And then there’s mental health, therapy, therapists, psychiatrists, licensed certified social workers, and so on. As we’ve discussed, the branding is criminal. Those seeking therapy are considered ill. Mother nature played a sick joke on them, mis-wiring the neurons in their brains, and they need to see a professional. They’re victims. Even today, as society has made impressive and necessary inroads destigmatizing mental health, we tell each other to support, understand, and empathize with those who need help.

Scenario 1 is where therapy’s branding stands today —

• Target Audience: Mentally ill (diagnosable instances of Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, Mania, Bi-polar, etc.)

• Brand Personality: Supportive, empathetic, guiding

• Brand Purpose: Diagnosing illness, treating symptoms

• Brand Vision: Live productively, unencumbered by mental health issues

How’s that feel? Personally, it makes me want to find a cave, shrivel up in a ball, and cry. I’m one of those poor (also adorable, granted) pups in that brutal Sarah McLachlan commercial. Something awful happened to me, and I need to be saved. I probably won’t be cured, but perhaps my symptoms can be mollified to the extent I can hope to live a somewhat ‘normal’ life.

Of course half the population with clear near-term diagnosable issues is in denial. Who wants to believe this about themselves? And why would anyone without immediate and critical needs want to expose themselves to that feeling? We’ve alienated both our target customer, and our next (much larger) cohort of potential clients.

Stop. Shut it down. Wipe the slate clean. Let’s pivot.

It’s incumbent upon all of us to challenge this perception, and give power to those eager to learn, grow, challenge, and invest in themselves. We’ll not only further support and motivate those who clearly and immediately do need help, but we’ll introduce the benefits of therapy to millions more who want to reach their personal peak potential, and can benefit from the endless rewards of professional practice.

Scenario 2 can be a start in rebranding therapy:

• Target Audience: Prioritizes personal health

• Brand Personality: Empowerment, data-driven, self-improvement

• Brand Purpose: Share critical tools for self-discovery and growth

• Brand Vision: Enable a generation of individuals reach their potential

Oh, hell yes. We invest in mental health because it makes us emotionally, physically, and holistically more resilient. We’re inspired and inspiring. This is a feeling we can share. This is a community that can grow. This is how we build a brand with which people can connect, communicate, and thrive.

Further—and goodness do I love when facts actually support an opinion—it reflects the reality of therapy! Therapy is scientifically proven to mitigate traditional health risks, and raises the ceiling on our personal potential. Fitness, longevity, relationships, career … you name it.

Let’s learn from the most powerful brands in the world, and represent the reality of therapy through more accurate, more inspiring, and more consistent communication and visuals. Question, introspect, challenge, learn, push, grow, improve, repeat. We’re not victims. We’re powerful, curious, and relentless in our progress.

Therapy is not a begrudgingly attended appointment for a select few who unfortunately need it to survive. Therapy is an essential tool in everyone’s endless pursuit of peak performance.

Many of us have personally or know people who begin seeing a therapist if they experience persistent and uncontrollable pangs of anxiety, fall into an inescapable state of depression, or perhaps experience a traumatic life event. There’s something “wrong” and they want to “fix” it.

Thankfully, it has become easier to talk about therapy and mental health in recent years, and more people who do want to “fix” something feel comfortable seeking help. Millions have sought and received support from trained professionals, as we’ve become more comfortable talking about mental health.

But we still primarily speak about mental health in a reactive way. She was having panic attacks, so he saw a therapist. He was having eating issues, so he began to see a therapist. They’re having marriage complications, so they’re seeing a therapist.

Therapy, when best utilized and most effective, should not be reactive. It’s proactive and preventative. Investing in proper mental health should be an essential aspect of everyone’s weekly health regiment. It’s common knowledge that brushing one’s teeth every day prevents dental catastrophes like gum disease. Exercising several times a week prevents major medical issues caused by high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity. We do these things so that we can avoid seeing the doctor under more tragic circumstances in the future.

Therapy should be considered in the same bucket. It’s not for the ill, the anxious, the depressed, the wacky. That’s like saying exercise is only for the obese. No, it’s specifically to prevent obesity. Therapy is for everyone. When properly utilized, it prevents anxiety, depression, social isolation, etc. It’s not a health category unto itself. It’s simply “health”. It’s “fitness”.

We’ve de-stigmatized mental health to an extent. That’s a critical development that should not be trivialized. But we still talk only of the (granted, large and growing) populace with mental health issues when discussing the market or topic. That’s too narrow, and too reactive. 85% of Americans get some physical activity in every week. Those same people should be finding time to support, challenge, and evolve their mental health for a holistic and effective approach to their personal growth.

Today, it feels insane that mental health wasn’t an acceptable part of the national conversation even 20 years ago, when we know so many people suffer silently. In 20 years, we’re going to be baffled that everyone today didn’t make mental health a core part of their regular fitness regimen.

Let’s re-brand mental health. Let’s just be healthy.