Your ideal client is pissed off.
Or desperate. Or terrified.
We can’t presume to know exactly what they’re feeling at the moment they go looking for your help.
But they are looking for mental health support on the internet and there are a couple of assumptions we can make about their state of being.
For one, it is likely heightened.
Which means they have limited cognitive bandwidth.
Their spouse may be in the bathroom. They might need to leave to pick up their kids from school in ten minutes.
On an impulse, they opened a browser and typed “therapy near me.”
They are looking for help in the midst of the very crisis for which they are seeking support.
Based on those assumptions, there are a few reliable things we can do to tailor our messaging to their needs.
Give them space.
When reading content online, ample empty space helps our eyes scan for relevant messages.
Avoid large blocks of text.
When in doubt, hit return before writing another sentence.
Make the rhythm punchy
Short, direct sentences help us remember what we read. Think of them like arrows that need to travel the vast expanse between your knowledge and your reader’s comprehension.
If you find yourself using lots of commas, constructing complex sentences, littered with clauses and rattling off lists of symptoms or experiences like anxiety, depression, grief, loss, life transitions … stop. (See what I did there?)
Be more distinct.
Be more succinct.
Spell it out
Break down all of that complex theory into a practical step-by-step explanation of how it works.
Use metaphors and descriptive language to translate your modality into a relatable process.
Module One in TPA, for example, is like basecamp for our hike. We’re going to open up our packs and make sure we’ve brought all the right tools and snacks for our ascent.
We’ll stop there to organize our supplies and make sure we have everything we need before heading out.
The Quarterly Plan is your Trail Map.
The weekly AIR call is your chance to replenish and reorient.
Make it visceral
Show, don’t tell.
Don’t tell them you’ll help them “identify their unhelpful patterns.”
Describe what it’s like to get stoned and lose three hours doomscrolling through an algorithm that leaves them feeling scared and inadequate.
Show them you understand. Walk alongside them for a stretch before suggesting an alternative route.
Make it specific
If you’re not speaking to someone, you’re not speaking to anyone.
Getting out of the high-level theory often means getting down to the nitty gritty.
Picture the experience of a specific human being dealing with a specific crisis. That will also counter the urge to list a bunch of general symptoms.
You try
Select a piece of copy you’ve been working on this week.
Review the tips in this post and see where you can apply a few. Vary your rhythm. Play jazz. Find ways to put the clinical jargon aside and talk to your readers like fellow human beings.
They’re having a hard time.
You know what it’s like to have a hard time.
You probably know what it’s like to find someone who can help.
Show your readers.
A word about AI
We’re all having fun deploying bots for fun and profit.
The power of these tools is remarkable. There are downsides, complexities, and risks that are still coming into view. We’re all finding our way.
I use them. We’re investigating how to best use them as a team to better serve our community.
I’m not a doomer. I’m not a zealot.
My word of caution: write it yourself first. Understand it and make sure it sounds like you.
If you have a sense of your voice and are able to put yourself in your reader’s shoes, you’ll be better equipped to call out the bot-slop and redirect it back to something attuned to a human seeking care in a moment of duress.
Transform your approach with TPA. Click here to get started.