The short answer
Marketing for therapists works best in this order: a specific directory profile, a Google Business Profile if you see clients in person, a website that says who you help and what it costs, then referral relationships and ads. Directories come first because that is where clients look. When we checked Google on November 1, 2026, six of the nine regular results for “therapist sacramento” were directories such as Psychology Today, and only three were practice websites. About 590 people a month search “therapist near me” from Sacramento alone.
Brand Lift 360 does mental health marketing for private practices in Roseville and Greater Sacramento. This guide is for therapists, counselors, psychologists and group practices who want a steady caseload of the clients they do their best work with. It uses real Sacramento search data, Google’s rules and the professional ethics codes that shape how therapists can market.
How Do Clients Find a Therapist?
Most start with a search, often on a phone and often in private. They type something short and local, then compare a few profiles before reaching out. Here is what people searched each month from Sacramento:
| Search (Sacramento) | Average monthly searches |
|---|---|
| therapist near me | 590 |
| therapy near me | 590 |
| therapist sacramento | 480 |
| psychiatrist near me | 170 |
| couples counseling sacramento | 140 |
| couples therapy near me | 70 |
| counseling near me | 70 |
| anxiety therapist near me | 10 |
Source: Google Ads Keyword Planner data, retrieved through DataForSEO on November 1, 2026; Sacramento, California location, English; 12 months from October 2025 to September 2026.
The general searches are large. The specific ones are small, except for couples counseling, which is a real local demand on its own. Advertisers paid an average of about $36 to $40 a click for “therapist near me” and “therapist sacramento,” which tells you how competitive the general terms are.
Directories Hold Most of Page One
On November 1, 2026, we pulled Google’s regular results, below the map, for “therapist sacramento” searched from Sacramento, through DataForSEO.
| What ranked | Results on page one |
|---|---|
| Therapist directories (Psychology Today twice, TherapyDen, Headway, MentalHealth.com) | 5 |
| Review site (Yelp) | 1 |
| Practice and group practice websites | 3 |
| Total | 9 |
That is different from dentists and chiropractors, where practice websites hold most of page one. For therapists, a directory profile often reaches the client before your website does. The profile has to do the work of a homepage: who you help, how you work, what it costs and how to book a consultation.
The Therapist Marketing System, in Order
Seven pieces, in the order we set them up. Each one feeds the next.
1. A specific directory profile
Write for one or two kinds of clients, not everyone: “adults with anxiety and burnout” or “couples in the first years of marriage.” State your license, fees, insurance or out-of-network options, whether you offer telehealth and in which states, and when you have openings. Use a real, recent photo. Keep the same details on every directory you join, including insurance networks you are credentialed with.
2. A Google Business Profile, if you see clients in person
A Google Business Profile is the free listing that shows a practice in Google Search and Maps. Google treats therapists as individual practitioners, who can have their own profile, and requires a business to make in-person contact with customers during its stated hours. A telehealth-only practice usually doesn’t qualify, so its directory profiles and website carry more weight.
3. A website that answers the questions clients won’t ask out loud
Who you help, how you work, what a session costs, whether you take their insurance or offer a superbill for out-of-network reimbursement, how soon you have openings and how to book a free consultation. Clients often read these pages several times before reaching out. Make the consultation button easy to find on a phone.
4. A page for each kind of client you want more of
Anxiety, couples, teens, trauma, perinatal mental health. Each page describes who it’s for, how you work with them and what the first session looks like. These pages are how you show up for specific searches, and they give AI assistants like ChatGPT something specific to repeat when a client asks for a therapist who treats a concern.
5. Referral relationships
Primary care physicians, psychiatrists, pediatricians, OB-GYNs, school counselors and other therapists with full caseloads. A short note that says exactly who you see, your openings and how to refer is worth more than a general introduction. Follow up when you have openings.
6. Search ads, when you have capacity
Ads put you at the top of the page within days, and they suit a practice that needs to fill openings now. The rules are strict for health services and tracking. Our guide to therapist advertising covers Google’s and Meta’s rules and how to keep tracking pixels off client forms.
7. A fast, warm reply to every inquiry
Someone who finally reaches out may also be contacting two other therapists. Reply the same day, offer a consultation time, and don’t ask for clinical details by email or web form. Our guide to HIPAA-compliant forms covers what a contact form should and shouldn’t collect.
What Are the Ethics Rules for Therapist Marketing?
