How to market a therapy practice in 2026

Where to show up

Core channels get most of the hours. Support channels get a little. The rest can wait until the core ones work.

Who buys and how they choose

Adults, and parents of children and teens, who have a named problem now (anxiety, low mood, a break-up, trauma, burnout, a life change) and want a person they can trust with it. They choose on fit first: specialism, approach, who the therapist works with, availability, fees or insurance. Doctors, schools, employers and other therapists send a smaller, warmer stream of referrals.

Trigger (a bad week, a relationship event, a doctor's advice) -> search or ask for names -> shortlist from a directory or Google -> one short enquiry (form, call, email) -> optional free 15-minute call -> first session, usually days to a few weeks later (guides say: the therapist who replies first and has a slot often wins). The person decides; a parent decides for a child. In the US the insurer panel often decides who is on the list; in the UK people weigh private fees against NHS waits (guides say). Price matters most where insurance or sliding-scale places exist. Client testimonials are off the table (APA 2017, ACA 2014, NASW 2021), so trust comes from a specific profile: who I help, how I work, fees, credentials, a clear photo.

Where buyers find businesses like this

• Therapist directories and registers: Psychology Today and insurer panels (US); BACP, UKCP and other accredited registers (UK); niche directories (sliding scale, identity-affirming) — Psychology Today's directory browses by state and city, by issue (anxiety, depression, trauma), by approach (CBT, EMDR, DBT) and by population (children, teens, couples, family) (Psychology Today directory page 2026). The NHS tells people to check that a private counsellor is on a register accredited by the Professional Standards Authority and names BACP (NHS 2026). NIMH points people to the SAMHSA locator and to the insurer's own provider database (NIMH 2026). No public share of clients per directory was found; guides say directories are the main source of new private-pay clients.
• Google search and Maps: 'therapist near me', '[issue] therapist [city]', '[approach] therapy [city]' — Google ranks local results on relevance, distance and prominence (Google Business Profile Help 2026). The primary Google Business Profile category is the number-one local-pack factor (score 227) (Whitespark 2026). 97% of consumers read reviews for local businesses and Google is the first place they look (71%) (BrightLocal 2026), but therapists cannot ask clients for reviews (APA 2017, ACA 2014, NASW 2021).
• Referrals from doctors, psychiatrists, other therapists, schools, employers and EAP panels — guides say this is the warmest source and the one most owners neglect; no public share found.
• AI assistants and review summaries — AI tools such as ChatGPT are the third most-used place to read local reviews (45%) (BrightLocal 2026). They quote your site, directory profile and Google profile, so keep those three consistent.
• Educational social posts, newsletters and talks (a trust step, not a lead engine) — Health & Beauty had the lowest engagement of any industry on all four channels (Rival IQ 2025). The best healthcare Instagram result was 3.89% engagement at 2 posts a week (Hootsuite 2026, a peak, not an average).
• Paid search (optional; not needed to start) — Google bars remarketing, Customer Match and lookalike audiences for health advertisers, and addiction-treatment ads need LegitScript certification in the US and Canada (Google Ads policy 2026). Meta ads must not imply knowledge of a person's mental health (Meta policy; not re-read this run).

The first 90 days

1. Days 1-3

   Read your licensing body's advertising and testimonial rules and write three red lines: no client stories, no testimonials from clients, no outcome promises. UK members: note that the BACP 2026 Framework becomes mandatory on 3 November 2026 (BACP 2026).

2. Days 1-7

   Write your niche in one line - who you help, with what, where, in what format ('anxiety and burnout in adults, Leeds and online, evenings') - and use it on every profile.

3. Days 3-10

   Complete the directory profiles around the filters people use (issue, approach, population, insurance, telehealth): Psychology Today and insurer panels (US); BACP, UKCP or another accredited register and a counselling directory (UK). Start insurer credentialing early; it takes weeks (guides say). Keep a few private-pay slots.

4. Days 5-10

   Claim or create the Google Business Profile with the real name, the right primary category, hours, booking link and photos of the room; use the service-area setting if you do not see clients at a public address (Google 2026).

