What Coaches and Therapists Should Ask a PR Agency Before Hiring Them

Hiring a PR agency can feel difficult when you are a coach or therapist.

You may understand that PR could help you build credibility, visibility and trust, but still be unsure how to judge whether an agency is right for you.

That matters because not every PR agency understands businesses built around personal expertise and professional trust.

Some agencies specialise in product launches.

Others focus on corporate communications, large consumer brands, events, crisis management, celebrity publicity or major reputation campaigns.

Coaches and therapists usually need something different.

They need PR that understands:

— Professional credibility

— Expert positioning

— Thought leadership

— Trust before the first enquiry

— Expert commentary

— Podcast and interview opportunities

— Health, lifestyle, workplace and business media

— Ethical communication

— The importance of a clear professional profile

— How prospective clients evaluate expertise before making contact

The right agency should not simply ask:

“Which publications would you like to appear in?”

It should want to understand:

— What you want to be known for

— Which subjects you can discuss credibly

— Who you want to reach

— What professional experience supports your perspective

— Which media opportunities would genuinely strengthen your positioning

— How coverage could support your wider commercial goals

A good PR agency should make you feel clearer, not merely impressed.

Before hiring one, these are the questions worth asking.

1. Do you understand businesses built around trust and expertise?

This is one of the most important questions for coaches and therapists.

You are not selling something simple, physical or instantly comparable.

People may be buying:

— Your judgement

— Your experience

— Your qualifications

— Your professional approach

— Your ability to listen and communicate

— Your understanding of a difficult problem

— Your perspective

— Trust in the relationship

That means PR for coaches and therapists should not be treated as a basic brand-awareness exercise.

Ask:

— Have you worked with coaches, therapists or other expert-led professionals?

— How would you approach PR for somebody whose credibility is central to the service?

— What media opportunities tend to work well for coaches and therapists?

— How would you help prospective clients trust me before making contact?

— How would you ensure the coverage supports my actual specialism?

— How do you handle sensitive health, wellbeing or relationship subjects responsibly?

A strong agency should understand that your credibility is part of what people are evaluating.

It should discuss:

— Authority

— Professional trust

— Expert commentary

— Clear positioning

— Thought leadership

— Relevant credentials

— Media suitability

— Long-term visibility

— The wider journey from media coverage to enquiry

A weaker agency may speak vaguely about “getting your name out there” without explaining how that attention supports trust or commercial goals.

For coaches and therapists, visibility alone is not enough.

Being seen by the wrong audience, on irrelevant topics or in places disconnected from your work can create noise rather than authority.

Useful PR should help the right people understand:

— What you know

— Who you help

— What you stand for

— What distinguishes your approach

— Why you are credible

2. How would you position me?

This question can reveal a great deal about an agency’s strategic ability.

A good PR agency should not simply repeat your current job title and begin pitching it.

It should examine your expertise, experience, perspective and professional focus to identify stronger and more media-friendly positioning.

Ask:

— Based on what you know so far, how might you position me?

— What could I credibly become known for?

— Is my current description too broad?

— Which parts of my experience are most useful to journalists?

— What would make my expertise easier for the media to understand?

— Which elements of my story or approach feel strongest?

For example, “life coach” is broad.

Clearer positioning might be:

— A coach helping founders make better decisions under pressure

— A leadership coach helping first-time managers handle difficult conversations

— A business coach focused on sustainable growth, boundaries and founder overwhelm

— A career coach helping professionals navigate major midlife transitions

“Therapist” is also broad.

Clearer positioning might be:

— A couples therapist specialising in attachment and recurring conflict

— A psychotherapist helping adults understand emotionally unhealthy relationship patterns

— A therapist specialising in anxiety, avoidance and perfectionism

— A family therapist focused on parent-child communication and adolescent wellbeing

— A trauma-informed therapist discussing emotional regulation, boundaries and recovery

The agency may not have a complete positioning strategy before onboarding.

However, it should be able to think beyond your job title.

