Find Your Authentic Therapeutic Voice

Does something in this title feel incongruent to you? Maybe just a little "off"?

Perhaps the proximity of “finding” and “authentic” in the same sentence? 

The reason this feels awry to you is because it is. If your voice is authentic, there’s nothing to find or create; you already have it! It’s just a matter of channeling it in a way that is productive to your practice and will accrue results-driven outcomes. 

In our last few blog posts, we have focused specifically on branding. You may have noticed the consistent mention of communicating your therapeutic voice, and you might be wondering how a person does that. So, here’s your crash course on putting your authentic therapeutic voice to good use.

Tips for Communicating Your Authentic Voice

1. Consider how you speak to your clients in sessions. Do you have specific colloquialisms that you use to remain personable? Do you have metaphors that you utilize consistently in place of confusing and scientific psychological terms? Do you like to take on a quiet and calming tone, or do you prefer to be a little more outgoing? 
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2. Stay consistent. Make a list of all of the things from Step 1 and keep them posted near your computer. Everything you listed are consistencies that should show up in your online presence— social media copy, blog posts, etc. Truth be told, it can be difficult to remain consistent when you’re busy with your practice or unfamiliar with the various platforms (yes, writing Instagram copy is vastly different than writing blog posts!), but this consistency is what makes your authentic voice truly shine. 

And remember: If you don’t have time for this or you simply don’t enjoy doing it, give us a call. We would love to learn your therapeutic voice and communicate it effectively across your platforms— social media, blog posts, web copy, directory profiles, etc. 

3. Don’t reinvent the wheel or become anyone you are not. What makes you you? Communicating your authentic therapeutic voice is about pinpointing what is already within you and then strategically heightening it for marketing purposes.

4. Imagine yourself as your ideal client. You’re sitting there, scrolling through Psychology Today and Instagram, trying to find a therapist that speaks to you. The process itself makes you more anxious; you can feel your chest constricting at the mere thought of getting help. You have this sinking feeling that it’s going to be an exhausting audition process, and you ask yourself: Is it even worth it? You even consider: Maybe my mental health isn’t that compromised. Maybe I can keep going it alone. 

Now that you’re in the shoes of your ideal client, think long and hard, and ask yourself this: What can I say that will give my ideal client hope, and more importantly, how can I say it? How can I say it in a way that puts all the scrolling to an end and makes your ideal client feel confident about picking up the phone and giving you a call? 

5. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. The therapist community is great in that we are always supporting our associates. We want to see each other succeed because we are all in it for the same end game— to defeat the mental health stigma and collectively help as many individuals as we possibly can. But this camaraderie can often lead to comparison. What starts out as liking each other’s Instagram photos turns to asking ourselves— Wait, why didn’t I think of that? Why is her follower list so abundant, while mine is struggling along? 

Comparison will only hurt your practice. It might take some time, but when you communicate your authentic therapeutic voice and invest in yourself and your practice, you attract good things. Your ideal client will come running because your energy and marketing message is enticing. You will prosper and grow because you are remaining true to yourself and your authenticity.