5. Days 7-14

   Add a contact form and booking link with no ad pixels or tag-manager trackers on those pages, and a privacy notice that says what you collect and why (FTC 2023; ICO 2026).

6. Days 10-30

   Publish three specialism pages (issue + place), one 'first session and fees' page and an About page with licence or registration number, training, a photo, a named author and a last-reviewed date (Google Search Central 2026: Who, How, Why).

7. Days 20-30

   Write a one-page referral sheet (specialisms, ages, fees, insurance, reply time) and send it with a short note to 15 local referrers: GP or primary-care practices, a psychiatrist, school and university counselling, EAP and HR leads, therapists with different specialisms.

8. Days 30-45

   Publish one approach explainer and the fees and insurance page; start a monthly newsletter with a website sign-up box (opt-in, postal address, unsubscribe).

9. Days 30-60

   Open Instagram (and LinkedIn if referrers are your target): specialism and place in the name field; batch 8 posts in one session; post twice a week.

10. Days 45-60

    Follow up each referrer once with your openings; book three coffee or video calls; join a peer-consultation group.

11. Days 60-75

    Check where every enquiry came from; rewrite the directory headline and first paragraph in the words enquirers used; fix drop-off between enquiry and first call (reply time, form length).

12. Days 75-90

    Plan the next quarter around May, 10 October and the January and September peaks; publish seasonal pages 6-8 weeks ahead.

Channel by channel

Google Business Profile · core

'Therapist near me' and '[issue] therapist [city]' are answered by the local pack. Google ranks local results on relevance, distance and prominence, says a complete profile is more likely to appear, and says you cannot pay for a better local ranking (Google Business Profile Help 2026). The primary category is the first local-pack factor (score 227) and proximity the second (225) (Whitespark 2026). Therapists cannot use the usual review engine: APA 5.05 and NASW 4.07(b) bar asking current clients and ACA C.3.b also bars former clients (APA 2017; NASW 2021; ACA 2014). So the profile must do the work through completeness, and any review that arrives unprompted is a bonus.

Rhythm: Set up once. Then 15 minutes a month: check hours and links, add one Update post or a new photo, reply to any review generically.

What to post about

• Who I help and with what (specialism and population)
• Practical facts: fees, insurance, online, evenings, availability
• Credentials: licence or registration number, training
• What the first session is like, with photos of the room

Openings that work

• First line of the description: who + what + where: 'Licensed clinical psychologist in Leeds seeing adults with anxiety and burnout. Evenings and online.'
• Update post: 'Two evening slots open from [date]. Enquire here.'

How people find you here: Search words: 'therapist near me', '[issue] therapist [city]', 'counsellor [area]'. Pick the primary category carefully and add a few specific secondary ones. Keep the name, address, phone and one-line description identical on your site, Psychology Today or BACP-type listings and insurer pages (guides say). Service-area businesses hide their address (Google 2026); an online-only practice may not qualify for a profile, so read the guidelines. Link the profile to the specialism page that matches your main issue.

How a viewer becomes a client: Profile button -> booking or enquiry page -> reply the same working day -> optional 15-minute call -> first session. State fees and insurance on the profile so the first message is from someone who can afford and use you.

Benchmarks: Top local-pack factors: primary category 227, proximity 225, keywords in profile title 223, address in the city 213, open at time of search 189 (Whitespark 2026) - do not add keywords to the name: Google's name rules forbid it. For businesses that may ask for reviews: 74% consider only reviews from the last three months and 47% will not use a business with fewer than 20 (BrightLocal 2026); therapists cannot chase those numbers. Whitespark's survey rates geo-tagged photos and keywords in review replies as local SEO myths (Whitespark 2026), so skip both.

Avoid on Google Business Profile

• Do not ask current clients for reviews (APA 5.05; NASW 4.07(b)), and for counsellors not former clients either (ACA C.3.b) (APA 2017; NASW 2021; ACA 2014).
• Do not add unrelated secondary categories (for example 'Life coach' or 'Yoga studio' to a psychotherapy profile): category confusion is the 9th most damaging factor (score 125) (Whitespark 2026).
• Do not reply in a way that confirms the reviewer was a client (UK GDPR special category data (ICO 2026); US HIPAA - HHS enforcement over review replies exists but was not readable this run).
• Do not put services or keywords into the business name; Google's name rules say the name should match the real-world name (Google 2026).
• Do not offer anything in exchange for a review or discourage negative ones; Google bans incentives and selectively soliciting positive reviews (Google 2026).
• Do not list a mailing address, virtual office or shared room you do not actually staff as the practice address (Google 2026).

