How to Create a Calm & Professional Therapist Instagram Feed Without Spending Hours Design

Raise your hand if you’ve ever opened Instagram, scrolled through a few therapist accounts, and thought: Wow, their feed looks so clean and intentional... mine looks like a mood board from 2014. Building a calm, grounded Instagram presence that reflects your values doesn’t mean you need to hire a designer, spend hours learning Canva, or become a graphic designer overnight.

It just takes a few simple choices, a solid system, and the right tools. Whether you’re starting from scratch or revamping your current counselor business page account, this post will walk you through how to create a peaceful, professional therapist (or social worker, psychologist, or counselor) Instagram feed that helps potential clients feel your vibe the moment they land on your page.

In this post we'll cover what makes a counselor's Instagram feed feel professional, using Instagram's new 4:5 portrait size, fonts, color palettes, and templates to make this all a breeze for you.

Why Calm and Consistent Instagram Feeds Work for Therapists

Instagram is often the first place potential clients find you. They’re likely clicking over after looking at your Psychology Today profile, seeing a Reel, a tagged post, or Googling therapists in your area. So what do they see when they land on your profile? If your feed is cluttered, chaotic, or unclear, they may scroll on, even if you're the perfect fit for them. But if your feed feels calm, grounded, and intentional, they’ll likely pause, read, and maybe even click the link in your bio to book a consult with you.

A clean and cohesive Instagram feed builds trust and it communicates professionalism. It gives people a feel for your energy before they ever reach out to you. Think of your Instagram profile like your digital waiting room. What message is it sending?

What Makes a Therapist's Instagram Feed Feel Calm and Professional?

Your instagram doesn’t have to be boring. It just needs to feel aligned with your brand. If you’re a play therapist or a high-energy therapist for teens with ADHD, your calm will likely be more colorful. If you’re a mindfulness-based trauma therapist, your calm might feel more muted and grounded. The key is intentionality. And let’s break it down. A calm therapist instagram feed usually has:

• 2-3 Consistent fonts

• A consistent color palette

• Helpful and educational content

• Spacious designs with lots of breathing room

• Thoughtful captions that feel like mini reflections

Use Instagram's New 4:5 Portrait Post Sizes for 2025

One way to easily make your profile look professional is to use Instagram’s preferred portrait post size for 2025, which is a 4:5 ratio (1080 x 1350 pixels). This format takes up more vertical space in the feed. This means it’s more eye-catching and increases the chance your post will stop the scroll. If you're using Canva or uploading designs made in other dimensions (like square 1:1), you might notice cropping in the Instagram preview on your profile page.

To fix this, after uploading an image to Instagram on your phone, go to your IG profile page and tap the 3 dots on the top right-hand side of the photo. Then click "Adjust Preview,"and then click "Fit." This ensures the full 4:5 design is displayed properly without auto-cropping or awkward borders. If you're working with square templates, you can also resize them in Canva to 1080x1350 if you have the pro version, or you can manually add extra padding at the top and bottom to create a clean, intentional white space effect.

The good news is that the post templates in my Ultimate Therapist Instagram Template Bundle were ALL created for you in the new 4:5 post size! This bundle comes with 520+ pre-designed editable Instagram Canva templates created by me, a licensed mental health counselor. These templates will help you:

✔ Showcase your values and approach

✔ Boost engagement

✔ Easily share available sessions

✔ Organize your most helpful content

✔ Make your profile feel calm, clear, and grounded

✔ Share valuable insights with your audience

✔ Spark meaningful conversations

✔ Motivate and uplift your followers

Learn more about it here!

Font Guide for Therapist Social Media Marketing

You want to choose fonts that pair well together. You can Google the font name and write "font pairing" with it for a list of some ideas. For example, when I Google “Montserrat font pairing,” I find a list of both serif and sans-serif fonts including:

• Montserrat + Roboto

• Montserrat + Libre Baskerville

• Montserrat + Open Sans

• Montserrat + Source Serif

Understanding the difference between serif and sans-serif fonts can make pairing fonts easier. Serif fonts have little “feet” or decorative strokes at the ends of the letters. They often feel more formal, classic, or traditional like: Times New Roman, Playfair Display, and Merriweather. Sans-Serif Fonts are clean and modern with no extra strokes. They’re super readable and look great on screens. Think: Montserrat, Lato, and Open Sans.