Therapists work under professional ethics codes as well as advertising law, and the codes are stricter than most businesses expect. The rules that come up most:
| Marketing tactic | What the codes say |
|---|---|
| Testimonials from clients | The APA Ethics Code (Standard 5.05) says psychologists do not solicit testimonials from current clients or others vulnerable to undue influence. The NASW Code (4.07) has a similar standard for social workers. |
| Asking clients for online reviews | Treat it like a testimonial request. Many therapists don’t ask current clients at all. Check your own license’s code. |
| Replying to online reviews | Don’t confirm the reviewer is a client. A general reply that invites them to call keeps client information private. |
| Claims about results | Describe how you work, not outcomes you can’t promise. Statements must be accurate and not misleading. |
| Tracking on your website | Ad pixels on appointment and contact pages can expose client information. Keep them off those pages unless your compliance advisor approves the setup. |
California boards also set rules for advertising by licensed professionals, including the license type and number on ads for some licenses. Check your board’s current rules before you publish. We cover review replies in How to Respond to Negative Reviews Without Breaking HIPAA.
What Marketing Costs a Therapy Practice
Start with what costs little: directory profiles and a complete Google Business Profile. A website comes next. Our standalone websites start at $2,500, and a website is included in our managed marketing plans, which start at $1,499 a month for search, the website and inquiry follow-up. Ad budgets start at $1,500 a month per campaign, paid directly to Google or Meta with no markup.
| Stage | What to do | How you’ll know it worked |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | Directory profiles, Business Profile, consultation booking | More consultation requests from directories and Google |
| About week 4 | Website with a page for each kind of client you want more of | Consultation requests from the website |
| Months 2–3 | Referral notes to five to ten local providers | Referrals named in your intake notes |
| When you have openings | Search ads for your most-wanted client type | Cost per booked first session |
Marketing for Therapists at a Glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Biggest Sacramento searches | “therapist near me” and “therapy near me” (about 590 a month each), “therapist sacramento” (about 480) |
| Who holds page one | Directories: 6 of 9 regular results for “therapist sacramento,” including Yelp |
| First step | A specific directory profile with fees, insurance, telehealth and openings |
| Google Business Profile | Only if you see clients in person during stated hours |
| Website must say | Who you help, how you work, cost, insurance, openings, how to book a consultation |
| Testimonials | Don’t solicit them from current clients (APA 5.05, NASW 4.07) |
| Ads | When you have openings; budgets from $1,500 a month per campaign |
Common Questions About Marketing for Therapists
What is the best way for a therapist to get clients?
Start where clients already look: a complete, specific directory profile and a Google Business Profile if you see clients in person. Then make your website answer who you help, your fees and insurance, and how to book a consultation. Referral relationships and ads come after those basics.
Can therapists use client testimonials?
Generally no for current clients. The APA Ethics Code says psychologists do not solicit testimonials from current clients or others vulnerable to undue influence, and the NASW Code has a similar standard for social workers. Check your own license’s code and California board rules before using any.
Can a telehealth-only therapist have a Google Business Profile?
Usually not. Google requires a business to make in-person contact with customers during its stated hours, so an online-only practice doesn’t qualify. Directory profiles and your website carry more weight in that case.
How much should a therapy practice spend on marketing?
Directory profiles cost little and are the first step. Our managed marketing plans start at $1,499 a month for search, website and follow-up, and ad budgets start at $1,500 a month per campaign, paid directly to Google or Meta.
What to Do This Week
Search “therapist” plus your city and open the first directory result. Find your own profile and read it as a client would. Does the first paragraph say who you help, in their words? Are your fees, insurance, telehealth and openings current? Rewrite the first two sentences so a client recognizes themselves, and update your openings. It takes twenty minutes and it is often the first thing a new client reads about you.
Sources
- Google Ads Keyword Planner data, retrieved through DataForSEO on November 1, 2026: average monthly searches and average cost per click, Sacramento, California location, English, 12 months from October 2025 to September 2026.
- Brand Lift 360 (our own data): Google regular results for “therapist sacramento,” searched from Sacramento, pulled through DataForSEO on November 1, 2026. One pull; practices not named. Results vary by location and date.
- Google Business Profile Help, “Guidelines for representing your business on Google”, accessed November 1, 2026. Source for in-person contact and individual practitioners.
- American Psychological Association, “Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct”, Standard 5.05 (Testimonials), accessed November 1, 2026.
- National Association of Social Workers, “Code of Ethics”, Standard 4.07 (Solicitations), accessed November 1, 2026.
