Do You Make These Common Mistakes In Your Therapy DirectoryProfile?

Do you have a profile on The Therapy Directory? Are you making these common mistakes that are keeping you from getting more clients from your profile?

• Using I/me/my language instead of you (client) language. Prospective clients want to know how you can solve their problem, not what kind of degree or license you have or where you went to school.

• Talking in "psycho-babble." Pretend you don't have a graduate degree -- instead, put yourself in the shoes of a prospective client and explain how you can help him or her in a way that he or she can easily understood.

• Your profile has one or more typos. There is no excuse for errors in your profile. Copy-and-paste your narrative into a word processing program and run a spell-check. Double-check that your phone number is correct, and that your name is spelled correctly!

• Not including your photo. You can almost double the number of clicks your profile receives if you include a photo (but it has to be the right photo).

• Being too broad in your narrative description. The most effective profiles identify a specific issues -- or a category of problems -- that a prospective client might be experiencing.

• Trying to promote an entire practice with your profile -- not just you. If your Therapy Directory profile uses your practice name instead of your name, or your narrative references other therapists, you are diluting your impact and missing a possible opportunity to connect with prospective clients.

• Not setting yourself apart from other therapists. What makes you different from other therapists? (Your education? Your training? Your ability to speak Spanish?) Many therapists "look" alike online. Find ways to differentiate yourself ("Omaha's only therapist who...")

• Wasting the space you've been given. You only get 200 words in your Therapy Directory narrative -- so make the most of them! Don't waste valuable space on unnecessary information.

• Limiting your geographic scope. You can include up to three cities/zip codes in your profile (your own zip code, plus two additional ones), which allows your profile to appear in search results outside of your specific zip code. If you're not using this feature, you may be missing out on prospective clients from nearby areas.

• Providing a broken link to your website. The number one goal of your Therapy Directory profile is to attract prospective clients. Many prospects will want to check out your website, if you have one. So make sure the link on your Therapy Directory profile is working once your profile is live.

If your profile has one or more of these mistakes, you're missing out on clients! Call Bridget at (402) 393-4600 for a free evaluation of your Psychology Today Therapy Directory profile.