About Page for Somatic Therapists: Professional and Human at the same time

Analytics data from therapy websites consistently shows one thing: the about page is the most visited page after the homepage, often before the method or rates page. Yet, it is the page that most therapists have doubts about. Being too business-like feels awkward, too personal feels uncomfortable, and the middle ground seems elusive.

The middle ground does exist. It follows a different principle than a CV or a personal message: the visitor reads your story not to get to know you, but to feel if they are safe with you. Everything on this page must answer that one question, no more and no less.

What an About Page Should Not Be

Two extremes dominate therapy websites. On one hand: the clinical CV page with educational listings, bolded registration numbers, and a formal photo in a white room. Professional, but distant. The visitor learns what you have done, but not who you are. On the other hand: the personal story of one's own trauma, transformation, and calling, written like a coach blog. Human, but often too much for a trauma client.

The somatic therapist working with people in dysregulation cannot afford either. Too business-like and the nervous system shuts down. Too personal and the visitor feels responsible for your story. The middle ground requires conscious construction.

Layer 1: The Professional Foundation

The first layer confirms that you know what you are doing. A brief summary of your education (vocational training plus any specializations), your professional registration (NVPA, SBLP, or similar), and how long you have been working. Three to five sentences, not a paragraph. This is your foundation, not your sales pitch.

Important: avoid listing all the workshops, conferences, and individual courses you have ever done. Three main courses relevant to your field are stronger than fifteen individual certificates. Quality over quantity.

Layer 2: The Human Layer

Here you explain why you do this work, in human language. Not from your own trauma (that shifts the focus), but from what you have observed in your work. 'What always touches me is that people with trauma symptoms often walk around for years with the conviction that it's their fault.' That kind of sentence offers a glimpse of who you are without the client having to feel responsible.

One personal note is acceptable, provided it is small. 'Outside of my work, I find peace walking in the forest' is enough. The visitor does not need to know your entire life, only that you are a human with a life outside the practice.

Your about page should reassure the visitor, not impress them.

Layer 3: A Clear Boundary

Many therapists omit this layer, even though it builds trust. Write one paragraph about who you can and cannot help. 'I work with adults who seek help themselves, not with acute crisis situations or people with an active addiction.' That sentence does two things: it discourages unsuitable matches (saving you an awkward intake interview) and it makes the right client feel that you are honest about what you can do.

Stating a boundary increases your authority. Someone who claims to be able to do everything is less credible than someone who says: 'this is what I'm good at, for that I'll refer you'.

The Photo

One professional photo, not three. No stock photo, no vacation selfie, no black-and-white art photo with deep shadows. A calm photo with natural light, a neutral background, and a relaxed gaze towards the camera works best. Invest in this: it is often the only visual impression the visitor gets of you before the first conversation.

Order on the Page

• Opening sentence that states who you work for and what drives you (one sentence)
• Photo, not too large, early on the page
• Layer 2: the human layer (what touches you in this work)
• Layer 1: the professional foundation (education, registration, experience)
• Layer 3: the boundary (who yes, who no)
• Optionally: one short personal note
• One clear call-to-action (schedule a consultation, do the scan)

Note the order: the human layer comes before the professional foundation. The visitor first wants to feel who you are and only then see what you have done. The other way rarely works because a list of qualifications sets a distant tone.

What Not to Write

Avoid stories about your own trauma as a core story. It can give the client the feeling that your work stems from your own wound rather than from professional training. Also, avoid claims like 'I help people get their lives back' or 'I guide you to your highest potential'. That language belongs to coaching and rarely suits somatic work.

Furthermore, avoid a page that is too long. One and a half screens of scrolling is enough. What does not fit belongs on another page (method, approach, rates). The about page is not a summary of your entire website.

An About Page as Calm Confirmation

The about page that works for a somatic practice is the page where the visitor thinks: 'this person understands it, is professional, and is honest about what they do and don't do'. Three layers, one good photo, one clear boundary. No oversharing, no clinical enumeration. But a page that is in itself a small moment of trust.