If it cannot explain what makes your perspective useful, distinctive or credible to journalists, it may struggle to pitch you effectively.

A useful PR agency may also challenge your current positioning.

That is not necessarily a bad sign.

Strong PR professionals should be able to say:

— “That description is too broad.”

— “Journalists may not respond to that framing.”

— “This part of your expertise is more distinctive.”

— “That subject is heavily oversaturated.”

— “This story needs a stronger public-interest angle.”

— “You need a clearer point of view.”

— “That claim requires more evidence.”

— “This topic falls outside the positioning we should build around you.”

That is not negativity.

It is editorial judgement.

3. What thought leadership themes would you develop?

Thought leadership for coaches and therapists should not consist of vague motivational content.

It should be specific, responsible and grounded in genuine professional experience.

Ask:

— Which thought leadership themes could work for me?

— What subjects might journalists want me to explain?

— Which perspectives could help differentiate me?

— Are any of my preferred themes too generic?

— How would you turn my expertise into useful media commentary?

— How would you ensure my commentary stays within my professional competence?

A PR agency working with a leadership coach might identify themes such as:

— Difficult conversations

— Decision-making under pressure

— Workplace trust

— Leadership behaviour

— Burnout

— New-manager mistakes

— Delegation

— Founder overwhelm

— Team communication

For a relationship therapist, themes might include:

— Attachment patterns

— Recurring arguments

— Emotional intimacy

— Trust after conflict

— Relationship repair

— Communication during disagreement

— Boundaries

— Relationship transitions

For a therapist specialising in anxiety, themes might include:

— Avoidance

— Perfectionism

— Reassurance-seeking

— Social anxiety

— Health anxiety

— Emotional regulation

— Workplace stress

— Decision paralysis

A strong agency should not simply suggest “confidence”, “mindset”, “leadership”, “relationships” or “mental health” and leave it there.

These broad subjects may be relevant, but they need sharper angles.

For example:

“Communication matters in relationships” is too general.

“Couples often believe they are arguing about money or housework when the deeper conflict concerns emotional safety and whether each partner feels valued” is more distinctive.

“Burnout is a problem” is broad.

“Burnout is frequently treated as a personal resilience issue when the underlying cause may be unclear priorities, unsustainable workload and inconsistent leadership” offers a more useful perspective.

Strong PR turns expertise into commentary that journalists can use.

Weak PR turns broad themes into generic pitches.

Your strongest thought leadership may come from:

— Patterns you repeatedly observe

— Common misconceptions

— Advice you disagree with

— Issues your profession oversimplifies

— Problems people blame themselves for unnecessarily

— Trends you view with caution

— Distinctions you frequently explain

— Things people often misunderstand about coaching or therapy

— Practical implications of current news or cultural trends

A good PR agency should be able to extract that thinking from you without inventing it.

4. What media opportunities would you prioritise?

Not every media opportunity has equal value.

For coaches and therapists, useful opportunities normally support professional credibility and relevant expertise.

Ask:

— Which media formats would you prioritise for somebody like me?

— Would you focus on health, lifestyle, workplace, business or specialist media?

— Would podcasts form part of the strategy?

— Would you use proactive pitching, reactive journalist requests or both?

— How would you decide which opportunities are worth pursuing?

— Would local or trade media be useful for my goals?

Depending on your expertise, useful opportunities might include:

— Expert commentary in health and lifestyle articles

— Relationship advice features

— Workplace and leadership commentary

— Podcast interviews

— Business-media contributions

— Parenting and family features

— Mental-health education

— Professional or trade-media commentary

— Founder or practitioner profiles

— Advice-led features

— Timely commentary linked to current events

— Interviews about a book, study, programme or professional initiative

A good agency should explain why particular formats are relevant.

For example:

Podcasts may help prospective clients hear how a coach or therapist thinks and communicates.

Business media may build credibility for an executive or leadership coach.

Health and lifestyle press may suit a therapist discussing anxiety, relationships or emotional wellbeing.

Trade media may strengthen authority among professional peers and referral partners.

