Brand Playbook
Samantha Tilley
Psychotherapy
A complete brand and growth reference — style guide, voice, competitive positioning, keyword strategy, content calendar, tech stack, and ideal client profiles. Built May 2026.
Style Guide
The visual system for Samantha Tilley Psychotherapy. Warm, earthy, and grounded — espresso browns anchored by cream and a golden tan accent. No cool tones, no clinical sterility, no overworked "wellness pastel."
Color Palette
Brown Dark
--brown-dark #3d2010
Hero backgrounds, CTA buttons, icon badges, sidebar
Brown Mid
--brown-mid #5c3018
Section headings, body text on light backgrounds
Tan / Gold
--tan #c4a882
Accents, borders, icons, hover states, decorative elements
Cream
--cream #f5efe8
Primary page background, light section fills
Cream Dark
--cream-dark #ede3d6
Alternating sections, card backgrounds, table rows
Text
--text #2e1a0e
Default body text on cream backgrounds
Text Light
--text-light #7a5c44
Secondary/muted text, captions, subtitles, labels
Typography
Display / Headings — Cormorant Garamond
feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or stuck?
Body / UI — DM Sans
My approach is warm, collaborative and direct. I draw from CBT, DBT-informed, ACT and attachment-based approaches to help clients understand what is driving their patterns and how to shift them in real time.
Pairing rationale: Cormorant Garamond brings emotional warmth and quiet femininity without being precious; DM Sans keeps it readable and grounded. The contrast creates hierarchy without feeling corporate or clinical.
Design Motifs
Botanical Leaf SVG
Outline-style, tan color, low opacity. Recurring decorative element — communicates natural, organic, holistic.
Arch Photo Frame
Arched top, squared bottom. Used for headshots. Classical and soft — avoids clinical portrait formats.
Squiggly Line Divider
Organic, hand-drawn feel. Breaks up sections with warmth rather than rigid horizontal rules.
Sketch-Style Icons
Line weight 1.5, rounded caps. Warm and human — not functional/corporate icon sets.
Rounded Pill Tags
Used for credentials, services, contextual labels. Approachable, never boxy or badge-heavy.
Organic Blob Shapes
Background hero elements. Reinforces the non-rigid, natural aesthetic — softens the page without adding clutter.
Credentials & Compliance Labels
Official Credentials
RP (Qualifying)
CNP — Certified Holistic Nutritionist
MACP — Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology
Diploma in Fitness & Health
CRPO Compliance Rules (apply to all public-facing content)
Must disclose "Qualifying" status on every page, post, and email. No client testimonials permitted. No diagnosis claims permitted. All video and blog content must carry "educational content, not a substitute for therapy" disclaimer. CASL applies to all email. CRPO advertising standards apply to all social content.
Must disclose "Qualifying" status on every page, post, and email. No client testimonials permitted. No diagnosis claims permitted. All video and blog content must carry "educational content, not a substitute for therapy" disclaimer. CASL applies to all email. CRPO advertising standards apply to all social content.
Brand Voice
The governing test for any piece of content: does this feel warm, real, and practical? If not, revise before publishing.
Core Voice Tagline
warm. real. practical.
This three-word phrase appears on the site as the approach tagline and is the most concentrated distillation of the brand voice. Treat it as the governing test for all content across every channel.
Tone Characteristics
First-Person, Lowercase-Led
The site writes "i offer," "i take," "i'm one of the few." This lowercase stylistic choice is deliberate and signals approachability over authority. Apply consistently on the website, social channels, and all client-facing content. Use standard capitalization for formal/regulatory documents only.
Empathy-First Structure
The hero does not open with credentials — it opens with "feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or stuck?" Lead with the client's experience, follow with your offer. Never lead with modalities or credentials as the first thing a prospective client reads.
Intelligent but Jargon-Free
Modalities are named (CBT, DBT, ACT) with plain-language explanations. Clinical terms earn their place only when they serve the reader. The goal is informed trust, not credentialing performance.
Evidence-Based but Never Cold
Research is woven in naturally — particularly around holistic nutrition and nervous system regulation — without the copy becoming academic. No footnotes in social posts. No "studies show" opener unless you immediately make it human.
Owned Copy Lines
"feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or stuck?"
"you don't have to figure it out alone."
"no jargon. no rigid protocols. just an honest, grounded space where we figure out what's actually going on and find tools that work for your real life."
