide the roadmap and support so you can focus on what you do best -- transforming lives, at scale.