Shownotes
Are you holding back from posting on social media because of self-doubt?
Do you ever wonder, Who do I think I am to be posting this? You’re not alone. Many therapists struggle with the fear of seeming self-promotional, not knowing enough, or being judged. In this episode of The Good Enough Counsellors Podcast, I’ll help you reframe your approach to social media so it feels less about you and more about helping others. I’ll also walk you through practical strategies to shift your mindset, overcome perfectionism, and start posting with confidence.
In the second half of the episode, I’ll help you plan your April social media content with ideas for Stress Awareness Month. I’ll break it down into weekly themes and share engagement questions, educational topics, and post ideas for different therapy niches.
Takeaways:
- Why therapists often struggle with social media self-doubt
- How to reframe social media as service, not self-promotion
- The three biggest fears that stop you from posting—and how to overcome them
- A simple shift that makes writing posts easier
- How to reach your ideal clients without feeling like you’re ‘selling’
Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE
Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE
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Josephine Hughes on Facebook
Josephine Hughes on YouTube
My website: josephinehughes.com
The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.
Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.
self doubt in marketing, overcoming self doubt, how to promote yourself as a therapist, social media for therapists, mental health marketing strategies, Stress Awareness Month 2025, promoting your practice online, addressing fear of judgment, marketing for counsellors
Transcripts
The first time I ever sat down to start working on how to reach the people I wanted to help, within about an hour I'd hit a roadblock.
Speaker A:Self doubt appeared in the form of the questions.
Speaker A:Who do I think I am?
Speaker A:What makes me think I can speak to people?
Speaker A:What gives me the right to think?
Speaker A:So I'm not good enough.
Speaker A:But I found the answer to that question is to look outwards.
Speaker A:Not to think about myself, but to focus on the people that I want to help.
Speaker A:Welcome to the Good Enough Counsellors podcast.
Speaker A:I'm Josephine Hughes and today we're going to look at one of the problems that so many of us face in our marketing.
Speaker A:And that's the self doubt that makes us ask if we even have the right to to promote ourselves.
Speaker A: dia posts and blogs for April: Speaker A:My apologies that I've got a cold, so I'm a little bit more hoarse than normal.
Speaker A:But hey, the show must go on.
Speaker A:It's podcast recording day today, so let's get on with it.
Speaker A:One of the questions that often comes up for me is the thought, am I a narcissist?
Speaker A:Is my output just really about trying to get attention for myself?
Speaker A:It's a really uncomfortable feeling for me.
Speaker A:I was brought up not to show off in inverted commas and sometimes that's what it feels as though I'm doing when I'm posting on social media.
Speaker A:And also I think as therapists we're trained to put the attention on the client that it's not about us, it's all about the clients.
Speaker A:And so talking about ourselves can actually feel really uncomfortable.
Speaker A:There's not only the thought that we're drawing attention to ourselves, but also that question around self disclosure as well and what's appropriate.
Speaker A:So posting online can feel like a real minefield and I'm just going to tackle some of the issues that come up for us in this part of the podcast.
Speaker A:So let's start with that thought and making it all about me.
Speaker A:And I think that question arises because we associate posting with self promotion and that just doesn't sit very well with many of us.
Speaker A:It's not the reason why we're here.
Speaker A:We're not really interested in pushing ourselves forward and you know, we wonder what people might think as well.
Speaker A:We wonder if people will think, oh, you know, she's just trying to draw attention to herself.
Speaker A:But I think it's really important to reframe this.
Speaker A:And this is what I found really helpful when I was faced with that question of who do I think I am?
Speaker A:I was in coaching at that point and I was able to talk about it with my coach straight away.
Speaker A:And what she said to me is, what you need to focus on is not on yourself, but on the people that you're trying to help.
Speaker A:And so I think the reframe is really about the fact that our posts aren't about ourselves.
Speaker A:They're actually about helping other people.
Speaker A:So I think the solution when those questions come up is to imagine that you're actually writing to one particular person.
Speaker A:You're really speaking to someone who.
Speaker A:Who needs your support today.
Speaker A:And you might even reframe the way you're writing.