"most therapy treats the mind in isolation."
Voice Is / Is Not
The voice is
- Warm, direct, and specific
- First-person, conversational
- Intelligent without jargon
- Empathetic without being precious
- Practical — gives tools, not just insight
- Confident but never self-promotional
- Honest about trade-offs and limitations
The voice is not
- Clinical, distant, or institutional
- Girlboss / hustle / self-optimization
- Pastel "therapy for women" wellness-cliché
- Jargon-heavy or modality-performative
- Formal or overly structured
- Exclamation-point-led or emoji-driven
- Inspirational-quote-padded
Style Rules
Punctuation & Formatting
No exclamation points. Warmth comes from word choice and sentence structure, not punctuation enthusiasm.
No emoji in copy. Fine in casual story captions where culturally expected; never in blog, email, or formal social posts.
No "holistic psychotherapist" as a job title. Samantha is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying). Her holistic nutrition and fitness background informs the work — it does not replace or modify her credential title. CRPO compliance is non-negotiable here.
Lowercase on website and social. Title case for formal/regulatory contexts only (CRPO, insurance receipts, directory listings).
Channel Adaptations
| Channel | Voice Adaptation |
|---|---|
| Website | First-person lowercase. Empathy-first. Warm and intelligent. No credentials as openers. |
| Carousels: educational, validating, practical. Reels: 30–45s, one tool or one insight. No pastel quote graphics. | |
| More professional framing. ADHD-at-work and burnout lens for the Ottawa federal/professional audience. Still warm, not institutional. | |
| Blog | SEO-anchored but reads like a smart, trusted clinician writing for a real person. Ottawa local context where relevant. |
| Email / Newsletter | Informal and personal. Recap the month's cornerstone piece. Soft CTA. Never pushy. |
| Value-only commentary. Never self-promotional. Comment as clinician flair where permitted. Never link the practice. |
Aesthetic references (tonal, not visual copy): Sara Kuburić, Lisa Olivera, Dr. Alexandra Solomon. Avoid the aesthetic of Therapy For Women or motivational-quote-heavy accounts.
Competitor Battlecards
Five competitive contexts Samantha encounters most often — four Ottawa clinics and the Psychology Today directory effect. Each card covers strengths, where Samantha wins, honest loss scenarios, and objection responses.
Differentiation hierarchy. When a prospective client is comparing, lead in this order: (1) Triple-credential integration — RP + CNP + Fitness; (2) Solo-practitioner relational continuity — always the same person; (3) Specific specialization in ADHD, burnout, and emotional regulation; (4) Warm, practical approach — tools, not just insight.
RISE Anxiety & Depression Clinic
Specialty Ottawa Clinic — Anxiety & Depression Focus
Specialty clinic inside the Ottawa Holistic Health Centre. Focuses exclusively on anxiety and depression. In-person + teletherapy, multi-therapist.
Their Genuine Strengths
- Niche diagnostic focus creates strong SEO and referral signal
- Holistic health centre location — wellness-adjacent brand
- Teletherapy availability for geographic reach
- Multi-therapist = no capacity constraint
Where Samantha Wins
- Full scope: ADHD + burnout + emotional regulation — not just anxiety/depression
- Holistic integration is clinical (CNP), not just a building address
- Understands ADHD-anxiety comorbidity
- Burnout as distinct from depression — more specific and less stigmatized
Common Objections & Responses
"RISE specializes in exactly what I have — anxiety."
"That specificity can feel reassuring, and I understand it. What I'd ask is: does your anxiety live only in your mind, or do you also notice it in your energy, your sleep, your appetite, or how you feel physically day to day? For a lot of people, it's both — and that's where I work differently."
"They're in a holistic health centre, which feels right for me."
"Being in that kind of environment is appealing. What's different in my practice is that the holistic piece is clinical — I'm a Certified Holistic Nutritionist alongside being a psychotherapist, so the nutrition and physical health dimensions aren't just next door, they're part of our actual work together."
Ottawa Therapy Group
Established Group Practice — Individuals, Couples, Families
Established Ottawa group practice. Trauma, anxiety, depression focus. $200/session — at the top of market. Insurance-eligible receipts.
