Most therapists I work with shudder at the thought of a blog. And I get that. Maybe you feel like you aren’t a strong writer or that you aren’t sure what to write about or even if you did, where would you find the time?

In today’s post I’m going to address all of those concerns and give you all the tools I know to actually get started.

Because today’s post is really rich 👇 use these links to jump to a specific section 👇

Should I start a mental health blog for my private practice?

What you need to get started

What to write about in your mental health blog

Decide on your content pillars (and align them with your biz goals)

Decide on your writing strategy

How to get past writing stuckness

The “myth” of a consistent posting schedule

Best practices for high-quality blogs

Tips for optimizing your blog posts for SEO

What to do after you publish your blog post

Can you make passive income from a mental health blog?

Should you start a mental health blog for your therapy practice?

Not every therapist needs to have a blog. To figure out if you should have one, here are some questions to ask yourself:

Are you in a saturated market or niche?
Do you need more clients to find you online?
Do you need to optimize your website for SEO?
Do you want to spend less time marketing on social media?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then blogging could be a good strategy for you.

When it comes to being found online (yes, even in 2025, and even with AI) blogging is still a top SEO strategy because it gives you opportunities to highlight your expertise (which Google loves), use more keywords related to your niche, and generate shareable resources that other websites can link to (which also boosts your SEO!).

Plus people are TIRED of inauthenticity online. They are sick of seeing the same exact content everywhere they look. They want to see more of the real you. Blogging is a way to write in a conversational tone that lets your personality come through.

What you need to get started with your mental health blog.

👉 This might go without saying, but first you need a website.

Major website builders like Squarespace, Wordpress, and Wix all have an option for a blog at this point.

Even if your website itself is really simple, that is totally fine. Your blog will be a separate area of your website that you can build on over time.

(We have simple Squarespace website templates for therapists to get you started.)

👉 You need to know and define your audience.

If blogging is a business strategy, and not just a creative endeavor you are doing for fun, then you will save yourself a lot of time and energy by thinking about what clients you want to bring into your practice and what content they would find helpful before you start typing a word.

👉 And lastly you need some ideas, and we’ll get to that next!

Not sure about your niche? Grab a copy of our free worksheets.

A quick note about what you don’t need to get started.

You do not need a fancy name for your blog. It can literally just be called “blog” 😂 Sometimes we let perfection and comparisons get in our way, but don’t let the small details get in the way of getting started. With every new endeavor, we have to start somewhere, right?

What to write about in your mental health blog.

I do a lot of brainstorming and house all my ideas in one big old document. I have a column for ideas and a column for completed posts. Nothing fancy. Just use a tool that is familiar to you, and easy for you to move things around–again, just start, it doesn’t have to be pretty.

Here’s what to ask yourself generate ideas:

This week, what were issues that came up more than once? Or, maybe it only came up once this week, but you know you have been asked multiple times before. It might be useful to look at your client list for the week and think about each session and what you talked about to jog your memory–no bad ideas (unless of course you are violating HIPAA, then that’s always a bad idea 😂).
What are the most common questions new clients ask? Think about the early phase with a new client. What do people seem confused about when it comes to therapy? What concerns do they express before starting?
Do a little Googling to and check out the “people also ask” section of the search results page to see what people are asking about in your niche.
What resources do you frequently recommend? Do you find yourself suggesting the same books, articles, apps, podcasts, guided meditations, videos, or journaling prompts over and over? A blog post compiling these resources can be a great evergreen piece (and you can continually add to it and edit it over time).
What’s a small, actionable step someone could take today to feel better?
Many people hesitate to seek therapy because they feel overwhelmed. A post offering a simple mindset shift, coping tool, or perspective can be encouraging and a good way to make a connection with someone.
What seasonal or current events might be relevant to your clients? Topics like holiday stress, New Year’s resolutions, back-to-school transitions, or awareness months (e.g., Mental Health Awareness Month, Pregnancy Loss Awareness Month) can provide a timely resource.
What’s a personal or professional lesson you’ve learned that might help others?
Without oversharing, are there insights from your own journey or your work as a therapist that could inspire or guide readers? This also can be a great way to make a connection with a potential client.
You can use AI to help you come up with ideas, but just remember that AI costs water and trees. And we do have brains that are wonderful and that don’t contribute to climate change. I certainly use it for idea generation sometimes, but I try not to use it as my go to for everything.

