I don’t know who needs to hear this, but if you are a mental health therapist and don’t have a headshot on your website, you are actively losing potential clients.
I have a friend currently looking for a new therapist, and it’s shocking to both of us how many therapists don’t have a photo of themselves on their website.
Even worse is when they don’t have a photo of themselves but then have a bunch of generic stock images on the website, which does nothing but make them look even more like a robot and less relatable.
If you’re a therapist, thinking, “what I look like shouldn’t matter to potential clients as much as my experience and credentials,” I hate to break it to you, but it does. In fact, a lack of headshot is also given a certain impression of you.
Also, have you read any therapist bios or websites lately? Sorry to break that to you, but they all sound very similar.
A therapist without a headshot immediately gets lost in the sea of heart-and-soul-filled bios and trauma-trained credentials in less time than it takes to say, “I don’t need a therapist, I have chocolate.”
Humans are visual beings. It’s part of how we connect.
People looking for a therapist are often looking for some form of relatability in the other person. Their bio and background help a little, but also just showing a potential client what you look like helps immensely in establishing a connection.
My same friend mentioned above is looking for a female therapist of a certain age or older. Given her own age, she doesn’t feel like a 25-year-old therapist could guide her in the same way that a 55 to 65-year-old therapist could. Age isn’t something often disclosed on an “About Me” page, but can be inferred (at least ballpark range) from an updated headshot.
Furthermore, how can you expect others to be vulnerable with you if you can’t even be vulnerable enough with them to have a photo of yourself on your website?
It’s the first way to establish trust.
And an easy way to show that you’re human.
If your potential clients could resolve deep-seated issues on ChatGPT, they wouldn’t be shopping around for a therapist. I’m not saying there aren’t those using AI in that way, but those who are looking for a human therapist are looking to connect with another human.
Prove to them that you are one.
If you want to truly be there for your clients, then show up for them, starting by showing up on your own website.
