How to market yourself as a mental health therapist

Do the words “market myself” make you cringe?

That’s exactly how my client, a social worker and mental health therapist felt when she started to grow her career.

Look, I get it. You chose this profession so you can be of service to others. So the fact that you now have to talk about yourself feels counter-intuitive. 

My client has an extensive professional background in social work and mental health therapy. When she approached me, she had a hard time translating her expertise into services she could provide to her community.

To do this, I delivered the following services:

1. Brand identity 

2. Website

3. Flyers (her initial request)

4. Copywriting

By the time we finished working together, she had grown confident about marketing her services and even gained clarity about her professional goals!

If you’re in a similar position wondering how to market yourself, first ask yourself this question:

“What is my why?”

Here’s how this question ties into these services:

1. Brand identity

A brand identity is the visual representation of your WHY. 

My client’s why is to strengthen the relationships between infant children and their parents.

Tånom’s “why” is to build the confidence of leaders by defining their brand style. 

Why exactly is your “why” important?

Think of your “why” as a mission statement.

A mission statement guides a business or organization to achieve its goal, and therefore make revenue. It also serves as a brief and concise explanation of what the business or organization does for its community.

When a mission statement is constructed effectively and accurately, people will instantly understand what this business or organization will do for their community. 

You might also find this helpful:

• Defining Your Values FREE workbook

So the visual representation of your business (aka your brand identity) should appeal to your target audience through your imagery, font pack, color palette, and brand voice.

2. Website

I might be biased, but I believe that a website is the best marketing strategy anyone can have. 

Think of it like this, your prospective clients probably all own cell phones. These cell phones will most likely all have access to the internet. 

So when your prospective client has a question they need answered or a problem they need solved, what will they do?

They’ll probably Google it. 

And wouldn’t it be nice if your website popped up in your prospective client's search results describing how you can solve their problems with your expertise?

You might also find this helpful:

• One question you need to ask yourself before hiring a website designer

3. Flyers

This service was provided to my client specifically because it was her initial request.

Flyers are a great way to catch people’s attention AND lead them to your website. I think of flyers as the modern-day business card and a great alternative if you don’t utilize social media.

My client has never been on social media and has absolutely no desire to ever start.

I admire anyone who’s not on social media. Social media can be draining. It can make you feel exposed and probably a little pressured (see: comparison paralysis).

But, Tånom is on social media (I’ll explain) for a few reasons: 

1. A big portion of my target audience is on Instagram.

2. I wanted to learn how to use the platform strictly for business.

3. I use it as a side hobby to strengthen my design skills.

To create flyers for my client, I integrated the observations I made learning social media for business and the time I’ve spent creating Tånom’s social media graphics (after all, flyers are media meant for social things, right? Go ahead and quote me).

The flyers were non-traditional. They were unique. They incorporated her brand identity, emphasized her target audience’s pain points, and directed them to her website.

You might also find this helpful:

• 4 things that your flyer absolutely needs

4. Copywriting services

Copywriting, or “copy,” is the kind of writing that persuades your audience to buy your products or services without your being disingenuous. This is the kind of marketing that actually attracts the kind of clients you want to work with. How? Because you’re investing in connection, rather than selling. 

Copywriting is every professional’s opportunity to translate their expertise into language that their audience will resonate with. (As a writer, student of language, and an all right poet, I love writing copy).

Your website design should be guided by copy.

Your website should be a virtual place they feel understood by you, and where they’ll find out how your products or services can help them.

Your website is where they’ll start to get to know you and with time, where they’ll keep coming back to after you’ve created a connection with them. It should feel like home to your audience.

You spent years on education, training, and tears to become a therapist.

Why not market yourself when you are just what someone desperately needs?

Dear YOU, 

Thank you for ALL you do to make this world a better place. 

Love, 

Humanity.

Hopefully, this post gave you some guidance in marketing yourself as a mental health therapist. If you still need help, find a brand and/or marketing strategist that you want to work with. If this is me, I would love to work with you.

Click here to get started.