Get Our Free Blog Post Prompts!

Want even more specific ideas on what to write in your blog?
Get our free list of blog post prompts and get past that blank screen!

Decide on your “content pillars” (aka, the categories you will write about).

Content pillars are the main categories you are going to write about. Most importantly, the pillars should align with your business goals! Again, if this blog is a hobby, then write whatever you want, but if you are writing to grow your business focus on the areas you want to grow.

Just 2 or 3 pillars is fine and I would recommend having no more than 5 or 6. You can have subcategories within those, but that’s kind of an advanced step. For now, just think of your main content umbrellas. ☂️

Examples of aligning content pillars with your business goals:

If you want to attract EMDR clients, you want to write content about EMDR, trauma, trauma symptoms, trauma recovery, how trauma affects your relationships and what to do about it, etc. Everything should be geared toward that particular client and niche.
If you want to sell an online course for couples to help them communicate better using EFT techniques write about common issues couples face and how to deal with them, relationship myths, what EFT sessions really look like, understanding your attachment style and how it impacts your relationship, etc.
If you are trying to book speaking gigs, write about the topics you want to speak about.
If you are trying to sell an e-book write about topics related to the e-book….you get the idea by now!

And remember, always include a call to action related to your goal in your post! Direct your reader with a link or button to your service page, or course page, or book sales page etc.

Keep in mind, not everyone who comes to your site is ready to book a session with you. So another way to strategize your content is to make posts that meet people where they are. Here’s a basic framework you can use:

1️⃣ SEO-Driven Blog Posts. These posts bring in a broad audience by answering broad topics related to your niche. The titles should have keywords you are aiming for into them

2️⃣ Decision-Stage Posts. These posts help clients understand the differences between their various options to meet their goals. For example, what is the difference between CBT and EMDR? Or intensives vs. weekly therapy? Or therapy vs. coaching?

3️⃣ Authority & Thought Leadership Posts. These posts both build trust and position you as the go-to expert in your niche.

4️⃣ Showcase & “Booking-Focused” Posts. These are focused on a deep dive into your process. Using case examples could be ethically dicey, so you’d want to come up with an amalgam or avatar that’s a combo of common issues. Or this could work well if you coach other therapists or work with organizations.

Decide on your blog writing strategy (aka, how you’ll get yourself to sit down and actually write).

You have to come up with a writing strategy that works for you, not what works for that random influencer you saw on Instagram.

Some people like to write in batches in longer stretches (like setting aside a whole day or two), while others like to save a little time to write each week in smaller bits (like setting aside a couple hours on a Friday morning).

Experiment with different environments and lengths of time.

There is no single right way to write, as long as you are making progress. You may work better in:

Smaller chunks of time, like 20-30 minutes
Using timers (as in the Pomodoro Method)
Longer chunks of time like blocking a morning or afternoon
Co-working alongside someone else
Asking for feedback from others (or not getting feedback until a certain point)
Listening to music, being in a cafe, etc
Or being in total silence

How to get past writing stuckness.

This is real, and the first thing I’ll say is give yourself grace. There might be times when you are super inspired and have a million ideas and other times when it’s a slog. That’s called being human.

Here are some ways to get past stuckness:

