On profile - show name, userpic, bio and any certification and experience data, # of members this therapist works/worked with, calendar of availability, specialties, testimonials, personal encouragement message to potential patients, any articles/tips from the therapist, options to contact
To encourage members to engage in conversation with the therapist we should encourage flexible contact so that those who are in doubt are not forced to make an appointment as the only way to talk to the therapist. I think we should do as on Airbnb.com - in most cases where you can book a place right away there's also a way to contact the owner of the place first without committing to booking
Another interesting idea that an acquaintance of mine described to me is the concept of aided contact making
Comment:
The problem with a lot of dating sites is that the first contact is always awkward - you dont know how to start a conversation, how to find out if that person is right for you, etc. So the idea my acquaintance is implementing in his startup is to allow a kind pre-screening - number of questions each party can answer to determine if the other person is of interest to them without actually making a direct contact. So maybe if you feel that first contact with a therapist may be a scary or uncomfortable experience, there should be a pre-screening
Comment:
The problem with a lot of dating sites is that the first contact is always awkward - you dont know how to start a conversation, how to find out if that person is right for you, etc. So the idea my acquaintance is implementing in his startup is to allow a kind pre-screening - number of questions each party can answer to determine if the other person is of interest to them without actually making a direct contact. So maybe if you feel that first contact with a therapist may be a scary or uncomfortable experience, there should be a pre-screening