What branding means for mental health professionals

As mental health services become increasingly something that can be offered online (through telehealth, online programs, or other digital platforms), there’s a big opportunity for therapists and mental health practitioners to expand on the impact they make, and even open their own practice that is entirely virtual.

And if you’re opening your own practice (virtual or not!), you may be encountering the idea of branding and wondering how that works for the mental health space.

While many of the principles of branding are relevant regardless of the industry they’re applied to, there are some special considerations when it comes to services relating to health. There are, of course, standards of care and codes of conduct that you — as a professional — have to abide by. And that extends to ethical branding and marketing!

So, let’s talk about what good branding is, and how it applies to your practice.

First, it’s not about performance. It’s about communciation.

Good branding should never make you feel like you have to act like something you’re not, just because it’s “good for business”. It’s not about being flashy or salesy. You’re not creating a show to perform on a stage.

Instead, think of branding as a conversation between you and your clients. Your branding helps to convey what your practice is all about, build a relationship with people who would be a good fit, and invite them into your space.

This is key, because yours is a profession built on trust, compassion and connection. You have an incredible capability to help people in need. Part of your work is doing what you can to get that help to them.

Branding is a powerful tool to help you achieve that. When you care deeply about the work you do and the people you help, building a strong brand allows you to magnify your impact.

Branding is more than just a logo.

Many of us think of logos when we think of brands. And your logo can be the symbol that represents your practice… but when it comes to branding, there’s so much more to it than that.

Branding is about the way you communicate who you are, what you care about, and how you, as a mental health professional, support your clients. It’s the way people feel when they encounter your practice.

Your branding is made up of:

Your purpose and vision
Core values
Personality and vibe
Messaging and tone of voice
Logos
Colour palette
Typefaces and how you style/format text
Layouts and design aesthetic

And it’s about how all those things come together to create a certain style across all the touchpoints of your business (think website, business cards, signage, brochures and more).

Imagine when someone lands on your website. What is the feeling you want them to experience? Is it relief? Motivation? Relaxation? Love?

By taking all the pieces of your branding, you can build a picture about what you’re all about. Your branding informs potential clients about what to expect, and creates a way for them to build a sense of connection with you.

Your branding is about creating an experience that guides suitable clients towards the services that will best work for them.

And this experience — your branding — is informed by your values, your approach to mental health, and your personality. It helps you to build trust, even before you and the potential client have spoken directly.

Creating your branding to be a bridge

One of the core pillars of branding is purpose. That is, the “why” that gives your work meaning.

Your brand purpose creates a bridge between:

The services you offer,
And the desired outcome of your clients.

Your branding must create a clear link between these two things to effectively communicate brand purpose. When the right person comes along, you want them to clearly understand how the work you can do with them will allow them to move towards the kind of life they want.

Both your brand identity (the visuals) and your brand messaging (the words) should help paint a picture of your clients’ desired outcome, and position your services as a potential pathway to reach that outcome.

Branding for mental health professionals shouldn’t be flashy, loud, or making unrealistic promises. Instead, it should be clear, reassuring, warm and grounded. It should assure suitable clients that, “Yes, you’re in the right place.”

Great branding is ultimately about your clients. It’s about helping them feel seen, heard, understood, and ready to take the next step.

Ethical and compliant branding for mental health

Depending on the country where you work, there will probably be strict guidelines to follow when it comes to advertising your practice. In Australia, those guidelines are set by AHPRA, and include things like:

No use of testimonials
No overpromising
No persuasive or misleading language

See AHPRA’s guidelines for advertising a regulated health service »

When it comes to your brand voice, your messaging, and use of images on your website and other business touchpoints, it’s an important responsibility to make sure you remain compliant and are building your brand in an ethical way.

But instead of feeling restricted, recognise that branding rooted in truth is always going to be more powerful than hype.

Ethical branding for mental health focuses on:

Clarity about your services and what you offer.
Warm, client-centric language that meets people where they’re at.
Creating an experience that reflects your tone and values as a professional.

Your branding should be about helping your client feel informed and empowered to make the right decision for their mental health journey. It’s about expressing the value of your work and how it can help clients, without creating pressure.

Thoughtful, authentic branding helps your practice to stand out to the right people for the right reasons.

Connect with and support your best-fit clients

When your branding is an accurate reflection of who you are and how you work, it helps the right clients find you.

Another foundational pillar of your branding is your core values. You want these values to be expressed in your branding, so that when someone comes along and resonates with those values, it helps them see they’ve found something that could work for them.

Not every therapist, counsellor, or other mental health practitioner is the right fit for every client. Part of a healing journey is finding the right approach and professional to work with.

By making your approach and the things you value in your work clear, you help the best-fit clients to connect with you. When they feel comfortable and reassured by the tone and style of your branding, they’re far more likely to feel confident about reaching out.

Last thoughts

Branding for mental health professionals comes with unique points to consider, with some deeper responsibilities compared to some other industries — but also greater potential impact. As a mental health professional, you hold space for people in some of the most vulnerable moments in their lives, and it’s always important to honour that in your branding.

Good branding helps therapists reach more of the people they’re equipped to support. But it also reassures those people that they’re safe, understood, and welcome.

If you’d like to start building your brand pillars and start establishing a strong, thoughtful brand, you can download my Core Brand Pillars Workbook for free.

And if you’d like a strategic branding partner to help you turn your professional approach and values into compelling branding or a website, book a clarity call to learn more.