By Lisa Bell

In a world that often seems oversaturated with therapists, marketing has become something that is now a requirement to maintain a flourishing mental health business. This is a full pivot from years of clients stranded on lengthy waitlists without respite. While options are great from a consumer perspective, I will admit that this is definitely out of my comfort zone. My focus on others in my career has often allowed me to quietly and blessedly sneak under the radar of talking about myself, let alone convince others that I am the one for them…So I am seeking marketing company to reduce the sheer terror and panic that consumes me when thinking about how this could possibly work.

In an attempt to match with the “right” marketing team, I have been meeting with digital marketing companies over the last month. For the most part, it has been okay, but one marketing specialist’s questions about my business and my brand, definitely got me thinking…and maybe spiralling just a little. It started with our business name.

Several years ago, I was tasked with naming my company. To be honest, nothing was perfect and I was getting very overwhelmed. I had no idea where to start or what name would resonate with the people I wanted to help. After endless test names on family and friends I was ready to throw in the towel. Unfortunately, a business name is mandatory (insert crying emoji here). So, I started to think about the purpose of therapy and what I wanted clients to achieve in our time together. Ultimately my goal was to make people feel better and dare I say, happier (insert catchy/cheesy? business name here). I haven’t thought about the name since. Name-check-done!

As I attempted to explain this to the marketing guru across from me, her eyes glazed over and she looked a little confused, followed by a very direct “so you are trying to sell happiness?”. I paused…….Kind of?….. Maybe?…. Not really?….. Awkward silence filled by ‘I don’t know”.  Heart racing, I immediately determined that the name was terrible and by association, my business was suddenly doomed to fail. Except it wasn’t. A quick Google search about the purpose of therapy reveals that the point of therapy is “a trained professional helps individuals identify harmful thought patterns, improve relationships, manage stress, and build resilience, ultimately improving quality of life and fostering personal growth”. Whether the name resonates with you or not; this is exactly what we do. We are not selling an idea: we are providing support, resources, tools and enhancing skills to help facilitate change and improve the quality of lives.  I often remind clients that my job is not to fix it, but to equip them with the tools to problem solve and when that is not possible-how to sit in the hard moments of life and how to move forward when that seems impossible. I feel better about the idea of not selling anything, as though happiness is a commodity that can be bought and stored for later. But if we’re not selling anything, marketing definitely becomes a problem. Perhaps we are selling encouragement, recognition and support….I still don’t know. But I do know that happiness is possible, feeling better is attainable and you don’t have to struggle alone.