Speaker A:So rather than saying, I want to share this because you can actually write, this might help you if.
Speaker A:And then you're taking away the focus from yourself and you're really putting the focus on the person that you're trying to help.
Speaker A:We're going to talk about Stress Awareness month in the second half of the podcast.
Speaker A:So thinking about how you might reframe a statement that you're putting on social media, you might move from.
Speaker A:I've been thinking about how stress impacts our mental health and I wanted to share some ideas to if you've been feeling overwhelmed lately, here are three small things that might help.
Speaker A:Can you hear the difference?
Speaker A:It's just changing that focus.
Speaker A:And I think that frees you up to think that you're not doing it because it's about you.
Speaker A:You're doing it because it's about the person that you're trying to help.
Speaker A:So my takeaway from this little section is this.
Speaker A:You're not spotlighting yourself.
Speaker A:You're opening the door for someone else to feel seen and supported.
Speaker A:Just want to ask a question here.
Speaker A:If you were talking to a friend who was struggling, how would you support them?
Speaker A:And that's the tone that you could give your social media.
Speaker A:Now, another aspect of the who do I think I am?
Speaker A:Problem is the thought that other people, no more than me, and who do I think I am to say anything or think I've got something to say?
Speaker A:Why would anyone listen to me?
Speaker A:And I think this happens because it's so easy, isn't it, to look at other people and to compare what they know and who they are.
Speaker A:And we always tend to compare the strengths of other people with our own weaknesses.
Speaker A:So you might look at someone on social media who's got a really big social Media feed and they've been doing it for, for five years.
Speaker A:They've also maybe got 10 years experience as a therapist.
Speaker A:And you just think, I don't know as much as them.
Speaker A:What makes me think that what I've got to say is worth listening to?
Speaker A:And I think part of what can happen is the black and white thinking can come in and you think you have to be the expert in this particular area to be able to say anything.
Speaker A:But I think it's really helpful to remember that you don't have to be the expert.
Speaker A:It's thinking about the fact that you can be a contributor to the discussion.
Speaker A:You don't have to be the guru, you can be a contributor.
Speaker A:Let's reframe it.
Speaker A:You don't need to know everything, you just need to know enough to help someone.
Speaker A:I think the solution is instead of thinking, do I know enough, ask do I know something that could help someone who's struggling, Think about what you've already learned that might help someone in their journey.
Speaker A:So rather than thinking, I don't have 10 years experience so I shouldn't talk about this, think to yourself.
Speaker A:I have actually helped people through this before and I know that, that this can make a difference.
Speaker A:So my takeaway to encourage you in this section is that you don't need to be ahead of everyone, you just need to be one step ahead of the person who needs your help.
Speaker A:And here's a question for you.
Speaker A:Can you think of something that you've learned about in the last year that's made your life easier?
Speaker A:What if sharing that could make a difference to someone else?
Speaker A:Another aspect of the who do I think I am?
Speaker A:Problem is actually that fear of judgment.
Speaker A:Because we're making ourselves vulnerable when we post on social media or share a blog, we're actually putting ourselves in the firing line for other people to say, who do you think you are?
Speaker A:I think all of us have a fear that we might be criticised or we might receive negative feedback, or we worry that strangers will judge our opinion.
Speaker A:And let's acknowledge that when we go on social media, we are actually making ourselves vulnerable.
Speaker A:And I think it's a very human characteristic to not want to be rejected.
Speaker A:We know that we are social beings and being rejected is actually really painful for us.
Speaker A:And that can be especially true as well if you're neurodivergent and have rejection, sensitivity, dysphoria.
Speaker A:So it can be really tricky to put ourselves out there on social media.
Speaker A:Let's see if we can reframe that.
Speaker A:And what I'd say is that it's really helpful to remember that the people who need our help matter more to us than the people who might judge us.
Speaker A:It's almost inevitable that we will be judged by what we say.
Speaker A:But if we can hold the people that we're trying to help at the forefront of our minds, I think we can focus on them rather than the people who will criticise us.
Speaker A:The people who criticize us are never going to work with us.
Speaker A:We won't speak to them.
