Marketing for Psychologists: What AHPRA Allows (And Doesn't)

If you are a psychologist in private practice, you have probably noticed that marketing your services is not as straightforward as marketing most other businesses. You cannot simply collect Google reviews. You cannot share patient success stories on Instagram. You cannot promise that your treatment approach will produce specific results.

These restrictions exist because you are a registered health practitioner operating under the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) advertising guidelines — a set of rules that govern how regulated health services can be advertised in Australia.

The good news is that within these guidelines, there is still plenty of room for effective, engaging marketing. This article explains what the AHPRA advertising guidelines actually say, what psychologists can and cannot do, and how to build a compliant marketing presence that still attracts the patients and referrals your practice needs.

What is AHPRA and why does it govern your marketing?

AHPRA is the national body that regulates registered health practitioners across 16 health professions in Australia, including psychology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and others. As a registered psychologist, your practice is subject to the Psychology Board of Australia's standards — and when it comes to advertising, to the AHPRA Guidelines for Advertising a Regulated Health Service.

These guidelines apply to any advertising of a regulated health service — which includes your website, your social media profiles, your Google Business Profile, your printed materials, and any paid advertising you run. They also apply to anyone advertising on your behalf — including a marketing agency.

The purpose of the guidelines is to protect patients and the public from health advertising that is misleading, exploitative, or that creates unrealistic expectations about treatment.

What AHPRA does NOT allow

Understanding what is prohibited is the clearest starting point. The AHPRA advertising guidelines prohibit:

1. Testimonials

This is the most commonly misunderstood restriction. The AHPRA guidelines prohibit the use of testimonials in health advertising — which means you cannot use quotes from patients about their experience with your service, even if those quotes are entirely genuine and positive. This applies to written testimonials on your website, video testimonials, Google review quotes used in marketing materials, and social media posts sharing patient feedback.

It does not prevent patients from leaving Google reviews of their own accord — but it does prevent you from actively using those reviews as promotional endorsements.

2. Outcome guarantees

Any language that implies a guaranteed treatment outcome is prohibited. This includes phrases like 'we will help you overcome anxiety', 'most patients report significant improvement after six sessions', or any other claim that creates a reasonable expectation of a specific beneficial result. Clinical outcomes vary between individuals and are never guaranteed — and the guidelines reflect this reality.

3. Misleading or deceptive claims

Advertising that is false, misleading, or deceptive in any material way — including through omission — is prohibited. This includes claims that overstate your qualifications, misrepresent the nature of your services, or create impressions about your practice that are not accurate.

4. Superlative and unsubstantiated claims

Describing your practice as 'Sydney's leading psychologist', 'the best psychology clinic in the Eastern Suburbs', or 'the most effective treatment for depression' would breach the guidelines unless you have robust, verifiable evidence to support those specific claims — which, in practice, is almost never available. Avoid superlatives.

5. Before-and-after content

Before-and-after imagery or descriptions that create an unrealistic expectation of what treatment will produce are prohibited. This is more commonly an issue in aesthetic medicine, but applies to psychology advertising where implied transformation narratives could mislead patients about likely outcomes.

6. Inducements without full terms

Offering gifts, discounts, or other inducements to attract patients is not automatically prohibited — but if you offer them, you must state all relevant terms and conditions clearly. 'Free first session' is acceptable if accurately described; obscuring conditions attached to such an offer is not.

The AHPRA advertising guidelines exist to protect patients. Understanding them does not limit your marketing — it focuses it on what you can substantiate and what genuinely serves your patient community.

