Getting your first Psychology Today (and other) directory listings

When you’re just starting out as a therapist, getting the word out about your practice can be an exciting step, but also an overwhelming one. Where to start and what to focus on? One simple and effective way to market yourself is to add your profile to an online directory like Psychology Today or other similar directories.

It’s fairly easy to sign up for a profile on a platform like Psychology Today, but crafting a profile that connects with potential clients can be challenging. This guide will walk you through the process of setting up a Psychology Today profile that is effective and optimized, that truly connects with clients, and that allows your practice to thrive and grow.

Understanding the role of directory listings in building your practice

Directories like Psychology Today matter for new clinicians because they are a primary way that potential clients search for and find therapists these days.

Psychology Today, for example, appears as a top online search result for people seeking therapy over 96% of the time, and 971,000 unique users browse its directory each week. Most therapists who create profiles at sites like Psychology Today see increases in intakes and are able to meet their marketing outreach goals.

Joining an online therapy directory fits into an overall marketing strategy for getting your name out and finding new clients.

In addition to creating an effective online directory profile, you can consider:

• Community outreach, such as connecting with local physicians, schools, and other organizations that connect people with mental health providers.
• Networking with other mental health therapists for referrals and marketing tips.
• Creating an engaging social media presence for yourself.
• Setting up a practice website (which you can also link to on all your online directory profiles). 

But therapist directories like Psychology Today are more than a marketing tool. They are a touchstone for potential clients in need of support. Directories are “one of the first places clients go when they’re unsure where to start, which makes your profile less of an ad and more of an initial relational contact,” says Grow-affiliated provider, Ash Duncan, a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW).

How do I clarify my clinical identity before I list?

One common misconception about creating an online directory profile is that all you have to do is plug in your information, and clients will start filling your inbox or voicemail. The truth is that there are many therapists out there with profiles, and your goal here is to make yourself stand out from the herd.

The good news is that doing this isn’t complicated: It’s all about highlighting who you are, what unique expertise you can offer, and making sure this comes across in your online profile.

What Grow’s clinical outcome study found about establishing your clinical identity

Grow Therapy’s 2026 peer reviewed study, published in JMIR Formative Research, offers insight into how potential clients search for therapists and what they are looking for in an online profile.

Examining data from more than 200,000 patients with depression or anxiety symptoms who received care at Grow Therapy, the study found that:

• Clients who used the online directory to find therapists who specialized in treating the condition they were seeking care for experienced more meaningful clinical improvement.
• Clients who selected for a provider based on therapist characteristics like race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, or language were 11-14% more likely to attend three or more sessions with their therapist.

In other words, highlighting your expertise and other meaningful characteristics can help you connect with clients. Doing so also ensures that you and your clients are good matches, that your therapy will be more effective for your clients, and that you will be able retain clients for the long-term.

Defining your ideal client and niche

As you begin to consider creating your online directory listing, you want to start by shining a light on your potential client. Put yourself in their shoes: This is a person who may be at a vulnerable time in their life and is seeking kind, compassionate support. You want to think about how your profile will reach them in the most successful way possible.

You also want to zero in on who your ideal client is. You aren’t the perfect therapist for everyone. Focus instead on who you know you can help most effectively, and who you’d like to work with. Picture your ideal client, and create your online directory with them in mind.

This may mean:

• Setting up a focused message that will reach your ideal client.
• Using specific details and language that your clients will find relatable.
• Describing some of the real-life challenges your clients may be dealing with in recognizable language.
• Keeping the tone conversational — i.e., sounding like how you talk and will be talking to your clients.

Clarifying your services, modalities, and populations

While you don’t want to lean too heavily on clinical language or therapy jargon, people seeking therapy these days are typically well-versed in therapy diagnoses and other terminology. Using therapy terms that your target clients understand and are searching for will help you stand out.

Still, you want to use terms that lay people understand and use in casual conversation, such as anxiety, depression, and stress. It’s best not to use more clinical terms for these (e.g., “major depressive disorder” or “generalized anxiety disorder”). Likewise, spell out any acronyms you may want to use. 

Articulating your values, identity, and practice culture

It’s up to you about how much information you want to share about yourself, including ethnic/cultural background, sexual orientation, or religious background. But adding these bits of information about yourself helps potential clients feel connected and comfortable. Grow Therapy’s research found that clients who selected therapists based on background information are more likely to attend multiple therapy sessions.

Establishing an identity for yourself as a therapist isn’t just about sharing background information. It’s about sharing your values and articulating the kind of therapy practice culture you offer. You can do this by describing how you view your role as a therapist, what you value in the therapeutic relationship, and sharing photos of your therapy practice space to give a sense of your “vibe.” 