Speaker A:But the fact is, is that there are people out there who we can speak to and who will want to work with us.
Speaker A:And believe me, whatever you've experienced, whatever you've felt, it's part of humanity.
Speaker A:It's part of common human experiences.
Speaker A:And there will be people out there who are suffering in the same way that perhaps you've suffered in the past.
Speaker A:And those people are the ones that you can really reach with your social media posts and your content and your blogs.
Speaker A:So try to think about them.
Speaker A:Try to think of yourself as you were when you were younger and what might have helped you if you'd come across something on social media?
Speaker A:What would it have been that would have helped you?
Speaker A:And so focus on the people who need you, not the ones who want to just poke fun and criticise.
Speaker A:Because actually they don't matter as much as the people that you want to help.
Speaker A:I think the solution is about acknowledging and accepting that you won't speak to everyone.
Speaker A:And that's okay.
Speaker A:You want to focus on the quiet person who's reading your posts and feels seen, but maybe never comments.
Speaker A:And that's really common.
Speaker A:It's really common for people to be following you and reading your posts and actually finding them really, really helpful.
Speaker A:So don't get put off.
Speaker A:You may well get negative or critical voices in your feed, but you're in charge.
Speaker A:If you need to, you can delete the post and you can block people if they're not adding to what's on your pa, you can just remove them, block them.
Speaker A:They can go and find someone else who perhaps speaks to them more.
Speaker A:Because what you're doing is you're focusing on curating your part of the Internet, your page, your feed, and you're going to make it a safe place for the people who need you.
Speaker A:So it's absolutely fine to delete and block people who aren't actually interested in what you've got to say.
Speaker A:Believe me, I've had to do this quite a lot because of the transgender element to my work.
Speaker A:And I do get People who troll me and I don't think about them, I don't engage with them.
Speaker A:I don't think I want my transgender audience to see what they've got to say.
Speaker A:So I have no hesitation in deleting them.
Speaker A:It's absolutely fine.
Speaker A:They can take their opinions elsewhere as far as I'm concerned.
Speaker A:So what I'd like your thought to be is, rather than, what if someone disagrees with me, Ask yourself, what if?
Speaker A:This is exactly what someone needs to hear today.
Speaker A:Wow, what a difference that makes to ask that question, isn't it?
Speaker A:You want to ask yourself the right questions, the questions that support you and help you in your marketing.
Speaker A:So my takeaway from this little section is that the people who criticise you aren't the ones who need your help.
Speaker A:The people who maybe stay silent but feel supported are the ones that matter most.
Speaker A:And here's a question for you.
Speaker A:Have you ever read something online that really helped you, even if you didn't comment?
Speaker A:That's what your posts can do for someone else.
Speaker A:So in conclusion to this little section of the podcast, what I'd like to do is just do a little recap.
Speaker A:So we've looked at three common fears.
Speaker A:That thought that we're just being narcissistic and self promotional.
Speaker A:Reframe it as a way of helping people.
Speaker A:It's actually serving people.
Speaker A:The thought that you don't know enough, you don't actually need to know everything, you just need to be one step ahead.
Speaker A:And believe me, you've got years of experience, you've been through your training, you've processed so much of what's happened in your past, through your work, through as part of your degree or diploma, you are actually one step ahead of some of those people who need your help.
Speaker A:And then finally, we've talked about the fear of judgment.
Speaker A:But remember, your message is for the people who need it, it's not for the ones who criticise.
Speaker A:And a final word of encouragement before we move on to talk about the posts for April.
Speaker A:Your posts don't have to be perfect, they just have to be helpful.
Speaker A:They only need to help one person and what a difference that will make to that person's life.
Speaker A:Someone out there needs to hear what you've got to say, so don't hold back.
Speaker A:I think one of the hardest issues that we face when we're doing our marketing is that most of us are solo practitioners and it can be really difficult to be facing these questions on your own.
Speaker A:And this is why I run a regular coaching call in therapy Growth Group.
Speaker A:We meet every week.
