MHM#77 Feeling hesitant about making videos? I have one piece of advice.

You absolutely don't have to be on social media to grow your therapy practice and fill your caseload. 

But if you are using social media, and you're starting to experiment with creating videos but feeling a little hesitant or unsure of yourself, I have one piece of advice.

Wing it.

Obviously, you need some structure and a rough idea of the key messages you want to get across and what you want people to take away.

But the less reliant you can be on scripts and having every word planned out, the more natural, engaging and authentic you'll come across.

I know that can feel really scary, especially in the early days of creating videos. There's something quite confronting about looking into a camera lens and trying to talk naturally.

And so, understandably, we can feel like we need to prepare. We write detailed scripts, practise what we're going to say and sometimes even turn to AI to help us find the right words.

But the more focused we become on getting the words exactly right, the harder it can be to come across naturally and connect with the people watching it.

And when it comes to marketing yourself as a therapist, that connection is very important.

People aren't just looking for someone with the right qualifications or experience. They're also trying to get a sense of what you're like as a person. Can they imagine sitting across from you in a therapy session? Would they feel comfortable opening up to you?

Video gives people an opportunity to start answering those questions, helping them feel like they can trust you, and making them feel safe to move forward and book an appointment. 

As a therapist, you're one of the best people at connecting with people, having meaningful conversations and building relationships. So when creating videos, you’re really just swapping a client for a camera lens.

When you're thinking about what topics to speak to, always come back to your ideal client.

Will this topic be interesting, insightful, helpful or relevant to them? Will it show them that you understand what they're experiencing, that you work with people just like them, and help them trust that you're the right therapist to help them?

Think about the things that come up regularly in your sessions, the things you find yourself explaining again and again, or the things you wish more of your ideal clients understood.

Then imagine you're talking to a client who is experiencing exactly that.

What would you want them to know? What would you say to help them feel understood?

So, by all means, jot down a few key points before you start recording. But try to resist the temptation to script and perfect every word.

Back yourself. Trust yourself.

Talk into the lens about the things you care about and the things you know your ideal clients will care about too.

Because ultimately, the goal isn't to create a perfect video. It's to give people an opportunity to get to know you and start to imagine what it might be like to work with you.