Five Things That Actually Help When You're Scared of the Camera
Apr 01, 2026
I'll be honest with you. The camera and I are still working things out.
I've been building online businesses for years, I help practitioners move their work online every single day, and I still feel that little flutter of dread when I'm about to hit record. So if you're a therapist, coach, or healer who breaks out in a cold sweat at the thought of making a video, you are in very good company.
But here's the thing I've come to understand: the fear isn't really about the camera. It's about being seen. And as practitioners, we spend so much of our time holding space for others that the idea of putting ourselves in the spotlight can feel deeply uncomfortable. Almost a bit backwards.
The irony is, your future clients need to see YOU. Not a polished, perfect version of you. Just you, talking to them like a human being. That connection is what moves someone from 'browsing your website' to 'booking a call'.
So I've been pulling together the most useful practical tips I've come across, and I'm sharing them here for you.
Here are the 5 things:
1. The Coffee Shop Check
Here's a simple question to ask yourself before you start recording: Would I actually say this to a friend sitting across from me in a coffee shop?
Because there's a version of us that shows up on camera and suddenly starts talking like a corporate brochure. Stiff, formal and a bit odd, like the cardboard cutout version of you! And the moment that happens, your viewer clocks it straight away and mentally checks out.
Think about the difference between someone saying, "Hi, I have discovered three really important things that you need to know", versus just, "Hey, I've found something that might really help you." The same information is shared, but they convey completely different feelings.
The second one feels like a conversation. The first one feels like a presentation. Your clients want a conversation.
So before you record, do a couple of run-throughs and ask yourself: Does this actually sound like me? If it feels weird to say to a friend, it's going to feel weird on camera too. Adjust until it sounds like you're just... talking.
2. Stop Trying to Be Perfect
This one is a mindset shift, not a technique, and I think it might be the most important thing on this list.
When we're scared, our instinct is to try harder to get it right. We do another take. We rewrite the script. We adjust the lighting again. We delay hitting record because we're not quite ready yet.
But perfectionism and connection cannot live in the same video. The moment you're focused on performing perfectly, you stop being present with the person you're actually trying to reach.
The shift is this: stop thinking about how you look and start thinking about who you're talking to. Imagine one specific person, a client you've helped, someone you'd love to work with, and talk to them. Just them. As soon as you make that shift, something in your whole energy changes. It's remarkable, actually.
3. Decide How You Want Them to Feel
Before you record anything, answer this question: how do I want my viewer to feel by the end of this video?
Inspired? Reassured? Like they're not alone? Like they finally understand something they've been confused about?
When you don't know the answer to that question, it shows. The video meanders. The energy is uncertain. And your viewer, who is trying to decide in the first few seconds whether to keep watching, won't feel safe enough to stay.
But when you know the feeling you're aiming for, everything else falls into place. Your tone, your pacing, even the stories you choose to tell all start pointing in the same direction.
Pick one feeling. Keep it in mind the whole way through. It's a small thing that makes a surprisingly big difference.
4. Use Stories and Analogies
Most of us are great at making a point, but we're less good at making it land.
There's a difference between explaining something and helping someone understand it. It's the difference between sharing information or making a connection with the viewer.
The trick is to use stories, examples, or analogies to illustrate every point you make. Rather than explaining a concept in abstract terms, ask yourself: what does this remind me of? What's a story from my own life that shows this? What's a simple everyday image that captures it?
When you do that, something clicks for the viewer. They go from "I hear what you're saying" to "oh, I actually get it". And that click is what makes people want to share your content, come back for more, and trust that you really do understand what they're going through.
5. Warm Up Before You Record
Athletes don't sprint cold and Actors don't walk straight from the car park onto the stage. And you don't have to walk straight from your last client session to your camera either.
Talking to the camera takes a certain kind of energy, warm, open, present. And if you've just finished a heavy session, answered forty emails, or eaten lunch at your desk, that energy is probably not where you need it to be.
A two-minute warm-up makes a genuine difference. Shake out your body. Take a few deep breaths. Say something silly out loud just to hear your voice. If you can, do something that raises your energy a little first, a quick walk, a stretch, even just making a cup of tea and stepping away from the screen for a moment. I personally use my rebounder for this! Whenever I need an energy shift in my body and elevate my mood or energy, I jump on the rebounder for even just 5 minutes! I dare you not to be smiling once you've jumped for a couple of minutes!
Then, before you hit record, take a breath and remind yourself why you're making this video. Who is it for? What do you want them to take away from it? What would it mean for them if this lands?
Your intention matters, as it translates non-verbally through the video. It shifts you from going through the motions to actually showing up.
And Finally... You Don't Have to Be Perfect. You Just Have to Begin.
The practitioners I see making the biggest impact online are not the ones with the best lighting or the most polished editing. They're the ones who showed up, kept going, and got a little less awkward every time they recorded something new.
You will not nail it the first time. (Neither did I and Neither does anyone). But the only way to get comfortable on camera is to get on camera. In fact, just last week, I did 6 takes of a video before I settled into it and finally got the conversation flowing, because you know why... i didn't warm up before I hit record either! ๐ We are all a work in progress and you know what?! Done is better than perfect!
If you're thinking about moving your practice online and you want some company on that journey, come and have a look at The Nest. my monthly membership for practitioners. It's a quiet, nourishing space to do the inner work that holds the outer work together. You can try the first few entries completely free, no card required.
Sign up to The Nest Membership here
And if you'd like to talk about building your online practice properly, from the inside out, book a free connection call. I'd love to hear what you're working on.
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