Dos and Don’ts of Writing Therapist Bios

Mar 11

You have all the right qualifications, you’re passionate about therapy and helping people and you’re available to take clients. But they’re just not calling. What are you missing?

Scrolling through sites like Psychology.com or BetterHelp has convinced me that Therapists are missing the most important thing about their Bio’s. The Client!

If you’ve got a profile on Psychology Today, your own personal website or manage a team of therapists, it’s time to take a second look.

Update your Therapist Bio.

When did you write it?

Why did you write it?

What was it for?

I have encountered so many Therapists that are still using their very first Bio from when they got licensed all those years ago, with maybe some minor updates here and there.

After getting licensed it’s the best feeling to know that you can finally use those letters at the end of your name and you are proud to have that be part of your bio. But would it surprise you to know that most clients don’t even know what those letters stand for or even care? It means something to you and it should because it was a tough road getting here, but what your clients, sorry, potential clients, need to know is that you can help them.

“If you’re talking about you, you’re not thinking about me.” - Client

Ok but surely your qualifications and experience mean something, right? Yes, they absolutely do! But only for a minute and then we’re moving on to read about what you can do for me. We’re pretty self focused that way! Seriously though, if we’re reading your bio we need to talk and we want to feel like we know you well enough to tell you our deepest darkest secrets and you only get one shot to show me that.

What changes should you to make to your Therapist Bio.

A bio that reads like a resume will not get my attention. List the most important things, biggest achievements, or unique qualifications and move on.
Instead of telling me who you are, show me. An easy way to do that is to bring out a little bit (or a lot) of your personality in your Bio. Sincere empathy, understanding, a sense of humor when appropriate. What makes you unique and why should I be talking to you instead of the hundreds of other options available to me.
Show me that you know me. (That rhymed and it was a happy accident and I’m not apologizing for it.) Talk directly to your ideal client. You may not admit to having a favorite client but you definitely have a type! Picture them. What are their concerns, fears and pain points? How are you suited to helping them? What can you do for them?
Don’t list every type of client or every issue you can treat. Pick the ones you are best at and have had the most success with because they are more likely to be the ones that you enjoy working with. These are the clients you want to talk directly to and they are the ones that are gonna call you. You’ll have a happier client and your life will be so much easier.
Don’t use words and acronyms that I don’t understand. It’s awesome that you use ART or CBT or even REBT techniques in your therapy. (I had to look those up!) But that’s Greek to most of us and we don’t want to feel like we don’t speak the same language. If those things are important to you then find a simple way to explain it without the fancy jargon.
Be brief. We have lots of Bio’s to read and the long ones are gonna automatically get scrolled on by because nobody has that kind of time. Just give me enough to get to know you and what you can do for me. There’s a reason that Psychology Today limits their profiles to 3 short paragraphs and that is more than enough.
Check how many times you used the words, I, me and my. Instead use the words you and your. That’s right, one more time for the people at the back. Talk to me!
And for ‘extra cred’ because I know you’re an overachiever, tell me to call you (or text, or email, or fill out the form. Basically whatever type of communication you prefer to get a hold of you.) And might I suggest text because that’s most likely to be the one that gets my attention. It’s called a CTA (see, I also have fancy acronyms). Basically a call to action. Because sometimes we need to be told what to do, so make it easy for us.
Ok, that’s all I’ve got. This blogpost is not titled 10 do’s and dont’s of Therapy Bio’s!

And if all of that seems daunting then here’s the best tip!