Your About Page Isn't Really About You (Here's What to Write Instead)
On most therapy websites, I notice the About Page gets treated kind of like a CV. I see credentials, work history dating back to grad school, certifications, and to top it off, I often see that it’s written in an impersonal, removed third-person voice.
If you are like “oh crap, that’s what I have on my About Page, is that bad?” I’ve got you.
Today I’m covering how to write an About Page that actually connects with potential clients and most importantly, helps them feel more ready to hit that “contact” button!
Two Things About Your About Page That You Might Not Know
1. It's the second most visited page on your site (after your homepage).
Why is that? Well, first off, potential clients want to know who this human is that they are going to be trusting with their most personal details.
And second, most people land on your About Page when they're already considering reaching out to you. They're looking for reassurance that you understand what they're going through and that you can actually help.
So imagine you are looking for reassurance that someone understands you but instead all they do is talk about themselves…🧐
2. This page should still be about your client.
Yes, you'll share about yourself. But your focus should still be on connection, just like all the other pages of your site. You're writing for someone who's struggling right now, not someone who's calmly comparing credentials. Know what I mean?
For any page on your website, your potential client needs to see themselves in your words–their struggles, their hopes, the relief they're searching for. You always want to start there.
Here’s what this looks like in practice:
Credential-Focused Start: "I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 10 years of experience. I received my MSW from State University and have training in CBT, DBT, and EMDR. I work with adults dealing with anxiety and depression."
Connection-Focused Start: "If you're reading this, you might be exhausted from trying to manage everything on your own. Maybe anxiety has started showing up in ways that surprise you–the sleepless nights, the constant second-guessing, the feeling that you're always waiting for the other shoe to drop. I work with people who are ready to understand what's driving those patterns and build something different."
See the difference? The second version meets your potential client where they actually are first. Your credentials matter, for sure, and you should include them, but they're not what creates that initial spark of "this person might actually get it."
Stuck on finding the right voice for your website?
🌻 Bloomy: The Therapy Website Pal, my GPT writing assistant, can walk you through your About Page (and every other page) step by step.
Launching first week of December 2025!
What to Include (and What to Skip)
Start with connection, not credentials
Before you talk about yourself, talk to your reader. Begin by meeting them where they are emotionally. Try acknowledging the hesitation, the hope, maybe even the exhaustion of looking for help.
Example:
"If you're reading this, you might be feeling stuck. Maybe you've tried therapy before and it didn't quite work. Or maybe this is your first time reaching out and you're not even sure where to start."
This is the Emotional Journey Principle in action. You're meeting them in their actual emotional state, not in some theoretical calm moment.
💡 Not sure what the heck the “Emotional Journey Principle” is? Check out this post: How to Write Therapy Content That Actually Connects (Beyond the Same Advice That’s Everywhere).
Write in the first person
You already know the power of "I statements" in session. Use them here too!
"I help people..." is warmer and more direct than "Susie helps people..."
Besides, you wouldn’t start talking in the third-person in session, so definitely don’t do it on your website.
Share what matters (e.g. not every clinic you’ve worked at dating all the way back to grad school)
Your potential client doesn't need your full CV here. What they're looking for is resonance. That feeling of "this person gets what I'm going through."
Share what drew you to this work. What you believe about therapy. The kind of change you love helping people make.
Tell a story (only be as personal as matches your style)
Your story doesn't have to be deeply personal. It could be why you do this work, what you've learned from your clients, or what you believe is possible in therapy.
The key is making sure your story connects back to your client's experience. Share what helps them see themselves working with you.
🌻 Bloomy can help you find the right words here too — she knows how to weave your story with professionalism and heart.
Be strategic about where you place and how you format your professional info
You should definitely include relevant credentials, don’t get me wrong, but long lists of letters and certifications don't build connection, and they make your page harder to scan.
If someone needs that information, they'll find it, so I usually recommend placing it further down the page.
What they need first is to know what it's like to actually work with you.
I also usually like to format the info in a bullet list to make it easier to scan and if there’s a lot of info, I will group them into categories like “education & licensure” “clinical background” “certifications & training”
FAQs on Therapist About Pages
“Should I Include “Fun Facts” on My About Me Page?”
This is one of the most common questions I get: Do I need a "fun facts about me" section? Should I mention my hobbies or what I do outside the office?
The answer: it depends.
If you specialize in things like grief, loss, infertility, or couples on the brink of divorce, a breezy line about your love of matcha or weekend hikes can potentially come across as tonally off.
But there are other specialties where personal details do help build connection:
If you work with teens or tweens who might be skeptical about therapy
If your ideal client tends to be therapy-reluctant and needs reassurance that you're approachable
If the details you share help your client relate to you in a way that matters (like sharing that you're also a parent if you work with parents)
The key is asking yourself: Does this help my client feel more comfortable reaching out?
If yes, include it! If you’re just doing it because you feel like you should, or it feels disjointed from the emotional weight of what brought them to your site, skip it.
”Should I Include Testimonials on My About Page?”
Yes , if you have them.
