In today’s digital age, learning and personal growth often happen online. As a therapist looking for support and learning new skills, you have two main options – online communities vs. online courses.
While online courses focus on delivering structured content with a clear, specific goal, communities emphasise connection, collaboration, and ongoing support. Understanding the differences can help you determine which best fits your needs as a location independent therapist.
Let’s look at these differences to help you decide whether you need an online course or an online community.
The Importance of Support for Online Therapists
If you’re starting or growing your online practice, you’ll have to learn many new business skills. Plus, we all need ongoing professional training and development, which can be more challenging if you live outside your home country or move around frequently.
But as a location independent therapist, you may also face unique challenges beyond building your business or clinical skills. You might feel isolated, miss having like-minded colleagues to share your journey, or lack tailored support for navigating your professional and personal life. Keeping on top of admin, juggling marketing, maintaining self-care, and finding a work-life balance can feel overwhelming.
If you’re living in another country or moving from place to place, it can be tricky to tap into local resources. Not to mention many other reasons this can be true, such as caring responsibilities and chronic illness. And that’s where online resources come in. So, what kind of support for mental health professionals is out there?
Online Courses: Structured, But Limited
A quick Google search will bring up page upon page of online courses that can help you master the skills of branding, marketing, website building, and so on. Some of them are super niche, while others proclaim to teach you everything you need to know to launch your business – and many of them are very well thought out and worth the money. It’s incredible how much you can learn online, anywhere in the world.
Do you need an online course or something else?
An online course is a structured learning experience designed to teach you specific skills or knowledge. As a business owner, you could take a course on marketing, SEO, or private practice management. If you can think of it, then a course probably exists on that topic.
Online courses are typically:
- Self-paced or scheduled: You work through lessons at your own pace or on a fixed timeline.
- Content-driven: The focus is on consuming pre-recorded or live instructional content.
- Goal-specific: You’ll finish the course with new skills or a completed project.
Benefits and Limitations for Therapists of an Online Course:
Without a doubt, online courses are fantastic for focused learning. There is a place for online courses – especially when developing all the skills necessary for running your business. Here are some of the key benefits of an online course:
- Specialized Knowledge: Focused, expert instruction on a specific skill.
- Defined Goals: A clear path with measurable milestones.
- Self-Paced Learning: The ability to learn at your own pace without relying on interactions with others.
However, an online course won’t necessarily meet all your needs as a business owner – nor is it designed to. Once the course ends, so does your access to the instructor and community, leaving you to figure things out on your own.
But from our own experiences and through working with hundreds of colleagues, we’ve seen how important it is to have ongoing support when embarking on an ambitious path, such as launching your practice or taking your business on the road.
Online Communities: Connection Meets Collaboration
Unlike courses, online communities are about fostering relationships and creating a support network. When you join a community like the LIT Community, you’re not just learning passively – you’re building connections, sharing experiences, and benefiting from the collective knowledge of your peers.
A range of online communities exist – such as business mastermind groups, coworking communities, or those tailored to female business owners. Some communities focus on a specific area, such as marketing, tech, or social media, creating content and hosting events around these topics.
Let’s compare the differences between an online community vs. online course!
Key Benefits for Therapists of an Online Community:
Here are some of the key benefits of an online community for location independent therapists (or those aspiring to be), as compared with an online course:
Real Connection
Deep, meaningful connections are hard to find in the digital age. We’re all connected via social media, but the opportunity to get to know others in a supportive environment rarely happens.
In an online community, you can interact with like-minded individuals who truly understand the ups and downs of your journey. Members of the LIT Community share their wins (and struggles), brainstorm ideas, ask questions, and offer support—all within a safe, non-judgmental space, as our member Franziska van Nguyen found:
“The LIT Community for me means meeting colleagues, talking about cases, discussing ideas, getting insights on how to run my business, learning about how others dealt with obstacles I may face, finding answers to questions, supporting others, and getting supported.”
