Your Psychology Today Profile is Costing You Clients

When someone types their zip code into Psychology Today, they get a wall of therapists. Rows and rows of faces with four lines of text underneath each one.

Four lines. That's what you get before they scroll past you.

If your first line is "Hello! My name is..." or "I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with 10 years of experience..." you've already lost them. You sound like everyone else. And when everyone sounds the same, people pick based on convenience or cost - not fit.

Your first line is your niche statement.

The very first sentence of your profile should tell your ideal client exactly who you help. Not your credentials. Not your modalities. Not a greeting. Your niche.

I just searched a random Atlanta zip code. Here's what I saw over and over:

"Hello! My name is [name] and I am a licensed therapist in the state of Georgia..."

"I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with a Master's degree in..."

"Welcome! I'm [name], a passionate and dedicated therapist committed to fostering growth..."

"Congratulations! You just made an important step in the change process..."

None of these tell me who they help. None of these make me stop scrolling.

Now compare to this:

"I help high-achieving women navigate life stressors and mental health concerns."

"I specialize in working with big-hearted people-pleasers who want to move beyond limiting patterns of self-doubt, fear, and overthinking."

"Therapy for new moms who feel like they're failing at everything."

Those make the right person stop. Those make someone think "wait - that's me."

The four-line test.

Before you do anything else, go look at your profile the way a potential client sees it. Search your zip code. Find yourself in the list. Look at those four lines.

Do they tell someone who you help? Do they speak to the client's experience? Or do they talk about you?

If your four lines are about your credentials, your training, your years of experience, or your therapeutic approach - rewrite them.

Speak to them, not about you.

Your ideal client isn't searching for a therapist thinking "I hope I find someone with a Master's degree from a good school who uses an integrative approach combining CBT and mindfulness."

They're thinking "I'm exhausted. I'm anxious. I don't know what's wrong with me. I need someone who gets it."

Write to that person.

Instead of: "I am a licensed therapist with 15 years of experience specializing in anxiety and depression."

Try: "You're exhausted from holding everything together. The anxiety never stops, even when everything looks fine from the outside."

The first one is a resume. The second one is a mirror.

What to cut.

Your full name in the first line (it's already at the top of the profile). Your credentials in the first paragraph (save them for later). Long lists of modalities (clients don't know what these mean). Generic phrases like "warm and supportive environment" or "meet you where you are." Anything that could be copied and pasted onto another therapist's profile.

What your first four lines should include.

Line 1: Who you help (your niche statement). Lines 2-4: What they're experiencing and what's possible.

That's it. You have maybe 10 seconds before they scroll. Use those seconds to make the right person feel seen.

The rest of the profile.

Once you've hooked them with the first four lines, then you can talk about your approach, your background, what makes you different. But none of that matters if they never click through to read it.

The issues and specialties checkboxes matter too - don't check 30 boxes. Pick the ones that genuinely reflect who you want to work with. Every box you check dilutes your message.

Test it.

Search your zip code. Look at your profile next to everyone else's. Would you click on you? Does anything make you stand out?

If not, rewrite your first line today. Make it your niche statement. Make it about them.

Join the Patreon community for profile reviews, marketing feedback, and weekly support: https://patreon.com/privatepay

Advertising, Marketing, and Networking: They’re Not the Same Thing

Therapists use these words interchangeably all the time. “I need to do more marketing,” when they mean advertising. “My advertising isn’t working,” when the problem is actually their messaging. “I hate marketing,” when what they really hate is self-promotion.

Let’s untangle this.

Marketing is the umbrella.

Marketing is everything about how you position yourself and communicate your value. It’s your messaging, your brand, who you’re trying to reach, and how you talk about what you do. Marketing answers the questions: Who do I help? What problem do I solve? Why should someone choose me?

Your website copy is marketing. Your Psychology Today profile is marketing. The way you describe your practice at a networking event is marketing. The Instagram post you wrote about burnout is marketing.

Marketing isn’t something you do - it’s the foundation everything else sits on.

Advertising is paid visibility.

Advertising is when you pay to put your message in front of people. Psychology Today is advertising (yes, that monthly fee is an ad). Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram promotions, sponsored posts - all advertising.

