Brand Voice for Therapy

Ensuring all NextStep content sounds like Jesse—confident vulnerability, not hedging.

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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

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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?

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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."

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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

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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."

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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.

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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?"

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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.

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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