Marketing for therapists
Get found in your city, on Google and in AI answers. Then turn that attention into booked sessions.
Be found in your city
Local SEO
Show up in the map results when someone in your city searches for a therapist, and keep showing up.
An honest read on your visibility
SEO Audit / Assessment
A written, honest read on why your practice is not being found, and what to fix first.
Fix the foundation once
One Time SEO
The technical and on-page foundation fixed once, properly, so your site can be found from then on.
Keep climbing every month
Ongoing SEO / AEO / GEO
Google, Maps and the AI answers worked on every month, with a short note on what changed.
Words that sound like you
Copywriting
Every page written to sound like you and speak to someone in distress, so the right clients know they have found you.
Reach the right families
Meta Ads
Facebook and Instagram ads that reach the people in your area looking for a therapist, and no one else.
Where therapy clients actually come from
Most new clients reach a practice by one of four routes. They overlap, and which one matters most depends on your city, your specialty and how long you have been practicing. We will not pretend to know your split. We can describe how each one works.
- Google Maps and local search. Someone searches "therapist near me" or "child psychologist in Denver", and Google shows a map with three practices before it lists a single website. Those three are shaped by your Google Business Profile, by reviews that arrive on their own, and by how consistent your details are online. This is what Local SEO works on.
- Psychology Today and other directories. Still a starting point for many people, and results vary a lot from one therapist to the next. Some report a client or two every few months. Others say fewer than they used to. Count the inquiries yours really sends before you decide how much effort to give it. Our honest profile tips can help, and the free Psychology Today Profile Kit has templates. To compare costs and terms across directories, see our therapist directories guide.
- Referrals. Pediatricians, family doctors, school counselors, psychiatrists and therapists with full caseloads. The slowest source to build, and the one least affected by an algorithm change. A short note saying who you help, and who you do not, makes you easy to refer to.
- AI answers. More people now ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity for a therapist. Those tools read the public web, so what your site, profile and directories say about you has to agree. We cover this on the AI services page.
Your website sits under all four. A map listing, a directory profile, a referral and an AI answer all end at your site, so it decides whether interest becomes an inquiry. The free Website Scorecard checks yours in two minutes, and the Local Map Assessment shows how you appear on the map today.
Big platforms now take a large share of broad searches like "therapist near me". You do not need to outspend them. You can win the narrower, more human searches they handle badly, which we explain in how private practices get found.
What to do first
The right first step depends on where your practice is. Here is how we would think about each stage, with the real prices.
- A new practice. Put the basics in place before you pay for anything ongoing: a site that says who you help, a complete Google Business Profile (our free checklist walks you through it), and a directory profile if it suits your market. If you have no site yet, the One Week Website is $2,999 one time. Add Local SEO once the foundation is live, from $299 a month per location.
- An established practice. You probably have a site and a profile already, so find out what is holding things back before spending more. An SEO Audit is $299 one time, with a prioritized action plan and a walkthrough call. If it finds problems in the foundations, One-Time SEO fixes them for $1,047 (3 payments of $349). Ongoing work, SEO, AEO and GEO, starts at $499 a month when you are ready for it.
- A group practice. More clinicians mean more pages, locations and searches. Local SEO is priced per location, from $299 or $399 a month, and ongoing SEO has a Group Practice plan at $1,199 a month. If you would rather have one team run the site, SEO and Meta ads together, Hyper Growth Marketing starts at $1,250 a month with a 12-month minimum.
Copywriting and Meta Ads usually come later, once the foundations work. Meta ad spend is paid directly to Meta and is never part of our fee. If you are unsure where you fit, a free call is the quickest way to find out, and we will say so if the honest answer is "wait".
How long results take, honestly
Nobody can promise you a date, and you should be wary of anyone who does. It depends on your area, your specialty and how much competition you have.
In general, fixes to your website and booking path can help within weeks, because they affect visitors you already get. SEO and referral relationships usually take a few months to build. AI answers change when the tools re-read the web, so we check them each month and report what we see rather than promise an outcome.
What we do promise is a clear picture: each month you see what changed and what comes next. Terms differ by package. The SEO Audit and One-Time SEO have no contract, and Hyper Growth has a 12-month minimum. We put the terms in writing before you start.
What is off limits for therapists
Marketing advice written for other businesses can put a therapist in a difficult position. These are lines we do not cross and would advise you not to cross. We are not lawyers, so check your licensing board's exact rules.
- Soliciting testimonials. The ACA, APA, NASW and AAMFT codes all restrict it. You can claim your Google profile and let reviews arrive on their own. Do not ask current clients, offer incentives, or reply in a way that confirms someone is your client. Invented or ghost-written testimonials are never acceptable.
- Pressure tactics. Countdown timers, "only two spots left" and "act now" have no place on a therapy site. Someone deciding whether to reach out for help needs calm, not a clock.
- Promising outcomes. "Fix your anxiety in six sessions" and "we guarantee a full caseload" are both promises nobody can keep.
- Using client information. HIPAA limits how you use client information in marketing. Meta also restricts how health services can be advertised, and ads should never be targeted by health condition. Our Meta ads are set up so no health information leaves your site.
Our guide to getting more therapy clients covers the ethical way to handle reviews in more detail.
Questions therapists ask us about getting clients
Start with the basics: a clear website that says who you help and how to book, a complete Google Business Profile, and a directory profile if it suits your market. Those cost little and everything else builds on them.
Free Google Business Profile ChecklistIf referrals keep you full, you may not need it yet. Referred people still look you up before they call, though, so make sure what they find is clear and current. SEO becomes useful when you want to fill openings without waiting on someone else to send people.
For some therapists, yes. Others report fewer referrals than a few years ago. Track how many inquiries your profile really sends, and do not let it be your only source of new clients.
Honest profile tipsGenerally no. Most professional ethics codes restrict soliciting testimonials, especially from current clients. You can claim your profile and let reviews come in on their own, but check your licensing board's rules before doing anything more.
It depends on your area, specialty and competition, so we do not promise a date. Website fixes can help within weeks. SEO and referral relationships usually take a few months. Each month we show you what changed and what comes next.
You can start small. An SEO Audit is $299 one time, Local SEO starts at $299 a month per location, and ongoing SEO starts at $499 a month. Every price is listed on our pricing page, and we tell you about any outside cost, such as Meta ad spend, before you commit.
See all pricingFree tool
Where do you show up on the map?
See how your practice ranks in Google Maps across your area.
Check my map rankingMarketing for therapists: not sure where to start?
Book a free 30-minute call. We will look at your practice and tell you honestly what would help.