Speaker A:We meet on different days of the week, Mondays, Wednesdays or Thursday evenings and it gives people a chance to share what is troubling them and to receive support and encouragement in their marketing.
Speaker A:Believe me, you're not the only person who has these doubts.
Speaker A:That's why I've got Therapy Growth Group, that's why I set up coaching calls and that's why I've got lots of information available to people to help them with these sorts of self doubts.
Speaker A:If you're interested in joining Therapy Growth Group, now is a really good time to do so because the prices are going to be going up at the beginning of April.
Speaker A:So if you've been thinking about it, come along, join the group.
Speaker A:It costs £50amonth.
Speaker A:There's no minimum period of membership.
Speaker A:So if you don't like it, the only amount you've invested is £50.
Speaker A:But hopefully it will support you in your marketing.
Speaker A:Just go along to josephinehughes.com therapy growth offer to join up and I look forward to seeing you in there.
Speaker A: or your blog posts for April: Speaker A:Had to think then because I'm recording this in February.
Speaker A:But the wonderful thing about April that I think you can use whatever your niche is, is it is Stress Awareness Month in the uk.
Speaker A:So what I've decided to do is break down the subject of stress into four distinct areas and you could take one of those areas as a weekly theme.
Speaker A:Now if you've listened to the last social media podcast that I did, which was episode 52, I talked there about a framework, a content framework that could help you.
Speaker A:And I used this idea of the four E's which were educational typosts, encouragement posts, engagement posts and empowerment posts.
Speaker A:Most of those are actually self explanatory.
Speaker A:The engagement posts are where you try and get answers, you try and start up a conversation with the people who are following you.
Speaker A:So you're very much there asking people for their opinions and their experience.
Speaker A:And then the empowerment post is about empowering people to take action, to get in touch with you.
Speaker A:So the four E's education, encouragement, engage and empower.
Speaker A:And I'm going to refer to how you could use the four E's for each of the four weeks that I'm going to talk about.
Speaker A:And I'm going to also help you with specific niche related ideas.
Speaker A:Don't worry if that doesn't make any sense.
Speaker A:It almost didn't make any sense.
Speaker A:To me, as I said it, let's just get on with it and you'll understand what I'm talking about.
Speaker A:So let's start with the first week of how you could talk about stress in April and this week.
Speaker A:I suggest what you do is talk about understanding stress, what it is and how it might affect you.
Speaker A:So if you were to do an educational post, you might explain what stress is, how it affects the body and mind, and the difference between everyday stress, how we all experience stress versus when stress begins to get more chronic and actually begins to affect us more deeply.
Speaker A:If you wanted to do an engagement question for your audience, you could ask them how stress would show up for them and give them different options.
Speaker A:So is it trouble sleeping?
Speaker A:Do you get headaches?
Speaker A:Do you get tummy ache?
Speaker A:Those different ways that stress might appear for people just get people to tell you how stress affects them.
Speaker A:For your encouragement message, you might talk about how people are allowed to say no and they can manage their stress.
Speaker A:Stress doesn't have to define you.
Speaker A:So these are messages where you're encouraging people to take action for your empowerment posts.
Speaker A:And these would probably, to be honest, apply for each of the weeks where you're speaking to people.
Speaker A:You could talk about how if stress is beginning to be overwhelming, it can really help to talk to someone that therapy isn't just for those crisis moments.
Speaker A:It can be to help you understand what's going on and finding ways to cope.
Speaker A:You could also mention the fact that if people aren't sure where to start, that you offer a free 15 minute discussion so they can find out if therapy is right for them.
Speaker A:Do a little call to action.
Speaker A:Send me a message and let's arrange a chat.
Speaker A:Now thinking about a therapy niche.
Speaker A:For example, if you're working with people who are neurodivergent, you could talk about autistic burnout and how that isn't just about stress.
Speaker A:It's about how autistic people might be struggling with a neurotypical world that it might be about the need to mask, it might be about sensory overload, it might be about their needs not being met.
Speaker A:So, you know, you might want to talk about how rest alone might not be enough to recover.
Speaker A:And again, you could actually talk about how you would help somebody who was autistic, who was suffering from autistic burnout, and how you can support them.