Depending on your vibe, you might choose to use either serif or sans serif fonts. Or you can even try combining a serif font for body text with a sans-serif for headers (or vice versa). The contrast can make your posts easier to read and more visually interesting. This article will give you some ideas on font pairing. I suggest trying to choose:

• One font for bold headlines

• One easy-to-read font for longer text or quote blocks (consider using a multi-weight font - read more about that below)

• One fun, script-style or handwritten font for accented words (like “New!” or “Therapist Tip”)

Mixing too many fonts can look chaotic or distracting, which sends the opposite message from what most therapists want their content to feel like: grounded, clear, and trustworthy. So even though you're picking 3 brand fonts in total, try to stick with no more than 2 fonts per image. Use one for headings and one for the body text. This keeps your design looking clean, readable, and visually cohesive. These are all qualities that are important when your goal is to create a professional presence.

Multiple Weight Fonts for Counseling Instagram Accounts

For your easy-to-read font for longer text or quote blocks it's helpful to pick a font that has lots of options for multiple weights in Canva (bold, semi-bold, italic, etc.). These are called variable fonts or multi-weight fonts and they'll give you a wider range of options within the same font family. This is super helpful for keeping your posts cohesive and gives you more options!

To check if a font has multi-weight options in Canva, look at the font, then click the drop-down arrow next to its name (if there is one.) Here you'll see other weights (like Light, Regular, Semi-Bold, Bold, etc.) if they’re available.

I am including some of the best free (as of this writing) Canva multi-weight serif and sans-serif fonts to consider in the lists below.

Serif Fonts for Therapists

These fonts are good for a classic, grounding, and elegant style. These are the type of fonts that go along with a brand that is calming, reflective, and professional.

• Cormorant Garamond

• Playfair Display

• The Seasons

• Fraunces

• Georgia Pro

• Aleo

• Alegreya

• Clarendon

• Noto Serif Ethiopic Condensed

• Cooper BT

Sans-Serif Fonts for Therapists

Modern, Minimal, and Polished Sans-Serif Fonts for Therapists

• Montserrat

• Raleway

• Inter

• Open Sans

• Poppins

• Garet

• Open Sauce

• Telegraf

• Lato

• Futura

• Century Gothic

• Cooper Hewitt

• Aileron

• Barlow Condensed

• Gilker

• Antique Olive

• Gotham

Playful, Friendly, and Approachable Sans-Serif Fonts for Therapists

• Biski

• Bellota

• Black Mango

• Blogger

• Be Vietnam

• Bakerie

• Gluten

• Dynapuff

• Ahkio

  
  

Bold, Edgy, and Youthful Sans-Serif Fonts for Therapists

• Agrandir

• Gatwik

• ITC Bauhaus

• ITC Benguiat

• Akzidenz-Grotesk

• Darker Grotesque

• Bricolage Grotesque

• Hatton

8 Therapist Font Pairing Examples for Social Media

Here are some font pairing examples that are currently free in Canva. Plus, most of these are available in multi-weight options so you'll have more versatility!

Calm + Reflective Vibe

Ideal for: somatic therapy, meditation, or trauma-informed mindfulness therapists

• Headline: Playfair Display

• Body: Lato

• Script/Accent: Caveat (free, natural handwritten style)

Modern + Polished Vibe

Ideal for: professional therapists, group practices, or those building a sleek, clinical feel

• Headline: Telegraf

• Body: Open Sans

• Script/Accent: Playlist Script (casual, slightly edgy brush script)

  
  

Creative + Approachable Vibe

Ideal for: play therapists, art therapists, dance-movement therapists, music therapists, drama therapists, and other expressive arts therapists

• Headline: Aleo

• Body: Quicksand

• Script/Accent: Dancing Script (soft, bouncy, inviting)

  
  

Classic + Academic Vibe

Ideal for: psychologists, psychodynamic therapists, testing services, or trauma specialists with a traditional aesthetic

