If you’re one of those therapists who has a love-hate relationship with social media, you are not alone. You’re probably aware that you shouldn’t only post adverts – no one is going to want to follow a page like that – but should mix your ads with other, useful content. However, thinking up that social media content can sometimes be a bit of a chore, especially after a long day with clients.
Luckily, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel each time you post; there are tried-and-tested post types that can cut out the need to rack
your brains for inspiration. So, in time for the New Year, I’m giving you eight different
types of posts that you can tweak and reuse all year without letting your page get
boring!
1 Myth versus Fact Social Media Posts
These are especially useful for hypnotherapists, who come across a lot
of odd ideas about hypnosis and hypnotherapy. Think of these as educating your
audience by anticipating and allaying any fears potential clients might have.
Post an image that gives both the myth and the fact. Or, if your audience tends to be responsive,
post it as a question and encourage them to put true or false in the comments. Don’t
forget to post the correct answer after a while.
Examples:
- Hypnosis means losing control,
- Only weak-willed people can be hypnotised,
- Hypnotists have special powers,
- Hypnosis isn't real, it's only a placebo.
2 A Peep Inside Your Therapy Room
Clients can feel anxious about coming to see you, so letting
them see your hypnotherapy practice can help to build trust before someone books
a session with you.
Examples:
- A photo of your therapy room or client chair,
- If you have a personalised mug that’s relevant and
reassuring (‘breathe, relax, release’, for example, or your logo), post a
picture of that,
- If not, a snapshot of you, perhaps with a cup of tea between
clients,
- A quick video tour of your room.
3 Tips and Reminders on Social Media Posts
Image posts with short but useful mental health tips often
get shared, which is good for your algorithms, i.e. it gets your name out there.
Or you could post a video of you explaining your tip, since these are also
popular. Don’t make it too complicated; a short social media post is all that’s
needed to offer a simple and practical wellness tip that potential clients can
use.
Examples:
- A breathing technique for stress or anxiety,
- A reframing tip,
- A sleep routine tip,
- A reminder that self-care is important.
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4 Therapist Reflections
Social media posts like this can help potential clients feel
they already know you a little, which builds trust and rapport. You don’t need
to overshare; it’s your professional self you want them to meet. Again, these
posts can be a quick video or a text post with a relevant image to attract
attention.
Example:
- Today reminded me that sometimes the most therapeutic thing
we offer is silence. Clients often fill it with exactly what they needed to
say.
- Your thoughts about why you became a hypnotherapist, or what
you enjoy most about the job.
- If a popular soap or TV programme is running a mental health storyline,
say how well you think they’re doing with it.
5 Mini Explainers for Social Media
Short posts about how hypnotherapy sessions work can attract
clients who didn’t realise you could help with their issues, or inform those
who are at the ‘thinking about it’ stage. These are especially good if you use
Instagram or TikTok, alongside the right hashtags.
Examples:
- How hypnotherapy can improve your confidence,
- Why hypnotherapy can help you with sleep problems,
- What hypnotherapy can offer if you want to stop biting your
nails,
- Your rules about confidentiality.
6 Metaphor Moments for Clients and Therapists
Sharing a brief therapeutic metaphor or reframe can be attractive to potential clients and very shareable. If you're linked to a lot of other therapists, they’ll like them too.
You can get hypnotherapy metaphor ideas
from your everyday life, the time of year, or even one of those little ‘and
finally …’ human interest stories on the news
Examples:
- Seasonal: change starts like a seed growing under the soil, you
don’t notice anything at first, but eventually it will reach the sunlight.
- Every day life: yesterday, someone opened a door for me as I
was going into a shop, and I thought how little moments of kindness can make
our days better.
- Human interest: did you see on the local news recently about
a duck learning to skateboard? It was a lot like looking after your mental
health: at first you wobble a bit and even fall, but eventually you realise
that every forward movement is progress.
7 Behind the Scenes of Your Therapy Practice on Social Media
As with therapists' reflections, this doesn’t have to be too
personal; it’s simply a way to let people feel connected to your professional
self. This is good for building trust and credibility, so they’ll be more
likely to reach out for help.
Examples:
- A photo of CPD notes, reassuring clients you are reflective,
ethical and committed to good practice,
- A photo of your favourite therapy or self-help book with
comments about why you like it,
- A note about what you do to recharge between appointments,
emphasising the importance of self-care.
8 Celebrating Client Wins on Social Media
Social Media posts about your successes, of course, have to be created very carefully to protect confidentiality,
but you can post about therapy outcomes on social media without giving away anything about the
client. Posts showing hypnotherapy results give potential clients with similar
issues hope that you can help them, too.
Examples:
- I love it when a client realises that they haven’t had a
panic attack all week.
- I was so happy to get a thank-you call from a client celebrating
their first year free from smoking.
- I recently had an email from a client who passed their
driving test using hypnosis after failing five times because of anxiety.
- Share a testimonial or a comment a client made in session (with permission).
Other Social Media Marketing Tips for Therapists
- Don't forget to mix these eight ideas with posts that are clearly adverts for your therapy business. For tips on how to do this, check out my blog on writing effective sales posts for social media without feeling salesy
- Write posts a week or a month at a time and schedule them if
you can; there are free and paid schedulers out there that allow you to do this. You can
always add extra posts if you get a sudden inspiration or want to comment on something
time-limited, like a news item or the latest research.
- If hashtags are a mystery to you, ask AI to suggest some.
- Put your business name and logo on every image you post.
- Share other people’s posts as well as writing your own.
- Post regularly so people know when to look out for your
messages. This doesn’t mean several times a day, or even daily. Two or three
times a week is still regular.
- Joining social media groups that focus on your local area is
a good idea, but check the rules about whether, when and how often businesses can
post. Don’t forget to comment on or like other people’s posts in the group from
time to time as well.
It’s nice if you can post fancy graphics or complicated posts,
but not essential. Consistency matters more than perfection, and by mixing up these
eight types of posts, you can keep your content varied and interesting without draining
your time or energy.
Download a FREE Social Media Posting Checklist
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Author: Debbie Waller is an experienced hypnotherapist and hypnotherapy trainer. She is the author of Anxiety to Calm: a Practical Guide to a Laid-Back Life, The Hypnotherapist's Companion, Their Worlds, Your Words, and The Metaphor Toolbox, all available from Amazon or direct from the author. Find out more about Debbie's services on
Yorkshire Hypnotherapy Training - multi-accredited hypnotherapy practitioner training, taster days and foundation levels.
CPD Expert - accredited CPD and other therapy training (online and workshops options), expert and qualified hypnotherapy supervision
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