Write a professional blog post on a topic that millions of people are already searching for.
For our first 2013 therapist blogging challenge I want to you to provide your unique professional perspective on a top Google search topic or story. It can be local, national, or global.
Apparently, millions of people are searching for people, sports and entertainment in the US. The following topics are from a list of Hot Google Searches (US) on Jan. 6, 2013:
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I would never be able to be a client of a therapist who writes a blog, or is on twitter or facebook.
Hi Harriet, Thanks for your comment. To clarify, I am suggesting a professional, informational blog based on therapists area of expertise as a way to educate and provide a resources.
What’s the difference between writing a blog article about signs of an abusive relationship to share online versus speaking at a community event on the same topic, or writing a book about abusive relationships?
People are getting their health information and searching for therapy providers online. Cautiously using social media for professional use/business use is become a widely accepted by health and mental health community. Instead of placing an ad in the Yellow Pages, therapists have websites where they write articles and share them on social media.
As the years go by it will be harder and harder to find therapists who aren’t using social media for either professional &/or personal use since that’s were most people communicate and find their information.
I found both of my therapists from the Psychology Today website which is a great resource. People are definitely looking for providers online, and my current therapist has a website, but not a blog.
There is a huge difference between writing on the internet and speaking at a community event, and I’m not sure where you are going with that analogy.
You do know that clients google their therapists all the time, correct? Some people are better at googling than others, and have been known to find out all kinds of things about their therapists from the internet. Some therapists are more comfortable with that than others, and some clients are more comfortable with that than others.
I just think that both therapists and clients need to proceed cautiously with their involvement in social media. I know of one therapist who friends his clients on his facebook page, so they know what he is doing all the time, and can see all of his personal photos. That can blur the boundaries that I believe are necessary to keep the relationship therapeutic.
I also think that if a therapist writes a blog, they need to be very careful about what they write. Clients can imagine all kinds of things, including that they are the one being written about, no matter how many times the therapist says that the person in the post is fictional.
The world is changing, and therapists and clients need to keep up with the new ways of finding each other. I just want to say that everyone involved should be very careful. I myself write a blog and I gave the link to my therapist. That didn’t turn out well at all. This is all new territory, and frankly, sometimes I am quite surprised that therapists are somewhat naive about their clients, what their clients know about them, what their clients want to know about them, and how savvy some clients can be in finding out information.
Sorry to write such a long comment!
My point is that writing a blog article is just another form of sharing a therapist’s expertise and knowledge to educate the public and let people know about their services, like speaking at a community event, writing a newspaper column or book. I totally agree that therapists should proceed with caution and be aware of dual relationships and keeping strong professional boundaries that protect the therapeutic relationship.
Here’s Post #1 of the blog challenge! I’m unsure as to whether or not this is what Julie had in mind, but it’s a start and I am looking forward to this learning opportunity!
http://musingsofamentalhealthmaven.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-mental-health-of-alabamas-2012.html
Following your advice to use headline searches, I was drawn to blog about suicide. I never would have thought of this otherwise. I am a psychologist who uses mindfulness and meditation extensively with my clients. Never have I thought to put suicide and mindfulness into the same sentence, but it flowed together to make a thought provoking blog post I think. I would not likely have written this otherwise. Thank you for being there.
http://kimberlywulfert.com/mindfulness-and-suicide/
Here is my first blog entitled “The Hall of Shame”
http://www.changeispossible.org/?p=750
Please comment
thank you
I wrote about my intentions, rather than resolutions, for 2013, with a focus on Radical Self-Care, and invited my readers to do the same.
Great idea, Julie!
Here is my first blog post
http://tiffanyfriascounseling.wordpress.com/2013/01/11/help-is-out-there/
Here’s my blog after natural disasters being the biggest Google trend in Australia for the last week:
What the Australian Bush Fire Crisis Can Teach us About Relationships
http://clintonpower.com.au/2013/01/australian-bush-fire-crisis-relationships/
I chose one of Ellen Degeneres’ guests, talking about her marriage breakup which was one of Googles hot trends last week. http://watersedgecounselling.com/move-on-like-b…riage-break-up/
Here is my first blog post: http://www.fundamentalfoundcounseling.com/another-face-of-suicide/
Here is my blog on one of the biggest searched for words on the planet – the iPad!
Part One: Children and iDevices: iPads, iPhones and iPods. Why our family did a U-turn!
http://jodiegale.com/children-and-idevices-ipads-iphones-and-ipods/
I didn’t see all of the posts mentioned above on pinterest…. I am wondering if I am out of the loop
Hi Tiffany, I’ve just been going through the #1 challenge blog posts and pinning them to the Pinterest blog challenge board I’ve added pinners to the group so participants can pin posts to the group too. If you or anyone else hasn’t received an invitation, please let me know here http://www.juliehanks.com/contact
Here’s the Pinterest board lik http://pinterest.com/juliedeahanks/2013-therapist-blog-challenge-private-practice-too/
Great idea to look for trends on Google! I noticed “oxytocin” is trending and wrote a blog post on this “calming and connection hormone.”
Activate the Calming Hormone Oxytocin
http://www.dailyshoring.com/activate-the-calming-hormone-oxytocin/
Thanks for the challenge!
Good Evening Fellow Bloggers!
I’m looking forward to joining the group; I see the first blog challenge is already up. My website is: http://www.reallifecounselling.com
See you on the message board!
Ashley
Welcome Ashley! Feel free to jump in and start blogging any time. I’m putting time frames on the challenges because it helps to prioritize, but they aren’t “hard and fast” rules — just guidelines. Feel free to post your related blog on this challenge 1 anytime. And watch for challenge #2 in the next couple of days!
Julie
Hi there folks, Shushann here, am I on now? I didn’t get an email providing any information on a blog topic. I noticed that there was an email from a therapist that came through as a comment on the blog above.Is this the latest blog? What is the due date for this. Sorry for my late arrival
best wishes Shushann
Hi Shushann, All of the info you need should be on this blog post. You can jump in any time and write a post. When you’re done with challenge #1, jump in to challenge 2 (which will be posted in the next day or 2). Here’s the blog challenge category link so you can read the initial blog challenge post too http://blogs.psychcentral.com/private-practice/category/blog-challenge/
Welcome Shushann!
Julie
Am I too late?