Their Genuine Strengths
- Established brand presence and social proof
- Individuals, couples, and families under one roof
- $200/session signals premium positioning
- Insurance-eligible receipts
Where Samantha Wins
- ADHD + burnout specialization vs. generalist anxiety/depression
- RP + CNP + Fitness — whole-person care in one relationship
- Solo practitioner — always Samantha, no handoffs
- Personal brand; prospective clients can evaluate Samantha directly
Common Objections & Responses
"Ottawa Therapy Group is more established."
"They've been around for a while and have a solid reputation for general therapy. What I offer is more specific — if you're dealing with burnout, ADHD, or anxiety that also shows up in your body, your energy, or your daily habits, that's exactly my focus. Established doesn't always mean the right fit."
"They have more therapists and options."
"They do, and for some people that feels safer. What I'd ask is: are you looking for access to multiple specialists, or are you looking for one person who knows you deeply over time? The therapeutic relationship is one of the strongest predictors of outcomes — and that relationship is built with a person, not a clinic."
Trap to avoid: Do not position Ottawa Therapy Group as generic or low quality. At $200/session they are a premium provider. The honest argument is specialization and integration, not quality comparison.
New Chapter Psychotherapy
Boutique Integrative Clinic — EMDR, DBT, EFT, Psychodynamic
Boutique Ottawa clinic. Trauma-informed integrative psychotherapy. Multi-modal (EMDR + DBT + EFT + psychodynamic). Individuals, couples, teens.
Their Genuine Strengths
- Multi-modal integrative approach is genuinely sophisticated
- Trauma-informed framing resonates broadly
- EMDR — strong evidence base, highly sought after
- Boutique positioning creates clinic-level warmth
Where Samantha Wins
- Integration goes beyond modality into nutrition and physical health
- ADHD specialization with mind-body-lifestyle lens
- Explicit burnout specialty
- Less jargon-dependent — easier for first-time clients to self-identify
Common Objections & Responses
"They use EMDR, which I've heard great things about."
"EMDR has strong evidence for trauma and it makes sense you'd be drawn to it. What I'd ask is: is your primary goal processing a specific trauma, or is it broader — managing burnout, ADHD, or how your mental health is showing up in your energy and daily life? If it's the latter, the modality matters less than the practitioner's understanding of your full picture."
Intersections Therapy Collective
Multi-Clinician Collective — Sliding Scale, No Waitlist
Centretown multi-clinician practice. No waitlist, sliding scale, 7 days/week. Couples, families, children, psychosexual. 2SLGBTQIA+ and BIPOC identified clinicians on team.
Their Genuine Strengths
- No waitlist — can be seen this week
- Sliding scale removes cost barriers
- 7 days a week availability
- Inclusive team with diverse clinician identities
- Broader service range: children, families, psychosexual
Where Samantha Wins
- One consistent practitioner who holds your full history
- RP + CNP + Fitness — whole-person care
- ADHD: nutrition-lifestyle lens not present at Intersections
- Explicit burnout specialty
Honest Loss Scenarios
When Samantha genuinely loses:
Acute distress requiring immediate intake. Cost-driven clients needing sliding scale. Families needing child therapy or psychosexual services. Clients specifically seeking 2SLGBTQIA+ or BIPOC identified therapist. Referring is not losing — clients remember practitioners who pointed them in the right direction.
Psychology Today Directory
Discovery Aggregator — 150+ Ottawa Listings
Not a clinical competitor — the commoditizing effect of the directory itself. Clients browse photo + bio + specialty tags and contact 2–3 therapists. A listing that blends in is actively harmful.
How to Win on Psychology Today
| Element | Generic Therapist | Samantha Done Right |
|---|---|---|
| Bio opening | "I am a warm and non-judgmental therapist..." | "If your anxiety lives in your body as much as your mind..." |
| Specialty tags | Anxiety, Depression, Life Transitions | Burnout, ADHD, Nervous System, Mind-Body |
| Credentials | RP credential only | RP + Certified Holistic Nutritionist + Fitness — stated plainly in first two sentences |
| CTA | Generic "book now" | Warm invitation to a free 15-minute consult |
Keyword Research
Ottawa therapy SEO is dominated by directories (Psychology Today, Theravive, First Session) and large group practices. The smart play is long-tail, specialty-specific, and holistic-positioning keywords — where Samantha's triple credential creates a structural advantage.
Key insight: Don't try to rank for "therapist ottawa" or "anxiety therapist ottawa" organically — those are 12–18 months and significant link-building. Capture head terms via Google Business Profile / Maps Pack instead. Win organically on specialty long-tails.
