Does the thought of marketing your therapy practice—or promoting your additional income streams—make you cringe? You’re not alone. Many therapist entrepreneurs feel uneasy about marketing and being more visible online. But what if I told you that marketing could not only be less dreadful but actually fun?

If you’d rather watch a video, check it out on YouTube here!

Welcome to the blog for therapists who are ready to turn their expertise into more income, more impact, and less burnout! Hi, I’m Michelle Risser—your mentor, cheerleader, and guide. Today, we’re tackling one of my favorite topics: marketing! Specifically, how to make it less “icky” and more enjoyable, whether you’re marketing your therapy practice or your other income streams.

Let’s dive into how you can shift your mindset and approach marketing in a way that aligns with your values and strengths.

Redefine What Marketing for Therapists Means to You

First things first, let’s change the way you think about marketing. Instead of seeing it as “selling,” try thinking of it as sharing valuable resources or services that can genuinely help people. At its core, marketing is simply helping the right people find the solutions they need, and those solutions come from you!

When you approach marketing as an opportunity to serve rather than sell, it feels a lot less icky. You’re not trying to convince people to buy something they don’t need; you’re making it easier for them to find what can truly help them. Your ideal clients are out there—they just need to know you exist!

Pro Tip: Every time you feel that discomfort creep in, remind yourself that your marketing is part of your mission to make an impact. Without marketing, you can’t help as many people!

Align Marketing with Your Values

For marketing to feel natural and authentic, it needs to align with your personal and professional values. When your marketing efforts reflect who you are and what you stand for, they won’t come across as a sales pitch. Instead, they’ll feel like an extension of the work you’re already doing.

For example, if one of your core values is supporting mental health for underserved communities, make that front and center in your messaging. When people see that your mission aligns with their needs or values, they’ll naturally be more inclined to work with you.

Pro Tip: Write down your core values and mission. Use these as the foundation for your messaging across all platforms—from your website to social media and even email newsletters.

Use Storytelling to Connect with Your Audience

Let’s face it—no one really enjoys a hard sales pitch, but everyone loves a good story. People connect with stories on a deeper level. Think of your marketing as an opportunity to share the story behind what you do. Whether it’s what inspired you to create a particular course, the challenges you overcame to write a book, or the success stories from your therapy practice, storytelling makes your message memorable.

For instance, if you offer a burnout recovery program for therapists, share your personal experience with burnout and why you felt called to create a program that could help others. Stories like these show your audience that you truly understand their struggles—and you have the solution they’re looking for.

Make Marketing Engaging

In today’s world, engagement is key to building meaningful connections with your audience. The more engaged your community feels, the more likely they’ll be to connect with your message and consider working with you.

Offer opportunities for interaction through live webinars, workshops, or social media events. For example, you could host a “Live Q&A” on Instagram or run a mini-workshop on managing burnout for fellow therapists. Not only do these events create value for your audience, but they also give you a chance to invite them to dive deeper into your services—whether it’s through one-on-one coaching, a course, or a therapy session.

Pro Tip: Add a call to action at the end of your live events to encourage your audience to take the next step, whether that’s booking a session or signing up for your newsletter.

Use Platforms You Actually Enjoy

One of the biggest mistakes therapists make when marketing is forcing themselves to use platforms or tools they don’t enjoy. If you dread making Instagram reels or feel overwhelmed by email marketing, your audience is going to feel that lack of enthusiasm.

Instead, focus on the platforms you genuinely enjoy and are good at. Love making videos? YouTube and TikTok could be your best friends. Prefer writing? Blogs, newsletters, and email marketing might be your thing. When you lean into what feels natural and fun, that energy will shine through, and your audience will notice!

Pro Tip: Choose 1-2 platforms to start with and master those before expanding to others. Quality over quantity is the key to keeping it fun and sustainable.

Conclusion: Marketing for Therapists with Heart

Here’s the truth—marketing doesn’t have to feel icky. When you approach it with fun, authenticity, and a genuine desire to serve, it can become one of the most rewarding parts of your business. You’ll not only connect with more people but also help those who will benefit most from your unique offerings.

At the end of the day, good marketing is about creating meaningful connections, not just pushing sales. By incorporating your authentic self, stories, and a spirit of service into your marketing efforts, you’ll find that it can actually be enjoyable. Plus, when you’re having fun, your audience will have more fun too!

If this blog resonated with you, share it with your fellow therapist entrepreneurs or subscribe for more tips on how to build a thriving, balanced practice. Let’s make marketing less icky and a whole lot more fun—together!

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