TL;DR: A Google Business Profile is one of the most powerful free tools a therapist can use to get found locally — but only if it’s set up correctly and kept active. Most therapists set one up and never touch it again. This article covers what to do, what to avoid, and the settings most practitioners don’t know exist.
A therapist told me recently that she’d deliberately not set up a Google Business Profile. The reason? She was worried a dissatisfied client could leave a bad review — one she couldn’t take down, even if she disagreed with it.
I understood completely. Therapy is different from reviewing a restaurant. Results aren’t guaranteed. Some clients arrive with expectations that six sessions can’t meet. A one-star review from someone in that position doesn’t reflect the quality of the work — but someone searching for a therapist in your area might see it and move on without a second thought.
That concern is real, and I’ll come back to it honestly.
But a well-set-up Google Business Profile is also one of the most effective free tools a therapist in private practice has available. Used properly, it puts you in front of people actively looking for support in your area at exactly the moment they’re ready to reach out. If you’re working on your wider local search presence, my guide to getting found on Google as a therapist covers the broader picture. This article zooms in on the profile itself — the settings most therapists miss, and an honest take on the review question.
What your Google Business Profile actually does
When someone searches for “therapist Glastonbury” or “counsellor near me Somerset,” Google often shows a map pack — three local results that appear prominently above the organic website listings. Those profiles come from Google Business Profile.
That map pack position matters. It sits above most organic results, and the listings include your name, phone number, website link, opening hours, photos, and reviews. For someone who has worked up the courage to search for a therapist nearby, that information is immediately useful.
A well-maintained profile can put you in front of potential clients before they’ve even visited your website. For many therapists, it’s the first impression.
The home address problem — and how to solve it
One of the most common reasons therapists avoid setting up a profile, or leave it incomplete, is the home address issue. Many practitioners work from home, and the thought of their address appearing publicly on Google Maps understandably puts them off.
What most therapists don’t realise is that you don’t have to display your address at all.
Google lets you set up your profile as a service area business. Instead of listing a fixed address, you define the areas you serve — Glastonbury, Street, Wells, and the surrounding area, for example. Your profile still appears in local search results. The map pack still shows your listing. Your home address stays off Google Maps entirely.
If you have a dedicated practice room at a therapy centre or a rented space, with permission of the building owner, you can list that address instead. But for anyone working from home, the service area setting removes the privacy concern altogether.
To set this up, go to your profile, select “Edit profile,” then next to “Business location” turn off “Show business address to customers” and save. You can then add your service areas in place of a fixed address.
Categories — the setting most therapists ignore
When setting up a Google Business Profile, most therapists pick one category — usually “Counsellor” or “Therapist” — and move on. That’s a significant missed opportunity.
Google has a fixed set of categories to choose from — you can’t type your own, you select from their predefined list. There are a surprising number that apply to therapists and counsellors, far more than most practitioners realise. The primary category is the single strongest ranking signal in local search, according to Whitespark’s 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors survey — so choosing the right one matters. Beyond that, Google allows you to add up to nine secondary categories from that same fixed list, and adding every one that genuinely reflects your work widens your potential visibility.
A counsellor who also works with couples might add “Couples Counsellor” as a secondary category. A therapist specialising in CBT could add “Psychotherapist” alongside their primary choice. Someone offering both in-person and online sessions could add “Mental Health Service.”
This isn’t about gaming anything. It’s about accurately representing the range of work you do. To add categories, open your profile, select “Edit profile,” then “Business category.” Add your primary category first, then work through any secondary options that genuinely apply.
Keeping your profile active
Setting up a Google Business Profile is the start, not the finish. Google rewards profiles that are kept current and quietly demotes ones that go stale.
In practice, that means a few habits worth building.
Post an update once a month. Google lets you publish short posts directly to your profile — a note about availability, a reminder of what you offer, or a brief piece of useful information. Most therapists never use this. The ones who do stand out.
Keep your services list accurate. If you’ve added online sessions, changed your availability, or started working with a new specialism, update your profile. A potential client who sees you offer in-person sessions in Glastonbury but finds out you’ve moved to online-only feels misled — even if it wasn’t intentional.
