Build a steady, aligned private practice through psychographic, identity-led marketing that reflects the same standards you hold in the therapy room
You’re brilliant at what you do, but marketing doesn’t feel natural.
Clients tell you sessions help.
Colleagues respect you.
You care deeply and you work hard.
And yet…
Your diary still feels uncertain.
Marketing feels awkward or heavy.
You second guess every post.
You stare at your website thinking, “This doesn’t really sound like me.”
Part of you wonders if you’re just “not cut out” for marketing.
So you stay quiet.
Or you copy what other therapists are doing.
Or you keep waiting for referrals to magically increase.
Meanwhile, therapists who aren’t half as skilled seem more visible than you.
Not because they’re better, because they’re CLEARER.
Most therapists aren’t struggling with confidence, they’re struggling with clarity.
And no one ever taught you how to communicate the depth of what you actually do.
If you’ve ever felt invisible, interchangeable, or quietly resentful that marketing feels harder than it should… you’re in the right place.
I teach therapists how to show up online with confidence, clarity, and integrity.
What you really need isn’t “more followers”.
It’s this:
- To feel steady.
- To know where your next clients are coming from.
- To charge properly without guilt.
- To stop over-explaining yourself.
- To treat your business with the same care and professionalism as your clinical work.
- To feel proud when someone reads your website.
- To attract clients who already trust you before session one.
When your marketing is done properly, you don’t feel salesy.
You feel certain.
And that certainty changes everything.
You might notice:
• regular, qualified enquiries year-round
• fewer price shoppers and mis-fit clients
• calmer decisions around fees and boundaries
• a website and online presence that actually sounds like you
• less time chasing, more time doing meaningful work
• the option to create waitlists or additional income streams
• a business that supports your life, not consumes it
Most importantly:
You stop feeling like you’re “trying to market”
and start feeling like a respected professional with a clear voice.
How I Work with You:
There’s a lot of marketing advice out there for therapists.
Most of it is either:
- generic
- outdated
- or borrowed from the coaching world
And it quietly clashes with your ethics.
My work is different because it’s built on standards.
The same standards you hold in the therapy room.
Care. Responsibility. Depth. Professionalism.
I don’t teach you how to perform online, I teach you how to think.
Everything I do is grounded in:
- deep psychographic understanding of your ideal client’s inner world
- helping you articulate your unique lens, lived experience and authority
- positioning that builds trust, not pressure
- ethical visibility as a duty of care
- and an AI-ready digital presence so humans and search tools both recognise you
My background blends:
- 30+ years in finance, audit and systems thinking
- formal Accountant and marketing qualifications
- counselling training
- over a decade running successful six-figure businesses
- and years mentoring therapists specifically
So when we look at your business, we don’t guess.
We build something solid.
Marketing that holds up under pressure.
Marketing that feels like you.
Marketing that lasts.
Because therapy is serious work, and your marketing should reflect that.
My Mission
- To empower therapists to see marketing not as something separate from their clinical work – but as a natural, ethical extension of it.
- To help you understand your uniqueness on a level you’ve never explored before.
- And to give you the confidence, clarity, and visibility to build a business that not only thrives financially – but changes lives.
If you’re ready to be found for the work you’re truly meant to do…
You don’t need to become a marketer – you just need to learn how to be seen as the therapist you already are.
Let’s make that happen.
Ways to work with you:
Start here: AI-Ready Website Training £43
If your website feels vague, outdated, or invisible on Internet search and AI tools, this is your first step.
Learn how to structure your copy, pages, headings and language so both clients and AI assistants understand exactly who you help and why you’re trusted.
Clear. Practical. Therapist-specific.
Go deeper: The Marketing Membership
£69 per month / no contract or tie ins
This is my core space.
Where we do the real work.
Inside, you’ll:
• deeply understand your ideal client psychographics
• uncover your unique lens and lived authority
• translate all of that into your website, directories and content
• build steady confidence and self-leadership
• receive thoughtful, personalised support and guidance
It’s not for quick wins.
It’s for therapists who want to treat their business with the same standards they bring to their triggering, complex, emotionally demanding client work.
Calm. Professional. Sustainable.
Stay connected: Free Community
If you’d like gentle support, ideas and conversations with other thoughtful therapists, come and join us.
No noise. No hype. Just real discussion and encouragement.
You don’t need to become louder.
You don’t need to be someone else.
You simply need clarity, structure, and the right language to express the depth that’s already there.
When that clicks, everything else gets easier.
If you’re ready to feel more certain, more visible, and more respected in your work, I’d love to support you.
Start with the training, explore the membership, or just email me and say hello.
We’ll take it from there.
About Mel Lay
I’m a Business & Marketing coach for therapists – but I didn’t come through the usual coaching route.
I spent 15 years working in corporate finance as an accountant and Police Authority auditor, before taking a leap and moving abroad to start a wellness coaching business. It took off far quicker than I expected, and before long I’d naturally pivoted into business coaching – blending my strategic, financial and people-first skills to help others grow businesses that actually work. That was over a decade ago, and I’ve been coaching ever since, with consistent success.
Along the way, I also trained as a counsellor – and that’s where I spotted a huge gap. Most therapists are never taught how to market themselves. Not in a way that’s ethical, not in a way that reflects the work they do, and definitely not in a way that gets them consistently found by the right clients.
So now, I specialise in helping therapists grow confident, fully booked private practices using emotionally intelligent, ethical marketing. I combine deep psychographic insight, sharp business strategy, and a strong understanding of what it means to be in this industry – helping you build a business that reflects your values, fills your diary, and allows you to work in a way that’s sustainable, meaningful, and profitable.
Qualifications
- Association of Accounting Technicians – Management Accountant
- Level 7 Diploma Business Coaching
- DipEd Marketing and Advertising
- CertHE Counselling and Psychotherapy
- CertHE Integrated Therapeutic Counselling
- Certificate in NLP Practitioner Training
Mel Lay – Ethical Marketing for Counsellors and Therapists
Helping Counsellors and Therapists worldwide become recognisable, trusted and fully booked through psychographic, identity-led marketing that reflects the same standards they hold in the therapy room.
Online worldwide
Email: info@melanielaysolutions.com
Social
Work With Me:
Specialist In:
Private Practice Marketing
Therapist Website SEO & AEO
Ethical Visibility
AI Digital Presence
Pricing Confidence & Positioning
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Mel Lay - Ethical Marketing for Counsellors and Therapists 