Ahpra Advertising Rules for Psychologists: A Plain-English Checklist

The short answer: under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, advertising a regulated health service must not be false, misleading or deceptive, must not offer gifts, discounts or inducements without stating the terms, must not use testimonials, must not create an unreasonable expectation of benefit, and must not encourage unnecessary use of services. Ahpra's Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service explain how this applies. For psychologists, the practical risks are testimonials and reviews, unclear prices, titles you're not entitled to use, and claims you can't support. This checklist covers each. It is general information, not legal advice.

Part of our marketing series for Australian psychologists.

What counts as advertising?

Almost anything that promotes your services: your website, social media, Google Business Profile, directory listings (including ClearAccess), brochures, referral sheets, email signatures and ads. If it's designed to attract clients, assume the rules apply.

The checklist

1. Testimonials

• Don't use testimonials about clinical care in your advertising: no quotes from clients about their treatment or outcomes on your website, socials or ads.
• Don't republish or share client reviews about clinical aspects, even from third-party sites.
• Ahpra says you're generally not responsible for unsolicited reviews on sites you don't control, but you are responsible for what you choose to use or endorse.
• Comments about non-clinical matters (such as parking or how welcoming reception was) are treated differently; check Ahpra's guidance before using them.
• Asking clients for reviews sits uneasily with the Psychology Board's code of conduct on professional boundaries. Many psychologists don't ask at all.

2. Prices, gap fees and bulk billing

• State prices clearly, including conditions. "Bulk billing available" is misleading if it applies only to concession card holders; say so.
• Make "no gap" claims precise. Say which schemes and on what terms.
• Offers and discounts must state their terms and conditions clearly.

On ClearAccess, each scheme you list is either "no gap" or "conditions apply" with your note, so your listing stays accurate if your terms aren't universal.

3. Titles and qualifications

• Use only titles you're entitled to. "Clinical psychologist", "counselling psychologist" and other area-of-practice titles require the matching endorsement on the register.
• Don't call yourself a "specialist". Psychology has no specialist registration, and implying one is misleading.
• "Dr": if you use it and you're not a medical practitioner, make your qualification clear (for example "Dr Jane Smith, Psychologist (PhD)").
• Registration type (general, provisional, or with an endorsement) should be accurate wherever you list it.

4. Claims about effectiveness

• Avoid guarantees ("cure your anxiety in six sessions").
• Back claims with acceptable evidence. Describing an approach as evidence-based for a condition is fine when it is; overstating it isn't.
• Don't create unreasonable expectations, and don't use fear or urgency to push people into treatment.
• Avoid comparatives you can't prove ("the best psychologist in Melbourne").

5. Encouraging unnecessary use

• No "book 10 sessions, get one free" style offers that encourage more treatment than is clinically needed.

6. Images and case studies

• No before-and-after style imagery implying outcomes.
• Case studies must not identify clients and must not work as testimonials.

Why it matters

Ahpra and the National Boards can take action against practitioners who breach the advertising provisions, and the National Law sets fines of up to $60,000 for an individual and $120,000 for a body corporate per offence. Most issues are dealt with by asking the practitioner to fix their advertising, but it's far easier to get it right the first time.

How a ClearAccess listing keeps you on the right side of the rules

• No client reviews or ratings on profiles.
• Your AHPRA registration is checked on the public register before your profile goes live, on every plan.
• Scheme claims are structured: "no gap" or "conditions apply" with your note, never a vague promise.
• Ranking is transparent: distance first, plan only as a tie-breaker, explained publicly.

That means a listing that brings you scheme clients without adding compliance risk to your marketing.

Frequently asked questions

Can psychologists use testimonials?

Not in advertising, where the testimonial is about clinical care. The National Law prohibits testimonials in advertising a regulated health service, and Ahpra's advertising guidelines explain how this applies.

Are psychologists responsible for Google reviews?

Ahpra says practitioners generally aren't responsible for unsolicited reviews on websites they don't control. They are responsible if they use, share or endorse reviews in their own advertising.

Can a psychologist call themselves a specialist?

No. Psychology has no specialist registration in Australia, so describing yourself as a specialist is likely to mislead. Area-of-practice titles such as "clinical psychologist" require the matching endorsement.

How should psychologists advertise bulk billing?

Say clearly which clients you bulk bill and any conditions, such as concession card holders only or limited places. An unqualified "we bulk bill" is misleading if it doesn't apply to everyone.

Where can I read Ahpra's advertising guidance?

On Ahpra's advertising hub, which includes the Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service, testimonial tools and examples.

A listing designed with the rules in mind

Create your free listing, or compare the plans.

Sources

• Ahpra, Advertising hub and Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service
• Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, section 133
• Psychology Board of Australia, Code of conduct