You have prepared a one-page information sheet. The facts are correct, but one sentence contains “descriptive feedback”, “educational purposes”, and “diagnostic validity”. The meaning is familiar to you; someone meeting those terms for the first time has to piece it together. For psychologists and psychotherapists, writing an information sheet includes deciding which words to explain, which to replace, and which qualifications to keep. Making a concept understandable means protecting its meaning while changing how you express it. You can begin by comparing two versions of the same message and checking whether readers can find what they need without having to guess.
Choose the reader for your information sheet
“Everyone” does not yet identify a useful audience. A sheet for experienced colleagues can assume familiarity with terms that need explaining at an introductory event. Before editing individual sentences, note who will read the material, when they will encounter it, and which question it should answer. In our entirely fictional example, a psychologist is introducing a workshop for psychology students trying a simulation for the first time. The sheet does not describe a therapy session or give treatment advice.
Its main message is specific: what will happen during the exercise and what the discussion afterwards is for. The full programme, learning theories, and assessment criteria may belong in separate materials. The CDC Clear Communication Index asks writers to clarify their audience, communication objective, and main message before assessing the text. We use this US methodological resource for guidance; we are not assigning the sheet a certification or a score.
Put the meaning before the label
Try explaining what readers will actually do before introducing the specialist name for the activity. When an information sheet starts with a series of labels, people need to understand every label before they can work out what you are offering. Instead, describe the action and, where necessary, connect it to the term used elsewhere in the document.
For our imaginary workshop, “training simulation” can appear alongside a description of a conversation with a fictional character. This does not provide a complete definition of every kind of simulation. It explains the particular activity being offered. Keeping that distinction prevents an example from turning into a general rule. If the term appears again, use it consistently. Alternating between “simulation”, “exercise”, and “test” simply for variety could suggest different purposes from those intended by the organiser.
Compare two versions of one message
Here is an original technical formulation: “The activity comprises simulated interaction for communication practice, followed by descriptive feedback, with no diagnostic or certification purpose.” It contains the type of activity, what follows it, and two boundaries. These are the pieces of information to preserve even when the wording changes.
A more accessible version for our workshop could read: “You will talk with a fictional character to practise asking questions. After the conversation, you will review some passages with the trainer. This is a learning activity: it does not establish a diagnosis or certify your competence.” The discussion with a trainer is a feature of the fictional workshop, not a service promised by a platform.
The second version makes the people involved explicit and translates “descriptive feedback” into what happens in this example. Before using it, the organiser must confirm that the workshop actually includes that step. A clear rewrite can still be inaccurate if it adds an activity that is absent from the programme. Familiar words do not make an unverified description true.
Remove obstacles while preserving the conditions
The CDC module on writing directly recommends explicit verbs, identifiable subjects, and explanations of necessary technical terms. You can apply these principles one sentence at a time without imposing an identical length on every sentence. “The trainer will comment on two passages” identifies the person acting; “feedback will be provided” leaves readers to fill in part of the picture.
Check that simplifying the sentence has not changed its conditions. If the programme says the comments concern selected passages, “you will receive a complete assessment” changes the promise. If participation in the discussion is optional, removing that detail makes it sound compulsory. In our example, the diagnostic and certification boundaries remain visible because they define the activity. Revision concerns what the sentence implies as well as the difficult words it contains.
Give each paragraph a clear purpose
A short information sheet does not have to be one dense block. You can separate the description of the activity, what happens afterwards, and a reference to the programme for organisational details. A heading such as “What we will do” only helps when the paragraph actually answers that question. A broad promise in the title is not corrected by a qualification hidden at the end.
Review any images and captions too. A stamp or medal beside the statement “does not certify competence” would introduce a conflicting message. A decorative illustration cannot replace an explanation. An orderly structure may be enough for this sheet: each element should help readers find information without adding an outcome that the text cannot support. The same check applies when someone adapts the sheet into slides or an event announcement.
Ask what readers understood
“Is everything clear?” can open a conversation, but it does not show which meaning reached the reader. If you can involve someone similar to your intended audience, ask them to explain in their own words what they will do in the workshop and what they can expect afterwards. If they describe an examination or a diagnosis, revisit the sentences that may have suggested that interpretation.
The CDC directions for using the Index distinguish reviewing a document from testing it with its intended audience. The rereading proposed here is a practical check, not a comprehension study or a complete application of the instrument. If no reader has been involved, do not present the sheet as already tested. Record the questions that remain and resolve them before distributing the material.
Prepare a version ready for review
Keep the starting text, the rewrite, and the information that must remain in both together. Comparing them lets you spot an explained term, a missing condition, or an added promise. Before finishing, check that the title, introduction, and body describe the same activity and that readers know where to find further details.
PsyLab is a digital workspace with AI for mental health professionals, including tools for preparing documents and professional content. If you use it to support drafting, still compare the rewrite with the confirmed information: AI does not guarantee fidelity or understanding. You can try PsyLab for free and work on an original text of your own, keeping responsibility for its meaning and final version with the professional.