Know and stay connected with your “why”.
Think about 1-3 goals you have for your private practice. What prompted you to say “Yeah, I’m going to start a blog!”?
And now, crucially, think about what will be different in your life if you reach those goals? Really picture it. And when you are stuck, reconnect with this “why.”
Remove distractions.
Always. Close your browser tabs. Put your phone on silent mode and in another room. Make sure it’s a time where you won’t be disturbed (this can even be in a public space like a cafe if you work better with background noise).
Edit later. Edit later. Edit later.
Just getting your thoughts to “paper” is half the battle. Even if they are not good.
In fact, you should expect them not to be good! Abandon the idea that things have to be good or flow perfectly the first time.
And def do not worry about spelling and grammar to start!
Write like you speak and say what you mean rather than trying to sound “professional”.
It will flow out of you more easily. For blogs, plain, conversational language is more effective every. single. time. Save academic language for academic papers.
If you get stuck, leave it and come back to it with fresh eyes.
Give your brain time and space to process in the background.
My process is always brainstorm -> sleep on it -> outline -> sleep on it -> rough draft -> sleep on it -> first draft -> sleep on it -> second draft -> sleep on it -> publish it -> sleep on it -> edit it again…and on and on forever.
Remember: Research shows that people only read 10-20% of what you write online.
I remind myself of this when I’m agonizing over a word choice or a sentence structure–it’s not that important because mostly are going to skim!
Say it out loud.
Some people are better with talking things through rather than writing them out. You can use voice transcription software to take notes for you, and then organize it after.

The myth of consistent posting schedules (aka, how should you post new blogs).

⭐️ TLDR: Your schedule doesn’t have to be rigid for your blog posts to bring you website traffic and new clients! ⭐️

I think a lot of people don’t get into blogging because they have heard that they need to do it “consistently”, but the truth is, if you write good articles they will continue to drive traffic to your website–even years later!

Now, for sure, posting regularly is a good idea from an SEO standpoint because Google does love to see fresh, regularly updated content to know that your website is being tended to and kept relevant.

But here’s another truth: you can also update old blog posts, or even other pages on your website to signal to Google “yes, I’m here, this business is active, and I’m keeping it up to date”

So all I’m saying is, don’t not get started out of fear you won’t be able to be consistent with it. Just focus on writing high quality content that will be valuable to your audience.

Best practices for writing high-quality mental health blogs.

Make sure the content is relevant and useful to your audience. It should answer an actual, real question, provide some relief from an issue, or be a guide to a real problem your client struggles with.
Break up text into headings, lists, and bullet points. This will make your article much easier to read.
Make your post scannable. In addition to breaking up text with headings and bullet points, use bolded phrases or italicized highlights to make key points stand out.
Be thorough. Longer blogs perform better on search engines, for one. And a well-considered post is going to provide more value to your reader. If a post is really long, consider listing key takeaways at the top like I’ve done at the top of this post! This helps a person navigate the post and also helps search engines know what your post is about.
Express a unique opinion or POV! Don’t just rehash other posts that are out there on the same topic.
Do your research and include citations where needed. Make sure you are providing up to date accurate information, and give credit to other people’s research or ideas.
But still use a conversational tone, not an academic one.
Write like you would talk to a client in session—warm, clear, and jargon-free. You can still sound professional, you just don’t have to be overly formal.
Grammar and spell check. Typos are not the end of the world (I’m sure I have some in this very post!). They can be distracting or look careless if there’s a lot of them. But more importantly, you just want to make sure that what you’ve written is clear and not confusing.
Optimize for SEO without “keyword stuffing”.
Keyword stuffing is when you try to add keywords in, but in doing so, you create a weird sentence 😂 Use natural sentences, add keywords where it makes sense and avoid forcing them in awkwardly.

Tips for optimizing your blog post for SEO.

⭐️ You do not need to be intimidated by SEO or be an expert to optimize your posts! ⭐️

Here are some strategies:

1. Choose your keyword focus for the post (and use it naturally).

Think about what your ideal client might type into Google.
Use long-tail keywords (specific phrases like “how to manage anxiety as a new mom” rather than just “anxiety” will be more likely to show up in searches).
Sprinkle your keyword naturally throughout your post, including:
- The title
- At least one subheading
- The first 100 words
- A few times in the body (but don’t force it!)
- The URL and meta description

2. Write a clear, compelling title. Your blog title should be both descriptive and engaging. Instead of “Managing Anxiety”, try “How to Manage Anxiety When You’re Juggling Work and Parenthood”.

3. Use headings and bullet points. Google ❤️s structured content! Breaking your post into sections with H2 and H3 headings, bullet points and lists keeps people more engaged and helps search engines understand what your content is about.

