If you're a therapist, counsellor, or any kind of mental health professional, chances are marketing makes you uncomfortable. You didn't train for years to become a salesperson. The idea of "advertising" your services might feel at odds with everything you stand for.
You're not alone. Many therapists see marketing as, at best, a necessary evil and, at worst, something that sits uneasily with their professional ethics.
But here's the thing. People need help. They're searching online right now for someone like you. If they can't find you, they'll find someone else, and that someone else might not be the right fit for them.
Marketing doesn't have to mean being pushy or making exaggerated promises. For therapists, it also comes with rules that other small businesses don't have to think about. Let's look at how to do it in a way that feels right, and stays on the right side of your professional body.
Start With Your Website
Your website is the foundation of everything. When someone searches for "therapist near me" or "anxiety counselling [your town]", your website is often their first impression of you.
A good therapy website doesn't need bells and whistles. It needs:
Clear information about who you help. "I work with adults experiencing anxiety, depression, and life transitions" is more useful than "I offer a holistic approach to wellbeing." Be specific.
A photo of you. This matters more than you might think. People want to see who they'll be talking to. A warm, natural photo, not a corporate headshot, helps build trust before they even pick up the phone.
Simple ways to get in touch. Phone number visible on every page. A contact form that actually works. Maybe an option to book a free 15-minute call. Make it easy.
Your qualifications and registration. BACP, UKCP, BABCP, or whoever you're registered with. This isn't boasting, it's reassurance, and it tells visitors which ethical rules you're bound by.
A website that only gives your name and phone number, with nothing about how you work or who you help, leaves anxious potential clients with nothing to go on. Even a small, clear site covering your approach, who you work with, and how to get in touch gives people enough to decide whether to pick up the phone.
Set Up Google Business Profile (It's Free)
If you do nothing else after reading this, do this.
Google Business Profile is the box that appears on the right side of Google when someone searches for a business. It shows your location, opening hours, reviews, and a link to your website.
For therapists, this is useful. When someone searches "counsellor in Bristol" or "CBT therapist Manchester", Google shows local businesses first. If you're not set up, you're harder to find.
Setting it up doesn't take long. You'll need to verify your address (Google sends a postcard with a code, or offers video/phone verification for some business types). Once you're verified, make sure to:
- Add your services
- Upload a few photos of your practice space
- Write a short description of what you offer
- Keep your hours accurate
The Testimonial Question: Check Your Professional Body First
Before you add a single client quote to your website, stop and check your registering body's rules. This genuinely varies, and getting it wrong is a disciplinary matter, not just a marketing mistake.
If you're UKCP-registered, the answer is no. Clause 13 of the UKCP Code of Ethics and Professional Practice requires members to "not make any claims which you cannot demonstrate to be true or include testimonials from clients in any advertising." That's a flat ban. Not with consent, not anonymised.
BACP, BABCP and most other bodies don't ban testimonials outright, but they make them hard to use safely. BACP's Ethical Framework doesn't mention testimonials by name, but it requires members to "be honest about our work and provide clear, accurate information about services offered, our level of qualification, experience and our competence to undertake that work." BABCP's Private Practice guidance requires advertising to be accurate and never "misleading, false, unfair," and specifically warns against implying recovery or improvement rates that may not apply to everyone. Neither sets out a safe way to collect a testimonial without risking client confidentiality or the power imbalance in the therapeutic relationship. For a clear walk-through of what each body actually says, with the clauses quoted and linked, see this breakdown of the BACP, UKCP and NCPS rules.
Our practical advice: don't use client testimonials in your marketing, whichever body you're registered with. Rely instead on your qualifications, your registration badge, clear descriptions of how you work, and (if you choose to use them, see below) ordinary reviews collected the right way.
Reviews Are Different, But Still Need Care
Google reviews on your Business Profile aren't quite the same as testimonials you've chosen and published yourself, but the same confidentiality concern applies: a public review on your profile confirms that person has had therapy, which they may not want known.
If you do decide to ask for reviews:
- Ask every client the same way, not just the ones who seem especially happy. Google's review policy doesn't allow businesses to selectively ask for reviews from satisfied customers, or to ask for specific wording or star ratings.
- Never suggest what they should write.
- Make it genuinely optional, with no follow-up chasing.
- Check your own professional body's current confidentiality guidance before asking anyone, happy or not, to leave a public review. This is worth confirming directly with your body rather than relying on this article or any other secondary source.
Some therapists decide the safest option is not to collect public reviews at all, and rely on their professional registration and word of mouth instead. That's a reasonable choice too.
Write Helpful Content
You don't need to become a blogger. But having a few articles on your website that answer common questions can help people find you.
Think about what your clients ask in first sessions:
- "What actually happens in therapy?"
- "How long does counselling take?"
- "What's the difference between a counsellor and a psychotherapist?"
Write a few hundred words answering one of these questions. Use plain language. Be helpful. This isn't about showing off your expertise, it's about being useful to someone who's nervous and unsure.
These articles also help Google understand what you do, which means you're more likely to appear when someone searches for those questions.
The Ethical Part
Ethical marketing for therapists comes down to honesty, helpfulness, and knowing your professional body's rules before you publish anything. Don't promise results you can't guarantee. Don't use fear-based language. Don't use client testimonials if your body prohibits them, and think carefully even where it's technically allowed.
But do be visible. Do be clear. Do make it easy for people to find you and understand how you might help them.
That's not sleazy. That's service.
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