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Are you using Instagram within your marketing strategy? Which golden rules of Instagram can you stick with to get the best results? How can you market yourself and your practice online while maintaining ethical self-disclosure?
In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok speaks about how 100% of Kelly McKenna’s marketing is through Instagram.
Podcast Sponsor: Session Sites
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Meet Kelly McKenna
Kelly McKenna, LCSW, MBA is a licensed clinical social worker, business coach, and the voice behind The Business of Therapy podcast. After leaving nonprofit burnout, she launched her own private practice—and made $250,000 in her first full year—by leveraging Instagram with over 90,000 followers.
With a rare combination of clinical insight and an MBA, Kelly helps anxious millennial women and therapists grow thriving practices. Her content—transparent, relatable, and actionable—equips fellow clinicians to master money mindset, boundaries, and client growth. Through her courses, Reels Membership, coaching, and podcast, she’s helped thousands scale their impact and income. Tune in to Business of Therapy every Wednesday for honest conversations and the “how-to” strategies behind six-figure private practices.
Visit Kelly’s website and connect on Facebook and Instagram.
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In This Podcast
- What therapists do wrong on Instagram
- Navigating self-disclosure online
- The golden rules of Instagram
- Kelly’s advice to private practitioners
What therapists do wrong on Instagram
Kelly mentions that the biggest or most common issue that trips therapists up on their Instagram marketing is being afraid of showing up.
A lot of therapists are really afraid to show up on Instagram at all, and so I think a lot of therapists are missing that opportunity by not starting, period. (Kelly McKenna)
Secondly, Kelly wants you to be careful not to make generic, knowledge-based content on Instagram if you are on it, which can cause you to miss out on niching down and being more authentic.
Of course, some educational reels or posts are helpful, but to only focus on them puts you in an overly-saturated market, so be mindful of that by diversifying your posts, which means that you have to show up creatively and authentically!
I think when therapists can really figure out, “How can I allow my future clients to see who I am? How can I show up in reels?” … I think that’s where there’s so much beauty and magic in Instagram, and it [potentially] being a really powerful marketing tool for your private practice. (Kelly McKenna)
Navigating self-disclosure online
Kelly’s rule of thumb is the following: you shouldn’t share anything on social media that you wouldn’t be comfortable sharing with a client in sessions. Therapists may all bring a little bit of self-disclosure into the room on a spectrum, even in small ways.
Of course, remain within your ethical parameters, but sharing a human and personal moment with your client can often help them on their path to recovery.
There are little pieces there [of self-disclosure] that we can totally bring in [with marketing and therapy sessions] that are not clinically inappropriate. That’s how I like to think of it. (Kelly McKenna)
Kelly shares a lot on social media, but never her personal life. She keeps a strict decorum across her social media platforms to maintain an ethical connection. Kelly’s advice is simple: share from a scar, not an open wound.
The golden rules of Instagram
1 – Post consistently: it boosts your page and also helps you to create content Kelly’s tip: try to post at least 4 times a week!
2 – Have a clear niche: know exactly who you are talking to and who you want your content to resonate with
3 – Be specific in your messaging to your clear niche: connect with your ideal audience by giving them tangible examples and information for them to see that you see them!
4 – Use your graphics well: aim to have a combination of graphics and photos or videos of you, because graphics give you a great chance to be educational as well as relatable.
Graphics give you the chance to be more educational and more of an authority figure and provide that value for your audience, whereas reels can be more lighthearted … but they are not positioning you as the expert in something … Creating graphics at least once or twice a week can help grow your following and converting that following into paying therapy clients. (Kelly McKenna)
Kelly’s advice to private practitioners
Instagram can be a really powerful and customizable tool! Don’t be afraid to use it. It is a gateway that you can use to access your ideal clients, build trust, authority and connection.
Sponsors Mentioned in this episode:
- If you’re ready for a website that keeps your client book full, try Session Sites
- Apply to work with us — a decision-making matrix for your next steps
Useful links mentioned in this episode:
- Visit Kelly’s website and connect on Facebook and Instagram.
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Meet Joe Sanok
Joe Sanok helps counselors to create thriving practices that are the envy of other counselors. He has helped counselors to grow their businesses by 50-500% and is proud of all the private practice owners who are growing their income, influence, and impact on the world. Click here to explore consulting with Joe.
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