Google Business Profile for Therapists: Setup, Rules, Reviews

A Google Business Profile is the free listing that shows your practice on Google Maps and in the map box on Google search. Google allows one only if clients can visit you, or you travel to them. So therapists who work only by video cannot have one.

If you do qualify, setup takes about an hour, by my estimate. This post shows who is allowed, the setup steps, and the rules for reviews. I also explain how to reply to a review without sharing private details. Prices and rules are as of November 2026.

Can a therapist have a Google Business Profile?

It depends on where you see clients. Google says a business can have a profile if it has a physical location that customers can visit, or if it travels to customers. The table shows how that plays out.

Google says P.O. boxes and remote mailboxes are not acceptable. It also says a service-area business that travels to clients, and works from home, should hide its address. That rule does not open the door for video-only practices.

I would not try tricks to get around this. If you only see clients by video, you are not eligible, so put your effort elsewhere. A complete Psychology Today profile and your own website still help people find you. My post on whether you need a website if you are on Psychology Today covers how those fit together.

How do I set up the profile?

1. Search for your practice on Google Maps first. Your profile may already exist. If so, claim it. Do not make a second one.
2. Enter your name the way it appears in real life. Use what is on your sign, website and cards. Google says taglines, keywords, hours, phone numbers and service descriptions do not belong in the name, and adding them can get you suspended. It says practitioner profiles may include a title or degree, such as “Jane Lee, LMFT”. Only use that if it matches how you present yourself.
3. Pick your categories. Type your profession into the category box and choose the closest match. Use the fewest that fit. Do not pick categories to catch more searches.
4. Add the address, or hide it if you travel to clients.
5. Add real hours, a phone number and your website link. Update hours for holidays.
6. Write a short, plain description. Say who you help and where. Keep it true. Skip promises.
7. Verify. Google decides which methods you see: phone, text, email, a live video call, a video recording or a postcard.

What should I know about verification?

Google lists a few ways to prove you run the business. The method you get depends on your business. If it is a postcard, the code usually arrives within 14 days and expires after 30 days. Google reviews other submissions within up to 5 business days.

Two warnings from Google’s page save people trouble. Do not change your name, address or category while you wait for a postcard, because the code will not work. And do not ask for a new code, because that cancels the first one. Never share the code with anyone, including a person who helps you manage the profile.

Which photos and details should I add?

Add the parts that help a nervous first-time client picture the visit.

• A clear photo of the building entrance or sign. People often worry about finding the place.
• A photo of your waiting area or office, with no client names, files or screens in view.
• A recent headshot, if you want one.

Google asks for JPG or PNG files between 10 KB and 5 MB. It recommends 720 by 720 pixels, and the minimum is 250 by 250. Photos should be in focus and well lit, with no heavy filters. Google says the image “should represent reality.” Never post a photo of a client.

Keep your name, address and phone number the same on your profile, website and Psychology Today. That is not a secret ranking trick. It just helps people trust what they see.

Google also lets you add posts. I would skip them unless you have news to share, such as a new opening. Keep client details out of posts.

What are Google’s rules on reviews?

Google lets you ask for real reviews, but with limits. Under its content policy, you may not:

• offer anything in return for a review, such as a discount;
• discourage negative reviews or “selectively solicit positive reviews”;
• post content because of a conflict of interest, which includes current or former employment and family ties.

That is why I tell therapists not to ask colleagues, friends or family for reviews. A colleague has not been your client, so a review would not describe real care. Google could remove it. Its policy also bars content with “unusual volumes or patterns” of reviews, so a burst from people you know can look like manipulation.

There is also an ethics side. Professional codes and state boards can limit asking clients for testimonials, and they word it in different ways. Check your own board and code before you ask anyone. I am not a lawyer, and I cannot tell you what yours allows.

Reviews can help. Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking. Yet it also says there is no way to request or pay for a better one. I treat reviews as something that may happen, not something to chase.

How do I reply to a review?

The risk is simple. If you say “Thank you for trusting me with your care,” you have told the world that this person is your client. That is private health information. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has settled with a New Jersey psychiatric practice over patient information shared while answering online reviews. In its June 2023 announcement, the practice agreed to pay $30,000.

Safer ways to reply:

• Do not reply at all. This is allowed.
• Reply with a general note that does not confirm anything, such as: “Thank you for taking the time to write. I take feedback seriously. I cannot comment on any person’s care in public, but I welcome a call or email.”
• Never argue, explain a session or mention a diagnosis, even if the person already shared it.

If a review breaks Google’s rules, you can flag it and send a report. Google decides whether to remove it, and if it says no, you can send one appeal.

What do I do each week after setup?

After the first hour, give it 10 to 15 minutes a week:

• Check your hours, phone number and website link.
• Look for new reviews and for edits other people suggested.
• Add a photo only if something changed.

Test yourself once. Search your practice name on your phone. Do the hours, phone number and link look right? That is what a new client sees.

This is general information, not legal advice. Check with your licensing board or a lawyer for your situation.

What to do next

• Search your practice name on Google Maps and see if a profile exists.
• Check the table above to see whether you are eligible.
• If you qualify, do the setup steps and verify.
• If you do not, finish your Psychology Today profile and read my guide to how clients find a therapist on Google.

If you work with me at HealerSites, I review your Google Business Profile once during the build. I check the categories, description, services and links. You give me manager access to the profile. It is $75 a month on a 12-month plan with no build fee, or a $1,500 build fee, paid in two halves (at design approval and at launch), plus $25 a month. I cannot promise rankings or new clients. You can read more about me or get in touch.