This unofficial guide contains some ideas about writing for the 7 Cups community. It is mainly intended for therapists, although many of the ideas apply to anyone.
All therapists at 7 Cups write about themselves (a “bio”) in their profile. Therapists who contribute in the expert advice area of the website write a second bio, together with one or more articles. Some therapists participate in the member forums.
There’s nothing very special about writing for the community in any of these contexts. Professionalism and common sense are really all that are needed, but even so, this guide highlights some ideas that can be helpful to bear in mind.
The goal of writing for the community is always to provide information that is useful and reliable for members, and to enhance your own and 7 Cups’ reputation.
Many of the ideas that follow apply to writing in the forums, because this is where most of the interaction between therapists and the community happens, and in the forums you can get immediate feedback. But most of the ideas also apply in other contexts where you’ll have the same readers even though they cannot give you feedback.
The ideas are in no particular order.
When you are asked a question, answer the question
It’s good to respond to a member’s overall situation and to provide additional information and advice, but if a member asks a specific question, remember to answer the specific question. If you cannot answer it, at least acknowledge it.
Example: A member who has OCD asks about treatment with EMDR. Provide any appropriate information and advice about OCD, but don’t forget that EMDR was the question.
Be supportive to members
Accept a member’s situation as they themselves describe it. Don’t contradict or argue with a member’s point of view.
Example: A member says they tried mindfulness meditation for anxiety but it made them feel terrible and they decided never to try it agin. Don’t contradict the member by recommending mindfulness meditation.
When there’s something you don’t know, don’t guess
You are writing for 7 Cups because of your professional expertise. When some topic is outside your professional expertise, saying so is a positive way to respond. If you simply guess, you risk misleading members or being corrected, which looks bad and will make you feel bad.
Example: You are a therapist and a member asks you a question only a psychiatrist is qualified to answer. Don’t guess what a psychiatrist might say.
When providing facts, also provide links to sources
Although you are writing becuase you have professional expertise, providing links to current authoritative sources helps to establish your own knowledge and authority.
Example: You want to tell your readers what bipolar disorder is. You can provide a link to the World Health Organization’s definition in ICD-11.
Sources of facts should be current
Ensure that the sources of information you rely on are not obsolete, because some readers will have up-to-date information.
Example: Instead of linking to a quote from the obsolete DSM-IV, link to a quote from the current DSM-5-TR. ICD-11 is even better, because it applies internationally and you can link to it directly.
Sources of facts should be public
Ensure that readers can find out more about the information you provide, without having to pay for access to private sources of information.
Example: Instead of linking to a research paper that requires a payment to download, link to an open access paper that supports the same conclusions.
Sources of facts should be authoritative
When choosing sources of factual information, choose expert authorities if at all possible, instead of the opinions of journalists or other non-experts.
Example: Instead of (or in addition to) linking to a blog that describes the side effects of a particular medication, link to the manufacturer’s data sheet.
Example: Instead of (or in addition to) linking to a magazine article based on a press release based on an abstract of a research paper, link to the full text of the research paper.
When you cannot provide a link, check that Google will back you up
If you state a fact without any link, there’s a risk that some readers might Google it and find conflicting information. It is better to Google it yourself first, so that you can avoid problems.
Example: You include your license number in your 7 Cups profile. Some readers might Google the licence database and cross-check your entry there against your profile. It’s important that the details match.
Avoid obsolete or unusual jargon
Use current terminology that’s in general use and, if possible, acceptable to special-interest groups. Otherwise you risk that someone will Google the terminology you have used, and discover that it’s deprecated or has an uncertain meaning.
Example: Do not use the obsolete terminology “axis II disorder” to mean a personality disorder.
Avoid taking sides in controversy
Many ideas in the field of mental health are controversial. Your readers will include people on both sides of any controversy, people who are confused by it all, and people who don’t even know there is a controversy. Don’t take sides. Express your professional opinion on the matter, but acknowledge that others think differently.
