Writing for your psychology or therapy website: How to get started and key principles.

I've been getting lots of questions lately from people who are getting really stuck with writing for their website. And I see why; it can seem like a really intimidating job. And we've done some really awesome deep dive episodes here on the Business of Psychology with Allie Linn, who's a copywriter, with Vicki Jakes, who's a keyword expert, and with Melissa, who did an amazing episode with us on website design. But I know that it can all feel a little bit overwhelming, and people can get really stuck with just the simple stuff of how to write the basic copy for a homepage and about page on their websites. Today we will talk through the following:

1. Key principles of good writing for psychologists and therapists.
2. Keywords. How you can scatter those through your homepage in order to make sure that the right people can find your website on Google. 
3. Homepage. What to include on a good homepage.
4. About page. What you need to say and what you don’t. 

Key principles of good writing for psychologists and therapists.

There are a few key principles that you must remember when you're writing anything that's for your ideal client. So whether that's your website, whether that's your blog, whether it's emails, or social media posts. 

1. Write for your potential clients, not for your peers. This is such a problem for psychologists and therapists, we all do this, we all worry loads about what the people we trained with will think, what old supervisors will think, what other people in our professional groups will think. But the fact is, that doesn't matter. If your mission is to help a certain client group who need your support, then think about them when you're writing and try to cut out all that noise that your mind might generate about what other people in your life might think.
2. Speak their language. You've got to meet your ideal client where they're at right now, rather than where you want them to be. So it may be that the way that they talk about their problems is really different from the way that you would frame them. I think that's very often true, especially if we're in the perinatal, parenting or child development space. It might be that people are saying things online and asking questions online, and you found your ideal clients and you've been talking to them, but you feel a bit uncomfortable with the way that they phrase things. You need to find a way to use that phrasing, their words, in your content and in your website, so that they can see that you understand them and that you don't judge them. People feel really judged if they land on a page and it's not using any of the terminology they would use. And it's very clear that the psychologist or therapist or other professional thinks that there is a better way of talking about it. We would never do that in the first therapy session with someone would we? In our first therapy sessions with people we mirror their language and then we gradually modulate it, do some psychoeducation, maybe change the way that they see the issue over time. That's part of the therapeutic work. It's not part of marketing. So on your website, you need to speak the language that they're coming with, and then you can provide content which maybe gently shifts some of that language; that's what some of your blogs could be about. So don't be afraid to speak their language, it means that they'll feel understood, and like you're a safe person for them to come to. 
3. Show your approach rather than telling them about it. This is why you need to be creating content like blogs, videos or podcasts. In my mind, having a website but not bothering to do that stuff is a bit like saying to somebody, you know come and get your hair cut at my salon, but I'm not going to show you any pictures of people's hair. So you know, people need to get a sense of who you are as a professional, they need to get a sense of why you're the best professional for them. You know, whether you're a psychologist or a therapist, or whether you're promoting an online course or a book, people really do need to get a sense of what makes you different from other psychologists and therapists, and why they should choose you, why you'd be a good fit for them. And equally, they need to know about it in advance if you're not the right fit for them. So the problem with this is that we can get really tempted to say things on our home pages, like, you know, 'I am compassion focused' or 'I create a safe non judgmental space'. And the thing is, all of that means a lot to me, and it probably means a lot to you, but it isn't going to mean anything to most of our potential clients. So instead of saying all of that stuff its better to provide some blog posts or videos or podcasts on your site that show you in action, that show you kind of working through a difficult problem, like, you know, say, a common one, one that I've written a few times actually, for different places, is a blog post that starts with a story of me having a panic attack in the supermarket. And then I talk about some of the processes that are going on during a panic attack and how I would deal with that. So in that I'm showing them yes, how I dealt with it myself, but also how I would deal with it with a client. They're being shown my approach, rather than me telling them, because the words that we use to try and tell people about our approaches, just don't mean anything. 
4. Write for overwhelmed people. Keep things short, keep things sweet, and don't try and tell them everything they could possibly need to know. You know, you've got your contact me buttons, you've got your frequently asked questions (or I recommend that you do anyway, one of your blogs should be frequently asked questions) and put some trust that if people have got further questions, they'll ask you, you don't want to put everything on the page. Because we all know when we've been struggling when we're overwhelmed, we can't really read very much. So you don't want to make it difficult for people to find the button where they go yes, contact this person. 
5. Be positive. And this is one I got from Melissa, so do go back and listen to my podcast with Melissa about website design, because this is something I really hadn't thought of before, but I think is really powerful, and that is to use positive and hopeful imagery and language. So I know we're talking about words today that, you know, the physical images that you put on your website, they need to show people the hope and the transformation that they can achieve and that it is possible to feel better than they do right now. But in your language, also think about the metaphors you're using, try and use positive metaphors, and use language that reflects hope. 
6. Be inclusive.  When you're thinking about images, and you're thinking about your language, make sure that it's inclusive. Now this is somewhere I think I've fallen down quite badly, and especially writing for the perinatal space. So some of you might know at the moment, my perinatal psychology site is down at the minute. And that's because of my own pregnancy; when I knew that I was going to be trying for a baby I decided to take all of that down, because for various reasons, it was a bit difficult for me to do perinatal work at that time, so I decided to pause all of that. So at the moment my site is down. And actually I've taken the opportunity while it's been down to reevaluate it with a more 2021 mindset. So I wrote most of this stuff years ago and actually, I don't think the language is as inclusive as it could be, and the images are mostly of me. And that's partly because that's what I could afford, and I you know, I had babies at the time, so I could get some nice shots of, you know, maybe anonymised kind of versions of me. There's lots of the back of my head holding a baby and that kind of thing, but it's mainly pictures of me and of people who were local to me at the time who were willing to do photo shoots, and all of those people are white, and all of those people kind of look middle class. I'm not sure that that is the image that I want to put out anymore. So don't have a go at yourself if you look at your website and you realise it's not the most inclusive place ever. It's something which I think we've all got to be continuously working on, and it's something that I'm going to be working on now and in the future.  
7. Show lots of yourself. Do make sure that you've got some professionally taken headshots of you on there. And ,depending on your brand, and how you want to communicate with your ideal clients, I think it can be really helpful to have some less formal shots of you too, so they can get a bit of a sense of how you are present in the room. I love to have a YouTube video of me talking, I think that really helps people know whether they're going to get on with me or not. But I also make sure that I have some professional shots of me on my contact page, my about page, and on the homepage, just so people can get a good sense of who you are and feel welcomed by you. There's a lot of evidence that that is really important, and that the images are actually the number one decider that people use to decide what therapist to go with. I can't remember where I read about it, I think it's either Counselling Directory or Psychology Today did some research on this. And so I know that it can feel like a bit of an investment, but actually go to a networking event that's local to you, they're all on zoom at the moment and get a local photographer to do it for you. They can do such a better job than we can do on our own. And it is really, really important. 
8. Tell stories. So this is key to all writing anything that you can illustrate with a personal story, a client story, or a composite story that's a bit of a mix of both, it really helps people understand the point that you're making, and it helps people relate to you and to your content. So all the way through your website, I'd be advising you to use stories. 