Check out our article about using headings to optimize your site 👉

4. Optimize your page description (aka, your SEO description or “meta description”).

This is the short preview that shows up on Google under the name of a website. Keep it under 160 characters, so it doesn’t get cut off, and include your keyword, and make it enticing.

✅ Example:

Struggling with anxiety? Learn simple, research-backed strategies
to feel calmer and more connected.

5. Include internal and external links.

Internal links → Link to other helpful blogs or pages on your website. This keeps people on your site longer!
External links → Link to credible sources outside of your website if you reference studies, articles, resources, or other research.
Just make sure you stay on top of those links to see that they aren’t broken or haven’t changed over time. Broken links = 👎 SEO. I personally use SEOSpace* which will audit my website (or single pages) and let me know if something is broken.

6. Optimize images (because Google reads those too!).

Rename image files with descriptive keywords before uploading (e.g., anxiety-tips-for-moms.jpg instead of IMG_12345.jpg).
Add alt text describing the image—this improves accessibility and SEO.
Check out our article all about adding alt-text to images 👉

7. Make it mobile-friendly. Most people read blogs on their phones! Use short paragraphs, big headings, and easy-to-read fonts.

8. Encourage engagement. Google sees engagement (time spent on the page and how much people click links on your site) as a sign that your content is valuable.

9. Keep it fresh (update older posts!)

As I noted above, Google prioritizes fresh content. 🌻 If you have older posts, update them regularly with new insights, info, examples, links to new articles you’ve written, or research to keep them relevant.

10. Be patient and stick with it!

SEO is a long game! The more high-quality, optimized blogs you publish, the better your site will rank over time.

Advanced SEO Tip: How to Avoid Competing with Your Own Website (Keyword Cannibalization 😬 💻)

Every blog post should help your website rank for new searches—not compete with your main service pages. If you target the exact same keywords in multiple places, Google may get confused about which page to prioritize.

A Few Simple Considerations:

✅ Use blog posts to attract people looking for information. Blog keywords should focus on common questions, like “How to cope with anxiety at work” rather than “Anxiety therapy in Austin.”
✅ Keep service pages focused on booking therapy. These pages should target people actively looking for help, using phrases like “anxiety therapy for professionals in Austin.”
✅ Link between them! If a blog post relates to a service, add a natural link like “If anxiety is affecting your daily life, learn more about [anxiety therapy here].”

This way, your blog brings in curious searchers, while your service pages stay strong for potential clients ready to reach out.

What to do once you’ve published a blog post (aka, making sure people actually see your blog).

If you’ve optimized your post, it will show up…over time. It takes Google about 30-90 days to index new content. Do not expect overnight results from blogging. But, that being said, there are some ways to get more traffic from it, more quickly.

Share it on social, whichever platform you use, if any (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X, BlueSky, etc.).
Share it with your email list (if you have one).
Share in professional online communities. If you’re part of any professional Facebook groups, listservs, local business networks, or therapist forums, share your post if that’s something that’s appropriate within the guidelines of that community(without being spammy and posting something every day).

Can you make passive income from a mental health blog?

Your blog, when you follow this guide, can make you money indirectly by bringing in new clients but can you also make money directly from your blog in a more passive way?

Here’s how you would make money from blogging:

💰 Affiliate marketing. This is when you share links to products (think books, apps, software, etc.) and when a person clicks the link and buys the product you make a commission. To set up affiliate marketing deals you usually have to apply directly with the company.

🚫 Advertising. I wouldn’t recommend placing paid ads on your site as a therapist, because you don’t have much control over what is being advertised, so you could get into some confusing or even unethical territory there. Plus, think about how you feel when you visit a website and it’s plastered with ads? It kinda gives you the ick, right?

👩‍🏫 Selling digital products. Your blog could be a funnel for income if you have digital products to sell, such as courses, webinars, e-books, etc. However, it’s not exactly “passive” because you still have to make and maintain the product. But it can become recurrent revenue that doesn’t require 1:1 therapy hours!

✨ Ready to get blogging?

I hope this article helps you get started (or maybe re-started) on your blogging journey. Consider sharing this post with a colleague if you enjoyed it!