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How do you feel when you hear the word 'niche'? Because for a lot of counsellors, that’s the moment things start to feel… harder. What sounds simple on the surface can quickly turn into overthinking, second-guessing, and feeling like you need to get it 'right'. And that can be where everything stalls. So ithis episode, I’m sharing something I’ve noticed over the years, and why I’ve stopped using the word 'niche' altogether. Because the problem isn’t always what we think it is. Inside this episode:Why this one word can stop people in their tracksWhat’s really going on underneath the hesitationThe shift that changes how your marketing starts to landA different way to think about who you want to work with If this sounds familiar…If you’ve ever found yourself going round in circles trying to 'figure out your niche', this episode might give you a different way of looking at it. ✍️ Want help putting this into words?If you’d like support getting clear on who you love working with and turning that into something that actually connects with clients, check out Write Your Homepage 🔗 Links:Read the blog versionExplore more resources Stay connected:Follow the podcast so you don’t miss the next episode. Links & next stepsIf this episode has you thinking, “oh… this feels different… this feels possible”… then this is exactly the work we do together. My Write Your Homepage session is where we take all those thoughts swirling around your head and shape them into something clear, honest, and recognisable to the right clients. Because you don’t need to become someone else to make your marketing work. You just need help putting into words what you already know (even if it doesn’t feel like it yet). 👉 Take a look and see if it feels like the right next step And if you’re not quite ready for that, that’s completely okay. Start here instead

There’s something that doesn’t quite add up in counselling... We’re trained to be a blank slate… and yet we’re also trying to build connection, trust, and a sense that someone feels understood before they even reach out. So where’s the line? In this episode, I’m joined by Rainbow Tomes, a counsellor, coach and trainer who describes themselves as a ‘mum on a mission’. Their work is shaped by lived experience, a strong sense of purpose, and a drive to challenge the systems that don’t always support people in the way they should. This is a really honest conversation about personal disclosure, visibility, and what it means to be ‘human’ in this work… without losing sight of boundaries. So if you’ve ever found yourself wondering how much of yourself to share, this one will give you plenty to think about. What we touch onThe tension between being a ‘blank slate’ and building real connection What personal disclosure actually looks like in practice The difference between what you share in a session and in your marketing Why the therapeutic relationship can’t be one-sided Stepping into visibility (even when it feels uncomfortable) Systemic harm, grief, and why naming things matters 🔗 Links & ResourcesRainbow specialises in disenfranchised grief and loss, supporting experiences that are often unseen, unacknowledged, and too often not talked about. She is the host of the Talking Grief podcast, where she explores these types of conversations in more depth She is also the founder of The Mental Health People Ltd. She trains and coaches leaders in more relational, human-centred approaches to mental health and performance. Her work is grounded in a humanistic, integrative approach, incorporating Internal Family Systems (IFS). Alongside this, she runs a private practice, Rise with Rainbow. Connect with her on LinkedIn Start here - my free and paid resources (free resources)

There’s nothing wrong with most counselling websites. They’re thoughtful. Careful. Full of good intentions. And yet… people still leave. In this episode, I’m talking about something I see all the time, websites that are trying to say too much. Not because you’ve got it wrong, but because you care, and you want to get it right. I share what’s really going on when someone lands on your homepage, why adding more can actually make it harder for someone to choose you, and what to shift so the right clients can actually recognise themselves. If you’ve ever looked at your website and thought, ‘this sounds fine… but something’s not quite working’, this will help you see why. OverviewWe’re getting into: Why ‘more helpful’ can quietly turn into confusingWhat potential clients are actually looking for when they land on your websiteThe subtle ways self-doubt shows up in your wordingWhy people leave, even when you are the right counsellor for themThe small shift that helps someone think, ‘this sounds like me’ Links & next stepsIf this episode has you looking at your homepage a bit differently, this is exactly what I help with in my Write Your Homepage sessions. It’s a focused 90-minute session where we take what you’ve already written and shape it so the right people can actually see themselves in it, and feel ready to reach out. There’s currently an introductory price available until 11th April. 👉 Take a look and see if it feels like the right next step If you’re not quite ready for that, you can explore more free support here: 👉 Start Here