• Headline: Cormorant Garamond

• Body: Inter

• Script/Accent: Great Vibes (elegant and flowing, for sophisticated accents)

Playful + Youthful Vibe

Ideal for: play therapists, ADHD testing and coaching, child or teen therapists, or educational content

• Headline: Biski

• Body: Be Vietnam

• Script/Accent: Gloria Hallelujah (casual, fun, and handwritten)

  
  

Bold + Professional Vibe

Ideal for: private practices or modern therapists with a high-trust brand

• Headline: Clarendon

• Body: Montserrat

• Script/Accent: Satisfy (confident yet smooth script for small moments)

  
  

Neurodiversity-Affirming + Accessible Vibe

Ideal for: private practices or modern therapists who focus on neurodiversity affirming practices, executive function coaching, or sensory-focused therapy

• Headline: Fraunces

• Body: Raleway

• Script/Accent: Shadows Into Light (clean, friendly handwriting)

Grounded + Earthy Vibe

Ideal for: nature-based therapy, eco-psychology, spiritual or holistic approaches

• Headline: The Seasons

• Body: Garet

• Script/Accent: Alex Brush (organic and flowing, but still readable)

Want some great time-saving news?! When you use my Canva instagram therapist templates, you can select a text box, then pick your font and click "Change All." This will change all the fonts in every image in the template file you have open, which can save you a lot of time. If the font kerning or size is different than the one in the template, you might want to adjust the size.

Private Practice Counseling Color Palettes

Color is one of the easiest ways to make your Instagram feed look polished. Here are a few therapist-friendly color palettes that feel calming, grounded, and totally professional.

I've included hex codes which are a simple six-digit codes that are used to identify a specific color in design programs like Canva.  Picking the hex codes for your brand can help ensure that your brand colors stay consistent across different templates or devices.

If you’re unsure what colors fits your vibe and what colors work together, try exploring Coolors.co to instantly generate palette combos. I suggest clicking "explore trending palettes" for inspiration or you can also click "start the generator." You can also google image search terms like “therapist branding color palettes.” Or you can google image search terms you resonate with that match your aesthetic. Some aesthetic words and phrases you can consider in your google image color palette search are:

Calming + Reflective Aesthetic

• earthy tones color palette

• mindfulness brand colors

• warm minimalism palette

  
  

Creative + Approachable Aesthetic

• whimsical color palette

• playful color palette

• cheerful pastel palette

  
  

Classic + Academic Aesthetic

• timeless brand color palette

• editorial neutral colors

• scholarly branding palette

  
  

Bold + Professional Aesthetic

• modern professional color palette

• bold therapist brand colors

• sophisticated neutral palette

Accessible + Affirming Aesthetic

• inclusive color palette

• trauma-informed brand colors

• high contrast accessible palette

Modern + Polished Aesthetic

• sleek neutral color palette

• minimalist therapist brand colors

• contemporary calming color palette

  
  

Playful + Youthful Aesthetic

• bright pastel color palette

• fun and friendly brand colors

• bright playful color palette

  
  

Grounded + Earthy Aesthetic

• nature-inspired brand palette

• organic muted color scheme

• boho earth tone palette

If you have the free version of Canva, you can save up to 3 hex codes in your profile to easily use. If you have the pro paid version, you can save tons of hex codes in your brand kit! You'll find it helpful to build a palette that includes colors that work well together. I also suggest including a light color (for backgrounds), a dark color (for text), a primary color, and a couple of complementary accent colors.

And here’s the best part: the Ultimate Therapist Instagram Canva Template Bundle makes it ridiculously easy to update colors across the entire template. In Canva, just click a color in the template, pick a new color from your palette, and then click "apply to all" on the left. Canva will then apply your new hues to every single image in the template you are using. No complicated edits or graphic design degree required!

Here are some counseling color palette examples, but you don't need to be limited to what's below. These are just a few examples to help you figure out what resonates with you. If you have gotten your seasonal color palette done (I am a cool winter, for example), you might want to consider using those colors in your brand palette as well.

