Good ghostwriters come with more than just a great portfolio.

Mental health ghostwriting is a career that can be equal parts rewarding and challenging. While the subject matter can sometimes be a pretty heavy load to carry, certain projects offer the satisfaction of having helped a person seeking treatment collect with the psychology professionals who can provide the support they need. There’s a difference between a mental health ghostwriter and a health writer focusing on general health content.

In fact, several details separate general health copywriting from focusing on the mental health field.

DART Content Solutions creates convincing copy that aligns with your business marketing strategy. Our ideal clients consist of psychology experts and other mental health professionals. We also help digital marketing agencies specializing in the behavioral science niche.

You are busy caring for your clients; let us publish mental health content for you.

We invite you to continue reading to learn the few similarities but many differences that separate freelance medical content writers from mental and behavioral health writers.

Let’s Start with the General Similarities

All freelance writing is not the same. That statement holds true when you compare a general medical content writer to a mental health writer.

There are indeed many levels of expertise across both niches. While some start a freelance business after finishing an English degree, many writers are self-taught or take self-paced online writing courses.

Some ghostwriters have pursued a college education in a field outside of writing and decided to go this route later. Deciding to write can be a winding road.

However one arrives there, producing clear, error-free, convincing copy is the only way to keep clients happy and send orders for more work.

All copywriting (medical, mental health, any other subject matter) has a clear goal.

It convinces a specific audience to read information that compels them to take a specific action. In the context of an online marriage counselor I write for, the readers seek information on how to solve a roadblock in their relationship.

The copy I write uses empathy to reassure them that their problem is solvable, and then I convince them to act by booking a Zoom consultation with the therapist.

The formula makes sense.

Target Audience and Approach Differences

Mental health ghostwriters mental health professionals, such as therapists, psychologists, or psychiatrists, without receiving credit as the author. We build relationships with industry leaders knowing that they need to create content for their clients and gladly keep our writing efforts a secret.

Their audience is our audience. A specialist in pediatric psychology provides services to children – the audience is their parents or caregivers. An alcohol rehabilitation clinic provides services to a different client. Their audience is the person struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol or their family members. Ghostwriting in mental health takes a myopic look at who is the consumer of the content and then starts to write.

On the other hand, a freelance health writer covering general topics could be a ghostwriter or person who writes blogs and articles and receives the byline.

Their prospective clients could be medical professionals, blog publishers, magazines, or other media professionals. It is not as important to understand who the clients are as to have firm grasp on who their audience is.

Make sense?

They also cover a far broader range of topics and may address a larger audience. For instance, they might cover fitness tips (physical wellness), stress management (mental health), or create resources regarding a host of other health-related matters.

Key Differences and Responsibilities

Mental health writing jobs can be as varied as the different disciplines within the behavioral sciences. Client needs within mental health can include:

• Cold emailing
• Creating content (blogs, website pages, social media posts)
• Making resource guides and online courses. For example, a client may request numerous behavioral health topics: suicide prevention, substance abuse, when to seek therapy, success stories, and more
• Writing e-books and lead magnets
• Education of clients (self-care tips or perhaps a how-to course)
• Writing sales materials to get more patients to call or connect and book treatment

Unlike a blogger who takes credit for their work, mental/behavioral health writers must remember that they’re writing on behalf of the business owner and follow that person’s ethos when they start writing.

Ghostwriting demands the unique ability to check one’s own ego and set it aside. Not every writer is willing to do that. Despite that, it’s a huge part of the job when representing other professionals through the writing process.

A successful freelance writer in the mental health space must decide whether to ghostwrite for a business owner (therapist or psychologist) or actively seek opportunities to write under their own name.

Skills and Qualifications for Mental Health Writers

As mentioned earlier, not all who enter the mental health writing field have formal training as freelance writers. Some have earned college degrees or completed writing certificate courses. Those are great, especially if they took other relevant coursework to better serve the niche.

