Charlotte Davies is a West Midlands-based communication strategist, workshop facilitator and speaker helping organisations, business owners and subject matter experts communicate complex ideas clearly. 

This case study shows how clearer messaging helped Brightside Psychology save time, improve enquiry quality, secure funding and build stronger foundations for growth.

The brief

When Dr Sophie Gwinnett  approached me for messaging strategy and website copywriting, Brightside was growing. Sophie had completed South Staffordshire Council’s Strive for Success programme and had access to funding for business support.

“The business was growing and I was struggling to keep up. I realised that I needed to outsource a number of functions in order to continue to meet demand without burning myself out. Developing the brand and copy fell into the marketing and sales part of this.”

— Dr Sophie Gwinnett, Owner and Clinical Psychologist, Brightside Psychology

As a business owner and clinical psychologist, Sophie’s time is precious.

However, a portion of her time was spent on new client calls with people who weren’t a good fit.  

“It can be overwhelming if you’ve got 15 minute appointments  booked out with people who aren’t a good fit. 

People don’t always know the difference between a counsellor and a psychologist, or understand the difference in price.  

It’s not a good use of anyone’s time and can be difficult to hold boundaries if people ask ‘Can we just make it work?’”

— Dr Sophie Gwinnett, Owner and Clinical Psychologist, Brightside Psychology

Sophie wanted to:

• attract the right enquiries
• explain the difference between Brightside and other providers
• reduce time spent answering the same questions
• create stronger foundations for future growth

Why this project mattered

For Brightside, this wasn’t simply about refreshing a website. 

It was about helping prospective clients understand the difference between a psychologist and a counsellor, improving the quality of enquiries, and creating communication tools to support future growth.

Why Brightside Psychology chose to work with Charlotte

For Sophie, like many business owners, Brightside is like her child.

She needed someone who was pro-mental health, could see the value in what they do, and would share her passion for her business.

“From the first conversations, it felt more personal with Charlotte. She asked questions about the business and really wanted to understand what drives people towards therapy. 

Charlotte came with an attitude of “I love what you do. I’m really interested in this part of your business. I really want us to be able to show the world that you do this.” 

That feels lovely, because she gets how special this is to me.”

— Dr Sophie Gwinnett, Owner and Clinical Psychologist, Brightside Psychology

The process

Competitor analysis and current marketing audit

Understand what potential clients are experiencing when searching for psychological services. Identity gaps and opportunities so Brightside can stand apart.

Interview with Dr Sophie Gwinnett

Understand the background of Brightside and Sophie’s goals. Establish tone of voice, and clarify services and booking journey.

“When you’re so caught up in the day to day of the business, you don’t take space to ask yourself things like what are our values and who is our ideal client? It’s just not there. 

It takes somebody to sit down and ask me those questions in a protected time, in order to think about that stuff.

That’s what’s been really useful. It’s helped me to think about the direction of growth for Brightside.”

— Dr Sophie Gwinnett, Owner and Clinical Psychologist, Brightside Psychology

Client feedback analysis

A questionnaire was sent to past and current clients, which could be completed anonymously to maintain client confidentiality.

Answers were analysed to understand why clients needed Brightside’s services, why Brightside was chosen and the impact of their work together

Messaging guide development

The guide was created to act as a reference point for future communication, including values, mission, social media content ideas, style guide.

Website copy and wireframes

The goal wasn’t simply to “have a website”, but to create a site that clearly communicates:

• Who Brightside helps and how
• How it’s different from other mental health provisions
• What to do next

Lo-fi wireframes were developed to give Brightside’s web developer guidance on how the copy should be presented on each page. Consistent presentation and design builds trust.

The results

I caught up with Sophie in June 2026 to understand the long term impact of our work together. 

Better qualified enquiries

The biggest benefit has been better qualified enquiries, meaning a higher conversion rate and a more efficient use of time. 

People understand before they book a call:

• What Brightside does
• How it differs from other practices
• The difference between a psychologist and a counsellor

“What I’ve noticed is a steady increase in referrals which has been fantastic. There’s also less ambiguity over what we do.

When people book an initial phone call, it’s evident that the majority of people have had a good look through the website. They understand how we differ from other practices and what we offer that a counselling practice doesn’t. 

This has helped me to save time and I see more of those phone calls converting into bookings.”

— Dr Sophie Gwinnett, Owner and Clinical Psychologist, Brightside Psychology

Funding secured

The messaging guide continues to be used and has been used for:

• Funding bids for workshops, securing £3,000 to deliver community-based grief workshops
• Social media
• Business communications
• Training AI on Brightside’s tone and values

“The messaging guide has helped me to talk about my business in a much more informed and confident way at networking events and workshops.

The impact of that is getting more clients, delivering more workshops, and securing more funding.”

— Dr Sophie Gwinnett, Owner and Clinical Psychologist, Brightside Psychology

Recruitment support

An additional benefit of the messaging guide is recruitment support.

“Since our work together 2 years ago, I’ve recruited further mental health professionals.

I’ve been able to put together a clear and concise information pack about Brightside, using the information that you gave me.

This has helped with recruitment and getting the right people apply who share my values and vision!.” 

— Dr Sophie Gwinnett, Owner and Clinical Psychologist, Brightside Psychology

“The website copy and messaging strategy have both been important to Brightside. The level of detail and attention that Charlotte has given to the project is huge. I don’t think you’d get that from many people.

For most business owners, their business is like their child. Charlotte really understood how special Brightside is to me.“

— Dr Sophie Gwinnett, Owner and Clinical Psychologist, Brightside Psychology

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