Earthy Neutral Color Palette for Counselors

This color palette is perfect for trauma-informed, somatic, or nature-based therapists.

• Soft Taupe: #D6CFC7

• Warm Beige: #EADDC8

• Terracotta: #C47450

• Sage Green: #9DB5A1

• Charcoal: #3E3E3E

Minimal Soft Pastel Color Palette for Counselors

This color palette is perfect for therapists with a gentle, nurturing brand voice.

• Dusty Rose: #E8C9C1

• Pale Peach: #F5E0DC

• Sky Blue: #CFE4EC

• Warm White: #FBFAF8

• Steel Gray: #8A8F8A

Modern Vibes Color Palette for Counselors

This color palette is perfect for professionals who want to blend softness with bold confidence.

• Slate Blue: #6C7A89

• Deep Green: #496C5E

• Bone: #EFEDE8

• Midnight Navy: #2C3E50

• Soft Clay: #B8A395

Playful Color Palette for Counselors

This color palette is perfect for therapists who work with kids or who want their brand to feel warm, cheerful, approachable, creative, and upbeat.

• Sunbeam Yellow: #FCD77F

• Coral Pink: #F4978E

• Periwinkle Blue: #A7C7E7

• Mint Green: #C2E7DA

• Lavender Mist: #E7D7F6

Classic and Academic Vibe

This color palette is perfect for anyone whose brand leans timeless, structured, trustworthy, scholarly, and grounded.

• Deep Forest: #3E4C59

• Weathered Beige: #E3D9CA

• Oxblood: #6A3E3E

• Soft Sage: #B6B7A5

• Graphite: #4A4A4A

Creative and Approachable Vibe

This color palette is perfect for therapists who work with kids, creatives, or anyone who wants their brand to feel playful.

• Apricot: #FFB085

• Lilac: #E0BBE4

• Powder Blue: #A8DADC

• Lemon Cream: #FFEECF

• Sandstone: #E2C4A3

Bold and Professional Vibe

This color palette is perfect for private practice owners and confident clinicians who want to show up with clarity and presence.

• Deep Navy: #2C3E50

• Warm Sand: #F1E3D3

• Terracotta: #C47450

• Off White: #F8F7F3

• Gold Accent: #D4A373

Accessible Color Palette

This color palette was made with inclusivity and approachability in mind. It’s perfect for therapists who want their brand to feel safe, affirming, and empowering.

• Soft Rose: #F7D6E0

• Sunshine Yellow: #FFE999

• Dusty Teal: #98B6B1

• Lavender Gray: #D9D6E0

• Ink Black: #2D2D2D

Building Your Therapy Practice Instagram Feed with Canva Templates

The Ultimate Therapist Instagram Template Bundle includes 520+ fully editable Canva templates designed specifically for therapists, counselors, social workers, and psychologists.

Inside the bundle, you’ll find:

• 200 portrait-sized post templates in the new 4:5 size

• 100 IG Story templates

• 125+ quote graphic template in the new 4:5 size

• 50+ carousel templates in the new 4:5 size

• 46 highlight covers

• 325+ done-for-you captions written by a licensed therapist (aka: someone who gets it)

  
  

You can change text, colors, fonts, images, and layouts with just a few clicks in the free version of Canva. No stress. No design overwhelm. Just clean, calm content ready to post.

You don’t have to look like every other account on Instagram to be effective. You just have to look like you. By choosing a color palette, a couple of fonts, rotating through intentional post types, and using done-for-you template designs, you can create a feed that supports your practice and your peace of mind.

Want to give your feed a glow-up? Then you need to grab the Ultimate Therapist Instagram Template Bundle and make it easy to show up professionally, without spending hours designing.

Want a Free Mini-Course to Up-Level Your Therapist Instagram?

Most therapists were never taught how to market themselves, let alone online.  That’s where The Gram Plan comes in.

If you're looking for more guidance and tips to up-level your professional Instagram therapy account then sign up for my free 7-Day Gram Plan mini-course that's delivered to you through email. You’ll learn how to grow your Instagram therapy presence. Whether you’re just starting out or refreshing your professional presence, you’ll walk away with a profile and plan that reflects your voice and values.