Priority Pages (Build These First)
| Priority | Target Keyword | Vol (est.) | Difficulty | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | holistic therapist ottawa | 90/mo | Low | Service page 1,800–2,500w — RP + CNP + Fitness story |
| #2 | therapy for overwhelm ottawa | 50/mo | Easy | Service page — symptom list, approach, free consult CTA |
| #3 | adhd therapist ottawa | ~200/mo | Medium | Pillar page ~2,000w — teens, adults, women sub-sections |
| #4 | adhd in women therapist ottawa | 40/mo | Low | Cornerstone blog post ~2,000w — links to ADHD pillar |
| #5 | how to find a therapist in ottawa | 70/mo | Easy | Long-form practical guide — education + soft CTA at end |
Quick Wins — Low Difficulty, Pursue Now
| Keyword | Vol (est.) | Why | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| holistic therapist ottawa | 90/mo | Brand-fit, low competition, only one direct competitor | Rising |
| burnout therapist ottawa | 90/mo | Matches existing hero copy exactly | +25% YoY |
| how to find a therapist in ottawa | 70/mo | Top-of-funnel authority play; only one strong local competitor | Rising |
| parenting support ottawa | 70/mo | Family scope alignment; parent-driven search | Stable |
| therapy for overwhelm ottawa | 50/mo | Direct match to website tagline | +20% YoY |
Watch List — Build Now, Volume Coming
| Keyword | Trend | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| nervous system therapy ottawa | +35% YoY | Vagus nerve / polyvagal theory going mainstream — Samantha's CNP + fitness background is uniquely credible here |
| nutrition and mental health ottawa | +30% YoY | Difficulty 14 — lowest in the entire research set. Gut-brain content exploding nationally. |
| adhd in women therapist ottawa | +28–30% YoY | Cultural moment around late-diagnosed ADHD in women not yet matched by local clinical content |
| emotional regulation therapy ottawa | +25% YoY | DBT-adjacent, rising parent-driven search volume |
| somatic therapy ottawa | +28% YoY | Body-based modality trend — Samantha's nervous system + nutrition approach maps here |
What to Skip
These head terms are dominated by directories and 40-associate group practices. Don't build pages targeting them. Capture them via Google Business Profile + Maps Pack instead.
therapist ottawa psychotherapist ottawa anxiety therapist ottawa couples therapy ottawa marriage counselling ottawa therapist near me ottawaTechnical SEO Checklist
- Set up Google Search Console + Google Analytics 4 before launch — collect data from day one
- Claim and optimize Google Business Profile — more impactful than any single content piece for local "near me" searches
- Get listed on Psychology Today, TherapyTribe, Theravive, and First Session — directory citations are a major local SEO trust signal
- Internal link from each blog post to relevant service pages
- FAQ schema markup on homepage and service pages (already implemented in index.html)
- Average Ottawa session price: ~$170 — address fee transparency on site (known consumer pain point)
- After 90 days: re-evaluate against real Search Console impression data
90-Day Content Plan
May–July 2026. The single biggest unclaimed niche is the intersection of late-diagnosed ADHD in women + perimenopause + holistic/nervous-system support. Pair it with burnout in professional Ottawa women and there is a defensible content moat.
Repurposing engine. Monthly cornerstone blog → 2 carousels → 1 Reel → YouTube long-form → YouTube Shorts → LinkedIn carousel → Newsletter. One core idea = 7 pieces of content. Total weekly time: 7–9 hours, batched.
Channel Strategy
Blog
3 posts/month · ~3–4 hrs batch · SEO Foundation
1 cornerstone (1,500–2,500w) + 2 shorter supporting (700–1,000w). The SEO engine — cornerstone seeds the month's entire content repurposing flow.
- "Late-Diagnosed ADHD in Women: What I See in My Ottawa Practice (and Why You're Not Imagining It)"
- "ADHD and Perimenopause: Why Symptoms Get Louder in Your 40s"
- "High-Functioning Anxiety in Ottawa Public Servants and Professional Women"
- "What to Do While You're on the Wait List: Ontario's Mental Health Care Gap"
- "The Mediterranean Diet, Your Gut, and Your Mood"
- "Nervous System Regulation 101: Polyvagal Basics for People Who Are Tired of White-Knuckling It"
- "When ADHD Lives in a Marriage: Couples Therapy for Neurodivergent Partnerships"
- "The Summer Scaries Are Real: Why You Feel Worse in July and What Actually Helps"
- "Therapy in Ottawa: What an RP (Qualifying) Is, What It Costs, and Whether Insurance Covers It"
- "Back-to-School Anxiety in Teens: An Ottawa Parent's Guide" (publish late July for Aug/Sep traffic)
Instagram
3–4 posts/week · 50% carousels · 30% Reels · 20% single image
Primary social channel. Rotating weekly pillars: Educate, Validate, Equip, Reveal, Convert. Tone references: Sara Kuburić, Lisa Olivera, Dr. Alexandra Solomon. Avoid pastel motivational-quote aesthetic.
