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Why Your About Page Matters
Your About page is where potential clients will come to learn more about you and your practice. They have already been intrigued by your home page; now they want to know how you can help them.
The About page is more than a list of your education and experience; it's where your potential clients will connect with you on a deeper level.
The truth is, your About page is more geared toward your potential clients than it is about you. Potential clients are there to figure out if you can help them solve their problems, not to be inundated with facts about where you went to school or how you like polka dancing on the weekends.
Through your About page, your potential clients can see a solution to their mental health woes. It would help if you showed them why they should choose your practice over others and shone a light on the value your services bring.
Have trouble? Let's chat!
Essential Components of An Amazing About Page
A Solid Hook
A hook does not have to be catchy, super creative, or make a significant promise. A "hook" on your
About page is more about empathizing with how your client might be feeling. If you work with couples, make your hook relationship-centric. If you work with teens and depression, make your hook reflect it.
Your hook should be a blend of whom you work with, why you work with them, and how your approach is valuable.
Example of a great hook...
"We are partnering to offer you the best in your reproductive healthcare & beyond.
Collaborating in one place is best practice, and eases the stress of communicating with multiple providers." Iris Mental Health
Consistent Tone
The tone of your About page should be a continuation of the overall tone of your site. Choose a tone such as confident, professional, humorous, edgy, or spiritual. Use it throughout your whole website.
If you are beginning to build your site, start writing your About page instead of the home page or services list. Begin with writing everything you can think of that describes the following
The type of provider you are
What your therapist values are
Why you became a therapist
Your ideal client
Writing down words and phrases that describe the following will help you get a feel for the tone you should use on your website.
Helpful tip: Connect with your potential clients by writing in the 1st person ("I" and "you").
Add Value
Your About page is more about your potential clients than about you. People don't choose a service provider based on the service; they choose because of their unique solution.
Help your potential clients understand how your therapy process benefits them and relieves the problem they want a solution for. In essence, your About page is like a sales letter - minus the icky, sleazy, slimy part.
You can provide a list of steps you take to aid clients in their healing.
Alternatively, you could add a short video clip of you introducing yourself and how your therapy process is beneficial.
One of my favorite ways to demonstrate your value is through storytelling. Weave in the benefits of your approach throughout your about page by sharing an anecdote or personal experience.
Helpful tip: The value section of your About page should be at the top, before your bio.
Empathize Through Storytelling
People love a good story. Better yet, they love to see themselves in the characters!
Humans are captivated by the hero character (themselves), the antagonist (depression, anxiety, oppression, or trauma), and how the hero overcomes challenges to get to where they want to be or have what they want.
Use storytelling on your About page to allow the client to see themselves in the hero you help.
Describe how your service, your approach, or the talents you provide can help them overcome their challenges and "win the fight."
Empathize with how your potential client might be feeling and demonstrate the power of therapy in
their healing process.
Your Bio
It's hard to talk about yourself, especially when asked to shed modesty and talk about how great you are.
Your bio is the place to highlight your story and how you came to be a therapist.
This section highlights "why" being a therapist lights you up. Also, list your qualifications, specialized training, and interests outside of therapy.
GoodTherapy.org published an article, How to Write a Professional Bio, that included a list of questions to help therapists write their bio. Ask yourself these questions and craft your bio section based on your most compelling answers.
How long have you been practicing? What education do you have? What certifications do you have? Do you have any areas of specialization, and what are they? How does your personality influence your approach to therapy? What issues do you have experience treating? Describe issues you work with within therapy and your approach to helping with those issues. (For example, "My approach to treating anxiety is typically x, y, and z.”) What therapeutic methods, approaches, or philosophies do you use/have experience using? Are there any recurring themes or issues you've noticed as you treat people in your area of specialization, and how has this insight guided your approach to helping? What do you view as a key component of the therapeutic alliance/relationship? How do your life philosophy and treatment philosophy overlap? What's the most profound, insightful, or interesting thing you've learned as a mental health professional? Which beliefs play a large role in your life? Which roles do you play in your own life? Why did you choose to become a mental health professional? What do you love most about being a mental health professional? |
High-Quality Photo
Please, please, please....NO SELFIES!
If possible, use a high-quality headshot so prospective clients can see your face.
Additionally, use high-resolution stock images that reflect the personality of your practice.
Like tone, use consistent images throughout your site that relate to the ideal client you serve.
Call To Action
Increase the likelihood of a prospective client connecting with you by including a strong call-to-action (CTA) step at the end of your About page.
A CTA can be inviting them to...
contact you
schedule an appointment
read your blog
buy your book
look at your services page
Helpful Tip: Make it easy for them to take the next logical step in becoming your client.
Be a Resource
If clients cannot schedule with you on the same day, tell them.
If you have a waitlist, share how they can be added to the waitlist.
Additionally, link to other community resources you trust so your potential clients can have more support, especially if they are waiting to see you.
Ethical Considerations
Most licensing boards have guidelines about therapists marketing and advertising their services online or in print. Check with your licensing board for specifics.
A few ethical considerations when writing your about page are...
Confidentiality
Honor the privacy of any past or current clients by staying away from identifying information, even if you have permission.
Testimonial and Case Studies
Sorry to say that you will need to for-go testimonials on your website. Many licensing boards prohibit the use of testimonials and public case studies due to confidentiality concerns and dual relationship issues that could come from asking clients for a testimonial.
No promises/guarantees/cures
Therapy is a healing process, but it is not a cure. Be careful not to make any comments that guarantee results or promise a cure for their emotional ailments.
Copyright/Attribution
If you use any material (photos, graphics, or worksheets) from someone else, you must correctly attribute it to them. Get permission before posting these items on your website to avoid copyright issues. If you are quoting studies, insights, or facts generated by another, bookend the information in quotes and cite the source.
Clinicians forget about this step often, making their website in violation of copyright laws. The last thing you want is the original owner or their lawyers coming to you demanding you take down their proprietary information. Or worse, pay them royalties.
So there you have it! The fun (and not so fun) essentials for writing an amazing About page on your therapist's website.
Which elements are you most excited about? Which ones freak you out? Comment below!
Resources
Brighter Vision via the AAMFT website. How to Write an 'About Me Page for Your Therapist Website. 2019. https://blog.aamft.org/2019/09/how-to-write-an-about-me-page-for-your-therapist-website.html
Good Therapy. For Therapists: How to Write a Professional Bio. 2021. https://www.goodtherapy.org/for-professionals/marketing/digital-marketing/article/for-therapists-how-to-write-a-professional-bio
Sharma, A. How To Write A Bio: Ultimate Guide (With Creative Examples). 2021. https://elitecontentmarketer.com/how-to-write-a-bio-examples/
Brennen, M. Health and Wellness Copywriting: How to Write Great Copy for Your Health and Wellness Business Website. 2021. https://matthewbrennancopywriter.com/health-and-wellness-copywriting-how-to-write-great-copy-for-your-health-and-wellness-business-website/
Huggins, R. Digital Ethics in Putting Forms, Articles and Other Materials on Your Website. 2013. https://personcenteredtech.com/2013/10/27/digital-ethics-putting-forms-articles-and-other-materials-on-your-website/