Speaker A:If you wanted to encourage your followers who are autistic, you could say something like if you feel like you can't bounce back from stress in the way that others do, it's not because you're failing.
Speaker A:It's because your nervous system needs different kinds of care.
Speaker A:Recognizing what drains and restores you is key.
Speaker A:And you could go on to talk a little bit more about perhaps the things that you've noticed that support different types of autistic people.
Speaker A:If you wanted to ask them an engagement question, you could ask them how they recover from sensory overload, what they do to help themselves.
Speaker A:Let's move on and think about a parenting niche.
Speaker A:Here.
Speaker A:You might want to talk about how the stress for parents isn't just about managing daily tasks.
Speaker A:It's about being on call all the time, feeling responsible for everything.
Speaker A:The parental workload of making decisions.
Speaker A:You might want to encourage them and say if you're feeling overwhelmed, it's not that you're falling apart as a parent, but taking care of you means you're taking care of your children.
Speaker A:An engagement question that I think is a really good one is you could say, what's one thing that instantly makes your day more stressful?
Speaker A:And for me, the immediate answer is if we're running late.
Speaker A:So just asking people questions can really help them to engage with your content.
Speaker A:And you can follow that up with more posts, for example, with the parents more posts about parental stress.
Speaker A:So let's move on to think about a theme for week two.
Speaker A:So having thought about what is stress, let's now think about practical strategies that might be able to help.
Speaker A:So an educational post would be what you know about stress management techniques.
Speaker A:For example, you could talk about breath work, or you could talk about movement or something to do with nervous system regulation.
Speaker A:Share something that maybe has worked for you because that might help to make it quite a personal post.
Speaker A:And that helps to engage people as well because they like to get to know you as the therapist.
Speaker A:Again, you could ask people with for an engagement.
Speaker A:You know what helps you to relax after a stress day?
Speaker A:Have you tried any of these stress relief techniques?
Speaker A:And if you had a stress relief button that you pressed, what would instantly help you to relax?
Speaker A:And then encouraging posts such as if you're struggling, even small moments of calm can add up to help you.
Speaker A:So it meets people where they're at, but it also encourages them to take a little bit of time for themselves.
Speaker A:Let's think about it in regard to somebody who's going through the menopause.
Speaker A:So if you're thinking about an educational post, you could think about how hormone shifts might affect people stress levels.
Speaker A:It might be that stress feels more intense if you're going through the menopause what maybe you had felt manageable before suddenly feels much more overwhelming.
Speaker A:Say, for example, someone was going through brain fog.
Speaker A:That can mean that situations are much, much more stressful.
Speaker A:If you wanted to encourage them, you could tell them that if they're not overreacting, their body is going through real changes.
Speaker A:And again, if you wanted to engage them, you could ask them how the menopause is affecting them and their stress levels.
Speaker A:So, for example, do you find that stress is affecting your sleep or your mood or body differently?
Speaker A:Now, are you finding that the menopause is affecting you more?
Speaker A:It's a case of thinking, how can I apply this overarching theme of stress to my particular niche?
Speaker A:Let's move on to week three, and my idea here is to link stress and self worth.
Speaker A:So the link between stress and how we see ourselves.
Speaker A:So there might be something around perfectionism, for example, and that could be something that you could talk about as your educational post or why some people push themselves harder even though they're already exhausted.
Speaker A:And you could ask people for the engagement posts, things like, do you ever feel guilty for taking time off?
Speaker A:Or, you know, what's one expectation that you put on yourself that adds stress to your day?
Speaker A:You could ask people how they talk to themselves when they feel stressed, and you could give them examples.
Speaker A:You could encourage them with messages such as, you don't have to be productive to be worthy of rest.
Speaker A:You deserve it just as you are.
Speaker A:Or the way you speak to yourself matters.
Speaker A:You deserve the same kindness that you give to everyone else.
Speaker A:So messages of support for them, I thought we could maybe apply this to trauma.
Speaker A:So thinking about how stress might feel different if you're somebody who's experienced trauma.