There are a lot of counsellors out there. And if you’ve ever looked at your website and thought, this sounds fine… but it doesn’t really sound like me, this episode will likely hit close to home. Because clients aren’t choosing based on qualifications alone. They’re choosing based on something much harder to define, but much easier to feel. In this episode, I’m exploring what’s really going on when someone is deciding who to work with, why two counsellors who look similar on paper can create completely different reactions, and how small shifts in your wording can change everything. If you’ve ever wondered why people land on your website and don’t reach out, this will give you a different way of looking at it. OverviewWhat clients are actually responding to when they choose a counsellorWhy being ‘technically right’ in your wording isn’t always enoughThe subtle differences that make someone think ‘this person gets me’Why counselling isn’t one-size-fits-all, and why that matters in your marketingHow your website shapes the decision before you ever speak to someone Your next stepIf you’re listening to this and thinking, ‘I don’t think my website is doing that…’ That’s exactly what I focus on in my Write Your Homepage sessions. We look at how your words are coming across, what your ideal client is picking up on, and how to shape your homepage so it helps the right people feel understood and ready to get in touch. 👉 Find out more about Write Your Homepage 👉 Or, if you want to explore a mix of free and paid support, you can start here

Counsellor or Clone: Breaking Through the Monotony of Online DirectoriesIf your directory profile sounds like everyone else’s, this might be why... If your counselling directory profile isn’t bringing in enquiries, it might not be what you think. Because often, it’s not about your qualifications… or your experience… or even your approach. It’s because your profile sounds like everyone else’s. In this episode, I’m sharing why so many counsellors end up blending in on online directories, and what’s really going on when potential clients scroll past without reaching out. Because when someone is looking for a therapist, they’re already feeling uncertain, overwhelmed… and often a little vulnerable. So what makes them stop and think: 👉 “This is the person for me”? And just as importantly… what makes them keep scrolling? We’ll explore what might be holding your profile back (even if you’ve put a lot of thought into it already)… And I’ll walk you through a simple step you can take to start changing how your profile connects - something you can put into practice straight away. If you’ve ever wondered whether your directory profile is really doing its job… This is well worth a listen. Want some extra help?If you’re listening and thinking “I know this needs work, but I don’t know what to change”… That’s exactly what I help with inside Directory Revival. 👉 https://www.janetravis.co.uk/directory-revival/

I talk a lot about connection in marketing. How you build it, how you show it, and how it helps potential clients feel comfortable enough to reach out. But there’s another way of looking at this: one that doesn’t get talked about as much. And it might explain why someone can read everything you write… and still not take that next step. In this episode, I’m exploring the know, like and trust factor, but from a slightly different angle. One that fits with the realities of being a counsellor, and doesn’t rely on sharing more or stepping outside your boundaries. If you’ve ever felt like your marketing is ‘working’ on paper but not quite leading to enquiries, this might give you a different way of understanding why. What you’ll take away:A different way of thinking about know, like and trust in your counselling marketingWhy connection on its own isn’t always enoughWhat people are really picking up on when they come across your website or contentA simple way to look at your own marketing with fresh eyesWhere tools like AI can help, and where they can make things feel a bit less like you A small shift you can try:There’s one simple question you can ask yourself after listening that can change how your marketing comes across. I’ll talk you through it in the episode. More info about The Armchair Test: The Armchair Test: The One Quiet Shift That Will Transform ALL Your Marketing “Would I Feel Safe With You?” How Clients Really Choose a Counsellor Want to go a bit deeper?If you’d prefer to read and reflect on this in your own time, I’ve also shared a blog version of this episode. 👉 You can find that here: [INSERT BLOG LINK] Need support with your marketing?Inside the Grow Your Private Practice membership, I support counsellors with the practical side of marketing — from your website to identifying your ideal client, blogging, mindset, and everything in between. So if you’d like some guidance and support with this, you can find out more here: https://www.janetravis.co.uk/thevault/ Follow so you don’t miss what’s nextIf this is the kind of thing you’ve been thinking about, make sure you follow the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes.

