I’ve been reading through some Facebook forums lately and I’m seeing private practice names that I am almost 100% certain have already been taken by other mental health agencies. I understand how this happens. When you’re first starting a practice, you’re focused on opening the doors and serving clients. The legal and branding side of things often comes later.
Now to be clear, I am not a trademark or patent attorney. However, I have learned quite a bit since trademarking my own company and navigating some ongoing issues with others trying to “borrow” or use my business name after it was trademarked. That process taught me some lessons that I wish I had known when I first opened my practice.
Let’s start with a couple of the mistakes I made when naming my private practice.
Mistake #1: Naming My Private Practice After Myself
Back in 2017, I had the idea to make things simple and filed a DBA, which is “doing business as,” under my first and last name. At the time, it felt practical and straightforward. I was a solo provider and my personal reputation was the business, so putting my name on the door seemed like the easiest solution.
However, life changes. Since opening my practice, I’ve gotten married. The maiden name that I built my business under, the one I loved, honored, and associated with my professional identity, is no longer my last name today. I shifted that name into my middle name and took my husband’s last name. Suddenly my business name no longer reflected the updated version of me, which created an odd disconnect between my personal identity and my professional brand.
It wasn’t something I anticipated at the time, but it’s a good reminder that the name of a business can sometimes outlive the circumstances under which it was created.
Mistake #2: Not Planning for Growth When Naming My Private Practice
The second mistake was assuming I would always remain a solo practice. When I first opened, I never considered the possibility of growing into a group practice or having multiple providers and employees working alongside me. As the years went on, however, the practice grew and we began bringing other therapists on board.
What I quickly realized is that when people saw my name on the door and in the business name, guess who they expected to see in therapy? Me. Even after I had reached capacity and stopped taking new clients years earlier, referrals continued to come in requesting appointments specifically with me. My name on the business created the perception that I was the sole expert and authority within the practice.
That created some complications. I had to constantly filter and funnel new clients toward the other therapists on the team, even though the brand itself was signaling that the services were centered around me. Over time, that disconnect became one of the factors that ultimately led us to a full rebrand.
Mistake #3: Not Researching Existing Business Names and Trademarks First
During that rebrand process, I learned a lot about naming a business. One of the first things I learned was the importance of researching what names have already been taken. A good starting point is searching the “live” trademarks on the website for the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This database allows you to see whether the name you’re considering has already been registered as a trademark.
Things become more complicated when another business already holds the same or a very similar name and they are operating within the same industry. The trademark office is primarily concerned with confusion in the marketplace. If the public might reasonably wonder whether your business is connected to another one, that can create a problem.
For example, my business name today is La Luz Counseling. I am aware that there are other companies named “La Luz,” but many of them operate in completely different industries, such as electrical or lighting companies. In those cases, the likelihood of confusion for someone searching for counseling services is very low, so it generally does not create an issue. However, if another counseling practice were using the same or a highly similar name within the same field, that would be a very different situation.
Mistake #4: Forgetting to Check Website Domains When Naming My Private Practice
Even if you clear the trademark hurdle, you are not necessarily out of the woods yet. Another issue that often arises is whether the website domain for your desired business name is available. During our rebrand, we came across several excellent business names that felt unique and well aligned with our mission. Unfortunately, when we went to purchase the corresponding domain names, some of them had already been bought and were listed for resale at prices well into the thousands of dollars.
That experience taught me that it’s important to think beyond what simply sounds appealing. You also have to consider how the name will function in your branding materials, especially your website. If your business name has four separate words, you might ask yourself how easy it will be for a client to type that into a browser. Is it easy to spell? Is it memorable? Will someone be able to find you online without frustration?
Final Thoughts on Naming a Private Practice
My encouragement to practice owners is to think wisely and brainstorm creatively when naming your business. But if a name comes to you too easily, chances are it may already be taken. Many of us in the helping professions are naturally drawn to similar language—words like hope, healing, light, peace, and restoration. Because of that, it’s especially important to double check before fully committing to a name.
The worst case scenario is discovering after you’ve already launched and invested in your brand that another company holds the rights to that name. At that point, you could potentially be facing a cease-and-desist letter or even a lawsuit, which would require hiring an attorney and possibly going through the difficult process of rebranding your business.
People understandably do not like when someone uses something they have worked very hard to build, especially when it comes to their business name. Taking the time to do your research on the front end can save you significant stress, expense, and disruption later on.