Does a Therapist Need a Brand?

As a therapist, you might not see yourself as a “business owner,” let alone as someone who needs a brand! Maybe you identify with being a helper or healer and feel like branding is in opposition to that identity. Put another way–branding might give you an “ick” sort of feeling.

Or maybe you’re like, “Um, what the heck is branding?” Fair question!

Today I’m here to answer that question and discuss why it matters.

What is branding?

The most simple summary I’ve heard: Your brand is how people feel about your business.

And branding is (you guessed it!) the process of creating a brand. It is a thoughtful, thorough process that takes into account you, your ideal client, your values/mission/goals/talents/strengths/experience, and the bigger picture of the market you’re in (yes, you are in a “market,” and I know that might feel squicky).

What is a brand?

Your brand is your unique identity and reputation as a business. It is communicated through visuals like color, fonts, logos, and imagery and your “verbal identity.” Verbal identity is the way your brand speaks–your brand voice, tone, messaging, and storytelling. It’s the verbal expression of your brand's personality and values.

Taken altogether, your brand is how you distinguish yourself from other businesses and establish trust and connection with potential clients.

Why do therapists need a brand?

Though most clients may hear about you via word of mouth or your profile on a therapist directory, they are going to look at your website before deciding to contact you.

And what’s the first thing people notice on your website? Your brand.

In fact, people decide within milliseconds whether they like the look of your site, and the look of your site impacts whether they a) stay on your site and b) whether they trust you or not.

What is that split decision based on? It’s not the writing on your site. People only read ~20%. It’s the feeling they get when visiting you online. And what gives them the feeling? Your brand.

When your brand is up-to-date, cohesive, and resonant with your clients, they will feel more confident in choosing your services. If it’s confusing, dated, and inconsistent, they will internalize that. And it takes only moments and happens on a subconscious level.

How can therapists build their brand?

The first place to start (and maybe you’ve heard this a million times, but it’s with good reason!) is to define your ideal client. Who are the people you want to serve? Who do you work best with? What are their needs and preferences? Once you clearly understand your target audience, you can start creating a brand that resonates with them.

Another important aspect is to define your values and mission. What do you stand for as a therapist? What is your unique approach to therapy? Your brand should reflect these core values and beliefs.

Once you have distilled these down, it’s easier to start making choices about what elements work for your brand and which do not. Whether you are DIYing your brand or communicating with a designer about your needs, you will need to do this step first.

Need help building your therapy brand?

All of our website templates come with tools to help you develop your brand and build a website that looks expertly designed (even without a designer budget).

Other questions you may have about branding for therapists, answered.

• Are branding and marketing the same thing?

  While branding and marketing are related, they are not the same thing. Branding is about creating a unique identity and feeling for your business, while marketing promotes that brand.

  Branding is about establishing who you are and what you stand for, while marketing is about getting the word out and helping people understand why they should choose to work with you (or not).

• Is my logo the same as my brand?

  No, branding is more than logo design. While a logo can be a part of your brand identity, branding is a more comprehensive process. In fact, you can have a brand without even having a logo at all!!

• Can I have a brand without a fancy business name?

  You can! Just as I mentioned above about logos-branding is not just one thing. Sure it can be a valuable part of your brand to have a business name separate from your own name. But if you have a business name that doesn’t resonate that you just came up with randomly, that’s not great either. Using your name as a therapist and having it be more of a personal brand is 100% a-OK 👌

• Do I need to hire a designer to have a brand?

  You don’t! Working with a designer is a worthwhile investment for your business, but the reality is that it costs money, and that may not be in your budget.
  
  You can still develop a brand by using free or inexpensive tools! For example I love Canva (that is my affiliate link) for creating and organizing brand elements.

  My best recommendation, if you are going to DIY, is to keep it really simple so that you can also keep it consistent! When you start to incorporate too many colors or fonts that’s when things can start to look unintentional or unpolished. Make sure to use the same elements across every page on your website and across all platforms where you have a presence as much as possible to increase the strength of your brand.

• Can I ever change my brand?

  YES! Businesses do it all the time. I’ve done it! (And I wrote about here).

  The most important thing is to do it thoughtfully and with a plan. And to carry that out with consistency. It shouldn’t be willy-nilly, otherwise it will end up causing the brand to degrade because it will feel piecemeal.

Final Thoughts

Branding is not just for product-based businesses; it's also essential to building a successful therapy practice. By creating a strong brand, you can establish yourself as an expert in your field, build trust with potential clients, and connect with the folks you serve best.