I know, I know, in the age of AI, search engine optimization (SEO), or in other words, showing up on Google and other search engines, has become incredibly difficult. Now, everything is summarized with an AI overview, and it feels like there’s no point. But there is, my friend, there is. You can still show up in the AI overview, speaking as someone who is the number one entry for “ghostwriter for therapists.”
If you establish yourself as an authority, it’s still possible to get some web traffic. And the best way to do that? Blogging! OK great. Now the question is, “What should I, as a therapist, actually blog about?”
It may seem like the field is broad, and it is as well as isn’t. If you’re blogging to attract prospective therapy clients, the best topics are the ones that connect what your ideal clients are experiencing with the problems you help them solve. That means you need to write about the questions, frustrations, fears, and patterns that bring the right people to your website.
Here are 50 ideas to get you started.
Blog topics about problems your clients are experiencing
These topics work because people don’t always search for a therapist by saying, “I need therapy.” Sometimes they search for an explanation for what’s happening to them. So that looks like the following:
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Why Do I Feel Anxious When Everything in My Life Is Fine?
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Why Am I So Exhausted All the Time?
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Why Do I Keep Overthinking Everything?
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Why Do I Feel Like I Can’t Relax?
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Why Do I Have Trouble Making Decisions?
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Why Do I Keep Procrastinating on Things That Matter to Me?
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Why Do I Feel Guilty When I Say No?
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Why Do I Keep Putting Everyone Else’s Needs Before My Own?
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Why Do I Feel Like I’m Failing Even When I’m Doing Well?
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Why Do I Keep Having the Same Argument With My Partner?
These are particularly useful because they show how you think about a problem and also offer a solution. This is you offering a mini therapy session because you’re not just telling readers that you treat anxiety, depression, relationships, or whatever your specialty happens to be.
Blog topics that answer questions prospective clients are already asking
Other blog topics are ones that cluster around people who are closer to therapy than they realize. They may be searching for information about therapy itself before deciding whether to contact someone.
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How Do I Know If I Need Therapy?
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What Should I Talk About in Therapy?
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What Happens During the First Therapy Session?
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How Long Does Therapy Take?
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How Do I Know If My Therapist Is a Good Fit?
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What If I Don’t Know What to Say in Therapy?
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Can Therapy Help If I Don’t Have a Mental Health Diagnosis?
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What Should I Do If I Don’t Like My Therapist?
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Is It Normal to Feel Worse After Therapy?
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How Do I Find a Therapist Who Specializes in My Problem?
These posts can also reduce some of the uncertainty that keeps people from reaching out in the first place. And yeah, 12 other people in your city may have written the same post, but that’s OK because you’re telling prospective clients your perspective and building trust/establishing a parasocial relationship with them. You’re supporting them in taking one step closer toward working with you.
Blog topics that demonstrate your expertise
These are my favorite. I love blog topics that go deeper and explain something that reflects your particular clinical perspective. These are the topics that have nuance and make you think. Some examples:
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Why Anxiety Doesn’t Always Look Like Anxiety
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The Difference Between Healthy Boundaries and Emotional Walls
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Why Knowing What You “Should” Do Doesn’t Mean You Can Do It
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Why Understanding Your Childhood Doesn’t Automatically Change Your Patterns
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Why Self-Awareness Isn’t Always Enough
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What People Get Wrong About [Your Specialty]
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Why Coping Skills Sometimes Stop Working
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The Difference Between Avoiding a Problem and Taking a Break
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Why You Keep Repeating Patterns You Know Aren’t Good for You
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What I Wish More People Knew About [Your Area of Expertise]
Blog topics for your ideal client’s specific life stage
Sometimes therapists make the mistake of going super broad. “I want to treat anxiety.” OK, but do you have someone more specific in mind? Like moms who are experiencing anxiety about going back to work? If you specialize in a particular population or life stage, write directly to that experience.
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Why Becoming a Parent Can Bring Up Feelings You Didn’t Expect
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Starting Over in Your 40s: Why Major Life Changes Can Feel So Disorienting
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When Your Career Looks Successful but You Feel Miserable
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Why Dating Again After a Long Relationship Can Be So Difficult
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When Your Children Don’t Need You the Way They Used To
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Why Friendships Change as We Get Older
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How to Cope When Your Parents Are Aging
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When Everyone Around You Seems to Have Their Life Figured Out
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What Happens When the Life You Built No Longer Feels Like Your Life
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How to Know When It’s Time to Make a Major Life Change
The more specifically you can speak to the life your ideal clients are living, the more likely the right person is to think:
“This therapist understands people like me.”
Blog topics that help prospective clients find you through Google
SEO can be useful for therapists, but you don’t need to turn your blog into a collection of keyword-stuffed articles. Instead, think about what someone might actually type into Google when they’re struggling.
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How to Find a Therapist for [Specific Problem]
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Therapy for [Specific Problem]: What to Look For
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How to Find a Therapist Who Specializes in [Your Specialty]
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[Your City] Therapist for [Your Specialty]: What to Look For
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What Is [Your Specialty] and How Can Therapy Help?
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When Should You See a Therapist for [Specific Problem]?
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How Therapy Can Help With [Specific Problem]
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What to Expect From Therapy for [Specific Problem]
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Therapy vs. [Common Alternative]: Which Is Right for You?
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5 Signs It Might Be Time to Talk to a Therapist About [Specific Problem]
The trick is to make these genuinely useful rather than turning them into advertisements for your practice. And trust me, these work! I’ve helped numerous people grow their practice by writing blogs that use keywords just like those.
I know I gave you a bunch of topic ideas, but the goal isn’t to become a content-producing machine. You want to create a small collection of excellent articles that bring the right people to your website.
Some of the most effective therapist content is simply a therapist explaining something they know deeply. Your clinical perspective is what makes your content valuable.
- Write about the things you find yourself explaining over and over.
- Write about the misconceptions you encounter.
- Write about the patterns you see.
- Write about the questions that make you stop and think.
Those are the things you enjoy writing about AND can make a prospective client feel like they’ve already gotten a glimpse of what it’s like to work with you, which is ultimately what you’re trying to accomplish.
Your blog isn’t just there to get people to your website. It’s there to help the right people recognize you as a potential fit.
Have the ideas but not the time?
Coming up with topics may be the easy part. Finding the time to turn those ideas into thoughtful, well-written articles is another matter, which is exactly where a ghostwriter can help.
I work with therapists to turn their expertise and ideas into blog posts, newsletters, website content, and thought leadership pieces that sound like them — not like generic marketing copy.
If you have plenty to say but never seem to have the time to write it, I’d be happy to chat. Just reach out.