Counsellor and psychologist websites: SEO and marketing that fits the rules

What should a counsellor website include?

People choosing a counsellor are usually choosing a person. They want to feel they would be comfortable talking to you, and they want practical facts. A counsellor website should cover:

• Your name, a short honest introduction and the kinds of difficulty you work with.
• Your approach, such as person centred, psychodynamic or integrative, explained in a sentence or two of everyday language.
• Your register and membership level, such as BACP, UKCP or NCPS, with a link to your entry.
• Whether you see adults, young people or couples, and whether you work in person, online or by phone.
• Your fee, session length, any concessions and your cancellation terms.
• What happens when someone first gets in touch, and whether you offer a short initial call.
• A clear note that you are not a crisis service, with where to get urgent help.

If you work in a counselling centre or group practice, the same applies to each counsellor, plus a page explaining how people are matched to the right person. Our counselling and psychotherapy page covers this in more depth.

What should a psychologist website include?

A psychologist website carries everything above, with more precision about titles and more information for referrers.

• Your exact title as it appears on the HCPC register, such as clinical psychologist or counselling psychologist, and your registration number with a link to the register.
• BPS chartered membership, if you hold it, described as yours rather than the practice’s.
• The assessments and therapies you offer, each explained: what it is, who it suits, how many sessions it usually involves.
• Fees by service, including any assessment or report fees, so there are no surprises.
• Whether you work with insurers, and which ones, and what a patient needs to do first.
• Information for referrers, such as GPs, schools, employers or solicitors, if they send people to you.

Our psychology practice page goes further for practices with several psychologists.

How do titles and registers affect marketing for psychologists and counsellors?

They are the foundation. Several psychologist titles are protected in law and may only be used by people on the HCPC register. Counsellor and psychotherapist are not protected titles, so membership of an accredited register is the main way people can check you. Getting this wrong is not just a compliance risk. It also confuses search engines and AI tools, which look for the same name and title on your website and on the register.

Use your title exactly as registered, everywhere. If you are in a group practice, describe each person’s title and membership individually rather than calling everyone “our psychologists” or “our accredited counsellors”.

What does SEO for counsellors involve in practice?

Most people search for a counsellor with a place in mind, or ask for someone who works online. SEO for counsellors is mostly local and practical:

• A Google Business Profile if you see clients in person at an address, kept complete and current. Online only services are generally not eligible.
• A page for each main area of work, so you can be found for “bereavement counselling in York” as well as “counsellor York”.
• The same name, address, phone number and fees on your website, Google and every directory.
• Pages that load quickly on a phone and have real text, not text inside images.

Our guide to local SEO for therapy practices covers Google Business Profile rules and location pages in detail.

How does marketing for psychologists differ?

Psychologists often have more than one audience. Private clients search for help with a problem. GPs and other clinicians look for someone to refer to. Insurers and solicitors need to know about reports, registration and fees. Marketing for psychologists works best when each audience has a page that answers its questions directly, rather than one page trying to speak to everyone.

Psychologists also tend to be asked comparison questions, such as “what is the difference between a psychologist and a counsellor?”. A short, fair explainer on your site helps people choose, and is the kind of answer AI tools quote.

Which directories and profiles matter most?

For counsellors, the BACP, UKCP or NCPS register entry, Psychology Today and Counselling Directory are common starting points. For psychologists, the HCPC register, the BPS directory if you are a member, Psychology Today and insurer directories where relevant. Choose the ones your clients actually use, keep them consistent and link each back to your website. Our directory profiles guide explains each.

What should you avoid?

• Testimonials and case studies, which raise confidentiality and consent concerns and can read as outcome claims.
• Claims of success, cure or a set number of sessions to recovery.
• Pages for towns you do not serve, or addresses you do not use.
• Paying for reviews, or writing them for clients.

Our advertising rules guide explains why, in plain words.

Where to start this month

Check that your title and register entry match your website word for word. Publish your fees as text. Make your two most used directory profiles agree with your site. Then ask ChatGPT and Gemini a question a client might ask, with your town, and note the answer so you can compare next month. If you would like that check done for you each month, with clear advice, Essentials suits most counsellors and psychologists working on their own. Growth and Partner add the work itself. You can get started with a 14-day free trial.