majiayu000 Brand Voice for Therapy
Ensuring all NextStep content sounds like Jesse—confident vulnerability, not hedging.
Quick Start
Voice Reference: /docs/branding/voice/BRAND-VOICE.md
The Formula: Confident Vulnerability
The vulnerability comes from WHAT you admit (not having answers), not HOW you say it (hedged language).
| DO | DON'T |
|---|---|
| Direct statements about them | Questions as openers |
| "I don't have all the answers. But I can..." | "I can't promise..." / "I don't know if..." |
| State what you CAN do | Define yourself by what you're NOT |
| "Here's what I've seen..." | "Honestly..." / "At least, that's been my experience" |
| "Sound familiar?" | "Right?" / "Does that make sense?" |
| "I'm with you" | "I want to be with you" |
Voice Dial by Page Type
- 80/20 - Homepage, About, Blog, Email
- 70/30 - Service pages, City pages
- 60/40 - Long-tail pages
- Neutral - Pricing, Contact, Privacy
AI Discovery Strategy (Dec 2025)
"A gets you found. B gets you booked."
| Element | Style | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Meta title | Structured | AI surfacing |
| Schema | Structured | AI parsing |
| H1 | Structured | SEO signals |
| Hero copy | Authentic | Conversion |
| CTAs | Authentic | Trust |
| FAQ answers | Authentic | Citation |
Modes
Apply Mode (Writing New Content)
- Open with direct statement about THEM (not question)
- Use "Sound familiar?" as only check-in
- Frame vulnerability as "I don't have X. But I can Y."
- Use Jesse's verbs (explore, unpack, figure out)
- Positive framing (what you DO, not what you DON'T)
- Keep CTAs as invitations
Verify Mode (Checking Existing Content)
Run the kill list check before publishing:
- No "I don't know if this will resonate..."
- No "Honestly..."
- No "I can't promise..."
- No "At least, that's been my experience"
- No "Right?" or "Does that make sense?"
- No "I want to be WITH you"
- No defining by what you're NOT
- No questions as openers
- No outcome promises
Read-aloud test: Would Jesse say this confidently?
Approved Phrases (Dec 2025 Testing)
Hero Openers
Anxiety:
- "The people who reach out to me aren't broken. They're just tired of their brain running the show."
- "You're probably good at what you do. That's not the problem. The problem is you can't shut off your brain."
Burnout:
- "You're good at what you do. That's not the problem. The problem is you can't turn it off."
- "The promotion came. The exhaustion stayed. Now what?"
Vulnerability Statements
- "I don't have all the answers. But I can walk through the unknown with you."
- "No one has all the answers. What I have is a way of working through things together."
- "I can't make the anxiety go away. But I can help you change your relationship with it."
- "The goal isn't to eliminate anxiety. It's to stop letting it run your life."
Check-in (Only One)
- "Sound familiar?"
Observation Opener (Only One)
- "Here's what I've seen..."
Approach Language
- "Real conversations about what's going on. Practical, personalized, focused on what works for you."
- "I use approaches that research supports. But what matters more is whether we actually connect."
CRPO Note: Never disparage other therapy approaches (e.g., "No homework", "No worksheets"). Focus on what you DO, not what you don't.
WITH-You Positioning
- "We figure it out together. I'm not ahead of you—I'm with you."
- "I'm not going to tell you what to do. I'm going to help you figure out what you want."
Should vs. Want
- "There's this tension between who you think you should be and who you actually want to be. That's often where the pain lives."
- "We explore the gap between who you think you should be and who you actually want to be."
CTAs (All Work)
Buttons: "Let's talk" / "Ready when you are" / "Book a consultation" / "See if it's a fit" / "Book a free call"
Supporting: "If any of this lands, let's talk. No pressure." / "15 minutes. No commitment. Just see if we connect."
Kill List (Never Use)
| Phrase | Why It Fails |
|---|---|
| "I don't know if this will resonate, but..." | Uncertain about yourself |
| "Honestly..." | Unnecessary filler |
| "I can't promise..." | Negative framing |
| "At least, that's been my experience" | Undermines authority |
| "Right?" | Too casual/seeking validation |
| "Does that make sense?" | Implies they might not understand |
| "I want to be WITH you" | Soft; just say "I'm with you" |
| "I'm not the therapist who..." | Defines by what you're NOT |
| "...if that matters to you" | Dismissive of credentials |
| Questions as openers | Less confident than statements |
Translations
Verbs
| Clinical | Jesse |
|---|---|
| Analyze | Unpack |
| Examine | Explore |
| Determine | Figure out |
| Process | Sort through |
Full Phrases
| Kill | Use Instead |
|---|---|
| "I can't promise to make anxiety disappear" | "I can't make the anxiety go away. But I can help you change your relationship with it." |
| "I don't know if this will resonate..." | "Here's what I've seen..." |
| "I want to be WITH you as you figure things out" | "We figure it out together. I'm not ahead of you—I'm with you." |
| "Does that make sense?" | "Sound familiar?" |
| "I don't have a step-by-step program" | "Real conversations. Practical and personalized." |
Templates
Hero Section
Don't:
Racing thoughts keeping you up at night? I don't know if this will resonate, but I work with people who are tired of anxiety running the show. I can't promise to make it disappear—honestly, I don't think anyone can.
Do:
The people who reach out to me aren't broken. They're just tired of their brain running the show. I don't have all the answers. But I can walk through the unknown with you. We'll figure out what's in your control. Sound familiar?
About Section
Don't:
I'm Jesse. I work with people dealing with anxiety. I'm a Registered Psychotherapist—CRPO #10979, if that matters to you. I can't promise I have all the answers—honestly, I don't think anyone does.
Do:
I'm Jesse, a Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO #10979). I work with people dealing with anxiety, burnout, feeling disconnected from themselves. I don't have all the answers. But I can walk through the unknown with you. We figure it out together. I'm not ahead of you—I'm with you.
Red Flags (Instant Rewrite)
| If You See | Change To |
|---|---|
| "Transform your..." | "Change your relationship with..." |
| "I can't promise..." | "I don't have all the answers. But I can..." |
| "Honestly..." | Delete or "Here's what I've seen:" |
| Question opener | Statement opener |
| "I want to be WITH you" | "I'm with you" |
| "Does that make sense?" | "Sound familiar?" |
CRPO Compliance
Even in confident voice, watch for violations:
| Pattern | Problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "I've helped clients reduce anxiety" | Outcome claim | "I work with clients dealing with anxiety" |
| "My clients tell me..." | Testimonial | "Here's what I've seen..." |
| "Therapy will help you..." | Guarantee | "In therapy, we often explore..." |
Rule: If it sounds like a promise, reframe it as a process.
Integration
This skill referenced by: direct-response-copy-therapy, therapy-content-generator, email-welcome-sequence-therapy, conversion-optimizer, positioning-angles-therapy
Reference file: /docs/branding/voice/BRAND-VOICE.md