Other mental health writers have lived experience with mental health challenges. Really, who better to relate your urgent message of suicide prevention than someone who has had to cope with those dark thoughts themselves?

Setting aside credentials, the freelance writing specialist must possess strong writing skills. Really solid. They must also understand complex mental health matters and be able to relate these stories to to others in a clear, compelling, and engaging way.

A mental health writer must also have good intuition about what will click in a reader’s mind. Sharing knowledge on mental health topics, treatment options, and research about breaking news has zero impact if the audience doesn’t read through it until the end.

Online Media Best Practices and SEO Knowledge

Both the mental health writer and the generalist in healthy lifestyle freelance writing needs to have a firm grasp on best SEO practices. SEO, or search engine optimization, might be a concept that the mental health pro thinks little about.

But SEO is crucial to driving new business. Writing well-optimized copy is what makes the resources available to the audience of internet users.

Picture this. Your new mental health writing expert has written some wonderful new substance abuse resources for your recovery and mental health care center.

Unbeknownst to you, the content writer did not understand SEO and did not check keyword value, link to the best research, provide graphics or engagement-boosting resources, or do anything else to ensure Google can “see” your resource guides.

You spent good money on this project, and now you’re waiting for the floodgates of website traffic to open. But they don’t. You check Google, only to see that your resources don’t appear anywhere in the rankings. Not on page 1, 2, 3, or 4.

What went wrong?

The writer did not optimize the copy.

Some writers will argue that SEO and writing are two different job functions. While that was once the case, it is an antiquated attitude, especially in copywriting. In fact, that belief can lose a writer an entire book o clients faster than you might imagine.

That same writer will almost certainly also have difficulty finding potential clients once they receive public feedback about their low SEO skills.

Building a Career in Mental Health Writing

Mental health writing jobs can be more limited than those in other niches. However, prospective clients are everywhere.

In fact, clinics or agencies that post mental health writing jobs on various online job boards have very real needs.

Finding a health writer generalist is much easier than finding a mental health writer offering high-quality, premium services. The demand for a mental health writer can be great, and many clients find that the best have limited availability.

Understanding Challenges in Mental Health Writing

Every freelance business has a set of specific challenges; mental health writing jobs are no exception. Here are a few limitations to consider as you research the services of a freelance mental health writer:

• The stigma surrounding mental illness can make it challenging to write about mental health topics.
• Opportunities exist to positively impact readers’ lives by providing accurate and engaging information on mental health topics. One challenge holding the freelance writer back is time limitations. Freelance writing is a niche business, usually done solo or as part of a small boutique agency.
• There is a growing demand for content, including blog posts, articles, and social media posts, appropriate for addressing mental health issues. Those providing the best services can often only offer limited services because of this high demand.
• There is an unavoidable stress that comes along with always writing about mental or behavioral health. The subject matter sometimes means literal life or death and can lead to burnout for some.

A freelance writer in the mental health niche has some challenges but will strive to communicate clearly with clients and provide excellent services despite them.

Writing Mental Health Content Provides Distinct Satisfaction

Mental health ghostwriting or freelance writing is a rewarding and challenging niche. It demands strong writing skills, knowledge of mental health trends and practices, and the ability to communicate complex information in an engaging and convincing way.

For example, a skilled mental health writer can tell your practice’s greatest success story in a way that convinces someone out there in the cyber-audience to get treatment that changes their life.

That is powerful stuff!

So who is your ally in sharing this inspiring, life-altering tale of triumph over challenges? Your new best friend – your mental health writing specialist.

When clients fully understand the differences between mental health ghostwriting and health writing, they can hire the writers who will best suit their business needs and relate information to their patients.

Your mental health ghostwriter is part of a specialized breed of freelance writers. The niche is very specific, which can pose a unique challenge in searching for a freelance writer who will suit your needs.

But when you see that just-right portfolio… ahhhh. The magic happens.

Are you in search of a mental health ghostwriter who can make your life easier? Let’s connect today. Book time to speak with me or follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.