“When you can name your values — especially around identity, power, and collaboration — you’re giving clients a sense of how you’ll hold them,” Duncan shares. “Clients aren’t just choosing a specialty; rather, they’re sensing whether the relationship itself might feel safe, respectful, and real. That clarity can feel grounding and hopeful before you’ve even met.”

How do I create an effective Psychology Today profile?

In order to set up a Psychology Today profile, you will need to set up an account with a username and password. After this, you will need to provide Psychology Today with the following:

• Professional license number and state of licensure
• Liability insurance details
• National Provider Identifier (NPI) number, if you have one
• Your practice address, phone number, and email

Once you have registered, you can begin filling out your profile. Key elements of a Psychology Today profile include:

• A headshot
• Name + credentials
• “Personal Statement” section
• Spaces to share videos and galley photos of your therapy space
• A Psychology Today authenticated credentials section
• Education/Training
• “Top Specialties and Expertise” section
• “Communities Serviced” section
• “Types of Therapy” section
• A section on finances and insurance
• Contact information sections (email and phone number)
• Website
• Locations
• Availability
• Intro note on availability for new clients

Crafting an engaging headshot and Personal Statement section

When a potential client searches in the Psychology Today directory and receives a list of potential therapists, they will see previews/snippets from each therapist’s profile. This will include: a few sentences from your Personal Statement, your headshot, and your title/credentials. So you want to make each of these as clear and eye-catching as possible.

Here are some tips on writing your Personal Statement:

• Use client-centered language that speaks directly to the issues you want to help clients with.
• Keep the tone warm and conversational, like you are talking to a client directly.
• Use language that helps clients feel seen and understood.
• End with a call-to-action, describing what your goals are as a therapist and encouraging a potential client to reach out so that you can support them on their journey.

You are a human being first, and a therapist second, so your Personal Statement section should reflect that, says Grow-affiliated provider Heather Rafanello (LCSW). When writing this section, “it’s okay to let a little humanness show too,” Rafanello emphasizes. “Your warmth just might be the thing that makes someone hit ‘request a session’ instead of clicking away.”

There are a few key do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when it comes to your headshot. You should choose a photo that: 

• Features clarity and good lighting.
• Includes a subtle, non-distracting background.
• Reflects who you are.
• Communicates professionalism.
• Puts clients at ease.
• Appears inviting.
• Depicts your most recent hairstyle.

Conversely, you should avoid headshots that:

• Feature casual locations like restaurants or bars.
• Include clothing that appears too casual for your profession.
• Are taken in a “selfie” style.
• Are too old and no longer adequately reflect your current appearance.

Choosing specialties and modalities

Share categories of expertise and therapy modalities that you are trained and experienced at helping clients with. Don’t hold back, and share any specialties/modalities that you have, to attract a wide range of clients. At the same time, don’t be inaccurate. Only highlight areas that you have training in and that you are prepared to help clients with.

Setting up fees, insurance, and practical details clearly

Be accurate about where you practice, whether in-person, via telehealth, or both. Likewise, be transparent about fees and insurance cover. If you are only licensed to practice in certain states, make that clear as well.

Optimizing your listing for search and visibility

When it comes to optimizing your therapy listing profile, there is no magic formula. It’s about being thorough, authentic, inviting, and clear. But being strategic about wording, keywords, location, and tracking your traffic over time, can be helpful.

How Psychology Today search and filters typically work

Psychology Today is primarily a search engine based on location, matching potential clients with therapists located near them. But their search functions also filter based on other information you share, including insurance accepted, your specialties, gender, and languages spoken.

Choosing keywords and phrases clients actually use

Keywords are simply words that clients may use when searching online for a therapist. Think of the words and phrases your think potential clients will use to do an internet search for a therapist like you, such as “therapist for anxiety” or “eating disorder therapist.”

You will want to put these keywords at the beginning of your Personal Statement section, as these first few sentences are what are seen by clients when they get a list of potential therapists.

After this, consider natural ways to sprinkle these keywords into your profile. You don’t want to overload your profile with keywords, or it will seem forced and unnatural. Instead, weave these keywords into your language in a conversational way.

Additionally, use different variations of similar keywords. For example, if your therapy practice focuses on social anxiety, use keywords like “therapy for social anxiety,” “social phobia,” or “support for social anxiety.”

The overall goal here is to focus on writing that sounds human and fosters real connections, while also keeping searching algorithms in mind.

