7 Growing target audiences and mental health niches to watch

This blog is specifically intended for any therapist, coach, or psychology student or intern who is:

• Starting a private practice and trying to determine what to specialize in.

• Considering changing therapy niches and exploring different options.

• Currently studying and/or interning to become a counselor and trying to decide which niche to specialize in.

7 Growing target audiences and mental health niches to watch

I have been a marketing professional for over 8 years, and for around the last 3+ years, my marketing endeavors have been hyper-focused within the mental health and wellness industry. Since becoming a freelance mental health writer, I have collaborated with over 50 different mental health practitioners, and here’s what I can tell you…

There are gaps in the industry. There are niches that appear to be underserved, and the need for qualified therapists in these niches will continue to grow. The current trend I’m seeing is that there are many therapists, counselors, and coaches specialized in serving a handful of dominant target audiences – which is wonderful! Every target audience group deserves to have an abundance of qualified professionals available to support them. In this post, I will focus primarily on the mental health target audiences and niches that I predict will be trending in the near future.

Disclaimer: ALL target audiences and niches in the mental health industry are important. I’m not suggesting that any one mental health niche is “better” or “more important” than another. The purpose of this article is simply to identify trends within the mental health industry by sharing my perspective as a mental health marketer and copywriter. The opinions expressed in this article are based on my experience in the industry and personal research. Readers are encouraged to do their own additional research.

Highly competitive mental health niches and target audiences that currently have access to an abundance of mental health options:

1. Women

2. Couples

3. Individuals with depression/anxiety specific issues

4. Individuals with behavioral addiction specific issues

5. Individuals with substance abuse specific issues

Based on my experience as a mental health copywriter, the five groups listed above are currently the powerhouse niches of the mental health industry. They are dominant, prominent, and the majority of clinicians cater to a target audience within those five groups. From what I have seen, the five broad target audiences listed above are fairly well-served, and in most metropolitan areas, those markets are (in my opinion) highly saturated.

Read more: Top 7 target audience Q&As mental health practitioners need to know

That said, I have noticed that some target audiences are less catered to than others. If I were a therapist considering opening my own private practice or a psychology student or intern selecting a specialization, I would personally choose a less competitive market and find an up-and-coming target audience or niche to serve.

Knowing what I know now as a marketing professional for the mental health industry, there are seven specific target audiences I would suggest focusing your attention on. Note that these target audiences made my list for two reasons:

1) There is evidence of a growing need. In the past, these groups may not have been very high on clinician’s radars, but these groups of people are growing. They will need qualified therapeutic support that is well-versed in their specific struggles.

2) There is a shortage of mental health options currently available. If these target audiences were to seek help today, they would have a hard time finding someone that caters to their specific demographics and psychographics.

In my opinion, these are the up-and-coming therapy niches and target audiences that I predict will continue to grow in the near future.

7 Rising target audiences in the mental health industry

1. Individuals recovering from trauma and interested in EMDR

Trauma-informed therapy is not new, but EMDR interest is on a steady rise. I do not foresee the EMDR trend going anywhere. I have personally viewed hundreds if not thousands of therapist websites, and I have only seen a handful of mental health practitioners advertising EMDR training – and even fewer with an EMDR certification. With the emerging popularity of EMDR, I predict that therapists specialized and certified in EMDR will be highly sought after in the near future.

2. Mothers

Mothers, mothers coping with anxiety, mothers and post-partum issues, etc. are not new groups. The mother demographic has been on the rise for a while, and I don’t see this changing. In fact, research shows that this target audience expanded drastically during 2020, and many scholarly journals claim mothers still have not yet psychologically recovered from the Pandemic. I predict that this target audience will continue to rise as more mothers seek therapeutic support.

3. Men

“Men” as a group is a very fascinating target audience and certainly one that is on the rise in the mental health arena. For the past five to ten years, the social push encouraging mental health and well-being has been wonderful and effective – especially for women. However, it appears that men, particularly Millennial men and men slightly older than Millennials (men between 25 and 45 years old), have largely been left out of the mental health social movement happening.

Of course, all mental health practitioners can serve any gender, and I have collaborated with many couples and parents counselors who catered to both men and women. The point is while I have seen and collaborated with many mental health practitioners who specifically serve, cater, and market to women, I do not see the same for the male demographic. Out of the 50+ mental health practitioners I have collaborated with so far, I have only professionally collaborated with one mental health provider who specifically catered to and marketed to men.

That said, it is interesting to note the many men-specific mental health gurus trending in prominent online places such as social media, blogs, YouTube, etc. From what I’ve seen, experienced, heard, and read, men are very intrigued by the mental health movement of the past decade. They’re curious. They’re seeing the positive impact therapy is having on their wives, mothers, girlfriends, sisters, and friends, and they want some mental health support, too.

Men ages 25-45 represent a very powerful target audience, but as with any other market, they need some encouragement. They need some targeted marketing. They, like every other target audience, want to feel seen, heard, and understood.

4. Neurodivergent individuals

As the industry continues to become more educated on this group of individuals, supportive therapy on neurodivergent topics is becoming more prominent. I am seeing increasing interest in neurodivergent counseling for individuals, families, and neurodivergent couples, yet out of the 50+ mental health clients I’ve worked with, I have only come across two therapists who specifically specialized in or offered neurodivergent counseling.

5. People coping with opioid addiction

According to many reputable sources, the opioid crisis is getting worse. We are currently experiencing what many are calling the third wave of the Opioid Epidemic. The CDC reported that in 2021, an average of 220 people died each day from an opioid overdoes. With synthetic opioids like Fentanyl on the rise, there is also a rising need for psychiatrists and substance abuse counselors who are specifically skilled and knowledgeable on this issue.

Learn more:

• The Changing Opioid Crisis: development, challenges and opportunities

• The Opioid Crisis in America

• What led to the opioid crisis – and how to fix it

6. Individuals and families navigating transgender topics

According to the DSM-5, gender dysphoria is the standard classification term for this topic, and this topic is on the rise, specifically with teens. As such, there is a bourgeoning new target audience seeking therapeutic support on issues surrounding this topic.

From a social perspective, this topic remains hotly debated, but from a mental health perspective, there is a growing group of people who need therapeutic help navigating this topic. Regardless of individual beliefs, there is a great deal of psychological, relational, and emotional distress surrounding this topic at the individual, relational, family, and community level, and the need for topically-informed, compassionate therapists will likely continue to grow in this niche.

7. Military families

Military individuals, couples, and families do not represent a “new” target audience. This niche has always been prevalent, and this group is continuing to grow. Based on my personal experience and research, veterans and military families remain an underserved target audience. As someone who has many family members and friends in the service, I believe our armed forces and military families deserve more mental health options catering specifically to their unique needs.

Learn more:

• Supporting the Behavioral Health Needs of Our Nation’s Veterans (SAMHSA)

• The dangerous shortage of mental health services for active duty military

• Lack of access to mental health services contributing to the high suicide rates among veterans

• 35 percent of military families face limited access to psychiatrists

• Mental Health for Veterans: Addressing the Lingering Impact of War

Meet Rebekah

Hi there! I am a freelance copywriter, mental health columnist, and storyteller on a mission to help empower the world through healing, SEO-friendly content. As a freelance ghostwriter, my clients contract me on a project-based or as needed basis. Explore my services and learn more about me.

This article was written to complement my conversation with Lisa Mustard, host of The Therapy Show podcast. For more on this topic, you can listen to the full podcast episode at the link below.
How Therapists Can Identify and Engage Their Target Audience