brand-voice-therapy

# 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)

1. Open with direct statement about THEM (not question)
2. Use "Sound familiar?" as only check-in
3. Frame vulnerability as "I don't have X. But I can Y."
4. Use Jesse's verbs (explore, unpack, figure out)
5. Positive framing (what you DO, not what you DON'T)
6. 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`