Testimonials build trust and help potential clients see that real people have been helped by your work. They provide social proof at exactly the moment someone is trying to decide if you're the right fit.
A few guidelines:
Keep them specific (vague praise like "she's great!" doesn't tell anyone much)
Make sure they speak to the outcomes or experience your ideal client is looking for
Sprinkle them naturally throughout the site they don't need their own separate page
Important: If you're wondering how to collect testimonials ethically as a therapist, I wrote a full guide on how to get Google reviews without crossing ethical lines.
“Do I need a photo of me on my About Page?”
Yes. It matters for connection. People want to see who they'd be working with.
A few tips:
Get professional photos if you can, but if that’s not in the budget, at the very least make sure the photo is crisp, clear, and high-resolution (a new smartphone or a friend with a nice real camera)
Indirect natural light (think early to mid morning or late afternoon early evening instead of direct, overhead, midday light)
Your photo should be professional but approachable. You want people to get a sense of what it would feel like to sit across from you (or show up on a video call with you).
Avoid overly formal headshots that create distance. You're not applying for a corporate job after all!
“Should I include a video on my About Page?”
I'm going to give it to you straight: video can be great for engagement. But not if you're someone who is super uncomfortable speaking on camera (and trust me, no judgment, I am super awkward). When you have a stilted, stiff, or awkward video it can actually hurt your connection more than help it.
Do you need to be an award-winning actor? No. Do you have to be a smooth, Barack and Michelle Obama-level public speaker? Absolutely not.
But if you are a deer-in-headlights the whole time, maybe best to reconsider the medium.
If video feels relatively natural to you and you can be warm and genuine on camera, go for it. But if the thought makes you want to hide under your desk, you can skip it.
Bottom line: Having a video will not make or break your website or your SEO. And a well-written About Page will always beat an uncomfortable video.
A Simple About Page Structure
Here's a structure that makes it easy for your reader to follow and helps you organize your content:
Section 1: Connection & Empathy
Speak directly to what your ideal client might be experiencing right now and what's bringing them to therapy.
Section 2: Who You Are & How You Help
Bridge into your story — why you do this work and the kind of clients you work best with.
Section 3: Your Approach
Describe what therapy with you actually feels like. Be specific. Use examples if you can.
Section 4: Call to Action
This is the part therapists forget most often, but it relaly matters. Don't let your About Page just trail off. Your reader has gotten this far, which means they're interested. Make it easy for them to take the next step.
Keep it simple and low-pressure: "If this sounds like what you're looking for, let's schedule a quick call to see if we're a good fit." Or: "Ready to get started? You can book a free consultation here."
Without a clear next step, you're leaving people hanging at the exact moment they're most ready to reach out.
The Biggest About Page Mistakes Therapists Make (And How to Fix Them)
Writing in third person → Use "I" statements. You're having a conversation, not writing a press release.
Leading with credentials → Lead with empathy and connection. Your degrees matter, but they're not why someone will choose you.
Being too vague → "I offer a safe space" tells them nothing. Get specific about who you help and how you help them.
Ending abruptly → Include a clear next step. Make it easy for them to reach out.
More About Page FAQs
-
Aim for 400-800 words. Long enough to build connection and trust, but not so long that people lose interest. (This applies to all the core pages on your site.)
If you have more to say, consider linking to a separate page with your full bio or CV, that way if people are super interested in that granular level of detail they can find it, but it won’t bog down your page too much for the majority.
-
No. Just include the essentials that help make it easy for your potential client know you're qualified to help them.
Include:
Your degree (MSW, PhD, PsyD, etc.)
Your license type and where you're licensed
Certifications or advanced training in modalities that savvy clients look for (like EMDR, EFT, IFS, ketamine-assisted therapy, etc.)
Skip:
Every single place you've ever worked (unless it's highly relevant to the client you're trying to attract, which it rarely is)
Every training or workshop you've attended
A full CV-style breakdown
You don’t want to make this hard for people to sort through. Your About Page should show you're credentialed and qualified without turning into a resume. Lead with connection, then back it up with the credentials that matter most to your ideal client.
-
100% yes! This helps with local SEO (so people in your area can find you) and helps potential clients know immediately if you're accessible to them. Weave it in naturally: "I'm a therapist in Portland, Oregon specializing in..." or "I work with couples throughout the Bay Area who are navigating..."
-
Review it once a year or whenever your practice focus shifts. If you've added a new specialty, changed your approach, or realized your ideal client has evolved, update your About Page to reflect that.
-
It depends on your audience and your natural style. If humor is part of how you connect and your ideal client would appreciate it, go for it and use your natural voice.
Just keep in mind your audience. If your clients tend to be in crisis, then humor might feel tonally off.
When in doubt, prioritize warmth and clarity over cleverness.
Final Thoughts
Your About Page should feel like a real conversation with a client in distress who is wondering about you. Keep this in mind while you write and you’ll be on the right track.
If you need help finding the right words, Bloomy: The Therapy Website Pal can walk you through writing your About Page in your own voice.