Here’s where therapists get tripped up: they invest in advertising before their marketing is solid. You can pay for all the visibility in the world, but if your messaging doesn’t resonate, you’re just paying to be ignored.

I’ve seen therapists spend hundreds on Google Ads driving traffic to a website that says, “I provide a warm, supportive environment using evidence-based approaches.” That’s not a message. That’s wallpaper.

Networking is relationship-based visibility.

Networking is building connections with people who can refer to you or collaborate with you. Coffee meetings with other therapists, connecting with physicians, building relationships with school counselors, and joining professional communities.

Networking is slow. It doesn’t scale. And it’s often the most effective thing you can do.

Why? Because a referral from a trusted source carries weight that no ad can match. When a psychiatrist tells their patient “I know a therapist who specializes in exactly what you’re dealing with,” that person is practically sold before they ever visit your website.

So what does this mean for your practice?

First, get your marketing right. Clarify who you help and what transformation you provide. Make sure your website and profiles actually speak to your ideal client’s experience - not just your credentials and modalities.

Second, don’t over-rely on any single advertising channel. I’ve watched therapists build entire practices on Psychology Today referrals, then panic when the algorithm changes or their area gets saturated. Diversify. Maybe it’s Psychology Today, a Google Business Profile, and one other directory. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Third, network consistently. Not frantically when your caseload drops - consistently. Two coffee meetings a month. Staying connected with colleagues. Building real relationships, not just collecting business cards.

Here’s the thing: advertising costs money. Networking costs time. But bad marketing costs you both - because you’ll spend money on ads that don’t convert and time on networking conversations that don’t lead anywhere, all because your message isn’t landing.

Before you ask, “Where should I advertise?” ask, “Is my message clear?” Before you ask, “How do I get more referrals?” ask, “Do people actually understand who I help?”

Marketing first. Then decide how you want to get visible - through paid advertising, relationship-building, or ideally both.

Not sure what to charge? Start with the Private Pay Rate Calculator to get your numbers clear.

Why “I Work With Anxiety and Depression” Isn’t A Niche

If your answer to “who do you work with?” is “I work with anxiety and depression,” you don’t have a niche. You have a description of 80% of therapy clients.

I know this feels controversial. You went to school to help people with mental health issues. Anxiety and depression are mental health issues. Why wouldn’t you list them?

Because when everyone says the same thing, no one stands out. And when no one stands out, clients pick based on convenience or cost - not fit.

What a niche actually is.

A niche isn’t just a diagnosis or population. It’s a specific person with a specific problem at a specific point in their life.

Compare these:

“I work with anxiety.”

vs.

“I work with high-achieving women in their 30s who look like they have it all together but are secretly exhausted by their own perfectionism.”

The first one describes a symptom. The second one describes a human being. Which one would you click on if you were that woman?

The specificity objection.

“But if I get too specific, I’ll turn people away!”

Maybe. But you’ll also attract the right people - the ones who read your website and think “it’s like they’re describing my life.”

Here’s what actually happens when you niche down: You become memorable. Referral sources think of you for specific situations. Your marketing becomes easier because you know exactly who you’re talking to. And counterintuitively, you often get more inquiries, not fewer.

I’d rather have 10 inquiries from people who are genuinely a great fit than 50 inquiries from people who picked me because I was available on Tuesdays.

How to find your niche.

Start with energy, not strategy.

Who do you love working with? Not who can you work with - who lights you up? Who do you think about between sessions because you’re genuinely invested in their progress?

Now flip it: Who drains you? Who do you dread seeing on your schedule? What types of clients leave you feeling depleted?

The patterns there will tell you more than any market research.

Then ask: What do I bring that’s different? Maybe it’s lived experience. Maybe it’s a specific training. Maybe it’s your style or approach. Your niche lives at the intersection of who you love working with and what makes you uniquely suited to help them.

The “I help” statement.

Try this formula: I help [specific person] who is struggling with [specific problem] so they can [specific transformation].

Not: “I help adults with anxiety and depression.”

Instead: “I help new moms who feel like they’re failing at everything rebuild their confidence and actually enjoy motherhood.”

The first is forgettable. The second makes the right person feel seen.

The Playbook walks you through finding your niche step by step. Grab it here: https://a.co/d/g6bBKPZ