In January of 2022, I enthusiastically decided to delete Instagram and never looked back…or so I thought. 

But in mid-September of 2023, after following the advice of a business coach, I found myself back on Instagram for Third Nature Therapy with the hopes of growing my online presence and attracting more people to my practice.

The big vision was to build up Eliot’s caseload and eventually launch some online courses.

What actually happened was that I got sucked back into the Instagram algorithm, and whether I wanted to admit it or not, my life changed in subtle ways. 

When things were “cool” or “exciting” in my day-to-day world, I started to have thoughts creep in, reminding me to snap a picture of it or fantasizing about ways to get the “perfect shot.”

I started planning my time off from therapy sessions around filming content. 

I began to notice myself turning more and more inward towards my phone, even though the goal was to expand outward into community. 

Making just one Reel took me about an hour. Plus I “had to” post stories every day.  

I began gravitating towards my phone in my free time, quickly stealing a glance to watch people’s stories and stay in the loop on my internet “friends’” daily lives. 

Most of my content was about mindfulness and being more present, yet posting on social media felt like the antithesis of that. 

Whether business owners want to admit it or not, being on Instagram is time-consuming. 

Many of my loved ones who knew me well pointed out that it seemed weird for me to be back on Instagram—I used to be the person who had their phone in black and white and had strict rules for myself around technology. Even a few of my clients asked why I decided to go back on, knowing that I had strong views on the negative impacts of social media on mental health. 

I kept trying to convince myself that I would be different. I needed Instagram to grow my business. I knew better than to get hooked. So many people were thriving on there, I could too! 

But over time, I began to see how I was slipping away from actually living the lifestyle I was trying so hard to promote. 

There were some benefits to Instagram, of course. I’m pretty fiery and have a strong point of view. At times, Instagram gave me an outlet to express myself and share my views on things that I usually would just pester my close friends and partner with.

And I did reconnect with old friends and gained a few wonderful clients from my time online. 

But overall, it’s completely incongruent with how I want to live my life and run my business. 

I’m interested in regulation. In presence. In being OF the world, not ON line. 

If it takes longer to grow my audience and my business by deciding to be offline, so be it. That’s the business and world I want to create for myself and others. 

I’m still going to keep my content up there because I spent WAY too much creating it. And I’ll check the app sometimes on my computer (way less satisfying and addicting than the phone), but I won’t post regularly anymore or ever have the app on my phone again. 

For now, I’m building my private practice network by creating real, in-person, word-of-mouth connections.

So far, it feels much more like me.

And because of that, it’s working.

Julie Goldberg is a licensed therapist and the founder of Third Nature Therapy. Her practice focuses on helping individuals better understand their inner world, befriend their nervous system (instead of working against it), and navigate changing relationships. She offers somatic therapy, EMDR intensives, and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy in Brooklyn, NY.