- Educate (carousel): "5 things late-diagnosed ADHD looks like in adult women"
- Educate (carousel): "Perimenopause is making your ADHD louder. Here's the science."
- Validate (single image): "If you 'just need everyone to leave you alone for 20 minutes' — read this."
- Equip (Reel 30–45s): "A 60-second somatic reset for the Sunday Scaries"
- Equip (Reel): "Ottawa therapist take: what I actually mean when I say 'mind-body therapy'"
- Educate (carousel): "5 signs your burnout is actually nervous system dysregulation"
- Educate (carousel): "The ADHD tax: 7 invisible ways executive dysfunction costs adult women"
- Reveal: Re-introduce yourself every 6–8 weeks (Ottawa walk, office prep, book recommendation)
LinkedIn
2 posts/week · Tues + Thurs AM
- ADHD at Work carousels — invisible struggles, reasonable accommodation
- Burnout + nervous system — Canadian data-led posts (47% of Canadian workers burned out)
- Therapy destigmatization for high-achievers
- Behind-the-practice posts — why both therapist and CNP
- Mental Health Week May 4–10 post series
YouTube
1 long-form/month + 2–4 Shorts/month
- Late-diagnosed ADHD in women — as a Canadian RP, with Canadian context
- Holistic + nutrition + mental health — almost no Canadian licensed therapist doing this with a CNP
- "Therapy in Ontario explained" series — RP Qualifying, insurance, wait times
- Nervous system regulation in plain language
- Shorts = repurpose top Instagram Reels directly
Seasonal Calendar — May–July 2026
May 2026
Connection / Come Together
- May 4–10: CMHA Mental Health Week — daily Instagram posts
- May 7: National Child and Youth Mental Health Day — content for parents of teens
- May 10: Mother's Day — matrescence, ADHD-mom content
- May 18: Victoria Day — mental load, rest, relationship content
- May 29: Ottawa Mental Health Gala
- Public servant annual performance cycle → tie burnout content here
June 2026
Pride / End of School / Summer Onset
- Pride Month — 2SLGBTQIA+ affirming content; queer women with late ADHD/anxiety
- Father's Day (June 21) — men's mental health, fatherhood as life transition
- June 21: Summer Solstice — sleep/light exposure, nervous-system reset
- June 12–14: City of Om yoga festival — mind-body content
- June 24–26: Ontario last day of school — ADHD kids without structure
- Summer-onset SAD content begins to perform
July 2026
Summer Loneliness / Halfway Point
- July 1: Canada Day — belonging/place; warm Ottawa-specific post
- July 9–19: Bluesfest — overstimulation, ADHD/anxiety in crowds
- Mid-July: "Summer scaries" / summer loneliness content peak
- Mid-July: 6-month check-in reflection content (LinkedIn + Instagram)
- Late July: pivot to back-to-school content — publish now, ranks in August
- Summer travel + couples relationship stress content
Content Gaps Samantha Can Own in Ottawa
- Late-diagnosed ADHD in adult women with perimenopause overlay — zero Ottawa competitors publishing on this
- Holistic mind-body therapy with an actual licensed nutrition credential — only RP + CNP combination in Ottawa publishing consistently
- Burnout content for federal public servants and Ottawa professional women — enormous local audience served by generic global content
- "What to do while you're on the wait list" — Ontario's 67–92 day CYMH wait times; no Ottawa private therapist owns this query
- ADHD in couples / neurodivergent relationships — globally rising niche, locally invisible
- Plain-language "how therapy in Ontario actually works" — RP vs. Psychologist, OHIP nuances, insurance receipts
- Summer-onset mental health content — virtually no Ottawa clinic publishing seasonally accurate material
- Brand voice — most Ottawa clinic blogs are clinical and dry, or veer wellness-cliché. The warm/intelligent/no-jargon lane is genuinely empty locally.