Many therapists worry about not getting enough clients in private practice. But there’s another fear that rarely gets talked about. What if you get too many? In this episode, I explore a thoughtful email from therapist Laura, who is hesitant about marketing their practice - not because they don’t want clients, but because they are worried about over-committing and under-delivering. We look at why this concern shows up for so many therapists, how it can influence your marketing decisions, and why avoiding visibility can sometimes lead to the feast-and-famine cycle in private practice. And most importantly, we talk about what actually protects your workload and wellbeing. Resources mentioned: Scripts for Business Boundaries (free resource) https://www.janetravis.co.uk/thevault/ You might also find these episodes helpfulWhen You Can’t Say Yes: Navigating Email Enquiries with Empathy https://www.janetravis.co.uk/when-you-cant-say-yes-navigating-email-enquiries-with-empathy/ Demystifying the Fear of Success https://www.janetravis.co.uk/demystifying-the-fear-of-success/ And for all my free and paid resources, START HERE

You don’t need more time to blog. You need it to stop feeling so big. If you’re a counsellor who keeps meaning to write but never quite gets there, this episode explores what’s really getting in the way, and how to make blogging feel doable again. And if you’ve ever wished someone would just hand you the structure so you could get on with it, I’ll also share how Framework First Blogging Method — my £9/month mini membership — gives you a ready-to-use blogging framework on the first Monday of every month. Because often, it’s not the writing that’s hard. It’s figuring out how to shape it. And for all my free and paid resources, Start Here

How to Organise Blog Posts and Keep Track of Your ContentDo you know exactly what blog posts you’ve written? Could you find the right one quickly if a potential client needed it? Or does your content feel scattered, hard to see at a glance and harder to use? In this episode, I’m talking about how to organise blog posts and keep track of your content so your blog becomes something you can actually use, not just something you keep adding to. And I’ve created a FREE Blog Library Tracker to help you do exactly that. Inside this episode, we explore: Why blogging gets harder once you’ve written more than a handful of postsWhat changes when you start treating your blog like a libraryHow a simple tracking system reduces friction and saves timeWhy organising your posts isn’t admin, it’s strategy If your blog feels more like a pile or random posts than a resource, this episode will help you bring structure to it. Get the Free Blog Library TrackerI’ve created a simple Blog Library Tracker you can use to organise your posts and keep everything in one place. You’ll find it inside The Vault, my free resource library for counsellors and therapists in private practice. 👉 Access The Vault HERE Support the PodcastIf you find this podcast helpful, you can support the show by buying me a coffee. ☕ Buy me a coffee HERE

Have you ever started a blog post full of energy… only to abandon it halfway through? If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. We’re not talking about laziness, discipline or “needing to try harder.” We’re talking about what really happens in the middle of a blog post - the moment where doubt creeps in, decisions multiply, and suddenly it feels easier to step away than to finish. In this episode, I explore: Why having lots of ideas isn’t the same as finishingWhat the “middle wobble” actually isHow thoughtful therapists can accidentally make blogging harder than it needs to beWhy confidence tends to grow after you finish, not before If you’ve got half-written drafts waiting for you, this one might feel uncomfortably familiar. Links & ResourcesFramework First – support to help you finish what you start Buy me a coffee – if you found this helpful

There’s a lot of pressure to be visible all the time. Post more. Show up more. Keep going. But what if the marketing that actually works for you doesn’t need you to be constantly ‘on’? In this episode, I’m talking about a steadier way to get found. The kind that keeps working long after you’ve finished writing. If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s a calmer way to build your practice — this one’s worth a listen. You don’t need to be everywhere. You need to be recognised. LINKSCheck out The Framework First Blogging Method Free and paid resources If you found this useful and fancy fuelling the next episode, you can buy me a coffee here buymeacoffee.com/janetravis