Speaker A:An educational post could be around the fact that if you've been through trauma, stress could feel more intense or it could come on suddenly.
Speaker A:We all know how we can experience triggers if we've been through trauma.
Speaker A:You can encourage people, you can encourage them that they're not broken if they overreact to stress.
Speaker A:It's just the body's response.
Speaker A:Your nervous system is doing what it's supposed to do and how learning to regulate it can help.
Speaker A:An engagement question for trauma could be around the subject of have you ever felt like your body is stuck in that stress mode even after the stressful situation is over?
Speaker A:Week four.
Speaker A:My idea was all about resilience and building up resilience to stress in the longer term, how to sustain yourself to face stress.
Speaker A:Your educational approach for this week could be the difference between doing things in the short term to deal with stress and actually making changes in the long term and how you can build up resilience over the long term to cope with stress.
Speaker A:Stress.
Speaker A:For an engagement question, you could maybe ask people how they've developed resilience over time.
Speaker A:You could ask, if you could give your younger self one piece of advice about handling stress, what would it be?
Speaker A:You could list small daily habits that people have that help them to deal with stress and ask the audience to say which one works for them.
Speaker A:If you want to encourage them, you could give them a message of support, such as Resilience isn't about never feeling stressed, it's about knowing that you can get through it.
Speaker A:And I thought it'd be really interesting at this point to think about our LGBTQ audience and how they might be affected by minority stress.
Speaker A:And obviously this could also apply to people of colour.
Speaker A:So stress isn't just about the everyday pressures, is it, for our minority groups, it's also about having to navigate discrimination, identity and societal expectations and that can actually lead to anxiety and burnout.
Speaker A:So by talking about this, you're obviously recognizing the special needs of this particular audience.
Speaker A:So it's really good to highlight it and show your awareness.
Speaker A:And this will help people who are in a minority know that they will be safe with you because you're showing that you understand their particular problems.
Speaker A:If you want to encourage them, you could give them a message of support, such as if you feel like you're constantly on edge or you need to prove yourself, know that your identity is valid, you deserve support and safe spaces to process what you're going through.
Speaker A:And of course that would lead on really well to an empowerment post, which is where you often offer your support and the fact that you provide a safe space for people from minority communities to be able to process their issues.
Speaker A:So there we have it.
Speaker A:That's four different themes around Stress Awareness month.
Speaker A:Understanding stress, what it is and how it affects us.
Speaker A:That's the first week.
Speaker A:The second week is about managing stress and practical strategies that might work.
Speaker A:The third week, it was all about self esteem and perfectionism.
Speaker A:And the fourth week was about building up long term resilience.
Speaker A:And I've tried to help you with those different niches to help you see how you could apply it to your particular niche, people that you're trying to reach out to.
Speaker A:So I really hope that was helpful.
Speaker A:Just a little reminder that I do actually produce ideas for every day of the year and members of my therapy growth group have access to those ideas.
Speaker A:But let's finish the podcast with the thought that you are actually able to help people by getting out there, by sharing what you know, you will be touching people's lives.
Speaker A:Try and reframe that question of who do I think I am?
Speaker A:And reframe it into how can I help people?
Speaker A:And if you can hold that in your heart, it makes it so much easier to post on social media.
Speaker A:Because what you're doing is you're not making it about you, you're making it about those people that you want to help.
Speaker A:And that desire will shine through in your posts and your authenticity will draw people to you.
Speaker A:Good luck with your social media posting and don't forget that if you haven't got a plan for this month of March, if you go Back to episode 52, I've given you some ideas there.
Speaker A:Look forward to seeing you next week and thanks for listening.
Speaker B:Thanks for listening.
Speaker B:Do come and join my Facebook community.
Speaker B:Good enough counsellors and for more information about how I can help you develop your private practice, please Visit my website JosephineHughes.com if you found this episode helpful.
Speaker A:I'd love it if you could share.
Speaker B:It with a fellow therapist or leave a review on your podcast app.
Speaker B:And in closing, I'd love to remind you that every single step you make.
Speaker A:Gets you closer to your dream.
Speaker A:I really believe you can do it.
Speaker A:Sa.