Website Stack
A fully static, no-build-step website. Single HTML files with inline React (via CDN) — no npm, no bundler, no server. Deployable directly to Cloudflare Pages by dropping files into a repository.
Deployment model: Static HTML files → Git repository → Cloudflare Pages. Zero server configuration. No Node.js required on the host. Each page is a self-contained .html file.
Full Tech Stack
Layer
Technology / Version
Notes
Hosting
Cloudflare Pages
Static site hosting on Cloudflare's global edge network. Free tier. Custom domain support. Zero server config.
Domain
samanthatilleytherapy.com
Production domain. DNS managed via Cloudflare. Canonical URL set in all pages.
Frontend Framework
React 18.3.1 (UMD / CDN)
No build step. Loaded via unpkg CDN. Runs in-browser via Babel Standalone. No npm required.
JSX Transform
Babel Standalone 7.29.0
Transpiles JSX in the browser at runtime. Loaded via unpkg CDN. type="text/babel" on script tags.
Typography
Google Fonts
Cormorant Garamond (headings) + DM Sans (body/UI). Loaded via fonts.googleapis.com preconnect.
Styling
Inline CSS + CSS Variables
No external CSS framework. Design token system via :root CSS custom properties. Fully self-contained per page.
Booking / CTA
Jane App (supervisor URL)
Current qualifying period — booking link points to supervisor's Jane App instance. Must migrate all CTAs when Samantha receives full RP registration.
Analytics
Google Analytics 4 (planned)
Not yet installed. Install before launch so first 90 days of data collects from day one. Pair with Google Search Console.
SEO Schema
JSON-LD (FAQPage + MedicalBusiness)
FAQPage schema on homepage for rich results. MedicalBusiness schema for local SEO. Both implemented inline in index.html.
Email
samanthatilleytherapy@outlook.com
Current contact email. Consider migrating to practice domain email for professional consistency.
Page Structure
Current Pages
| File | URL Path | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| index.html | / | Homepage — full practice overview, FAQ schema, hero + specialties + about + CTA |
| adhd-therapy-ottawa.html | /adhd-therapy-ottawa | ADHD specialty landing page — SEO target: adhd therapist ottawa |
| burnout-therapy-ottawa.html | /burnout-therapy-ottawa | Burnout specialty landing page — SEO target: burnout therapist ottawa |
| holistic-therapy-ottawa.html | /holistic-therapy-ottawa | Holistic pillar page — SEO target: holistic therapist ottawa (priority #1) |
Deployment to Cloudflare Pages
Steps to Deploy
- Push all .html files to a GitHub (or GitLab) repository
- In Cloudflare Pages: connect the repository, select the branch
- Build settings: no build command, output directory = / (root)
- Add custom domain: samanthatilleytherapy.com → point DNS to Cloudflare Pages CNAME
- Enable HTTPS (automatic with Cloudflare)
- Deploy — every push to main branch auto-deploys
Critical migration task: When Samantha transitions from RP (Qualifying) to full RP registration, every booking CTA across all HTML pages, blog posts, lead magnet PDFs, and email signatures must be updated to her own Jane App URL. Flag this as a tracked task — do not let it drift.
Ideal Client Profiles
Who Samantha is best positioned to serve — clients who get the most out of her approach, can sustain private pay, and are most likely to refer others. Version 1.0, May 2026. Revisit after 20 clients.
Primary ICP — The Burned-Out Professional Woman
Samantha's highest-fit client. High intrinsic motivation, private pay capable, refers others when she sees results.
Age Range
Late 20s to early 40s (peak: 28–42)
Gender
Women — including cisgender, trans women, and non-binary individuals who align with this experience
Location
Ottawa (in-person priority) or anywhere in Ontario (virtual)
Employment
Employed professional, self-employed, or working parent — with income or extended health benefits covering psychotherapy
Psychographic
High achiever, self-critical, used to pushing through — increasingly exhausted, emotionally flat, or irritable without understanding why
Primary Presenting Concerns
Burnout and chronic overwhelm — running on empty with no visible way out. Anxiety — generalized worry, racing thoughts, physical tension. ADHD — especially late-diagnosed women. Emotional dysregulation. Self-worth and identity.