“Writing for both connection and searchability is really about holding two layers at once. Using words like ‘anxiety,’ ‘trauma,’ or ‘burnout’ helps people find you, but what makes them stay is when those words are grounded in lived experience — how it shows up in their body, their relationships, or their sense of self.”

Ash Duncan, LCSW

Using geographic and telehealth settings strategically

Psychology Today allows you to add a primary location, as well as several additional locations, based on ZIP codes. You should put your own location as the primary location. As for the other locations, pick locations/ZIP codes of where you think potential clients may be located.

You can change these over time. Do some tracking and trial-and-error here. As you get new clients, note where they are located and adjust your “additional locations” as you gather more information about your typical clients. You can also ask fellow local therapists what location targets are working best for them.

Common optimization mistakes to avoid

Some people think that adding a headshot, writing a personal statement, and filling out a few sections of the directory profile is enough. But you should really fill out all the available blank spaces in your profile.

Using all available options given to you — including adding a video, photos of your practice space, and optional “notes” (on specialties, therapy types, credentials, and finance) — gives you more chances to show up on online searches. 

Leaving a profile with too little info or info that’s too generalized can lead to poor booking statistics. Using reader-friendly language and being specific in your personal practice beliefs and specialities can result in a better response. The more information you provide, the more likely potential clients are to find you, feel connected to you, and get to know you more fully.

How do I create profiles on other therapist directories?

While Psychology Today is the most well-known therapy directory, it’s not the only one. There are several directories that can be valuable to you, and that can help get you clients. Setting up profiles with them is similar: you sign up and then build a profile. You will be using much of the same information you used in your Psychology Today profile to set them up.

It can be helpful to stay consistent, keep a master bio on file, along with specialties, fees, and contact info. This will make it more seamless for you to sign up with multiple profiles, and to lightly customize them for each site and the types of clients they tend to attract.

Major directories to consider beyond Psychology Today

Grow recommends the following sites and directories to help increase your therapy client pool:

• Zocdoc
• Insurance company directories (for insurance companies that you contract with)
• Niche directories based on strategic alignment: Choosing Therapy, Therapy for Black Girls, Therapy for Latinx, Asian Mental Health Collective, Mental Health Match, and Zencare

You can also ask fellow therapists — especially ones local to you and who share specialties with you — what other directories have been helpful to help grow their practices.

Ethical and legal considerations for directory listings

It’s vital that you consider the ethics and legal implications surrounding creating a therapy directory. Things to keep in mind:

• If you are a clinician just starting out, only list the specialties that you are firmly an expert in, not ones that you are still learning about or gaining experience in.
• Don’t overstate your expertise or experience.
• Avoid making guarantees about your therapy practice or false promises about what clients should expect to happen if they work with you.
• Never include specific details about past clients or case examples that would identify clients or constitute a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) violation.
• Don’t share anything too personal or specific about you.
• Consider services that specialize in safeguarding personal info for mental health providers before sharing your info.
• Always accurately describe your background, education, and training.

How do I track results and refine my profiles?

Through your Psychology Today dashboard, you can track how many people viewed your profile, how many played your video, and how often your profile came up in search results. You can also keep track of how many views converted to direct contact with you, via email or phone. 

It’s worth pointing out that you should ensure you’re using HIPAA-compliant contact info when including details like an email address, and you should also use properly encrypted services when replying. 

It’s also a good idea to ask your clients how they found you, and if certain aspects of your online profile resonated with them.

Using this information will help you understand how effective your overall profile is, and whether it may make sense to tweak aspects of it, like your Personal Statement, keywords, profile photo, or alternative locations/ZIP codes.

Special considerations for different provider types

You don’t have to be a fully licensed therapist or a therapist who only works in traditional settings to create a Psychology Today profile or other similar profiles. Pre-licensed clinicians, telehealth providers, and hybrid providers can create directories. However, it’s essential that you are fully transparent and upfront about your credentials and the type of therapy you offer.

If you are a specialist serving a marginalized and underrepresented community, definitely share this prominently in your profile. People are seeking inclusive therapists who specialize in working with people like them, and who can create space and trust spaces to share. Use language that these communities identify with, and speak directly to these potential clients. 

How Grow Therapy Can Help

Grow Therapy recognizes the power and value of having a Psychology Today profile. That’s why it’s one of the perks available to all Grow Therapy providers. Grow will create a Psychology Today profile for you, help field intakes from it, and cover the cost of the profile. It’s not mandatory, though: You can opt out of getting a  Psychology Today profile.

Helping you set up a Psychology Today profile isn’t the only way that Grow Therapy supports its providers. Click here to learn more about the ways that Grow Therapy helps nurture and support new therapists who are setting up their practices.