A Quick Guide to Writing a Psychology Today Profile
In this post, I'll show you how to write a Psychology Today profile to help your listing stand out and attract clients to your practice. You'll get tips about introducing yourself to the readers and listing your qualifications in a way that appeals to the reader.
Psychology Today is the default directory for private practice owners. It's estimated that there're 29.6 million monthly visitors who land on the site. To give you an idea of what it means from an SEO perspective, here's a screenshot of the traffic data.
This presents a great opportunity for your own SEO. Creating a profile in the PT directory will help you direct some of the traffic to your own website. But there's a catch...
You need to create a compelling profile that will attract visitors and bring them to your website or book an appointment with you.
How to Introduce Yourself
For many of us writing about ourselves is a painful process. For therapists, people whose work is about focusing on others, it can present a particular challenge.
You might be tempted to fall back on your expertise and education for that, but that's not the most important information for your reader. What interests them most is who you are as a person and how relatable you are.
With that in mind, you need to define the most important things that you would like your potential clients to know about you. Don't be afraid to include personal details like your background and the reasons you chose the mental health field—that way, potential clients can start forming a connection with you from the beginning.
Remember, people like working with those whom they know, like, and trust. So ask yourself:
What would be most valuable for your potential clients to know about you?
What makes you likable as a therapist?
What tone can you write in to make you seem trustworthy?
It might sound counter-intuitive, but you need to think about yourself from your client's point of view. In that way, your Psychology Today profile is different from your resume.
Add a Personal Touch to Draw in Clients
As you're seeking to establish trust with your target audience, you should describe your strengths and experiences in a way that helps you establish a connection with your reader.
Keep in mind that people want a therapist to whom they can relate on some level, someone who will understand them. Bring your readers into the story of you and help them imagine what it would be like working together. Use a friendly tone of voice that conveys warmth and understanding, allowing potential clients to feel more comfortable with contacting you.
how to write a Psychology Today profile: Include Professional Relevant Qualifications
How do you establish which qualifications are relevant to your reader?
First, you need to understand whom you'd like to attract and what this person might be struggling with. If you need help defining your ideal client, use this free worksheet to do that.
Next, you can showcase your professional qualifications by including details about your education, certifications, professional associations, language proficiency, and areas of speciality that are relevant to the person you're trying to attract.
While it's important to showcase your entire arsenal of accolades, leading with that may detract from the point you're trying to make–showing your readers that you're the right therapist for them. So choose what's relevant to your profile.
Focus on the Areas You Specialize In
The last part you want to highlight in your profile is your expertise. Specifically, how you will be working together with your clients.
Make sure you focus on the areas you specialize in, CBT, MBCT, interpersonal psychotherapy, or any other techniques. It's also helpful to highlight how working with you might be beneficial for resolving concrete issues that your potential clients may be struggling with. Be as knowledgeable and authoritative as possible; that's what potential clients are searching for.
Conclusion
Writing your Psychology Today profile is not a quick task. To get the most out of your listing, you need to dedicate thought to who you're writing it for and in what way you would like to stand out from other listings.
After you've done this initial work, you might want to optimize your profile so it attracts quality leads to your practice. If you need help with optimization, you can purchase a thorough guide to optimizing your PT profile.