Instagram · support

Educational posts let a stranger test whether this therapist 'gets' them before they book. It is a trust step, not a lead engine: Health & Beauty had the lowest engagement of any industry on all four channels (Rival IQ 2025), and the best healthcare Instagram result came at only 2 posts a week (3.89%) (Hootsuite 2026). So two good posts beat daily posting. Instagram says Reels are ranked on predicted reshares, watching all the way through and likes, and Explore on likes, saves and shares (Instagram, Ranking Explained), so build posts people save or send to someone.

Rhythm: 2 posts a week: one carousel and one short Reel or Stories Q&A. Write 8 in one 2-hour batch a month.

What to post about

• One problem, one skill (anxiety at night, people-pleasing, perfectionism, grief at the holidays)
• What therapy is like: first session, how long, how to choose, what to ask
• Myths and what the evidence says, with a named source
• The group you serve (new parents, founders, LGBTQ+ adults, parents of teens, health professionals) in their own words
• Practice facts: fees, insurance, evenings, online, waiting-list status

Openings that work

• Name the moment: 'It is Sunday night and your chest is already tight.'
• Myth flip: 'Therapy is not only about your childhood.'
• Permission line: 'You do not need to be in crisis to start therapy.'
• Pattern list without labels: 'Three things perfectionism can look like at work, and one thing to try.'
• A question you are asked: 'How do I know if I need therapy or just a holiday?'

How people find you here: guides say Instagram search matches words in the name field, bio and captions; Instagram's own ranking page lists no search signals. So put the specialism and place in the name field and bio ('Anxiety therapist | Leeds + online'). Co-author (Collab) educational posts with colleagues who treat other issues (couples, trauma, eating disorders) to cross audiences. Tag the practice town.

How a viewer becomes a client: Bio link goes to one 'Start here' page: who you help, how sessions work, fees and insurance, an enquiry form or booking link with no ad pixels. Story highlights: Fees, Availability, FAQ. Send anything clinical out of DMs with one line: 'Please use the contact form' (DMs are not a confidential channel).

Benchmarks: Healthcare, best-performing result: 3.89% engagement at 2 Instagram posts a week, against 4.04% for all industries (Hootsuite 2026). Health & Beauty lowest of all industries on all four channels (Rival IQ 2025). All industries, brands with 1K-1M followers: 0.48% engagement by followers and 20 posts a month (Socialinsider 2025).

Avoid on Instagram

• Do not diagnose, or imply you can tell who has a condition from a post or comment. Keep every post general (APA 5.04: advice must not indicate a professional relationship) (APA 2017).
• Do not tell client stories, even disguised, without written consent (APA 4.07) (APA 2017). Leave 'a client once told me' stories out.
• Do not follow, like or comment on current clients' accounts. Keep personal and professional profiles separate (ACA H.6.a, H.6.c) (ACA 2014; BACP 2018, section 33c).
• Do not promise outcomes or timelines such as 'fix anxiety in six sessions' (APA 5.01(b) bars false claims about degree of success) (APA 2017).
• Do not post testimonial reels or screenshots of client messages, and never ask current clients to tag you (APA 5.05; NASW 4.07(b)) (APA 2017; NASW 2021).
• Do not publish 'you probably have X' quizzes. They read as diagnosis (guides say).

LinkedIn · support

Referrers and organisations are on LinkedIn: GP and primary-care teams, psychiatrists, HR and EAP leads, coaches, other therapists. It is where a therapist is seen by referrers and employers, not by clients. Healthcare's best LinkedIn result was 3.61% engagement against 3.56% for all industries, so it holds up here better than on Instagram or TikTok (Hootsuite 2026, peaks, not targets).