Therapy History
Often first-time therapy seekers, or returning after a gap with a specific presenting need
The Job She's Hiring Samantha For
"Help me understand why I feel like this, and give me practical tools so I can feel better in my actual life — not just in the therapy room."
Trigger Events That Precipitate Booking
- Receiving an ADHD diagnosis (or strongly suspecting one) and wanting professional support to understand it
- Hitting a breaking point — physical symptoms appearing, inability to function at previous levels, crying in the car
- A partner or close friend saying "I think you need to talk to someone"
- A significant life transition: new job, new baby, loss of a parent, major move
- Noticing that old coping strategies — working harder, powering through — are no longer working
Why She Is a Great Client
High intrinsic motivation — she came on her own, not because someone made her
Willing to do work between sessions — Samantha's practical tools approach is exactly what she wants
Consistent — she shows up and commits to the process
High referral source — when she experiences results, she tells her friends
Secondary ICP — The Parent in the Family System
Enters through a teen or family concern. Samantha's cross-family-system positioning means no referrals out.
Entry Point
Parent inquiring about a teen, or a couple seeking couples therapy
Age Range
Parents 30–50; teens 13–19
Location
Ottawa in-person preference for family/teen work; Ontario-wide for couples via virtual
Presenting Concerns
Teen's ADHD, emotional dysregulation, school avoidance, anxiety. Or couple communication breakdown.
Trigger Event
Teen's behavior escalating at home or school. Or couple hitting a crisis point after a major life stressor.
The Job She's Hiring Samantha For
"Help my kid — and help us figure out how to support them without losing ourselves in the process."
ICP Scoring Criteria
Use this scorecard to triage incoming inquiries. Score of 75+ = strong fit. 50–74 = marginal, use consultation to assess. Below 50 = poor fit, redirect gracefully.
| Criterion | Weight | Scoring |
|---|---|---|
| Woman or non-binary individual (primary service focus) | 15% | Yes = 15 pts · All genders = 8 pts · No = 0 pts |
| Located in Ottawa (in-person) or anywhere in Ontario (virtual) | 20% | Ottawa = 20 pts · Ontario virtual = 15 pts · Outside Ontario = 0 pts |
| Presenting concern matches core focus: burnout, ADHD, anxiety, emotional regulation | 25% | Primary match = 25 pts · Adjacent = 12 pts · Unrelated = 0 pts |
| Can sustain private pay or has extended health benefits | 25% | Confirmed yes = 25 pts · Likely = 12 pts · Cannot = 0 pts |
| Self-motivated seeker — came on own, clear desire to change | 15% | Self-referred + motivated = 15 pts · Ambivalent = 7 pts · Pushed by others only = 0 pts |
75+: Strong ICP fit — prioritize for intake. | 50–74: Marginal — use the free consultation to assess. | Below 50: Poor fit — redirect kindly.
Anti-ICP — Who Is Not a Good Fit
Defining who is not a fit is as important as defining who is. Poorly-fit clients drain time, increase no-shows, and slow referrals.
| Segment | Why Not a Fit |
|---|---|
| Cannot sustain private pay | Private pay only. Direct to Intersections Therapy Collective or community mental health for sliding scale / OHIP-funded options. |
| Acute psychiatric crisis | Not a crisis service. Refer to appropriate crisis resources for suicidal ideation requiring risk assessment, active psychosis, or hospital-level care. |
| Outside Ontario | Virtual therapy is licensed in Ontario only. Clients in other provinces or countries are outside scope. |
| Requires medication management | Cannot prescribe. Refer to a psychiatrist; offer therapy as an adjunct if appropriate. |
3 Quick Field Signals
Patterns that quickly identify a high-fit client in the wild — from a website inquiry, a referral, or a social media DM.
01
The Late-Diagnosed ADHD Woman
She says "I just got diagnosed with ADHD" or "I think I might have ADHD" — and she's a professional woman who has been managing fine on the outside. Samantha's clearest differentiator in the Ottawa market. Enters with high motivation and specific questions.
02
The Burnout Breaking Point
She says some version of "I can't keep doing this" — physically exhausted, emotionally depleted, aware enough to know she needs something different. Highest-volume entry point and maps directly to the burnout check-in lead magnet.
03
The Parent Calling About a Teen
A parent (typically a mother) reaches out about a teen struggling with ADHD, emotional outbursts, school avoidance, or anxiety. Family system entry point — Samantha works with teens, adults, and couples, so the whole family can be served without being split across providers.