Best Instagram Mental Health Accounts for Inspiration
Before I start this list, I want to emphasize that you should be taking inspiration from these mental health accounts, but you should not necessarily aspire to be them. If your goal is to build a successful solo therapy practice, you should keep in mind that being an Insta-famous mental health influencer will require a lot of things from you, including the possibility of stepping away from private practice.
That said, if your dream of doing maximum good involves taking this path, no shame! Look to people like Dr. Alok Kanojia of HealthyGamer fame, who turned his internet fame into a huge network of trained, highly-skilled coaches that provide low-cost support for people struggling with things like anxiety and depression. If that’s something you think might be in your future, I love that for you, and I wish you the best of luck!
For everyone else, I would encourage you to look through not just the accounts in this list, but also the accounts you follow, to find inspiration for how to grow your following and be successful in whatever path you desire.
how to use inspiration
It’s easy enough to be inspired by other mental health accounts, but what do you do with this knowledge? What, specifically, are you looking for, and how do you implement it?
Here’s a list of things to look out for when getting inspired (hint: you can also use this list when checking out your competition for marketing purposes!):
How often do they post on Instagram?
How often do they post to Stories?
What do they post primarily?
How good do their Reels look? What makes them look good?
What other social media platforms do they use?
What are they selling? (Services, books, workbooks, etc.)
Do they offer therapy or coaching?
Do they offer workbooks or courses? What are the topics they focus on?
What are the comments on their posts saying? Do you notice anyone asking follow up questions?
Once you check out several different mental health accounts, you might notice some trends among them. Namely things like consistency, topics, services or products offered, etc. You can use these to build your own social media plan, or just make some small changes to your current plan.
instagram therapists for inspiration
1. Nedra Glover Tawwab (@nedratawwab)
It goes without saying that Nedra is one of the biggest mental health professionals on the platform. With two bestselling books, almost two million followers, and some of the most beautiful and consistent content I’ve seen, she does a ton of things right. Her selling points are clear, she provides a ton of free info to followers, she posts useful and engaging Stories that people look forward to, and her branding is clear and consistent.
2. Dr. Sara Kuburic (@millenial.therapist)
The Millenial Therapist is a masterclass on how you can maintain a consistent, aesthetically-pleasing brand without a ton of work. Importantly, although her posts are simple, her content is unique, and having her target demographic in her username only helps. Her Instagram Stories are useful and valuable, and although she doesn’t post Reels (everyone’s favorite way to get more reach!) she has over 1.5 million followers.
3. Vienna Pharaon (@mindfulmft)
Vienna is a new one for me, but I can see why she’s nearing 1 million followers! Her branding is beautiful, her content is full of good info and super meaningful, and it's clear from the comments that it really resonates. Some of the inspiration I can pull here is that checking my own social media comments is a great way to find out what’s landing with my audience. Her bio is also great, and she puts her products front and center.
4. Margeaux Feldman (@softcore_trauma)
Margeaux is one of my favorite educators on the platform. They flawlessly target their demographic, and they do it exactly the way I suggest everyone does– by being as authentic, true to themselves, and honest as possible. One of my favorite things about their account is that they use their Stories to really connect with their audience– often, they’ll ask for fill-in-the-blanks to their prompts to use for the following week’s posts. This is a great way to generate content, help your followers feel seen, and make them feel less alone when people in the comments reaffirm their similar feelings. If you’re a mental health educator looking to build an online platform, Margeaux is doing it right.
5. Staci Benaroya (@thenyctherapist)
Staci is not quite as big as some of the previously-mentioned accounts, but I foresee her breaking 10k and then 100k very soon, because she is doing everything right. Her highlights are so good (they’re full of great info that is applicable to her target demographic,) her username targets her audience (which isn’t necessary but will help you grow,) and her content is beautiful and more-or-less cohesive. If you’re around the 6-10k follower mark, I would highly recommend taking some inspiration here.
6. Casey Tanner (@queersextherapy)
Casey is wonderful and this account is always my go-to when I want to show an example of branding done right. She’s unapologetically herself, she doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable topics, she’s expansive, inclusive, all of the things! I would highly recommend taking a look, giving a follow, and also following her practice, @theexpansivegroup for a great example of mental health accounts.
conclusion
If you’re a mental health provider, educator, or coach on Instagram, there are absolutely things you can be doing to up your game and increase your reach, all while coming off as genuine and real as possible. If you’re looking for a rebrand, or if you’ve just started and need help finding a direction to go in, I can help! My unique background of design and mental health admin work gives me insight into the pain points of therapists and the common failing points of their branding. I offer branding kits, consulting, and occasionally offer free services to nonprofit organizations to find better clients that come in already knowing you’re the right fit for them. If you’re interested in learning more, shoot me an email and I’ll get back to you within 2 business days!