How to use keywords when writing for your psychology or therapy website.

Now, when you're writing for your psychology/therapy website, you do need to have specific keywords in mind that people might be searching for on Google. And this is because these words that Google can use to make sense of what your content is about, so it can direct the right people to your website. This is your way of helping Google serve up your website to the people that need it the most. 

The first thing you need to do is get to know your ideal clients. So go back to the podcast episode on finding your ideal client and getting to know them for some tips on how you can really get under their skin and get to understand who they are and how they talk. For your keywords, you really need to be thinking about what statements or questions your ideal clients might make about themselves. 

When they come to see you, what are the first words that come out of their mouths when they describe what they need help with? How do they answer that question “what's bringing you to therapy?”  

The answers to those questions should really form your keywords. So I'm not going to go into fancy tips and tricks today to find the best keywords for your ideal clients. There are lots of tools that you can use to know how often particular terms are searched for. And if you're looking for that, then have a look at the podcast episode I recorded with Vicki Jakes because she is an absolute expert in finding those keywords. But to be honest, the real conversations that you have with people, they're the best tools that are at your disposal. So write down the words they use and you're not going to go very far wrong. Then pick the ones that you think are most likely to be searched for, and just make sure that you repeat those keywords a few times in your homepage copy, ideally in the subheadings, and on all the other pages of your websites too. That just helps Google to understand what your page is about and who's going to find it helpful.

