How to write online with Marina Harris
My interview guest this week is Dr. Marina Harris. Dr. Harris is a licensed psychologist who specializes in eating disorders and sport psychology. She writes the Psychology Today blog, Letters from Your Therapist, and is a regular Medium contributor.
I spoke to Dr. Harris about why she started writing online, what she writes about, and what she’s learned along the way. Enjoy!
Why did you start writing online?
As a kid, I loved to read books. There’s something special to me about literature. Then I fell in love with Cheryl Strayed during my training as a therapist. Her style of writing was so validating and warm and I felt very seen by her. That’s how a therapist should be.
When the pandemic hit, I was a completing my internship and thought about launching my business, but I wasn’t licensed yet and I didn’t want to misrepresent myself. I started by creating a website. I thought, “I’ll do some personal branding.” And how do you do that these days? Social media and writing.
I marketed it as a “mental health and lifestyle blog.” I started on Wix and then I found Medium. I joined their partner program which got me started with a portfolio. I wrote about mental health but I also wrote about other stuff, like weight loss. Once I had a portfolio, I started pitching for paid writing opportunities, including Psychology Today.
How does writing for Psychology Today work?
You can start on Psychology Today by pitching a column on a particular niche topic. Once you get approved, you get assigned an editor. Psychology Today gives quite a bit of creative license, but they also help you edit and format articles. They pay a set amount per view.
They also select certain articles to be in the magazine, where they pay a flat fee per article. For example, my article 4 Qualities of Brave Therapy Clients will be featured in the magazine in a future issue!
I’ve only had one article turned down. They choose which ones to promote on their social media channels. It’s nice exposure and I can reach more people than I do in therapy.
What do you write about?
I mostly write about anxiety, perfectionism, eating disorders, and weight stigma. I also write about sport psychology and athletics.
How do you help other therapists with writing?
I’ve learned to write with SEO in mind using keywords to help therapists lead their ideal client to their website. I work with therapists who want to start a blog but don’t have time, want to increase their ranking on Google but don’t know how, or want to have regular content but don’t have a vision for their ideal client.
As a writer who is also a psychologist, I can bring your unique voice out so your clients can find you.
How much do you charge?
I charge $300 for one 1,000-1,200 word article. I can also create a custom package for you with a bundle discount (e.g. 3 articles for $800).
What advice would you give to therapists interested in writing online?
Two things. The first is just to start. I let my perfectionism get in the way of starting. I wish I had started writing in graduate school. The best day to start is yesterday.
The second thing is to do it if you love it. Writing isn’t something that’s particularly lucrative and it takes time. If you don’t love writing or content creation, pay someone to do it for you.
Thank you to Dr. Harris for sharing with us. Read her writing on Psychology Today and Medium. Follow Dr. Harris on Twitter and Instagram. Visit her website to learn more about her work.