Branding 101

When photographer Sarah Byrd was applying to counseling internships as a master’s student, she decided to have professional photos taken. (Byrd now has a master’s in clinical mental health counseling and is pursuing professional licensure.) Byrd, who had previously worked in marketing, knew the importance of presenting herself in a way that would connect to potential clients. But when she got the photos back, they were all wrong.

“They were all behind the laptop and taking a phone call,” she says. “I realized … these would be perfect if you’re a coach or entrepreneur.” But they didn’t work to present her as a counselor.

The experience led Byrd to start her own brand photography business, helping counselors present themselves in an authentic way that supports the work they do in client sessions. The goal of every brand photoshoot is to showcase who the counselor is, what they do and how they serve people, and to give a first impression that will put potential clients at ease. The photos are one element of an effective brand.

What Is Branding?

Branding is the way a business or person presents themselves to the world. It’s all about intentionally making an impression and establishing a reputation. Good branding introduces you and your work to your audience in a way that will attract the people most interested in what you offer.

With fewer clients coming through traditional online directories, branding can help counselors connect with clients who otherwise wouldn’t know about them. It can also help set expectations for what working with a particular counselor will be like.

For Carlos Todd, PhD, LCMHC, who specializes in counseling for anger and conflict, having a well-defined brand has helped clients come prepared for the assessments he runs and the way he works.

“There’s a lower probability that people come into the conversation resistant,” he says. “The work that’s been done on the marketing and branding side has already helped to create a sense of competence.” He’s seen his branding cut down the number of no-shows and cancellations, while reducing the time he spends on consultations that don’t lead to another appointment.

In contrast, bad branding — that is, branding that misrepresents you and sets the wrong expectations — can weaken client trust from the first encounter.

“If they see you on your website and it’s bright and cheery … [but] actually you’re an expert in grief work, and they go into your office and the colors are muted and soft,” Byrd says, “then their trust in you could be undermined.”

If defining your professional brand is the last thing on your list, you may be skipping a crucial step. “From the therapeutic standpoint, you’re setting yourself up for a better clinical process” when you embrace branding, Todd says. Clients will know what to expect before they attend a session, which strengthens the likelihood that they’ll have a better experience, come back for the recommended appointments, and become long-lasting referral sources.

How to Define Your Brand

Whether you’re establishing a brand for just yourself or for the private practice you run with a few other counselors, you’ll need to follow the same steps.

To start, identify your counseling niche. What are your specialties (ideally five or fewer)? Do you work with couples or individuals? Do you work with children or adults? Are there unique populations that you especially enjoy?

“A common problem a lot of therapists do is they’ll list everything they’ve ever been trained in, every possible topic they could ever talk about under the sun,” Byrd says. “But when you speak to everyone, you speak to no one. If this is not your niche and who you’re excited to work with, don’t list it.”

Once you’ve identified your niche, use those specialty areas to come up with your business name. While you could use your personal name for your business, developing a business name that encapsulates your niche will set you up to be more findable online, while more quickly communicating what you do.

Here, you can lean into what makes you different from others practicing in your niche. Dig into why you got into counseling and what appeals to you about your specialty. How might your interest in this area connect with your potential clients? Why is this work meaningful to you? While credentials and work experience certainly matter, Todd says, what clients are really searching for is someone who sees them, understands the problems they are facing and has the competence to help them create lasting change.

Now that you’ve defined what you do and what makes you unique, think about how you would like to present yourself and your work. What feel would you like people to get from your website or your social posts?

“The therapeutic relationship begins with your first impression, so your branding needs to be an accurate reflection of you,” Byrd says. The version that you present should be the same version clients see in sessions, though it may not be exactly who you are at home.

For photography, Byrd recommends having pictures taken in the space where you meet with clients. Dress as you would for a typical session. Have props on hand that connect to the work you do, such as books related to your area of expertise or fidget spinners if you work with clients with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The photos — which will eventually live on your website and maybe your social media accounts — should feel like meeting you, and so should the language you use to explain yourself and your work. Everything should be done in a way that keeps the client in mind, making you approachable and relatable to the people you work with.

Reaching Your Audience Online

A website is a great first step for building your brand, but it may not be enough to help people find you. To make yourself visible to potential clients and other counselors, you may want to expand into some form of content creation, whether posting on Instagram, writing on Substack or LinkedIn, or appearing on relevant podcasts.

For Jazzmyn Proctor, LGPC, NCC, CTP, building an Instagram following and creating her podcast, The Visibility Standard — where she interviews counselors and other leaders about building personal brands — has helped her connect with other counselors, build a global referral network and establish a name for herself fairly early in her career.