Example: Do not write as if you are an authority on whether or not SSRIs like fluoxetine (Prozac) are safe and effective (unless you really are an authority and you have evidence to back that up).
Write for 7 Cups’ international audience
Bear in mind that you will have readers in many countries, with different national and local laws and services, some of which might be very different from those you are familiar with.
Example: Instead of advising someone to call 9-1-1 (which doesn’t work in much of the world), advise them to call their local emergency number. (There is an international emergency number, 112, but even that doesn’t work everywhere.)
Example: Instead of advising that a certain medication is available but requires a prescription, advise that it is available on prescription where you are but other places might be different.
Example: Avoid referring to medication by brand name, such as Tylenol or Xanax, because brand names differ between countries. A brand you are familiar with might not exist another country, or it might exist but contain different ingredients. You can use a generic name instead, but if the generic name also differs from country to country (like acetaminophen/paracetamol and dosulepin/dothiepin), mention all the variants.
Example: Instead of referring to licensed therapists, refer to qualified therapists, because licencing has no meaning in some parts of the world.
Example: When you mention a law that applies to you (for example, HIPAA in the US), make it clear that other places have different laws.
Draw on your own experience
When you make a very broad statement, there is a risk that it will not apply to some of your readers. It is better to limit the statement to your professional experience, which no one can argue with.
Example: Instead of saying that depression can always be managed effectively, say that in your experience clients who present with depression have always been able to manage it effectively. Otherwise you take the risk that some of your readers who have been told they have treatment-resistant depression, or who care for family members who have, will reject your opinions.
Give examples
If at all possible, provide examples to support the ideas you introduce.
Example: You are writing about depression following the birth of a child (post-partum depression). It is useful to invent a typical client story based on your experience in your own practice, or to link to a blog, magazine article or video that describes someone’s real-life experience.
In a forum, be prepared for surprises
The whole purpose of a forum is to facilitate an exchange of views. So when you write in a forum it’s possible you will get an exchange of views. Some of them will seem surprising or wrong to you, but that’s the purpose of a forum.
Example: You write in a forum that many people consider Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) to be an effective treatment for autism, and you provide a link to what you believe to be current, public and authoritative information about it. Someone replies in the forum, expresses extreme hostility to ABA, and provides a link to current, public, authoritative information against it. That’s what forums are for.
Do not feel responsible for other people’s opinions
There is no rule that says everyone must agree on everything. It is usually best to let contrary opinions stand and avoid an argument. Contrary opinions do not invalidate your professional contribution, and changing people’s minds is not your role in the community (although it might be in your therapeutic work).
Sometimes disagreement occurs because something you didn’t realize was controversial turns out to be controversial, and you unwittingly supported one side or the other. Sometimes it occurs because you wrote something that is generally true, but one of your readers happens to be a rare exception.
Example: Someone who has schizophrenia asks you a question about online therapy, and in your reply you briefly mention antipsychotic medication, not realizing that the use of antipsychchotic medication is highly controversial in some circles. You get a strongly worded reply warning against antipsychotic medication, supported by links to books and research papers.
Correct all mistakes and misunderstandings
If you wrote something that turned out later to be mistaken, or if people misunderstood what you wrote, it is professional to correct and clarify, with a very brief apology.
Repeating yourself, however, and providing exactly the same information a second time in different words, is pointless and looks bad.
Example: You mistakenly write that OCD is an anxiety disorder, forgetting that neither DSM-5-TR nor ICD-11 classifies it that way (although the obsolete DSM-IV did). You either correct the text or add a note that provides the correct information.
Do not feed the trolls
In a forum, if someone writes something that causes you outrage or triggers you for any reason, it is possible they are a troll who specializes in writing things that cause outrage.
Do not reply if you are outraged or triggered.
If you’re unsure, check what you have already written for possible mistakes or things that could be misunderstood. Correct mistakes and misunderstandings, but do not get deeper into any discussion, especially if it is not directly relevant to the main topic of the thread.