Depression Therapists Need to Get Listed

Depression therapists, no matter how good they are, need to get listed. What good are a PhD in Counseling Psychology and a license to practice psychotherapy if you can’t even get any patients? Yes, you may have the potential to be a modern-day Sigmund Freud and revolutionize the field of psychology, but no one’s going to know about your practice if it isn’t listed. In order to work as a depression therapist, you need patients; in order to get patients, you need to get listed. It’s that simple. Just how do you get listed?

Get Listed Online

The cheapest way and most cost-effective to get listed, of course, is to build a personal website and advertise online. The hitch is, you’ll be joining the ranks of dime-a-dozen therapists who each claim to be the ones their patients need. What’s even worse, those same ranks are probably littered with a bunch of scam artists pretending to be depression therapists so they can make an easy buck off of innocent people.

It Pays to Look Good

If you choose to go the online route, you’re going to have to put a lot of effort into building your credibility. This means you’ll need a well-made, professional-looking website to act as your practice’s virtual face. Since this is where most of your prospective patients will first acquaint themselves with you, it’s important to make a fantastic first impression. If you don’t really have an eye for design, or don’t have the technical expertise to build a website, it’s a good idea to avail of a professional web designer’s services.

The Write Stuff

When it comes to the copy of your website, make sure that the content is actually helpful to however is visiting. Introduce yourself, tell your prospective patients what your depression therapy practice can do for them, and offer a few free tips on how to deal with depression. Remember to check for and correct any spelling or grammar errors, as those reduce your credibility. Ensure that your credentials and contact information are easily accessible, and you should have no problem with your website.

Online Directories

Once you’ve got a good thing going with your website, you’re ready to have it listed. There are numerous web directories you can submit your site to, and each has its own guidelines for submission. Two of the most popular directories online are DMOZ and Yahoo! If you can get your website listed there, you can be sure to get visitors.

You can also submit your information to several niche directories. Find a Therapist for instance, is a web service that helps people look for therapists in their area. Think of sites like these as online specialty phonebooks – definitely a good thing if you want your practice to be found.

The Traditional Way

Of course, if you’re a registered depression therapist (and you certainly should be registered if you want to practice therapy within the bounds of the law), your business will automatically show up in the business registry and in phonebooks. The key to getting spotted in these massive collections of businesses is to contact the phone company and make an eye-popping design entry. This will come at a fee, of course, but it’ll do wonders for your practice.