How to write a therapist profile that helps people choose you

A practical checklist for your directory profile or website. People reading it are often anxious and short on time, so clear and honest beats clever.

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Please read. This is general guidance written by Therapist Circle. It isn’t legal or regulatory advice, and it doesn’t replace your regulator’s standards, your professional body’s code or the UK advertising rules. You stay responsible for everything you publish about your practice. If you’re unsure about a claim or title, check with your professional body or insurer.

Start with the reader

Most people read a profile looking for three things: can you help with what they’re going through, can they get to you (or see you online), and can they afford it. If those answers are easy to find, you’ve done most of the work.

  • Open with who you work with. For example, “I work with adults dealing with anxiety, low mood and big life changes.” Keep it to what you’re trained and experienced in.
  • Write to the reader as “you”. “You might be feeling…” reads warmer than a list of qualifications at the top.
  • Use plain words. If you mention an approach, say in one line what it’s like in the room, such as “CBT, which looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and what we do”.

Make the practical details easy to find

  • Fees. Your session fee, how long sessions last, and whether you offer any lower-cost places.
  • How you work. Online, phone or in person, and roughly where.
  • Access. Step-free entry, parking, evening appointments, an interpreter or materials in other formats, if you offer them.
  • What happens first. Whether you offer a short initial call, and what a first session usually involves.
  • Waiting times. If you have a waiting list, say so. It saves people waiting for a reply that can’t come quickly.

Help people check you

  • Give your register or professional body and your registration number, so people can check your entry themselves.
  • Use your title exactly as it appears on your register. Some titles are protected by law, and only people on the relevant statutory register may use them.
  • A clear, friendly, recent photo helps people feel they know who they’ll be meeting.

Keep claims accurate

The UK advertising rules, the CAP Code enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority, apply to websites and directory profiles as well as adverts. Regulators also expect anything you publish about your practice to be accurate and not misleading. For example, the HCPC covers this in its standards of conduct, performance and ethics.

  • Avoid promising results, such as “cure”, “fix” or “guaranteed”. Describe what you offer instead.
  • Don’t quote success rates or statistics unless you can back them up with evidence.
  • Only list conditions, ages and approaches you’re trained and competent to work with.
  • Many professional bodies advise against client testimonials, so check your own body’s guidance before using any.
  • Don’t suggest an NHS or professional body connection you don’t have.

Protect your own privacy and safety

  • You don’t have to publish your home address. A town or area is usually enough until someone books.
  • Use a work email or phone number, not a personal one.
  • Never include anything that could identify a client, even in a general example.
  • Have a plan for enquiries from under-18s or people in crisis. Our guidance for members may help.

A quick final check

  1. Could someone tell within ten seconds who you help and how to contact you?
  2. Are your fees, location or online options and register number all there?
  3. Is every claim accurate, and would you be comfortable showing it to your professional body?
  4. Have you read it aloud? If a sentence sounds stiff, simplify it.

On Therapist Circle, your fees, approaches, who you work with, bio and photo are all optional and can be changed at any time from your profile. Listing is free, with no subscription or commission. See free listing for therapists.

Last reviewed 17 October 2026. General information only, written for UK practitioners. Not legal, regulatory or business advice. Not affiliated with the NHS, the Health and Care Professions Council or any professional body.

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