People searching for counselling or therapy often make a decision quickly.

They may search for:

  • “Counsellor near me”
  • “Psychotherapist in Bristol”
  • “CBT therapist in Leeds”
  • “Talking therapy online”
  • “Therapist accepting new clients”

If your Google Business Profile is incomplete, unclear or too broad, your practice may be missed before someone reaches your website.

That is frustrating, especially when you do excellent work and have spent years building your qualifications, experience and professional reputation.

The good news is that Google Business Profile for therapists does not need to be complicated. You need accurate information, clear services, trustworthy proof and a simple way for people to make contact.

This guide explains how to optimise your profile safely and practically in the UK.

Start with the right business information

Your profile should make it obvious who you are, what you offer and where you work.

Use the same business name, telephone number, website and opening hours across:

  • Your Google Business Profile
  • Your website
  • Professional directories
  • Local directories
  • Social media profiles

Do not add keywords or locations to your business name unless they are part of your real trading name.

For example, use:

Jane Smith Counselling

Do not change it to:

Best Anxiety Therapist in Manchester – Jane Smith

That may look like an attempt to manipulate search results. It also makes your profile look less trustworthy.

Your description should explain your work in plain English. Mention your main approach, the types of sessions you offer and the areas you serve.

For example:

I offer one-to-one counselling for adults, with online and in-person sessions available in Sheffield. I work with clients experiencing stress, relationship difficulties, bereavement and other emotional challenges. Please contact me to discuss whether counselling is suitable for you.

Only include services and claims that accurately describe your practice.

Choose one accurate primary category

Your primary category tells Google what your business is.

Choose the most accurate option available for your practice. Depending on your work, this may include:

  • Counsellor
  • Psychotherapist
  • Mental health service
  • Psychologist, where that title and registration are accurate

Do not select every category that sounds vaguely relevant. Google recommends using the fewest categories needed to describe your main business.

A solo counsellor should usually select one main category and add only genuinely relevant secondary categories.

For example, a practitioner offering counselling and psychotherapy may choose one as the primary category and the other as a secondary category, if both accurately describe their work.

Do not use “clinical psychologist”, “doctor” or another protected or specialist title unless you are entitled to use it. If you are registered with a professional or regulatory body, state that accurately and explain what the registration means.

Useful organisations may include:

Membership and registration details should match the wording used by the organisation. Do not imply that voluntary membership is the same as statutory regulation.

A clean dashboard illustration showing accurate categories, services and a defined therapy service area

Set your address or service area correctly

Your location settings matter for local searches.

If clients visit a real, publicly accessible clinic or office, add the accurate address. Make sure the location is suitable for appointments and that the name and address match your website and other listings.

If you work from home but do not receive clients there, hide your home address. Set a service area instead.

Your service area could include the towns, cities or regions where you provide in-person sessions. Do not list every nearby town simply to appear in more searches.

For online sessions, describe your availability accurately. You may work with people across the UK, but your professional obligations, insurance, registration and scope of practice still matter. State where online sessions are available and check that your wording reflects your actual position.

Avoid claiming to serve an area if:

  • You do not offer appointments there
  • You cannot legally or professionally work with clients there
  • You have no clear way to provide the advertised service
  • The location was added only to attract searches

Accurate location information helps potential clients decide whether your practice is suitable before they contact you.

List your services clearly

Your Services section should answer the questions people are likely to have before making an enquiry.

You might list:

  • Individual counselling
  • Psychotherapy
  • CBT, if you are trained and qualified to provide it
  • Talking therapy
  • Couples counselling, if offered
  • Bereavement support
  • Online therapy
  • In-person appointments
  • Initial consultations
  • Supervision, if this is part of your practice

Use the wording clients understand. Explain specialist terms on your website rather than filling the profile with abbreviations.

Each service should link to a relevant page where possible. That page should explain:

  • Who the service is for
  • How sessions work
  • Whether sessions are online or in person
  • Session length and fees, if you publish them
  • Your qualifications and professional membership
  • How to ask questions or book

Do not make diagnosis, treatment or outcome claims that you cannot support.

Avoid statements such as:

  • “Cures depression”
  • “Guaranteed results”
  • “Treats every mental health condition”
  • “The fastest way to recover from trauma”

Health-related advertising must be honest and supportable. The ASA guidance on mental health treatment claims is a useful reference.

Add a direct booking or enquiry link

A potential client should not have to search through your website to find the next step.

Add a booking link if you use a suitable booking system. If you prefer an initial conversation, link directly to an enquiry page or contact form.

Make sure the page:

  • Loads properly on a mobile phone
  • Uses HTTPS
  • Explains what happens after someone submits a form
  • Does not request unnecessary sensitive information
  • Gives an alternative contact method
  • Makes clear whether the appointment is an initial consultation or a therapy session

Do not ask people to share detailed symptoms, diagnoses or personal history in a public Google message.

Messaging can be useful, but only enable it if you can respond consistently. A sensible target is to reply within one working day. If you are not available, turn messaging off or explain your response times.