Remember the purpose of your psychology or therapy site before you start writing.

Why are you bothering to create this site? Usually I think it comes down to three key things that you are doing with your website, whatever it is you're promoting. Firstly, you're trying to communicate that you understand your ideal client, you understand where they're at now, and that you can help them. You want to give them some clear calls to action, where you are pointing them to deeper information and ultimately encouraging them to work with you. And you also want to use that space to talk a bit about your story about why you do the work that you do, and show people why you're the most passionate and committed professional who wants to work with them. 

What should I write for a good psychology or therapy website homepage?

The homepage is the most important page on your psychology or therapy site. It's the one that people are going to land on the most frequently. And when somebody lands on your site, you want them to immediately see a statement or question that speaks directly to their problems, and gives them the sense that you belong here. So for example, Maryam, who's one of my students in Psychology Business School, she's looking to help executives whose anxiety means that they can't give presentations at work, even though they're highly competent. So she could ask something like ‘Do you feel sick whenever you open PowerPoint?’ or something similar. So right at the top, it's starting with a statement that lets them know that you know exactly where they're at right now, and that you understand. My drrosie.co.uk website is aiming to help leaders and entrepreneurs who feel constantly burned out and overwhelmed, and kind of think that's par for the course. They often tell me in fact, that surely feeling like this is an inevitable consequence of success, and that can make them feel quite hopeless. Often, I open with a statement that speaks directly to that fear, and immediately offers them some hope that it doesn't have to be like that.

On your homepage, you don't want to spend words talking about your approach or techniques, because your ideal clients either won't care or they won't understand it. So even words, like I think we touched on this before, like 'I provide a safe non judgmental space' they don't mean anything to non mental health professionals. So it's best not to take up potential clients' time with them. Instead, provide something that shows your warmth and gives an indication of what a session with you would be like. So a video of you demonstrating a technique or introducing yourself is perfect on the homepage. Plus links to blogs and podcasts you've made that solve problems for people are really good. 

You might also want to include a list or a paragraph about the things people who come to you are most often struggling with. For my ideal clients for this drrosie.co.uk site, they often have lots of IBS and tummy trouble and they've been told by their GP that this is linked to stress. So I want to make sure that I mention that I can help them with that. And again, it shows that I understand and welcome that particular problem, they don't have to worry I might reject them. If you think about if you've ever been in the situation where you've been looking for a therapist, that fear that you might approach the wrong person and they might say 'Oh, God, no I can't help people like you' that's really present for a lot of people when they're thinking about approaching a therapist, and so using just that list of ‘these are the common things that I see and that I can help with’ can really help validate somebody and give them that bit of security they need to press the contact me button.

Finally I know I go on about this, I know I do, but I really, really mean it. On your homepage tell some kind of story that's relatable to your ideal client, to show them that you know them, you like working with them, and you've dealt with this kind of thing before. So an example I actually quite like from my perinatal site, which I've told you there are some issues with, but I quite like this story that I put on there. It's called Perfect Polly, that's what I've called it in my story bank. So in that example I'm basically saying, you know how rubbish it feels when you meet that perfect woman who has you know, you meet her, she's two weeks postpartum, she's on her way back from her kettlebells class, she looks about 22 years old, and you knows she's in her 30s, and she just seems to have everything sorted, and her birth was all whale music and water birth and all of that stuff. And you just feel crap. That's basically the story. And for my ideal client for that site, that hopefully lets them know that, you know, I know a bit about how they feel. And I know how difficult it is when you're comparing yourself to all the other parents out there. So it's a story that hopefully is a little bit entertaining, but it's got a real purpose to it, and that's to help people feel understood and included on my site.

If you're using a story like that, then you might want to also say something like, of course, everyone is different, but if you find some parts of my or this clients story relatable, then we know how to help. So it's not, you don't want to make the assumption that every person who lands on the page is going to relate to that story, but usually in most stories, if you're focusing on the emotion of the story, people will relate to that feeling. So sometimes I think it's important to say that, to make that explicit, that it's not necessarily that you've been in that situation or that everybody has, but it's if you can relate to the feeling behind it, then we can help. 

What should I write for a good psychology or therapy website about...