Local media may be useful when building awareness of a location-based practice.

National media can support wider recognition, but it should not be treated as the only valuable outcome.

A niche podcast heard by the right people may be more commercially useful than a broad mention disconnected from your work.

Good PR is not simply about reach.

It is about relevance.

5. What results should I realistically expect?

This question tests an agency’s honesty.

No reputable agency should guarantee specific earned editorial coverage in named publications.

Journalists and editors decide what they publish.

However, an agency should still be able to explain what realistic progress may look like.

Ask:

— What should I expect during the first month?

— What may progress look like after three months?

— How does a campaign normally develop over six months?

— What factors could make my campaign easier or more difficult?

— What could slow results?

— How will you judge whether the campaign is gathering momentum?

A sensible answer may sound like:

“The first month is usually focused on onboarding, positioning, expert-profile development, identifying themes, creating initial content and beginning outreach. Some campaigns secure early interest, but PR often becomes more consistent after the positioning and angles have been tested. Results depend on the strength of the expertise, responsiveness, media relevance, timing and journalist interest.”

That is more credible than:

“We will get you into national press immediately.”

PR should be ambitious but realistic.

For coaches and therapists, authority often develops through repeated visibility around a few clear subjects.

One article may be useful.

The greater value often appears when somebody is repeatedly associated with relevant expertise over time.

You are not simply trying to collect publication logos.

You are building a credible media footprint.

6. How do you measure whether PR is working?

PR should not be measured only by the number of articles published.

Ask:

— How do you assess performance?

— Do you consider quality and relevance as well as volume?

— How do you judge whether coverage supports my positioning?

— Will you track journalist interest and ongoing opportunities?

— Will you help me understand how to reuse coverage?

— What should I monitor on my side?

Useful indicators might include:

— Published media coverage

— Publication relevance

— Journalist responses

— Comments submitted

— Interviews arranged

— Podcast opportunities

— Recurring themes gaining traction

— Strength and usefulness of quotations

— Brand or expert mentions

— Backlinks where naturally included

— Stronger search results

— Journalists returning for further comments

— Media assets for websites, proposals and professional profiles

— Prospective clients mentioning coverage

— Warmer initial conversations

— Increased professional referrals

PR often influences trust before it influences enquiries.

Somebody may:

— Read an article

— Search for your name

— Visit your website

— Review your credentials

— Listen to a podcast

— Follow you for several weeks

— Mention the coverage during an initial conversation

— Enquire later

That journey may not appear neatly in analytics.

Ask the agency:

“How will you help me assess whether coverage is commercially useful rather than simply flattering?”

The answer will show whether it sees PR as a business asset or only as publicity.

7. How much will I need to be involved?

Some coaches and therapists want PR but do not want to contribute any insight.

That can be difficult.

When the campaign is based on your expertise, the agency needs access to your real thinking.

Ask:

— How much input will you need?

— How quickly will I need to respond?

— Will you draft comments for approval?

— Can I provide voice notes or bullet points?

— What happens when I cannot respond in time?

— How will you learn enough about my perspective?

— How do you protect professional boundaries and confidentiality?

You may need to provide:

— Opinions

— Explanations

— Approvals

— Credentials

— Professional experience

— General examples

— Relevant research or evidence

— Topics to avoid

— Interview availability

— Feedback on positioning

— Professional photographs

— Background information

Therapists should never be pressured to disclose confidential or identifiable client information.

An agency should understand how to develop responsible commentary from:

— General professional observations

— Common misconceptions

— Broad patterns

— Publicly available research

— Evidence-informed explanations

— Your genuine professional perspective

If an agency claims it needs no contribution from you, be cautious.

That may result in generic or inaccurate commentary.

The strongest expert PR combines:

— Your substantive knowledge

— The agency’s editorial judgement

— Skilled writing

— Relevant media outreach

You do not need to write every quotation yourself.

However, you do need to supply the authentic expertise behind it.

8. Who will work on my account?

You should understand who manages the campaign and where senior judgement is involved.

