If you’re the same as every other therapist, how will I know you’re for me? This is an important lesson, combined with personal experience about client attraction. I’ll tell you about how differentiation can help you attract more clients to your mental health practice. So sure, I could tell you how to attract therapy clients, but what if you knew how to attract the right ones?
Listen to this episode here:
As a person who’s been looking for support…
I’ve been looking for support; Specifically, I’ve been looking for a psychologist.
But I’ve run into a little problem: Most psychologists seem the same.
Everyone was kind, qualified, and well introduced.
But as someone with a specific experience of life, I wondered: Yeah, this sounds typical and all, but is this right for me?
The moment of clarity
I saw both sides of something at once. I realised this is the exact same challenge I help my clients with.
When your website is trying to speak to everyone, it speaks to everyone. Thus doesn’t attract the therapy clients you want. The ones you’re most aligned with.
People like me feel turned away. Not because you can’t help us, but because we can’t see how.
So practically, what can you do to attract more therapy clients?
Here’s the deal: If you’re a therapist for everyone, I don’t know if you’re for me.
So if you’ve dealt with immigration, and having to adjust to life in Australia coming from Europe, you’ll be more appealing to that person.
If you have ADHD or autism in your family, then you’ll be more informed when it comes to your neurodivergent clients.
These points of relation make you seem more appealing to a prospective client!
Can you think of a time you made a choice to move forward with a provider because they had a point of connection with you?
If you ever need support bringing this into your website, I’d be happy to assist.
Transcript
Hi and welcome. And if you’re a returning listener, welcome back. Glad to see you again.
Today’s episode is a bit more personal and a bit reflective.
I want to share something that I have been thinking about, not just as someone who works in digital marketing and websites, but as a person who’s been looking for support.
Specifically, I’ve been looking for a psychologist. And it’s been harder than I expected.
Not because there aren’t good people out there, but because everyone kind of looks the same.
The problem with homogeneity
And that’s what I want to talk about today. Because if it’s hard for me to find someone I feel safe with, someone who feels like they get me, I imagine your potential clients might be feeling the same. So let me share a bit of what this process has looked like. I’m someone who tends to research things deeply. So naturally, I decided when it was time to find a psychologist, I went online, googled, click through directories, I visited websites, over and over, and I found the same thing.
Everyone was kind, qualified and well introduced. Most people offered therapy for adults, anxiety, depression, trauma, the usual list. But as someone with specific needs, I found myself thinking, but do you get me? I wanted to feel seen. I wanted to land on a website and have that quiet sense of relief. This person understands where I’m coming from. And instead I was met with very neutral, very professional language, which sounds harmless, but it left me unsure. It didn’t help me trust. It didn’t help me choose. And as a list of tabs open in my browser grew longer, so did my hesitation.
And then I had a moment of clarity, the kind where you see both sides of something at once.
When you speak to everyone, you speak to no one
I realised this is the exact same challenge I helped my clients with all the time. When your website or your marketing is trying to speak to everyone, it ends up speaking to no one in particular. And people like me who are looking for something specific, something that feels like home, like for instance, a psychologist who understands neurodivergent folk, we just can’t find it. We can’t find our way into your home. Not because you’re not a great fit, but because you’re not showing us how.
So let’s talk about what that means for your practice.
I completely understand the instinct to keep your website broad. You want to help lots of people, you want to keep the door open. But if you’re not willing to show who you really help best and how you do it, the people who need you most won’t feel like you’re the right one for them.
And when it comes to mental health, that moment of uncertainty is enough to stop someone from reaching out. Because no one wants to explain themselves in scratch. They want to feel gently understood right from the homepage. That’s what builds trust. So how can you make your digital presence feel more like you? More like the safe space you offer in the room.
Here are a few thoughts gently offered. Number one, be specific. If you specialise in working with queer clients, neurodivergent adults, people recovering from trauma about having to immigrate to Australia or wherever you are, just say that. Say that in plain, warm language.
Number two, show understanding. Not just a service list. You can list anxiety, or you can say something like, I work with people who feel overwhelmed, even when nothing’s technically wrong. And with those who’ve been masking their distress for years, that second version builds connection.
Number three, use your client’s words. Think about what people have told you they were feeling when they first came to see you. Use that language. It’s more real than anything you’ll find in a psychology textbook.
And number four, don’t be afraid to filter. It’s okay if your website gently repels people who aren’t a good fit. That’s what helps the right ones say, yes, this is the person I need.
Conclusion
I want to finish by saying this. The work you do is sacred, and people like me, the ones searching at 11pm, the ones hesitating to click book now, we’re not looking for perfection. We’re just looking to feel seen. And your website, your branding, your words, they can help us feel that. You don’t have to be flashy, you just have to be you.
Progress over perfection. If you ever need support bringing that into your website or your online presence, I’d be honoured to help. Thank you for listening.
Hey, this is Lou Kozlevcar. I’m a digital business consultant, and I help allied health professionals, mental health professionals, and service providers grow online with smart and ethical digital marketing. Until next time, take care and keep showing up.
(gentle music)