Being active online, Proctor says, doesn’t mean you have to be an influencer. The goal can simply be to connect with an audience you might not find otherwise.

“Start where you can see yourself evolving,” Proctor says. “I think people feel pressure to lean into more of that short-form content: Instagram, TikTok videos, the funny dance trends — but that might not be your thing. And that is OK. … You might be someone who enjoys more long-form conversations. Test out being a guest on someone’s podcast. If you like to write, I know a therapist who has a really impactful voice on LinkedIn.”

Proctor recommends identifying the platform that energizes you and being consistent there. Figuring out what to post and when will take time; your goal is to show up in a way that appeals to your audience and displays what you’re like.

“Branding and social media are just one way to get your name out there,” says Crystal Currie, PhD, LCMHC, who shares about her trauma-focused work on Instagram. “Try different things until you find something that you’re most comfortable with and it’s producing the results that you want.”

Currie recommends working on your content during administrative hours. She’ll make a batch of content on a Thursday and schedule it to post over the next week. “I only give myself an hour to do it all,” she says, but when she started out, creating took longer. “It’s important to always remember that our best work is in the counseling session and not spend so much time trying to get clients.”

As you create, whether you’re writing or making videos, remind yourself of your goals for the content. Are you trying to connect with other counselors? Provide value to the public (that could lead to new clients)? Offer a peek into the everyday life of a counselor who enjoys film or art or sports?

There should be similarity between who you are in these contexts and how you present yourself on your website and how you show up in session. Note what you’d like people to experience from you and use that to gauge whether what you’ve made is the right thing to post.

Remember that what’s on the internet may live forever. That brings both risks and potential benefits. A post that one of your new clients found helpful could be beneficial to another person later.

Ethical Considerations when Posting Online

The number-one rule of sharing counseling content is not to talk about clients or specific sessions.

“I never want clients to come across [my content] and wonder, ’Did she pull this from my session today?’” Proctor says. To avoid this, she posts more lifestyle content and doesn’t really talk about work, but other counselors navigate these boundaries differently. Currie shares more of her personal story, which explains why she works in counseling.

Kirk James, LPC-R, MHFA, PFA, shares personal experiences that relate, even tangentially, to counseling. He aims to make his content relatable, showing his personality and interests beyond his profession. For videos on TikTok and Instagram, he recommends planning out what you’re going to say and thinking about what will catch and keep your audience’s attention. “I always like to have some form of structure or know what I’m going to talk about.”

If you want to share more counseling-specific content, Proctor recommends broadening how you talk about the topic, not referencing individual sessions, and if you’re going to share more specific examples, drawing from sessions far in the past and making sure you don’t mention identifying details. Trends you observe in your practice may be both safer and more beneficial than talking about specific cases you’ve encountered.

As you develop ideas, ask what will be most valuable to your audience. Your goal isn’t solely to gather likes or comments. You want your audience to feel connected to you and what you’re sharing.

When you share stories from your life, Proctor says, “Speak from the scar, not the wound.” It should be an experience you have processed and healed from, not one you are working through.

If you’re not sure about a piece of content, don’t share it right away. Let it sit for a few days and return to it with a critical eye. Are you sharing appropriate, beneficial information? Does it empower or relate to your audience? Or are you oversharing?

Avoid clinical jargon, especially if your audience is the general population and not other counselors. If someone could self-diagnose from what you’ve shared, you’ve likely overstepped. You may want to include a disclaimer at the bottom of your posts or on your profile that clarifies your relationship with your followers.

“We’re not in a therapeutic relationship if you come across me on Instagram,” Proctor says, but your followers may need you to say that explicitly.

If people reach out through direct message on any social media platform, don’t discuss their therapeutic concerns or your services on that platform. Those messages are not private. Instead, drive them to your website to set up a consultation or share a link to a counselor directory where they can find the help they need. Be clear that interactions on the platform do not form a therapeutic relationship.

Branding Matters

Whether you dive into content creation or simply focus on your website and directory profiles, developing a cohesive brand that accurately represents you and your work will help you better connect with new clients, while potentially paving the way for other opportunities. For Proctor, the network she’s built through her brand has helped her provide referrals for clients moving across the country, so the work they’ve started with her doesn’t have to stop.

“It strengthens that quality of care from beginning to end,” she says. “And [good branding] allows clients to make informed choices about their care. They get autonomy in identifying the kind of therapist that they meet with. … That has shifted the starting point of therapy for a lot of people.”