AHPRA Advertising Guidelines for Psychologists
This guide was prepared by the neticé team. All references to AHPRA advertising requirements are drawn from the official AHPRA Advertising Guidelines, available at ahpra.gov.au. This guide does not constitute legal or regulatory advice.
What This Guide Covers
AHPRA's advertising guidelines apply to every psychology practice in Australia. They govern your website, your Google Ads, your social media profiles, your directory listings, and any other material that promotes your services to the public.
The guidelines are not complicated once you understand the core principles. But getting them wrong carries genuine professional risk. This guide explains the key requirements in plain English, with practical examples of what is and is not permitted, so you can make informed decisions about your practice's marketing.
For the authoritative source, always refer to the current AHPRA Advertising Guidelines at ahpra.gov.au.
What Is AHPRA and Who Does It Apply To?
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) is the national body responsible for regulating registered health practitioners in Australia. Psychologists are registered health practitioners under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, which means AHPRA's advertising guidelines apply to every psychologist practising in Australia, whether you work in a solo private practice, a group practice, or a specialist clinic.
AHPRA's advertising guidelines apply to the practitioner, not to the agency or marketing provider they work with. This means the professional responsibility for compliant advertising sits with you, regardless of who creates your marketing material. Choosing a marketing provider who understands these requirements is part of managing that responsibility well.
What Counts as Advertising Under AHPRA?
One of the most important things to understand about AHPRA's guidelines is how broadly they define advertising. Under the National Law, advertising includes any communication with the public that promotes a regulated health service.
In practice, this means the following are all subject to AHPRA's advertising guidelines.
Your practice website, including every page, every blog post, every service description, and every practitioner bio. Your Google Ads, including headlines, descriptions, and ad extensions. Your Google Business Profile, including your business description, posts, and responses to questions. Your social media profiles and every post, story, and reel you publish. Your directory listings on platforms including Healthdirect, the APS Find a Psychologist directory, Psychology Today Australia, and Halaxy. Any printed or digital promotional material including brochures, flyers, and email communications to the public.
If it promotes your services to the public, it is advertising under AHPRA's definition.
The 5 Core Rules
1. No Patient Testimonials
Patient testimonials are not permitted in advertising by registered health practitioners. This is one of the most frequently misunderstood requirements, and it is absolute.
A testimonial is any statement by a patient or former patient about the quality or outcome of your services. This prohibition applies regardless of how positive the testimonial is, whether the patient has provided written consent, and whether the testimonial appears on a platform you control or a third-party platform.
You can write: "Our practice works with adults experiencing anxiety, depression, and trauma." You cannot write: "I finally feel like myself again after working with this practice." even with the patient's permission.
Sharing or amplifying Google reviews that contain patient testimonials in your own advertising material also falls outside the guidelines. The review existing on Google is separate from you using it in your marketing.
2. No Unsubstantiated Claims
Any claim you make about your services must be accurate and capable of being formally substantiated. Terms including "leading," "best," "expert," "number one," and "Australia's most trusted" are not permitted unless they can be supported with credible, verifiable evidence.
Comparative claims about other practitioners or practices are also prohibited. You cannot claim your practice achieves better outcomes than another, or that your approach is superior to a competitor's.
You can write: "Our practitioners hold postgraduate qualifications in clinical psychology and are registered with AHPRA." You cannot write: "Melbourne's leading psychology practice" unless you can formally substantiate that claim.
3. No Fear-Based Language
Marketing that uses anxiety, urgency, or emotional pressure to prompt people to seek your services is not permitted. This includes language that implies a patient's condition will worsen without immediate treatment, unless that claim is clinically substantiated, and language that exploits the vulnerability of people who may be in distress.
You can write: "We offer appointments for adults experiencing anxiety, depression, and trauma-related presentations." You cannot write: "Don't let anxiety take over your life. Get help before it's too late."