Rhythm: One post a week (30 minutes) plus five personal messages a week to local referrers or HR leads.

What to post about

• Specialism and who it suits
• How and when to refer to you, and when to refer onward
• Workplace mental health without clinical advice
• Patterns in practice, never client detail

Openings that work

• Pattern, not person: 'A pattern I see in new managers...'
• Referral clarity: 'Here is how to refer someone to me in two minutes.'
• Boundary line: 'When I refer someone onward instead.'

How people find you here: Headline = who you help + where. Featured section = the referral sheet. Connect with local GP practice managers, school and university counsellors, HR and EAP leads. Search runs on job title and location.

How a viewer becomes a client: Message -> 15-minute call -> one-page referral sheet and a named contact. Reply to referrers within one working day; with client consent, acknowledge the referral.

Benchmarks: Healthcare, best-performing result: 3.61% engagement, against 3.56% for all industries (Hootsuite 2026; a peak, not a target).

Avoid on LinkedIn

• No client stories or thinly disguised vignettes (APA 4.07; BACP 2018, section 55) (APA 2017; BACP 2018).
• No outcome claims or guarantees (APA 5.01) (APA 2017).
• Never pay or accept payment per referral: APA 6.07 allows fee-sharing only for services, not the referral itself, and ACA A.10.b bars commissions and referral fees (APA 2017; ACA 2014).
• Do not ask clients to endorse or recommend you on the platform (APA 5.05; ACA C.3.b) (APA 2017; ACA 2014).

Email newsletter · support

Search finds a person once; a list keeps the practice in mind for people who are not ready yet and for referrers. Medical, dental and healthcare emails averaged a 43.75% open rate and 2.25% click rate, against 43.46% and 2.09% for all industries (MailerLite 2025). The list must never include clients: the fact that someone is a client is health information (ICO 2026).

Rhythm: One email a month (two at most) to people who opted in on your website; a four-line update to referrers each quarter.

What to post about

• A small skill for a named moment
• What therapy is like
• Seasonal stressors: exams, holidays, return to work
• Practice news: openings, groups, fees

Openings that work

• Moment-in-time subject: 'The 3 a.m. thought loop'
• A question you are asked: 'Do I need therapy or a holiday?'
• Plain news: 'Two evening slots open from 3 November'

How people find you here: Not a discovery channel. Sign-ups come from a box on each specialism page with a free one-page worksheet, from talks and workshops, and from referrers who forward it. Never add clients.

How a viewer becomes a client: A reply-to address that reaches you, one link to the booking or enquiry page, an availability line in every send.

Benchmarks: Medical, dental and healthcare: 43.75% open, 2.25% click; health and fitness: 47.81% open, 1.45% click; all industries: 43.46% open, 2.09% click (MailerLite 2025, data Dec 2024 to Nov 2025).

Avoid on Email newsletter

• Never import client or former-client records into the list; the relationship itself is health data (ICO 2026).
• UK: marketing emails to individuals need specific consent; the ICO allows a narrow soft opt-in for existing customers (ICO 2026), but do not rely on it for therapy clients, because the email itself reveals the relationship.
• US: include a valid postal address (a registered PO box or private mailbox counts), honour unsubscribes within 10 business days; up to $53,088 per email (FTC CAN-SPAM guide, edited Jan 2024).
• No advice aimed at one reader's situation; write for a group (APA 5.04) (APA 2017).