What AHPRA does allow

Within the guidelines, there is meaningful scope for effective marketing. Psychologists can:

• Describe the services they offer and the presentations or conditions they work with — for example, 'I work with adults experiencing anxiety, depression, and adjustment difficulties'

• State their qualifications, years of experience, and areas of professional interest accurately

• Share factual information about fees, appointment availability, telehealth options, and location

• Publish educational and informational content about psychological health topics — this is one of the most powerful and compliant marketing tools available

• Display professional memberships and accreditations (e.g. Australian Psychological Society membership)

• Use professional photography and video that accurately represents their practice, team, and environment

• Optimise their website and Google Business Profile to be found more easily by patients searching for their services

• Run paid advertising campaigns on Google and Meta, provided the ad content complies with the guidelines

• Build and maintain a referral network through outreach to GPs and other health professionals

The grey areas — and how to navigate them

Some marketing scenarios are less clear-cut. These are the areas where psychologists most commonly make inadvertent errors.

Social media case studies

Sharing de-identified 'case study' style content — even without naming a patient — can be borderline if it implies a specific treatment outcome. Writing 'a client who came to me with severe anxiety now manages it effectively' could be read as a testimonial or an outcome claim. Frame educational content around the therapeutic approach or the condition, not the result.

Patient-generated content

If a patient tags you in a social post or leaves a glowing public review, you may feel tempted to repost or share it. Under AHPRA's interpretation of the testimonial prohibition, using patient-generated content that endorses your service — even where you did not solicit it — may constitute advertising a testimonial. Consult the AHPRA advertising hub for current guidance on this specific scenario.

Colleague recommendations

Testimonials from other health professionals — such as a GP recommending your services — are not explicitly prohibited in the same way as patient testimonials. However, any such endorsement must be accurate and not create unrealistic expectations. This is a nuanced area and worth seeking specific guidance on.

A practical compliance checklist for psychology marketing

Before publishing any marketing content, ask yourself:

• Does this content contain a patient testimonial or an implied endorsement from a patient?

• Does this content guarantee or strongly imply a specific treatment outcome?

• Does this content contain any claim I cannot substantiate with verifiable evidence?

• Could any part of this content mislead a patient about what to expect from treatment?

• Have I clearly disclosed all terms associated with any inducements offered?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, revise the content before publishing. When in doubt, consult the AHPRA advertising hub at ahpra.gov.au or seek advice from your professional association.

How a specialist marketing agency helps

One of the most significant advantages of working with a marketing agency that specialises in allied health — rather than a generalist agency — is that AHPRA compliance is built into the work from the start. At Attune Agency, we do not approach compliance as a final check. Every strategy, every piece of copy, and every campaign is designed within the guidelines from the beginning.

This means that you receive marketing that is both effective and safe — work that grows your practice without putting your registration at risk.

Learn more about how Attune Agency approaches AHPRA compliance  here → 

Frequently asked questions about AHPRA and psychology marketing

Can I use Google reviews in my marketing as a psychologist?

Patients can leave Google reviews of their own accord and these will appear publicly on your Google Business Profile. However, using those reviews as promotional testimonials in your marketing materials — including your website, social media, or printed assets — may breach the AHPRA prohibition on testimonials. The safest approach is to allow reviews to appear organically on your profile without actively incorporating them into your advertising.

Can I say I specialise in a particular area of psychology?

Yes, provided you accurately represent your qualifications, training, and professional interest. Stating that you work predominantly with adults experiencing trauma, or that you have a particular interest in eating disorders, is generally acceptable. What you cannot do is claim a formal 'specialisation' unless you hold a recognised specialty endorsement on your registration — as this would misrepresent your registration status.

Does AHPRA apply to my LinkedIn profile?

Yes. Any public-facing content that promotes your regulated health service — including LinkedIn — is considered advertising under the AHPRA guidelines. This includes your profile description, posts promoting your practice, and any content that could attract patients to your services. The same rules apply as to any other marketing channel.

What should I do if I find non-compliant content already on my website?

Remove or amend it as quickly as possible. AHPRA takes an educative approach to first-time issues in many cases, but the longer non-compliant content remains published, the greater the risk. If you are unsure whether existing content is compliant, Attune Agency offers a content compliance audit as part of our services.

Attune Agency helps psychologists and allied health professionals build AHPRA-compliant marketing that genuinely grows their practice. If you would like to discuss your marketing with a specialist, book a free discovery call.

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