Over 70% of new clients use the Internet to find a therapist. When people search for a therapist online, there’s a lot of information for them to wade through. Potential clients consider many factors when choosing a therapist. Often, they have a list of credentials they use to make the process easier.
To reach new clients, it has become imperative for therapists and practices to have an online presence. The key to a good online profile is to stand out from the crowd. Here are the things clients are looking for that you should highlight on your profile.
Finding a therapist online can be overwhelming. Ravel Mental Health makes it easier for clients to find the right therapist for them.
What Clients Want to Know
1. Your Approach
Clients not only want to choose the right therapist but also the right kind of therapy for them. Do you specialize in providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for people dealing with an anxiety disorder, panic attacks, bipolar disorder, or depression? Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy to help treat the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?
Specific techniques or models that you utilize are precisely the types of information that should be front and center on your profile. It helps potential clients imagine what it will be like to work with you during a session.
2. Your Area of Expertise
If you specialize in substance abuse, you may not be the right therapist for someone seeking couples counseling. It’s important to clearly state your area of expertise and the type of clients you typically work with so people know whether you fit their needs.
3. Your Communication Options
Do you offer services in-person, over the phone, through video, or via a messaging platform? Maybe you offer all of the above. Clients will have preferences on what type of communication they are looking for in their sessions. Including this information on your profile helps them know if you meet their criteria.
4. Your Credentials
Including the number of years you’ve been practicing, your education, and your license information helps build credibility with potential clients. This information is the absolute minimum you should include in your profile. You can also include information on community involvement or research you’ve contributed to.
5. Cost and Insurance Coverage
Clients likely have a budget in mind when searching for a therapist. If you include information on the types of insurance you accept, the price per session, or whether you offer sliding scale rates, clients can determine if you fit within their budget.
6. Scheduling
Flexibility may be critical to some clients whose work schedules do not allow them to attend sessions during typical work hours. Be clear if you can accommodate these types of schedules or only work with clients between normal work hours.
7. Length and Frequency of Sessions
Most therapy sessions run for about an hour, but some clients might want or need shorter or longer sessions. Some clients want to meet more than once a week or only once a month. Describe your average session frequency and whether that can be adapted depending on the client’s needs.
8. Your Differentiators
If someone searches for “therapists in San Diego,” they’ll get hundreds of hits. A differentiator could be the thing that helps that potential client call you instead of the therapist next door.
Perhaps you’re the only therapist in your area who accesses clients’ issues on a deeper subconscious level using hypnotherapy. Or maybe you like to utilize art therapy or music therapy in sessions. These differentiators are likely what will draw a client in and keep them coming back.
9. Your Why
Why did you get into therapy? Why do you love working with clients? This is an opportunity to show clients your human side and perhaps a little bit of your own story. If you struggled with an eating disorder growing up and became a therapist so you could help others overcome that struggle, you should share this.
10. Your Personal Traits
Clients are often drawn to therapists who share similar qualities or traits.
Sometimes people look for therapists who are also parents, of the same ethnic background, same sexual orientation, or same faith because they feel the therapist will understand them right off the bat. These factors could also be dealbreakers for potential clients. It’s helpful to determine this before a session is ever booked.
What Clients Take Away
1. Your Tone
What you say isn’t the only thing that matters. It also matters how you say it. When reviewing your profile, potential clients will read between the lines to get a sense of who you are and whether what you say resonates with them on a personal level. The tone you use will help you better relate to your client’s emotions, needs, wants, and interests.
Further, you should use language that clients can resonate with. Avoid clinical jargon as much as possible and instead focus on the experience of the clients you most want to help.
Once you’ve written your profile, read it back to yourself to see how it comes across. Does it sound warm and inviting? Or formal and professional? Adjust as necessary depending on the way you want to come across to potential clients.
2. Your Brand
Your profile is likely the first interaction with many potential clients. How they feel about you after viewing it is essentially your brand. Luckily, you have some control over this. In addition to what you say and how you say it, things like your logo and profile photo can help reinforce what you want clients to feel about you.
Your headshot can be particularly important to how potential clients perceive you. Your dress, smile, and overall style say a lot about who you are and can help potential clients discern their comfort level with you.
3. Your Trustworthiness
You only have a few seconds to make a good first impression once someone clicks on your profile. Building trust and credibility is often an overlooked factor when creating an online profile. Coming across as desperate for clients, old-fashioned, or non-inclusive can seriously hurt your prospect of finding new clients.
4. If You Can Help Them
Ultimately, clients are looking for a therapist who can help them. When scanning your profile, they will be asking themselves, “Can this therapist help me? Will they understand my unique experience”? Spelling out your unique experiences, approaches, and methods will let clients know if you can hold space for them.
Ravel Mental Health is a Resource
Listing your services on Ravel Mental Health is a great first step in growing your business and reaching more clients. It helps potential clients learn more about you and determine if you will be able to help them.
This is because Ravel Mental Health makes it easy for clients to find the right therapist for them. The inclusive online book platform allows you to create profile pages using comprehensive filters to ensure potential clients understand exactly how you can help them. It also allows individuals to check your availability and schedule an appointment at their convenience.
Make it easier for clients to find you. Sign up for Ravel Mental Health today.