Marketing a therapy practice without breaking CRPO rules.

Registered psychotherapists in Ontario work under the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), and CRPO's advertising standard applies to more than you might think: your website, your social media, your directory profiles and anything a marketer puts out on your behalf.

The good news is that the rules line up well with what actually brings in the right clients. Below is a plain-English summary, and then what we'd do instead of the usual playbook.

What the advertising standard covers

CRPO treats your own website and social media accounts as advertising. Paid ads, directory listings like Psychology Today, and anything posted by an employer, employee or marketer on your behalf are covered too. You're expected to take reasonable steps to make sure all of it meets the standard, even if someone else wrote it.

Testimonials and reviews

This is the big one, and where most generic marketing advice goes wrong.

• No testimonials in your advertising. Client quotes on your website, social posts sharing client praise, "what our clients say" sections: all out.
• Don't ask for them. CRPO says registrants must not request or solicit testimonials, and that asking clients to write reviews is inappropriate.
• Clients can still review you on their own. Third-party reviews are allowed as long as you didn't ask for them and don't influence which ones get published.
• Don't promote reviews. CRPO says registrants shouldn't promote third-party reviews or ratings, and linking your advertising to a review site can be treated as using testimonials. So no "See our 5-star Google reviews!" button.

That rules out the standard "ask every customer for a Google review" advice. (For businesses that can ask, our guide to getting more Google reviews covers how. For you, it's the section on extra rules for health professionals that applies.)

What about negative reviews?

Be very careful replying. Even confirming that someone was your client can be a privacy problem. A short, general reply that doesn't confirm anything and invites the person to contact the clinic directly is usually the safest approach. Our reputation management for clinics is built around this.

Claims you can and can't make

• Be accurate and verifiable. Advertising has to be truthful, factual and not misleading, and shouldn't leave out information that matters.
• No superlatives or comparisons. Avoid "best", "leading", "fastest", "most experienced" and anything that suggests your practice is unique or better than others.
• No promises of results. "Feel better in six sessions" or "overcome anxiety for good" promise outcomes you can't guarantee.
• Only list what you're trained in. Advertise only areas of practice and modalities where you have verifiable training. Don't stretch your list of concerns or approaches.
• Credentials. List relevant psychotherapy education and qualifications, use the name on the public register, and don't use the College's logo or suggest the College recognizes you as a specialist.

Directories and online profiles

Directory sign-up forms make it very easy to tick every box in a drop-down list of issues and modalities. CRPO expects registrants to review each selection. Only tick what you're trained in and actually offer. The same goes for your Google Business Profile services list.

Paid ads and sponsored content

Paid ads have to be recognizable as ads and can't be dressed up as independent reviews or recommendations. Paid placements in blogs or media should be clearly identified as paid. And you can't pressure people into using your services.

A note on privacy and tracking

Separate from CRPO's advertising rules, therapy websites deal with very sensitive information. Be cautious about advertising and tracking pixels on pages where people book, fill in intake forms or describe what they're going through. Ontario's health privacy law (PHIPA) applies to health information custodians, and a careless tracking setup can send more than you intended to ad platforms. When in doubt, keep tracking off those pages and get privacy advice.

What works instead

Without testimonials and review requests, the work shifts to being easy to find and easy to trust. That's where most practices have the most room to improve anyway.

Pages for what people actually search

People don't search for "psychotherapy". They search for "EMDR therapist Oakville", "couples counselling Burlington", or "therapist for teen anxiety". A separate, plain-language page for each concern, approach and population you work with gives you a real chance of showing up. One "Services" page listing twelve modalities rarely ranks for any of them.

Clinician bios that help people choose

Clients choose a therapist, not a building. Good bios cover training, approach, who the therapist works with and availability, in a warm, factual way. They're often the most-visited pages on a practice website and usually the weakest.

Clear fees, insurance and booking

Session fees, sliding scale, insurance receipts, virtual sessions and how to book. If this is hard to find, people leave and call someone whose site answers it.

A complete Google Business Profile

The right primary category, accurate services (only ones you offer), hours, photos of the space, and questions answered. See why your Google Business Profile isn't showing up for the common problems.

Helpful articles

Plain-language articles that explain what a type of therapy involves, what to expect at a first session, or how to choose a therapist. They build trust without making claims about results, and they're exactly what AI tools and Google like to cite.

Professional relationships

Referrals from physicians, other therapists, schools and employee assistance programs are often a practice's best source of clients, and they're entirely within the rules.

A quick audit of your current marketing

• No client testimonials anywhere on your website or social media
• No "leave us a review" requests in emails, intake forms or the office
• No buttons or widgets promoting your Google or directory ratings
• No superlatives, comparisons or promised outcomes
• Every listed modality and concern backed by verifiable training
• Directory drop-downs reviewed and trimmed
• Your name matches the public register, and no College logo
• Tracking pixels kept away from booking and intake pages
• Anything your marketer or staff publish checked against the standard