What can you say about your work?

Website, directory profile, practice page: three guardrails cover most of it. Use only titles you actually hold, don’t promise outcomes, and describe honestly how you work. Here’s the orientation.

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Written by Konstantin KaufmannFounder of Kaufmann Health · Kaufmann Health · Updated July 6, 2026

In short: Three rules cover most of it. First: use only titles you actually hold. “Psychologist” is protected in every US state, and “psychotherapist”/“therapist” are regulated in some states and provinces. Second: don’t promise outcomes, because truth-in-advertising law requires claims to be truthful and substantiated, and cure guarantees never are. Third: describe in your own words how you work and with whom. That’s allowed, honest, and more convincing than any promise. This is orientation, not legal advice, and the rules vary by jurisdiction.

Which titles are protected?

Title protection is state and province law, not federal, so the answer depends on where you practice. “Psychologist” is protected everywhere in the US. “Psychotherapist” is restricted in some jurisdictions (Ontario is a well-known example) and open in others. “Counselor” and “therapist” sit in between. “Coach,” “practitioner,” and modality-specific designations like Somatic Experiencing Practitioner or NARM practitioner are generally unregulated, as long as they don’t imply a clinical license you don’t hold.

The simplest rule for everyone: write the credentials exactly as they appear on your certificates, and check your own jurisdiction’s rules before using anything that sounds clinical.

What does truth-in-advertising require?

In the US, the FTC requires advertising to be truthful, not misleading, and substantiated, and state consumer-protection laws mirror that. For practitioners this translates simply: no cure promises, no guaranteed outcomes, no efficacy claims you can’t back up, and no implying you diagnose or treat medical conditions if you’re not licensed to.

If you hold a clinical license, a second layer applies: your board’s advertising and ethics rules, which are often stricter than general law, for example around testimonials. Licensed clinicians answer to their board first; unlicensed practitioners answer to consumer-protection law.

What can you safely write?

More than you might think. Everything that honestly describes rather than promises:

Your approach in your own words: how you work and what people can expect with you.
Who you work with, and who your work is not right for. The second builds more trust than the first.
Your training and credentials, exactly as they’re named.
Your fee and the self-pay setup: paid privately, and how you invoice.
How a first contact works: intro call, length, what happens next.

Wording: safe vs. risky

“I work with people carrying exhaustion and old injuries.”

“I heal trauma.” Cure claims are the fastest way into misleading-advertising territory.

“Certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner.”

“Psychologist” or “psychotherapist” without the license your state or province requires for that title.

“A session is $120, self-pay.”

“Covered by insurance” when that’s not actually true for your work.

“Many clients come to me through referrals.”

“Guaranteed anxiety-free in five sessions”: outcome guarantees can’t be substantiated.

What this article is, and isn’t

An everyday orientation, written for practitioners who want to write honestly about their work. It is not legal advice, and it can’t be complete: title protection, board rules, and advertising law vary by state and province and keep evolving. If you want a specific wording checked, or you’ve received a complaint, a lawyer familiar with health-practice advertising in your jurisdiction is the right next step.

Your practice page, in your words

The free Kaufmann Health practice page is built from your own answers: honestly descriptive rather than promising, exactly what the guardrails suggest.

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Frequently asked questions

Which professional titles are protected?

It depends on where you practice. In the US, “psychologist” is protected in every state; “psychotherapist” and “therapist” are protected in some states and Canadian provinces (Ontario, for example, restricts “psychotherapist”) and unregulated in others. “Coach” and “practitioner” are generally unregulated. The safe rule everywhere: use the exact titles on your credentials, and check your own state’s or province’s rules before using anything that sounds clinical.

Can I use client testimonials?

Under general US advertising law, honest testimonials are allowed; they must reflect real experiences and not mislead (the FTC’s endorsement rules apply). But if you hold a clinical license, your board’s ethics code may restrict soliciting testimonials from clients, and several do. Unlicensed practitioners answer to consumer-protection law; licensed ones answer to their board first. When in doubt, describe your work instead of quoting clients.

What counts as a claim I can’t make?

Anything you can’t substantiate: cure promises, guaranteed outcomes, “treats depression/PTSD” framings if you’re not licensed to diagnose or treat, and implied medical efficacy. Truth-in-advertising law (the FTC in the US) requires claims to be truthful and backed by evidence. Describing your approach, your training, and who you work with is not a claim; that’s the safe ground.

Does this apply to my Kaufmann Health practice page too?

Yes. Your practice page is built from your own words, and you’re responsible for its content, which is why your name stands under the page. We verify your qualifications before listing you, but we don’t review every text. The same guardrails apply anywhere you write publicly about your work.