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Wondering how to create an online course for therapists over the summer break? These seven course creation steps will help you map out an online course for private practice that people want to buy and are likely to finish, before you record a single lesson.

We begin with the honest question of why you want to make a course in the first place, because if the answer is that you need money now or you do not have enough clients, a course will not fix either one, and your marketing systems or existing financial structures are the better place to start, particularly if passive income for therapists is the hope behind it.

From there we look at how to validate a course idea through market research for an online course, and I share the story of the marketing course I built that nobody wanted until I listened to what my clients were asking for, stripped it back and relaunched it as Clients On Demand, which sold out the first time it opened.

You will also hear why the average online course completion rate sits at around 12 percent for self-paced courses, how that number can shape the format you choose, and how to place your course inside your private practice business model so it supports your wider vision to grow a private practice instead of sitting untouched on your website. We finish with creating your content and then taking time to beta test an online course (or pilot it, if that word feels more familiar) so honest feedback can polish it before you go live.

If you would like help mapping a course that has been researched and tested, the Programmed Passive tool is included inside my Skool community, which is $7 a month with the first seven days free: https://www.skool.com/brooklyn/about

And if you would like support to start, grow or scale your private practice, you can visit my website at https://brooklynstorme.com

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Mini FAQ:

Q: Why isn't my online course selling? A: Often it is because the course was built around what you know your clients need instead of what they are asking for, so research the demand first and meet them where they are, the way I did when my marketing course became Clients On Demand.

Q: Will an online course fix a lack of clients? A: No, because a shortage of clients usually points to your marketing, such as your messaging, niching, visibility, lead generation or conversions, so that is the place to look first.

Q: What is the average completion rate of a self-paced online course? A: It sits at around 12 percent, which means roughly 12 out of every 100 buyers finish, so it is worth designing your duration, format and deliverables to lift that number.

Q: How do I test my online course before I launch it? A: Pilot it with a small group who give you honest feedback in exchange for access, and ask how easy it was to use, what results they got, whether they would recommend it and what they would change.

Q: Should I create a course if I need money quickly? A: No, because making a course is a big job that adds pressure on top of a full diary, and building on your existing financial structures is the faster way to bring revenue into your practice.