Add photos. A professional headshot and a photo of your practice space (or somewhere that feels relevant if you work from home) make your profile feel real and trustworthy. Profiles with photos get significantly more views and clicks than those without.
Respond to reviews. Whether a review is positive or difficult, a response shows you’re present. For positive reviews, a brief warm thank-you is enough. For anything less favourable, a calm and professional reply is the right call — more on that below.
Should you ask for Google reviews?
My honest answer: it depends on your practice and how you feel about it.
Reviews matter for local search visibility. Google uses them as a trust signal, and a profile with ten genuine positive reviews is more likely to appear in the map pack than one with none. For someone choosing a therapist — a decision that involves real trust — seeing that others have had a good experience genuinely helps.
But a dissatisfied client can leave a review that has nothing to do with the quality of the work. You can reply, and you can report a review to Google if it violates their policies, but you can’t simply remove it. For some practitioners, that risk outweighs the benefit of actively asking for reviews. That’s a reasonable position, and I don’t think you should feel pressured into it.
If you do decide to ask, the most natural moment is when a client wraps up their sessions and says something kind about the experience. A simple “I’d really appreciate it if you’d leave a Google review — it helps others find me” is enough. Send a direct link to make it easy.
If you’d rather not actively ask, your profile can still do real work in local search through accurate categories, the service area setting, regular posts, and photos. Reviews are one part of the picture, not the whole thing.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Google Business Profile help therapists get more clients?
It can, particularly for local searches. The map pack features Google Business Profiles prominently in results for location-based queries like “therapist Bristol” or “counsellor near me Somerset.” A complete, well-maintained profile increases your chances of appearing there. It won’t fill your caseload overnight, but combined with a well-optimised website and consistent content, it’s a meaningful part of how local clients find you online.
Can I set up a Google Business Profile without showing my home address?
Yes. If you work from home or prefer not to display your address publicly, you can set up your profile as a service area business. This lets you define the towns, postcodes, or regions you serve without listing a specific address. Your profile still appears in local search results and the map pack still shows your listing. Google’s own guidance confirms that service-area businesses should hide their address from their profile. The service area setting is designed exactly for practitioners in this situation.
What categories should a therapist use on Google Business Profile?
Choose the most specific primary category that reflects your main work — “Counsellor,” “Psychotherapist,” or “Mental Health Service” are common starting points. Then add secondary categories for any specialisms or service types that genuinely apply. Google allows up to nine secondary categories, and each relevant one broadens the searches your profile can appear for. The primary category carries the most weight, so get that right first. You’re choosing from Google’s fixed predefined list, not entering your own text.
How often should a therapist update their Google Business Profile?
Once a month is a sensible minimum. That might mean posting a brief update, confirming your services are accurate, or adding a new photo. Google factors freshness into which profiles it shows. A profile that hasn’t been touched in a year is likely to perform worse than one with recent activity, even if the information is technically correct. The monthly effort is small but it builds over time.
What should I do if I get a negative Google review?
Respond calmly and professionally, without getting defensive or sharing any details about the client relationship. Something along the lines of: “Thank you for sharing your experience. I’m sorry the sessions weren’t what you hoped for, and I wish you well.” You can report a review to Google if it violates their policies — for example, if it contains false information or comes from someone who was never a client — but removal isn’t guaranteed. A considered, kind reply is often what future clients notice most.
Do I need a website to have a Google Business Profile?
No. You can create a profile with just your contact details, service area, categories, and photos. That said, a website significantly strengthens your local search presence. Google uses your website to corroborate the information on your profile — confirming your location, services, and contact details. A profile linked to a well-built therapist website performs better in local search than a standalone profile. If you don’t have a website yet, a Google Business Profile is still worth setting up now.
If you’d like someone to look over your Google Business Profile or help you set it up from scratch, feel free to book a free 30-minute chat. I’m happy to take a look and point you in the right direction.
Richard Thorne is a web designer based in Glastonbury, Somerset, specialising in websites for therapists and counsellors. RTWD was named Best Web Design Service in Somerset at the Southern Enterprise Awards 2021.