How to Write a Badass About Me Page, Hint It Isn’t About You

Your website is finally up, you’ve picked out your brand colors, written your home page, and a couple of therapy specialty pages. You look at your to-do list and see that the dreaded therapist about me page is next in line. 

If you are like most mental health therapists, talking about yourself feels super uncomfortable and the idea of selling yourself to prospective clients makes you want to crawl out of your skin and hide in a hole. I have good news for you though, your about me page isn’t about you.

When you look at other people’s about me pages they look like super boring professional personal ads. Every single one looks exactly the same using the words “safe, comfortable, and nonjudgmental”, and “called, healer”.

It’s no wonder that the conversion rate for therapist web pages is less than 4%.

And when you’ve tried to find a therapist for yourself, or someone else the “about me” pages didn’t help you decide who to work with. They don’t give you the information you really need. 

Is the purpose of your whole website to tell prospective clients about your dog, hobbies, and credentials, or is it to help them decide if you are the right therapist for them?

It’s to help them decide if you are the right fit therapist for them, and they don’t need to know about your dog to do that.

A Therapist About Me Page Needs to Do 3 Things;

1. Connect with your ideal client- 

   Your ideal client needs to know that you understand what they’re going through and the experience that they’re having. You don’t need to tell them you understand you need to show them. For example, you know what it’s like to have crippling anxiety or a child that is suicidal but saying that isn’t enough. 

   But writing “You hate waking up in the middle of the night unable to fall back to sleep because your mind won’t stop going over all the things you have to worry about” or “Checking on your child 10x a night not because they might not be asleep but because you are worried they might be hurting themselves is the hardest part, constantly trying to block the image of what might be out of your head” shows them that you understand. Can you tell the difference between telling your clients that you understand and showing them that you understand?

   You can share your personal experience around what your clients are experiencing (if you are comfortable). This is also where you talk about your professional experience if it applies. For example “I’ve walked many women through the confusion that comes up when you are getting ready to leave a toxic relationship”. Remember that you aren’t just telling them. 

2. Explain the logistics of how you help-

   This is where you tell your clients how you help them.  You talk about the style of therapy you do and what your particular brand of that therapy looks like.  For example, If you do CBT what does that look like in the therapy room with you?  Our personalities affect how we do the work that we do. Not every EMDR therapist is the same. Help your prospective clients understand how you do what you do.

3. Tell the reader enough that they know you are the right therapist for them-

   This is a small difference but in this section, you explain what makes you different than other therapists. You aren’t just the style of therapy that you practice.  What does working with you look like? Help your prospective clients understand what makes sitting in the room with you different than the therapist down the hall. Show them who you are.

What an About Me Page Isn’t

1. A resume-

   Yes your About Me page should show your prospective clients that you know your stuff. If you have to have a small section that gives the boring stuff- you know your education and your licensing information- sure add that at the bottom (Most states require you to have your license information on your website).  

   Your ideal client doesn’t care about your work at a community agency when you started as a therapist. They don’t care what college you got your degree from. They might care that you’ve worked with eating disorders for the last 20 years but you can use that to show your knowledge, not just tell them you have experience.

2. A Way to Prove You are a Professional

   As long as you have the credentials and education your clients don’t care whether you have a master’s degree or a doctorate. Very few people seeking therapy care if their therapist uses big words and acts as though they are smarter or more professional than the client. Honestly, this turns most clients away. 

   They want to feel like you understand them and you aren’t judging them. If you come off as overly educated and professional it feels cold and like you can’t connect with them. This is the opposite of what you are looking for.

3. A dating profile-

   This also isn’t a place for you to tell your clients extra details about your life. Unless your ideal clients are cat people they don’t need to see a picture of your cat. They don’t need to know what you do in your free time. 

   You can show them that you are a person and that you are approachable in how you approach their problem. Often clients don’t need this information and it can set up a relationship where they already know certain personal details about your life that you honestly don’t want them to know.

Make it stand out

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Here’s What a Killer About Me Page Should Contain-

1. Proof that you understand them and why they are seeking help-

   As I talked about above, this proof is in showing your clients through your writing that you understand what they are going through and what they want in a therapist.

2. Description showing them why you are the right therapist for them-

   Help them know why you are best not by directly telling them but by showing them your understanding of what they are going through.

3. Explanation in non-clinical terms of the type of therapy you offer-

   Once again you are showing them what you do instead of telling them. Describe in detail what it is like to be in the room with you and who this works for.

4. A list of the boring details-

   If you have to put this at the bottom of the page so that your ideal clients can find this information if they need to.

Don’t be afraid to repel the people that you don’t work well with. This saves everyone time in the intake process so that you can work with the clients you can help the most. We are not the right therapist for everyone.

How to Get Started Writing Your About Me Page

Start by brainstorming on these particular topics

• Why are my clients seeking therapy?

• Do I have life or professional experience that helps me understand what they are going through?

• What makes me different from my peers?

• Why is my style of therapy helpful for what they are going through?

Once you have all of that information, you are ready to start writing. Remember, even though this is an “About Me” page, it really is about them and how you can help them. This is the whole focus of the page.

If you would like a bit more guidance on writing an about me page I have a template for sale here. I also have a template for group practice owners to give their employees here.

My favorite part of website copywriting is showing off other amazing therapists through their About Me page. If you are stuck or would prefer to let someone else write your page for you I would love to help. Reach out today for a free 15-minute discovery call.