Channels to leave for later

• TikTok — The best healthcare TikTok result was 1.03% engagement at 7 posts a week, against 1.71% for all industries (Hootsuite 2026, peaks, not averages). Production is heavy, reach is national while a licence covers one state or country, and TikTok's rules let licensed and regulated medical entities with a verified business account market certain health services in some regions only, so eligibility needs checking first (TikTok community guidelines 2026). A practice that already makes Reels can post the same clip, but do not build a TikTok plan.
• Pinterest — No local or booking intent for a service sold inside a licence area; no evidence it sends clients to therapists.
• YouTube — Long video is the highest-effort format and the least local. YouTube's health source panels are open to licensed psychologists, marriage and family therapists and clinical social workers (and doctors and nurses) in the US, UK, Canada and other listed countries (YouTube Help 2026), so a presenter who enjoys video can apply for a credibility label (YouTube Health 2026) - but it is not a starting channel.
• X — No local intent and no evidence of client discovery; fast public replies invite boundary slips (APA 5.04, ACA H.6.d) (APA 2017; ACA 2014).
• Facebook — Facebook is the second place consumers read local reviews (BrightLocal 2026), but therapists cannot ask clients for reviews (APA 2017, ACA 2014). Health & Beauty has the lowest engagement of any industry on Facebook (Rival IQ 2025). Local parent and community groups usually ban promotion, and answering a stranger's problem in public crosses APA 5.04 (APA 2017). A basic page is enough if you run a group programme.
• Threads — No evidence it sends clients to therapists; the effort belongs on the profile, the website and referrers.
• Reddit — Mental-health communities on Reddit hold people in difficulty and peers; promotion is usually banned (sidebar rules not read this run) and any reply that reads like treatment crosses APA 5.04 (APA 2017). Use it only to read the words people use for their problems and for choosing a therapist, then reuse those words on your pages. Subreddits are listed separately.
• Quora — No evidence of client discovery; long public answers invite advice-giving to strangers (APA 5.04) (APA 2017).

Google and the blog

Core channel. Condition and approach pages are how strangers who do not know a name find a therapist on Google. Google treats health as a high-stakes topic: content must be 'highly accurate and consistent with established expert consensus', trust matters most, and readers should see who wrote it and why (Google Search Central 2026). A dedicated page per service ranks 24th and city or neighbourhood keywords in content 18th among local-pack factors (Whitespark 2026), so pages that pair a specialism with a place do double duty. Aim for 6-10 strong pages, not a weekly blog.

When searches peak: guides say searches for therapy rise in January and September; check your own Search Console. Awareness peaks you can write for: May (US Mental Health Awareness Month (MHA 2026); UK Mental Health Awareness Week 11-17 May 2026 and 10-16 May 2027 (Mental Health Foundation 2026)) and 10 October (World Mental Health Day; date not re-read this run). Publish specialism pages 6-8 weeks before a peak so they are indexed; publish skill posts 1-2 weeks ahead.

Local search: Google Business Profile with the right primary category and a complete profile is the base (Google 2026; Whitespark 2026). Identical name, address, phone and description on your site, your directory profiles and insurer pages. You cannot solicit reviews, so prominence comes from directory listings, referral-partner links and local mentions. Link the profile to the specialism page for your main issue. Do not add keywords to the profile name (Google 2026).

Where businesses in this niche get featured and linked

• Psychology Today directory (US)
• Insurer provider directories and panels where you take insurance (NIMH points people to the insurer's own database) (NIMH 2026)
• UK professional registers: BACP (named by the NHS), UKCP, BPS and other Professional Standards Authority accredited registers (NHS 2026)
• SAMHSA treatment locator (findtreatment.gov) if you treat substance use and qualify (NIMH 2026)
• Local referral lists: GP practices, school and university counselling services, employer EAP panels
• Local news and podcasts: offer a named, licensed voice on seasonal topics (exam stress, holidays, return to work)
• Niche directories for your population (sliding-scale networks, identity-affirming lists) - check each one before paying

Communities on Reddit

Read the rules and the top threads before you post. Most of these remove promotion; a useful answer is what earns a visit.

The year in this niche

Partners who share your audience

• GPs, primary-care teams, nurse practitioners and psychiatrists: send a one-page referral sheet (specialisms, ages, fees or insurance, reply time); with client consent send brief updates back.
• Other therapists: swap referrals by specialism (couples and individual, trauma and eating disorders, adult and child), join a monthly peer-consultation group, share an 'who has openings' list.
• Schools, universities and employer EAPs: they hold waiting lists and need overflow; offer evening slots and a named contact.
• Perinatal and life-stage professionals (midwives, doulas, fertility clinics, paediatricians) for parent-focused work.
• Divorce lawyers and mediators for couples and co-parenting work; keep roles clear (therapy is not a report for court).
• Insurance panels and matching platforms: credentialing takes weeks (guides say) but fills a calendar; keep a few private-pay slots.
• Never pay anyone per client referred: APA 6.07 and ACA A.10.b (APA 2017; ACA 2014). Check any per-lead service with your licensing board.