Ask:

— Who will manage my account day to day?

— Who develops the positioning and strategy?

— Who writes the pitches and comments?

— Will senior PR professionals review important angles?

— How many clients does each account manager support?

— What happens if the campaign needs repositioning?

— Who communicates with journalists?

You do not necessarily need a senior director completing every administrative task.

That would normally increase the cost considerably.

However, experienced judgement matters in areas such as:

— Positioning

— Campaign direction

— Complex or sensitive subjects

— Story development

— Media angles

— Evaluating what is not working

— Reviewing claims and evidence

— Deciding when to change direction

A clear answer might be:

“You will have a dedicated account contact, supported by writers, media-outreach specialists and senior strategic oversight. Senior input is used where it strengthens positioning, story development and campaign direction.”

A vague answer about who does what may be a warning sign.

Coaching and therapy involve nuance.

A junior team member may be capable of sending emails but lack the experience to identify:

— An overly broad message

— An ethical concern

— A weak claim

— A potentially misleading angle

— A stronger public-interest framing

— A mismatch between the topic and your credentials

Ask where the editorial and strategic judgement sits.

9. How do you identify and pitch journalists?

This helps you understand whether the agency has a genuine media process.

Ask:

— How do you identify relevant journalists?

— Do you research each publication and writer?

— Do you use existing media relationships?

— Do you respond to live journalist requests?

— Do you build different media lists for different angles?

— How do you avoid irrelevant mass pitching?

— Do you follow up?

A good agency should talk about relevance.

It may use:

— Media databases

— Existing journalist relationships

— Editorial research

— Live requests

— Previous media contacts

— Publication analysis

— Topic-specific outreach

The important point is that the angle should be matched to journalists likely to use it.

A couples-therapy angle should be directed towards journalists covering relationships, health, family or lifestyle.

Workplace-burnout commentary may suit writers covering business, careers, leadership, HR or wellbeing.

An anxiety specialist may be relevant to health, psychology and lifestyle journalists.

A founder story should be pitched to outlets that publish professional profiles or business journeys.

Relevant outreach protects both your credibility and the agency’s reputation.

Mass pitching unsuitable angles may damage journalist relationships.

Good outreach considers:

— The journalist’s subject area

— The publication’s audience

— The timing

— The usefulness of your contribution

— Your credibility

— Whether the story reflects what the outlet actually publishes

10. What happens when the first angles do not work?

Not every PR angle succeeds.

That is normal.

The important issue is whether the agency learns and adapts.

Ask:

— What happens when initial pitches receive little interest?

— How do you decide when to change direction?

— Will you tell me when my preferred angle is weak?

— How do you test new themes?

— How often will we review the campaign?

— What information do you learn from journalist responses?

A strong agency may say:

“If an angle is not gaining interest, we review the timing, framing, target publications, strength of the comment, supporting proof and overall positioning. We may test a sharper opinion, a broader public-interest hook, a different media format or a more timely subject.”

A weak agency may continue sending the same material without learning from the response.

PR involves:

— Editorial judgement

— Testing

— Timing

— Persistence

— Adaptation

Slow results do not always indicate a bad campaign.

A lack of learning is more concerning.

11. What do you need from me?

This shows whether the agency sees PR as a partnership.

Ask:

— What would make me easier to pitch?

— Which assets should I prepare?

— What proof points would strengthen the campaign?

— What could slow progress?

— What should I avoid doing?

— How can I help you identify better media opportunities?

A good agency may request:

— A clear professional biography

— Qualifications and registrations

— Specialist training

— Professional photographs

— A current website

— Relevant experience

— Strong opinions

— Prompt approvals

— Book or programme information

— Speaking experience

— Media preferences

— Topics you will not discuss

— Interview availability

— Research or supporting evidence

— An accurate LinkedIn or professional profile

This is generally a positive sign.

It means the agency is considering what journalists need before using somebody as a source.

Thoughtful questions before onboarding often lead to more thoughtful campaign work.

