MHM#25 Reframing social media

It's easy to think that social media is a force for evil—that it's terrible for our mental health to be constantly exposed to a stream of negative news and avenues for comparing ourselves to others. However, social media can also be a force for good, providing an opportunity for education, connection and creating positive social change.

Twenty years ago, while studying marketing at university, I also volunteered as a phone counsellor at Lifeline—an experience that remains one of the most rewarding of my life. I signed up with the hope of helping others, but I'm so grateful for the invaluable communication skills and personal growth it brought me. It also allowed me to connect the dots between marketing and mental health and to see marketing as a powerful tool for raising awareness, educating, and shifting perceptions.

How social media can be a force for good

Social media has been an incredibly important tool for the charity sector. Before social media, there were limited free marketing tools, making running social change campaigns and fundraising challenging for a small charity with a small budget.

Social media has also been an incredibly important tool for social change movements. The #MeToo Movement gained global traction in October 2017 following the Harvey Weinstein scandal. After The New York Times and The New Yorker exposed Weinstein's decades of misconduct, actress Alyssa Milano's viral tweet encouraged survivors to share their stories using #MeToo, leading to millions of responses. This sparked the "Weinstein Effect", where powerful men across industries finally faced consequences. Following the movement's rise, RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) reported a 21% increase in calls to anti-sexual assault hotlines, highlighting its impact in empowering survivors to seek support. The movement led to workplace reforms, increased awareness, and initiatives like Time's Up, a legal defence fund for survivors, continuing to shape conversations around consent, harassment, and power dynamics.

While there are legitimate concerns around social media's role in reducing in-person human-to-human connection and relationships, in some situations, it can increase connection. For those who may feel isolated due to geographic location or people from marginalised communities, finding a supportive online community can reduce feelings of loneliness and provide a sense of belonging.

Using social media to grow your therapy practice

As a solo therapist (or any small business with a limited budget), social media provides a free tool to get you and your practice in front of prospective clients.

Can you fill your caseload without social media? Yes, you can. However, I always recommend incorporating social media into your therapy practice marketing plan because of its effectiveness in helping you achieve the core objectives of therapy practice marketing - building connection and trust and reducing fears and barriers.

There are obviously lots of social media platforms to choose from. I always recommend starting with Instagram. It's easier to grow than YouTube, easier to get in front of your ideal audience than TikTok, and has much better reach than a Facebook business page.

Many people feel apprehensive about admitting they need help and finding the right therapist. Posting valuable and authentic content helps prospective clients connect with you and gives them a sense of your personality and a sense of what a session might be like with you.

An active Instagram presence supports your marketing efforts both directly and indirectly. Directly, it increases awareness of your practice, reaching people who may not have heard of you. Indirectly, it complements other marketing activities. For example, someone might first find you via Googling "therapist" or seeing your profile on Psychology Today, but it was your Instagram posts and videos that built the trust and confidence they needed to take the next step and make an enquiry.

While there's often talk about going viral with reels (Instagram videos), what matters more is creating valuable content that resonates with your ideal clients. Viral reels may boost followers, but a small, engaged audience of ideal clients is far more effective, as these are people who have a much greater chance of booking an appointment.

What type of content should you post?

A mixture of single graphic tiles, carousels (multiple tiles in one post), stories and reels that speak directly to your ideal clients and address their pain, challenges, needs and hopes.

Here are some Instagram post ideas

• Examples of how the issue you focus on shows up in the day-to-day life of your ideal client.
• Instead of doing X, next time, try Y
• What are "normal" life issues/stress, and when should you consider getting support from a therapist.
• Next time your partner says X to you, try responding with X instead
• An inspiring message, letting your ideal clients know that change is possible
• What you can expect in a therapy session with me
• 3 things you can incorporate into your daily life to help with X
• When your child does X, try responding with X

How often should you post?

Long-term consistency is key to growing on Instagram — commit to posting at least 3 times a week for 12 months.

Don't forget to use hashtags

Hashtags are crucial for expanding your reach. Use popular, relevant hashtags that align with your content and location, such as #melbournecounsellor or #traumatherapist. For reels, use 3-4 hashtags, and for posts, use up to 30 hashtags to maximise reach and visibility.