Most local businesses grow on testimonials, retargeting and reviews they ask every customer for. Therapists can't lean on any of those. Professional codes limit testimonials, the ad platforms limit what an ad can say and who it can follow, and a careless reply to a review can reveal that someone is a client. So therapist marketing is mostly about being easy to find, easy to understand and easy to contact on the day someone is ready. As a marketing agency for therapists, we work inside those limits and judge the work on first sessions booked.
- For counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists, marriage and family therapists and group practices in the US and UK.
- Search, directories and a clear website first, because looking for a therapist usually starts privately, on a phone.
- Ads written to Meta's and Google's health rules, and to your profession's code on testimonials.
- Ads or SEO management runs $500-$2,000 a month, month-to-month. Websites run $1,200-$15,000, fixed price.
Testimonials and reviews work differently for you
| Code | What it says about testimonials | Who it covers |
|---|---|---|
| APA 5.05 | Don't solicit them from current clients or others vulnerable to undue influence | Psychologists (US) |
| ACA C.3.b | Don't solicit them from current or former clients; get permission to use any | Counselors (US) |
| NASW 4.07 | Don't solicit testimonial endorsements from current clients or vulnerable people | Social workers (US) |
| AAMFT 9.2 | Don't solicit them from current clients or others vulnerable to undue influence | Marriage and family therapists (US) |
| UKCP 13 | No testimonials from clients in any advertising | Psychotherapists (UK) |
| BACP 2026 | No testimonial clause; information about services and qualifications must be clear and accurate | Counsellors (UK) |
BACP's new Ethical Framework took effect on 3 November 2026, and AAMFT's revised code on 1 January 2026, so check the version you work to. Reviews you didn't ask for will still appear on Google and directories, and the reply is where practices get into trouble. HHS's settlement with a New Jersey psychiatric practice cost it $30,000 after it disclosed a patient's health information while replying to negative online reviews. A safe reply never confirms that the reviewer is a client: a general line about how you work and an invitation to get in touch privately.
What ads can say, and who they can reach
Meta's personal attributes policy bans ads that assert or imply a viewer's mental health. Its own examples: "Depression counseling" is allowed; "Depression getting you down? Get help now." isn't. Questions and "you" statements about a condition are the usual reason therapy ads get rejected, so we write about the service, the therapist and how to book. Meta can also class a practice's site as health and wellness and restrict the events it shares, and it flags custom audiences that reference a health condition.
Google treats counselling for depression, anxiety and addiction as a sensitive health category, where advertiser-curated audiences, such as website visitors or client lists, can't be used. Search keywords and Google's predefined audiences still work. Drug and alcohol treatment has its own addiction services policy: US advertisers need LegitScript and Google certification, and the UK isn't among the six countries where approved advertisers can run those ads.
In the UK, CAP Code rule 12.2 says ads must not offer specific advice, diagnosis or treatment for conditions that need medical supervision unless a suitably qualified health professional supervises it, and CAP's guidance warns that words like "serious" or "chronic" in front of a condition are likely to make a claim unacceptable. We keep UK copy to what you offer, how you work and the register you belong to.
Where people look for a therapist
| Where they look | What we do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Google search and the map | A Business Profile and a page for each issue and approach you work with | Search is private, so it's often the first step |
| Therapist directories | A complete profile that matches your website | Psychology Today costs $29.95 a month in the US, £19.95 in the UK after six free months |
| Your website | Fees, availability, how sessions work and your registration, all on a phone | People want to know cost and fit before they write |
| Ads | Search ads on service terms; Facebook ads about the service, not the reader | Both platforms restrict health targeting |
If you offer online sessions, advertise only where you can practise. HHS's telehealth licensing guidance says clinicians must be licensed or legally permitted to practise in the state where the client is located. The Counseling Compact has issued privileges since September 2025 and is live for counselors in 11 states, while the Social Work Licensure Compact isn't issuing multistate licenses yet. We set every campaign's locations to match your licenses.
In the UK, titles such as clinical psychologist and counselling psychologist are protected by law and need HCPC registration. The PSA says psychotherapists are not regulated by law but can join an Accredited Register. Say plainly which register you're on: it's one of the few trust signals every therapist can use freely.
Tracking without exposing clients
HIPAA applies to a practice only if it's a covered entity: a provider, psychologists included, that sends information electronically in a transaction HHS has set a standard for, such as an electronic insurance claim. Whether or not that's you, treat an enquiry to a therapist as sensitive. HHS's guidance on tracking still covers pages behind a login after a 2024 court struck down the part about public pages, and our healthcare marketing guide explains the detail. In practice, we keep ad pixels off booking and client pages, send the platforms only what they need, and count first sessions in your own records.