12. Will you help me use media coverage afterwards?

Media coverage is most useful when it becomes part of the wider authority system.

Ask:

— Should I add coverage to my website?

— Can it support my LinkedIn or professional profile?

— Can I reference it in corporate proposals?

— Can it support podcast and speaking pitches?

— How should I share it without sounding self-congratulatory?

A useful media mention can become:

— A website credibility asset

— A LinkedIn post

— A newsletter discussion

— A speaker-profile addition

— A podcast credential

— A professional biography update

— A corporate proposal reference

— A longer educational article

— A workshop topic

If the agency sends you a link and never discusses it again, part of the value may be lost.

PR creates external proof.

Your wider communications help keep that proof visible and useful.

13. What are the contract terms?

You should understand the commercial commitment before signing.

Ask:

— What is the minimum term?

— What notice is required?

— What happens after the initial commitment?

— Are there setup costs?

— What is included in the monthly fee?

— Are there additional charges?

— Do you charge publication or placement fees?

— Can the service be paused?

— What happens if I cancel?

There is nothing inherently wrong with an initial commitment.

PR usually needs time to develop positioning, create assets, test angles and build momentum.

However, the agency should clearly explain:

— The price

— The minimum term

— The notice period

— What is included

— What is not included

— How cancellation works

Do not sign terms you do not understand.

Do not select an agency on price alone.

Low-cost PR may become poor value when it produces irrelevant outreach or weak content.

Expensive PR is not automatically effective either.

The question is whether the structure is commercially sensible for your needs.

14. How does the price affect the service?

Pricing should influence expectations, but it should not reduce the standard of honesty, judgement or professionalism.

A coach or therapist paying £597 per month should not expect the same operating structure as a global company paying £10,000 or more each month.

However, they should still expect proper PR work.

A traditional high-retainer agency may include:

— Large account teams

— Extensive workshops

— Frequent senior consultancy

— Crisis communications

— Corporate affairs

— Investor relations

— Events

— Stakeholder communications

— Media training

— International campaigns

— Executive reputation management

A focused boutique model may be structured differently.

It may concentrate resources on:

— Positioning

— Media-angle development

— Expert commentary

— Thought leadership

— Content creation

— Proactive pitching

— Reactive journalist opportunities

— Follow-up

— Media monitoring

— Account support

— Regular campaign updates

This can be well suited to coaches and therapists who want to build credibility around genuine expertise without paying for services they do not need.

Ask:

— What is included at this price?

— What is not included?

— How is the service structured?

— Where is senior judgement used?

— How frequently will I receive updates?

— How are angles developed?

— How much content and pitching activity should I expect?

— What would a larger agency provide that this service does not?

— Which clients are best suited to this model?

A good agency should answer these questions openly.

It should not pretend every PR service is identical.

It should also not use affordable pricing as an excuse for:

— Weak strategy

— Irrelevant pitching

— Generic content

— Poor communication

— Vague reporting

A focused model should be more efficient, not careless.

How Fair Public Relations structures Standard PR

Fair Public Relations provides a journalist-led, account-managed service called Standard PR.

The current price is:

— £597 per month

— US$797 per month

The service has:

— A three-month initial commitment

— Rolling monthly service after the initial term

— One full billing cycle’s notice

Standard PR may include:

— Onboarding and campaign planning

— Positioning

— Story and angle development

— Proactive media pitching

— Reactive journalist opportunities

— Expert commentary

— Content creation

— Press monitoring

— A client portal

— Fortnightly updates

— Monthly calls

— Dedicated account support

It is not:

— A guaranteed-publication service

— Pay-per-placement PR

— A backlink package

— A fixed-article subscription

— A crisis-communications retainer

— A large corporate-affairs programme

Fair Public Relations is positioned between a solo freelance PR consultant and a traditional high-retainer agency.

The model is intended to provide experienced, journalist-led support at a fair and commercially sensible price without unnecessary agency layers.

15. Do you guarantee coverage?

For earned editorial PR, the usual answer should be no.

Journalists decide which stories, quotations and experts they include.