Peek Practice

The optional do’s and don’ts of creating a profile or webpage.

If you’re a therapist, what should you include on a directory therapist profile or professional website?

As a therapist, when creating a directory therapist profile, it's important to include key information that provides potential clients with a clear understanding of your qualifications, experience, and therapeutic approach. Here are some essential elements to consider including:

Professional Qualifications: Start by highlighting your therapy related educational background, degrees, certifications, and licenses. Clearly state any relevant specialisations or areas of expertise…If you have an MSC or suchlike, declare what it's in...especially if it's not counselling or therapy related!

Experience and Expertise: Provide a summary of your experience as a therapist, including the number of years you've been practicing, any specific demographic or issues you specialise in (e.g., anxiety, trauma, relationships), and any unique therapeutic modalities or approaches you employ. Think in terms of limits of proficiency.

Avoid misleading...some profiles include the time they've been interested in counselling as part of the years they've been in practice. Consider if that is what will really matter to a prospective client. It might to some and not others. 

Therapeutic Approach: Describe your therapeutic approach or theoretical orientation. Explain the frameworks or models you typically use in your work (e.g., cognitive-behavioural therapy, psychodynamic therapy, mindfulness-based approaches) and how you integrate them into your practice.

On some directory listings we find long tick lists with a range of disparate therapeutic approaches. If you’ve only done one afternoons learning on said approach then don’t tick it, or impulsively watched 10 YouTube videos on Polyvagel window cleaning or something...flavour of the month, then leave it!

Many of you will do what you want anyway, but think about how that aligns with the personal moral qualities of what it means to be a counsellor or a therapist.

Ticking as many approaches as possible will not get you more clients. Tick things you clearly have understanding and insight into in terms of your level of competence, and limits of proficiency. 

Other tick lists: As well as describing the types of issues you work with…make certain you actually know about the subject! The most common problem I find is that people say they work with anxiety, yet have little or no understanding into anxiety itself in a real world way for the client.

It’s assumed we all know about anxiety. It's also assumed that if you know about anxiety, you know how to help anxiety...which in practice isn't the case.

The other is the ‘oh I can work with anything brigade.’ Can you? Good luck with that and even more luck to your clients. Again, think about limits of proficiency.

In relevance to tick lists (often found on directories as they are helpful for prospective clients)...which highlight common mental health issues you might work with. Some people tick them all. The amount of people that tick things outside of their capacity is worrying.

Services Offered: Clearly list the services you provide, such as individual therapy, couples counseling, family therapy, or group therapy. If you offer specialised services or workshops, mention those as well.

Target Population: Specify the types of clients you work with, such as adults, adolescents, couples, or families. If you have experience working with specific populations (e.g., veterans, or individuals with specific mental health conditions), include that information too.

Treatment Philosophy: Share your treatment philosophy and values. Discuss your approach to client-centered care, empowerment, or any other guiding principles that inform your therapeutic work. Make sure it’s in your voice and unique to you. I’ve found my website content lifted on many occasions. Once I had explained that I have ‘extensive experience’ in x, y or z…and found others had too within the next 6 months. Everyone uses a ‘collaborative’ approach now.

I’m not laying claim to inventing these terms whatsoever, nor are they particularly brilliant, but you’ll find locally, some at least, start to lift the same terms from each other.

The more websites you look at , you start to notice who got what from where. The problem from the clients perspective is everything reads the same and they don’t get a sense of who you are.

Practical Details: Provide practical information such as your office location, contact information, availability, and any insurance plans you accept. Include details about phone or online counselling options if applicable.

Renting a room: I think it’s professional to have a separate external room/confidential office space that isn’t at your home where possible. Commitment to a therapy space will make you look more committed on your website. You know the location and the times you’re available to work. You can say with confidence what you can and can’t offer. 

Testimonials or Reviews: Consider including testimonials or reviews from previous clients and how this works in line with the ethics ofnthe time (with the clients consent…and right to remove in the future) to showcase positive feedback and establish trust with potential clients. These testimonials can be powerful in demonstrating your effectiveness and building credibility. Anonymous testimony sits the most comfortable. 

Personal Bio: Share a brief personal bio that highlights your passion for therapy, your commitment to helping others, and any relevant personal experiences or motivations that have shaped your therapeutic approach. Don't discount any personal or professional experience you feels isn't relevant. It's often intertwined. 

Professional Memberships and Associations: Mention any professional memberships, affiliations, or associations you belong to, which demonstrates your commitment to ongoing professional development and adherence to ethical guidelines.

Avoid jargon: When creating a therapist profile, it's essential to avoid excessive use of jargon to ensure clear and effective communication with potential clients. 

While it's important to showcase your expertise, using too much technical language can create confusion and alienate individuals seeking therapy. 

Instead, aim to present information in a simple and accessible manner, using language that is easily understood by a general audience.

Strive to explain therapeutic concepts or approaches in layman's terms, providing relatable examples or analogies when appropriate. By avoiding excessive jargon, you can foster a sense of trust, approachability, and inclusivity, making it easier for individuals to connect with your profile and feel confident in reaching out for therapy.

For example…everyone loves ‘pluralism’ at the moment, which is a new word for an old thing, as these things often are. This is the smashed avocado of therapy jargon today.

Make this relatable to who you want to work with. If you choose to include the term "pluralism" in your therapist profile, it's important to provide a clear and concise explanation of what it means (if you even need to use the term at all) and how it informs your practice and most of all how it will help the client! Use language that is accessible and easily understandable for a general audience.

Photos: I’ve seen many a profile photo. Good looking, angelic and youthful...yet the man who opens the door to you is Sid James. I’ve never understood this. Nor do I understand modelling style photos.

Just take a normal photograph.

I don’t often have my photograph up, not because I look like a bag of spanner’s, but I started out young and thought it wouldn’t really give the impression I wanted to give justice to.

I took no lack of confidence from this, I felt I was being realistic at the time. Now, being a younger therapist isn’t really that unusual compared to the late 90s/2000s.

Years in, I still do not have a picture up. That’s because I’ve built up word of mouth over the years and because it’s common for people to comment that they chose me because I didn’t have a photo. It feels more unusual now than then because everyone who has a face has it plastered on something online. In my case, why change...yet? 

That’s right for me but you’ve got to decide what’s right for you. I think looking at too many profile photos won’t tell you what you want to portray. Only you can!

Imagery: If you're using imagery on your webpage or directory listing be creative. Easier said than done when us therapists are relegated to images of neatly balanced pebbles m, a forest which is dappled with partial sunlight, which always reminds me of the strobe lighting effect that sunlight gives me when I'm in a car, causing migraines.

Link to social media accounts: If your counselling practice uses platforms such as Facebook or Twitter, link the page to this so clients can have access to further content.

Check out our training courses for health professionals. 

Harley Street Counselling and Training 2023

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