Rules that apply

• US, psychologists - APA Ethics Code 5.05: do not solicit testimonials from current therapy clients or others vulnerable to undue influence. A review a client writes unprompted is not a breach; asking for one is. Also 5.01 (no false or deceptive statements, including about results or degree of success), 5.04 (public advice must rest on professional knowledge and must not indicate a professional relationship) and 4.07 (no identifiable confidential client information in public media without disguise or written consent) (APA 2017).
• US, counsellors - ACA 2014 Code: C.3.b bars soliciting testimonials from current clients, former clients or others vulnerable to undue influence, and requires discussing implications and getting permission for any testimonial; C.3.a accurate advertising; A.10.b no commissions or referral fees; H.6.a separate personal and professional profiles; H.6.b explain social media limits in informed consent; H.6.d avoid disclosing confidential information on public social media. The code is under revision, with public comment expected in early 2026 (ACA 2014; ACA ethics page 2026).
• US, social workers - NASW 4.07(b): no soliciting testimonial endorsements from current clients or others vulnerable to undue influence, including asking to reuse a client's earlier statement (NASW 2021).
• UK - BACP Ethical Framework: the 2018 text asks for accurate and honest communication of qualifications, experience and working methods (sections 5b, 45), protecting confidentiality (section 55) and separating personal and professional social media where a dual relationship could result (section 33c). The 2026 Framework becomes mandatory from midday on 3 November 2026 and adds guidance on AI and digital technology; the BACP pages read here do not mention advertising or testimonials, so check the full PDF and the social media resources GPiA 040 and 124 (BACP 2026).
• UK - CAP Code (ASA): testimonials must be genuine and backed by documentary evidence (3.47); incentivised reviews must be made clear (3.45); reviews must not be published misleadingly, and review gating is covered (3.46); fake reviews are banned (3.44; Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, in force 6 April 2025); objective claims need documentary evidence (3.7). Section 12 health rules apply to suitably qualified people claiming to treat: objective claims need evidence (12.1) and ads must not discourage essential treatment (12.2) (CAP Code 2026; ASA advice 14 Oct 2026).
• US - FTC Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule, in force 21 October 2024: no fake reviews, no undisclosed insider reviews, no review suppression; asking only happy customers is not named in the rule but could breach the FTC Act (FTC 2024).
• US - FTC v BetterHelp (March 2023, $7.8 million): sharing email addresses, IP addresses and health questionnaire answers with Facebook, Snapchat, Criteo and Pinterest for advertising was alleged to be deceptive. Keep ad pixels and tag-manager trackers off intake, booking and condition pages; use first-party analytics (FTC 2023).
• US - HIPAA: a reply to a review that confirms the reviewer is a patient discloses health information, so reply generically or not at all. UNVERIFIED this run: HHS pages were blocked, so the OCR enforcement examples were not re-read.
• UK and EU - GDPR: health data is special category data, and an appointment list can reveal health (the ICO's own example is an osteopath's appointment list) (ICO 2026). Marketing email to individuals needs specific consent, with a narrow soft opt-in for existing customers (ICO 2026); treat therapy clients as consent-only.
• US - CAN-SPAM: commercial email needs a valid postal address (a registered PO box or private mailbox counts) and opt-outs honoured within 10 business days; up to $53,088 per email (FTC CAN-SPAM guide, edited Jan 2024).
• Ads, Google: health is a sensitive interest category - no Customer Match, no remarketing, no lookalike or audience expansion (Google Ads policy 2026). Addiction-treatment ads need LegitScript certification in the US and Canada; in Australia, France, Ireland and New Zealand only government entities may advertise them (Google Ads policy 2026).
• Ads, Meta: personal-attribute and personal-health rules bar ads that assert or imply knowledge of someone's mental health ('Are you depressed?'). UNVERIFIED this run: Meta policy pages were not readable. Write ads about the service, not the viewer.