- A slow first reply. Someone who finally reaches out and hears nothing for two days may not try again.
- No fees on the site. People want to know what a session costs before they write to you.
- A form that asks too much. Asking for symptoms or history up front collects health information you don't need yet.
- Nothing about fit. No word on who you work with, how you work, or whether sessions can be online.
An automatic first reply that confirms the enquiry arrived, without repeating what the person wrote, solves the first problem. Our build note on our lead follow-up app shows how first replies go out in seconds, using our software's own data.
What we do for therapists
- Local SEO. People search for a therapist near them, and the map results decide who they contact first.
- Healthcare SEO. Pages for the issues and approaches you work with, written to the claim rules, that keep bringing searches in.
- Websites for practices. Visitors can't see your fees, availability or how sessions work on a phone.
- Google Ads for local businesses. You want enquiries from search this month, on service terms the health rules allow.
- Facebook ads for local businesses. You run groups or workshops, or offer a service people don't search for yet.
- AI marketing automation. Enquiries wait until the end of a day of back-to-back sessions.
How a practice's marketing fits together
Where you can practise
Licensure for online sessions sets the locations every channel targets.
Profile and directories
Business Profile and directory listings complete and consistent with each other.
A page per issue and approach
What you actually work with, described plainly, with fees and availability.
Ads written to the rules
About the service and the therapist, never the reader's state of mind.
A private first reply
An automatic acknowledgement that the enquiry arrived, without repeating it.
Tracking kept out of sessions
No ad pixels on booking or client pages; first sessions counted in your own records.
One monthly number
First sessions booked, by channel, and what each cost.
What it costs
| Service | Price | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Ads management (Google, Facebook or Instagram) | $500-$2,000 a month | Month-to-month, no setup fee, ad spend paid straight to the platform |
| SEO and AI search visibility | $500-$2,000 a month | Month-to-month, no long-term contract |
| Website, landing page or store build | $1,200-$15,000, fixed price | Agreed in writing; 50% to begin, balance on delivery |
Entry plans start at $500 a month. Full details are on our pricing page.
Who we're not for
- Practices that want client testimonials in their ads.
- Anyone who wants ads that name a reader's condition or promise outcomes.
- Therapists who want to advertise online sessions where they aren't licensed to practise.
Guides for private practices
- Business not showing on Google Maps?: the checks, in order
- How long does SEO take?: a realistic timeline for a private practice
- Is SEO worth it for a small business?: when it pays and when it doesn't
- Leads not answering?: why enquiries go quiet after the first message
Questions therapists ask a marketing agency
What does a marketing agency for therapists do?
It helps people who are looking for a therapist find you, understand how you work and get in touch: search and the map results, directory profiles, a clear website with fees, ads written to the health rules, and a quick, private first reply. It should report first sessions booked, not clicks.
Can therapists use client testimonials?
Mostly not the way other businesses do. The APA, ACA, NASW and AAMFT codes all bar soliciting testimonials from current clients or anyone vulnerable to undue influence, and in the UK the UKCP code rules out client testimonials in any advertising. Check your own code before using any.
How should a therapist reply to an online review?
Without confirming that the reviewer is or was a client. In 2023 a New Jersey psychiatric practice paid $30,000 to settle with HHS after disclosing patient information in replies to negative online reviews. A short, general reply about how you work, with an invitation to get in touch privately, is safer.
Can therapists run Facebook ads?
Yes, if the ad describes the service rather than the reader. Meta's own examples allow "Depression counseling" and reject "Depression getting you down? Get help now." Meta can also restrict the data a health and wellness website sends it.
Can we retarget people who visited our website?
Not on Google. It treats counselling for issues such as depression and anxiety as a sensitive health category, where advertiser-curated audiences can't be used. We plan campaigns around search terms and Google's own predefined audiences instead.
Can we advertise online therapy in other states?
Only where you're licensed or legally permitted to practise. HHS says clinicians must meet that test in the state where the client is located. The Counseling Compact is live for counselors in 11 states; the social work compact isn't issuing multistate licenses yet.
Is a Psychology Today profile worth paying for?
It's one of the cheaper channels to test: $29.95 a month in the US, and £19.95 a month in the UK after six free months. It works best alongside your own website and Business Profile, so people who find you there can check you out before they write.
Have you worked with therapists?
We have no published therapy or counselling case study and won't claim one. The approach on this page is what you'd get, and we can show you our own enquiry follow-up software.
How much does therapist marketing cost with you?
Ads or SEO management runs $500-$2,000 a month, month-to-month, plus any ad spend. Websites are fixed-price, from $1,200.
Want to know where last month's enquiries came from, and which turned into first sessions? Book a strategy call and we'll trace them with you.