Collaborative Learning and Shared Expertise
One of the most powerful aspects of a community is learning from others. Unlike a course with a set curriculum, communities focus on collaboration and shared learning. From live events to resource sharing and discussions, there’s always something new to learn and contribute. The key difference with an online course is that it’s interactive – in an online community, you can ask questions, get feedback, and hear others’ perspectives.
We’ve seen this happen again and again within the LIT Community. Our members are at different stages in their professional and therapeutic journeys, so there’s often someone who has been where you are now and can help you navigate the path ahead – whether you’re struggling with marketing or wondering how to raise your fees:
“I joined [the LIT Community] as a way to push myself to reach my professional goals and to surround myself with other therapists who would “get it” and support me in the process. My favourite part of the community has been connecting with the other members because they have truly inspired me to move forward in my location independent journey. Everyone has unique experiences and perspectives and they are an incredible source of encouragement.” – Sámar Khalife Iglesias
That’s why we make space for discussions in our events – we can inspire, motivate, and encourage each other. We also invite our members to get involved and host their own events – from peer supervision groups to book clubs and LIT Talks (our version of TED talks), enriching the experience for everyone.
A Community You Can Take With You Anywhere
Being a location independent business owner brings unique challenges with it. For example…
- You’re struggling with the isolation of working from home
- You don’t know any other business owners navigating this journey and can’t talk to anyone about the ups and downs
- You’re on the move and find it difficult to keep making new connections in each location.
In all of these cases, an online community could fill the gaps.
Most online communities have a format that allows you to connect 24/7, no matter where you are, such as an online forum or discussion board. That makes it accessible even if you travel or live outside your home country.
But what about time zones? If you’re looking to join live events – another benefit of many online communities – it’s worth checking that they align with your schedule. This often comes down to where the community founder lives – if they’re in the US, their events will likely to tailored around that schedule.
In the LIT Community, we have members around the world – and this is where having an international team is helpful! Our team is spread across 2 (and sometimes 3) different continents, allowing us to schedule events that work for different time zones. We alternate our event times and try to accommodate our members as much as possible. However, we also know it’s not always possible to join a live event due to time zones or commitments, so we add the replays of select events to our extensive Replay Library.
Flexible Participation and Global Accessibility
Life as a location independent therapist can be unpredictable, but an online community can fit into your schedule. You might join multiple live events one month and only catch replays the next. In this way, it fits into your changing schedule and seasons of life without exerting pressure on you.
For example, in the LIT Community, you can choose how much (or little) you participate without feeling left behind – knowing that the community is always there to tap back into any time you need it.
“I’ve been a community member for over four years – it’s a great investment. I’m so happy I joined (and actually wished I had done it earlier). I’ve found a lot of support – my favorite events are the co-working sessions, book club, case supervisions, and business-money meetups – I try to join them as often as I can.” – Cynthia Rodríguez
Most communities also have some resources for members to dip in and out of when they need to. LIT members will find resources such as our LIT Journey guide, questionnaires, contracts, planning workbooks, and more; these are in addition to our events and discussion board rather than the main focus of the community.
Knowing these resources are accessible anytime can be a great relief, especially for a busy solopreneur!
Online Course vs. Online Community: Which One is Right for You?
While both online courses and communities have their place, it’s important to check in with your needs to figure out what you will get the most benefit from. An online community vs. online course – what do you need right now?
If you’re looking for step-by-step instruction on a specific topic, a course might be the right fit.
But if you’re craving connection, ongoing support, and the chance to grow alongside peers, an online community could be just what you need.
The answer might even be a combination of both types of resources! Only you can decide what is best suited to your needs, schedule, and goals.
Either way, before signing up for an online course or joining an online community, do your research first. Make sure you know what it offers and set your expectations accordingly to get the best experience.
Are You Ready to Take the Next Step?
With the LIT Community, you’ll gain access to a global network of therapists who understand your unique challenges and are eager to support you on your journey. Whether you’re seeking advice, brainstorming ideas, or simply looking for camaraderie, we’re here to help.
Join the LIT Community today and see for yourself what makes it such a special space for online therapists and mental health professionals.
Whatever you decide, we hope you find the right resources to support you wherever you are in your business journey!