What to measure

• Enquiries per week by source (directory, Google, referral, website, social, other) - the number that shows where the next hour should go.
• Enquiry-to-call and call-to-first-session rates, and time to first reply (aim for the same working day).
• Directory profile views to contact clicks; Google Business Profile views, calls, direction requests and booking-link clicks.
• Referral partners active (sent at least one referral in six months) and openings sent to them each quarter.
• Waitlist length, fill rate of open slots, late-cancellation and no-show rate.
• Newsletter open and click rates against healthcare averages of 43.75% and 2.25% (MailerLite 2025), plus unsubscribes.
• Instagram saves and shares per post rather than likes; healthcare best result 3.89% engagement at 2 posts a week (Hootsuite 2026).
• Search Console clicks to specialism pages and the queries that bring them.
• Reviews, only if they arrive unprompted: count and share under three months old (74% of consumers read only the last three months) (BrightLocal 2026) - never chase them.

Sources

• Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (standards 4.07, 5.01, 5.04, 5.05, 6.07) — American Psychological Association, 2017
• 2014 ACA Code of Ethics (A.10.b, C.3.a, C.3.b, H.6) — American Counseling Association, 2014
• ACA ethics resources page (2014 code current; revision under way) — American Counseling Association, 2026
• NASW Code of Ethics, 4.07 Solicitations — National Association of Social Workers, 2021
• Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions (2018 text; 2026 framework mandatory from 3 Nov 2026) — BACP, 2026
• Preparing for the 2026 Ethical Framework — BACP, 2026
• Good Practice in Action resources (social media GPiA 040 and 124; confidentiality; UK-GDPR) — BACP, 2026
• FTC to ban BetterHelp from revealing consumers' data, including sensitive mental health information, to Facebook and others for targeted advertising — US Federal Trade Commission, 2023-03
• Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: questions and answers — US Federal Trade Commission, 2024-10
• CAN-SPAM Act: a compliance guide for business — US Federal Trade Commission, 2024-01
• What is special category data? — UK Information Commissioner's Office, 2026
• Electronic mail marketing (PECR) — UK Information Commissioner's Office, 2026
• CAP Code section 3: misleading advertising (3.7, 3.45-3.47, 3.52) — ASA / CAP, 2026
• CAP Code section 12: medicines, medical devices, health-related and beauty products — ASA / CAP, 2026
• Advice online: fake consumer reviews (rules 3.44-3.46, DMCC Act 2024) — ASA / CAP, 2026-10
• Guidelines for representing your business on Google — Google Business Profile Help, 2026
• Improve your local ranking on Google — Google Business Profile Help, 2026
• Maps user-contributed content policy (fake engagement, incentives, review gating) — Google, 2026
• Personalized advertising (sensitive interest categories: health) — Google Ads policy, 2026
• Healthcare and medicines (addiction services certification) — Google Ads policy, 2026
• Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content (YMYL, E-E-A-T, Who/How/Why) — Google Search Central, 2026
• Health source information panels and shelves: who is eligible — YouTube Help, 2026
• Apply for Health Features — YouTube Health, 2026
• Community guidelines: mental and behavioral health — TikTok, 2026
• Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 — BrightLocal, 2026-02
• Local Search Ranking Factors 2026 — Whitespark, 2025-11
• Social media benchmarks 2026 (healthcare section) — Hootsuite, 2026-04
• 2025 Social Media Industry Benchmark Report — Rival IQ, 2025-02
• Social media benchmarks (2025 data, all industries) — Socialinsider, 2025
• Email marketing benchmarks by industry (Dec 2024 to Nov 2025) — MailerLite, 2025
• Instagram Ranking Explained (undated page, read Oct 2026) — Instagram, 2026
• Find a therapist: browse by state, issue, approach, population — Psychology Today, 2026
• Counselling (finding a private counsellor; accredited registers) — NHS, 2026
• Find help for mental illnesses — US National Institute of Mental Health, 2026
• Mental Health Awareness Week — Mental Health Foundation, 2026
• Mental Health Awareness Month — Mental Health America, 2026
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — 988 Lifeline, 2026
• Contact Samaritans (116 123) — Samaritans, 2026