4. No Promotional Pricing or Discounts
Promotional pricing, limited-time offers, and discount advertising are not permitted for psychology services. This includes "first session free," "50% off your initial consultation," and similar offers.
Pricing information can be included on your website and in your marketing. It must be accurate and presented factually, without promotional framing.
You can write: "Initial consultations are $200. Medicare rebates apply for patients with a valid GP referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan." You cannot write: "Book this week and receive 20% off your first appointment."
5. No Comparative Claims
Making claims that compare your practice favourably to another practitioner or practice is not permitted. This applies whether the comparison is explicit or implied.
You can write: "We specialise in trauma-informed care for adults and adolescents." You cannot write: "Unlike other practices, we take a genuinely personalised approach."
What AHPRA Compliant Marketing Looks Like in Practice
Understanding what is not permitted is only half the picture. Within AHPRA's requirements, there is significant scope for clear, credible, and effective marketing.
Compliant psychology practice marketing focuses on accurate descriptions of your services and the presentations you work with. It communicates your qualifications, your AHPRA registration, and your professional memberships accurately. It describes what patients can expect from the therapeutic approaches you use, without making outcome guarantees. It uses language that is honest and grounded rather than promotional or emotionally manipulative.
A well-written service page that describes your areas of specialisation, your clinical approach, and your intake process in plain, accurate language is both fully AHPRA compliant and genuinely effective for search visibility. The two are not in conflict when your marketing is built on real expertise and honest communication.
For a detailed breakdown of how AHPRA's requirements apply to your website, Google Ads, and social media, download our free AHPRA Advertising Compliance Checklist for Psychology Practices.
Common Mistakes Psychology Practices Make
Sharing Google reviews on social media. A Google review that contains a patient testimonial becomes advertising when you share or amplify it. Reposting a positive review on your Instagram feed falls outside AHPRA's guidelines.
Using "expert" or "specialist" without substantiation. "Specialist" has a specific meaning under AHPRA's framework. It refers to practitioners with formal specialist registration. Using it without that registration is not permitted. "Expert" requires formal substantiation to use in advertising.
Writing outcome-focused content. Blog posts or service descriptions that promise specific outcomes for specific conditions, such as "our CBT program will help you overcome anxiety," cross into unsubstantiated claims territory.
Assuming patient consent makes testimonials permissible. It does not. The prohibition on patient testimonials in advertising applies regardless of consent.
Applying the rules only to paid advertising. AHPRA's guidelines apply to all advertising, including your website and social media, not only to Google Ads or paid campaigns.
The Intersection With Google's E-E-A-T Framework
Google evaluates health content through its E-E-A-T framework: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Health and medical content sits in what Google calls Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) territory, meaning it receives the highest level of quality scrutiny.
The practical implication for psychology practices is that AHPRA compliant marketing and E-E-A-T optimised marketing are largely the same thing. Both require genuine credentials communicated accurately, honest and substantiated claims, content grounded in real clinical expertise, and a website that demonstrates trustworthiness through transparency and accuracy.
A psychology practice that builds its marketing within AHPRA's advertising guidelines is, in most respects, also building it in alignment with what Google rewards. The compliance requirement and the search performance requirement point in the same direction.
For a full breakdown of how E-E-A-T applies specifically to psychology practice websites, refer to our Complete Guide to Psychologist Marketing in 2026.
Download the Free AHPRA Compliance Checklist
The requirements covered in this guide are the core principles. The full picture is more detailed, covering specific requirements for Google Ads copy, Google Business Profile descriptions, social media posts, directory listings, and blog content.
We have produced a free AHPRA Advertising Compliance Checklist specifically for psychology practices. It covers every channel your practice uses to reach patients, with clear yes/no criteria you can work through before publishing any marketing material.
Download the free checklist here.
This guide does not constitute legal or regulatory advice. For authoritative guidance, always refer to the current AHPRA Advertising Guidelines at ahpra.gov.au and consult your professional indemnity insurer or legal adviser where you are uncertain about compliance.