For practices that publish session fees, an enquiry or fee-estimate route can help visitors take the first step. The VU1 quote builder can show a clear starting price and collect contact details, without pretending to replace a professional conversation or assessment.

Protect confidentiality when managing reviews

Reviews can help people feel more confident, but therapy practices need to handle them carefully.

Never:

  • Offer money or discounts for reviews
  • Ask for a positive review
  • Write reviews yourself
  • Reveal that a reviewer is or was a client
  • Discuss someone’s therapy, diagnosis or progress
  • Copy private feedback into a public review

A safe response can be brief:

Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. We appreciate your kind words.

Do not write:

I’m pleased our work helped you overcome your anxiety.

That response confirms a therapeutic relationship and refers to private health information.

Professional-body rules may also be stricter than general Google review guidance. Some organisations place limits on testimonials and client endorsements in advertising. Check your membership requirements before actively requesting reviews.

If you do invite feedback, use neutral wording and do not pressure clients to participate.

A privacy-focused illustration showing anonymised reviews, a shield and a confidential therapy practice

Use Q&A for practical questions

Google Business Profile Q&A is useful for answering general questions that several potential clients may have.

Good questions include:

  • Do you offer online sessions?
  • Are evening appointments available?
  • Which age groups do you work with?
  • Do you offer an initial consultation?
  • Is the practice accessible by public transport?
  • How long is each session?
  • Are you currently accepting new clients?

Keep your answers general and factual.

If someone posts identifiable personal information, do not continue the discussion publicly. Invite them to contact you through a private, appropriate channel instead.

Check your Q&A section regularly. Answer new questions promptly and report spam or misleading information.

Publish useful Google Posts

Google Posts give your profile fresh information for people who are already considering your practice.

Post ideas include:

  • Current appointment availability
  • Online session updates
  • Holiday opening hours
  • A short explanation of how an initial consultation works
  • Information about your therapy approach
  • Accessibility details
  • A link to a relevant service page
  • General wellbeing information

Keep posts short and easy to understand. Avoid turning them into medical advice or promising a particular result.

A weekly or fortnightly posting routine is enough for most solo practitioners. Consistency matters more than posting every day.

Use real, professional images of your practice, office or working environment. Do not use client photographs, case studies or personal stories without clear, informed consent. In many cases, it is safer to use non-identifying images that show the space rather than the people you support.

Common Google Business Profile mistakes

Using too many categories

Adding every therapy-related category can make your profile look unfocused.

Choose the category that best describes your main work, then add only relevant secondary categories.

Showing a private home address

If clients do not visit your home, hide the address and use a genuine service area.

Making unsupported health claims

Do not promise cures, guaranteed outcomes or treatment for conditions outside your qualifications and evidence.

Listing services you do not provide

Every service should be available, accurately described and supported by your website.

Ignoring profile questions

Unanswered Q&A entries can leave potential clients unsure about basic details.

Responding to reviews too personally

Thank people without confirming that they received therapy from you.

Sending people to a generic homepage

Link directly to the booking or enquiry page whenever possible.

Forgetting your website

A well-filled profile cannot compensate for a confusing website. Your main service pages should explain your work, location, qualifications, session details and next steps.

A simple local search journey from a therapist profile to a booking and enquiry page

How SEO for therapists fits together

Local SEO for therapists is not just about adding the phrase “therapist near me” to your website.

It is about making your practice easy to understand and verify:

  1. Your profile names the right service.
  2. Your category matches your actual role.
  3. Your service area is accurate.
  4. Your website supports the information in the profile.
  5. Your qualifications and memberships are stated honestly.
  6. Your booking route works.
  7. Your reviews and responses protect confidentiality.
  8. Your local listings use consistent details.
  9. Your website works properly on mobile.
  10. Your content answers real questions without overclaiming.

VU1 checks several of these areas in a free audit. Enter your website and the town or service area you want to be found in to receive a plain-English review of 15 local, on-page and technical signals, usually in under 15 seconds, with no signup required. Run the free audit.

If you want ongoing help, VU1 membership. It includes local SEO, Google Business Profile optimisation, citation building, website fixes, a domain, hosting and an instant quote widget. There are no per-lead fees.

You can also review VU1 case studies to see how the approach works for local service businesses.

Final checklist

Before you finish, check that your profile has:

  • The correct business name
  • One accurate primary category
  • Only relevant secondary categories
  • A real address or correctly hidden home address
  • An accurate service area
  • Current opening hours
  • Clear counselling, psychotherapy or wellbeing services
  • Accurate qualifications and professional-body details
  • A working website and booking link
  • Safe review responses
  • General, useful Q&A answers
  • Regular, compliant posts
  • Professional, non-identifying photos
  • Consistent contact details across the web

Enter your website and your target town or service area into the free VU1 audit now. Get the 15-signal report in under 15 seconds, see what is making your practice harder to find, and follow the recommended fixes.