Could Email Counselling Be the Quiet Hero of Therapy?With Chloe Foster – Email Counselling Academy Correction: In this episode I incorrectly called Chloes business 'The Email MARKETING Academy', which was wrong. It's 'The Email COUNSELLING Academy': they work using email counselling, not email marketing. Also, my sincere apologies to Chloe for any mistakes I made with their pronouns in the recording. Do you think counselling has to mean sitting face-to-face (or screen-to-screen) with a client? Well, in this episode, I’m joined by Chloe Foster (they/she), founder of the Email Counselling Academy, who shares why working by email might be the flexible, powerful alternative you didn’t know you needed. Whether you're looking for a way to work around family life, want to support clients who open up better in writing, or you're just curious about doing therapy differently — this conversation will get you thinking. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why email counselling can be a lifeline for anxious or private clientsHow it gives counsellors more flexibility (and fewer no-shows)What actually happens in an email counselling exchangeWhether this style of working could suit your practice — and personality 🎧 Hit play to explore whether this quietly powerful format could be the perfect fit for you — and your clients. About ChloeChloe Foster (they/she) is the founder and principal tutor at Email Counselling Academy (ECA). They also have a private practice called Sussex Rainbow Counselling, founded in 2016, where they offer email counselling as well as video and phone counselling to clients. With a first-class degree in Education, Chloe loves teaching and training. Over their counselling career they’ve trained hundreds of counsellors to become more confident working with LGBTQ+ clients through their work with the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS), Onlinevents, The Counselling Tutor, and several universities/colleges and counselling charities. Today, having worked as an email counsellor since 2018, Chloe enjoys sharing the skills they’ve honed with fellow counsellors through their specialist training courses in email counselling at ECA which are mapped to BACP competences for OPT and have been awarded quality check status with the NCPS. Find her E-book — Email Counselling — An introduction for Counsellors: You can get 30% discount using the code JANE26 (valid until 30 April 2026)

Blogging can feel surprisingly confusing, especially when you care about getting it right. In this episode, I’m talking about why writing can feel heavy and muddled for therapists, even when you’re thoughtful, experienced, and genuinely good at your work. If blogging has ever left you questioning yourself, abandoning drafts, or wondering why it feels harder than it ‘should’, this one will likely feel familiar. In this episode, we explore:Why blogging often feels confusing, not because you can’t write, but because you’re trying to hold too much at onceHow ‘it depends’ thinking, which works beautifully in therapy, can make writing harderWhy trying to speak to everyone can leave you stuck mid-postHow confusion can quietly turn into self-doubtWhat helps blogging feel lighter again, without forcing yourself to push through This is a reflective episode, designed to offer relief, reassurance, and a different way of understanding what’s really going on when blogging feels hard. Links and next stepsFind out more about the Blogging Clarity Session (introductory offer available for a short time)Explore more support for ethical, human marketing at janetravis.co.ukCheck out my FREE and paid resources HERE If this episode resonated, you might want to follow the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes.

Perfectionism in Writing, and the Goal That Actually HelpsYou already understand perfectionism. You’ve probably talked about it with clients many times. But when it shows up in your own writing, that understanding can disappear very quickly. In this episode, I look at perfectionism from a different angle – not as something that just makes writing harder, but as something that can stop you improving at all. I share what happened when I first started blogging, why knowing the theory didn’t help in the moment, and the one goal that’s helped me keep going without waiting to feel ready. If writing ever feels harder than it needs to be, this episode will make sense. Want support while you practise, rather than pressure to get it right? You can find out more about the Grow Your Private Practice membership And for all my FREE and paid resources, check out my Start Here page

If you’ve ever wondered whether all that blogging is actually doing anything - especially when things feel quiet - this episode might feel like a deep breath. Because sometimes the hardest part isn’t the writing - it’s sitting with the silence afterwards. In this episode, we’re gently lifting the curtain on what might really be happening behind the scenes when nobody comments, nobody emails, and nobody says, “Hey that helped.” And we’ll talk about the one mindset shift that can take you from anxious, second-guessing writer… to grounded, steady voice your future clients quietly trust. In this episode: The hidden purpose of your counselling blog (that nobody tells you about)Why the quiet seasons can actually be a sign something is workingThe subtle way trust builds long before enquiries appearA gentler approach to blogging that feels less pressuring and more humanThe truth about readers who never become clients and why that’s not a failure Mentioned in this episode: Buy me a coffee - support the show with a one-off thank-youStart Here page - all free and paid resources in one placeGrow Your Private Practice Membership - ongoing support, hands-on help with blogging, and short, doable trainingsFramework First - monthly blogging support for £9/month