Google Ads for Counsellors & Therapists
More New Clients. Every Month.
When someone searches “anxiety therapist victoria” or “trauma counselling near me,” they’re taking a courageous step. We make sure your practice is there to meet them — with compliant, compassionate ads built for the mental health space.
Searches that bring therapy clients to youTherapy seekers search with courage & specificity
People searching for therapy have often thought about it for months. When they finally search, intent is high. We match your ads to the specific issue they’re searching for — anxiety, trauma, couples, CBT — so your message resonates immediately.
Mental Health Google Policy — What You Need to Know
Mental Health Google Policy — What You Need to KnowGoogle restricts using sensitive health data (including mental health keywords) for remarketing/retargeting. We only run Search campaigns for therapy clients — reaching people actively searching right now, never tracking or retargeting based on past search behaviour. This is the most effective and fully compliant approach for the mental health space.
Online Therapy Doubles Your Market
If you offer virtual/telehealth sessions, we build a separate BC-wide campaign alongside your local Victoria campaign. This dramatically expands your potential client pool — especially for specialties like EMDR, trauma, and LGBTQ+ affirming therapy where Victoria searchers may not find a local match.
Client ResultFeelings First Counselling & Wellness: from inconsistent referrals to 18 new clients every month
A multi-therapist counselling practice in Alliston, Ontario offering individual, couples, family, EMDR, and virtual therapy. Previous digital marketing had delivered nothing consistent. We rebuilt the campaign around intent segmentation and CRPO-compliant copy — cutting cost-per-lead by 65% and filling every therapist’s caseload within 90 days.
per Month
Lead
Ad Spend
Everything in your counselling & therapy Google Ads plan
Designed specifically for therapy practices — sensitive, compliant, and built to attract the clients who are the right fit for your approach.
Separate ad groups for every specialty and modality you offer — anxiety, depression, trauma, couples, CBT, EMDR, grief, adolescent. Each group matches searcher intent to your exact offering.
Ad copy written with therapeutic sensitivity — language that meets searchers where they are, follows BCACC and CPBC guidelines, and avoids any guarantee language or restricted mental health claims.
A separate BC-wide campaign for online sessions — targeting the full province, not just Greater Victoria. Expands your potential client pool 10× for the same budget as a local-only campaign.
We only run Search campaigns for mental health advertising — no Display, no remarketing. This is both a Google policy requirement and an ethical best practice. Every dollar goes to reaching people actively seeking help right now.
Track every phone inquiry, contact form submission, and online consultation request. Know your exact cost per new client inquiry — and which specialties and ad groups are generating the most qualified leads.
Plain-English monthly report — new inquiry volume, cost per inquiry, which specialties are driving bookings, and optimisation actions taken. No jargon. No unnecessary complexity.
From discovery call to full caseload in 3 phases
We learn your therapeutic approach, specialties, ideal client profile, capacity, and whether you offer telehealth. We map keywords and competitor presence before anything is built.
Specialty-specific ad groups, compliant copy, telehealth campaign (if applicable), conversion tracking. Most practices receive their first inquiries within 1–2 weeks of launch.
Monthly optimisation cycles. We adjust spend and pacing to match your caseload availability — pause when you’re full, activate when you have openings. Advertising that works with your practice rhythm.
Long-term client relationships make the ROI compelling
Therapy clients don’t come for one session. The long-term retention in counselling practice makes even a modest ad investment generate exceptional lifetime return.
| Metric | Conservative Estimate |
|---|---|
| Average session fee | $160 |
| Sessions per month per client | 2 |
| Monthly value per retained client | $320 |
| Average retention (months) | 10 |
| Lifetime value per client | $3,200 |
| Monthly ad spend | $400 |
| Management fee | $199 |
| Total monthly investment | $599 |
| New client inquiries/month | 12 |
| New retained clients (50% conversion) | 6 |
| LTV of 6 new clients | $19,200 |
Conservative estimates. Actual session rates, retention, and conversion vary by practice and specialty.
Unlike physical health services, therapy clients typically maintain ongoing relationships — many for 12–24 months or more. Each new client is a long-term revenue stream, not a one-off transaction.
Telehealth campaigns target all of BC — not just Victoria. This dramatically increases your pool of potential clients for the same budget, especially for niche specialties where local demand alone may be limited.
Unlike other marketing channels, Google Ads can be paused instantly when your caseload is full and re-activated when you have availability. Perfect for managing intake without the pressure of constant lead flow.
Therapy referrals are highly trusted — a recommendation from a friend drives more new clients per referral than almost any other health service. Building your caseload through Google Ads seeds future organic referrals.
Victoria therapists building their practices with Google Ads
“I was hesitant about advertising therapy — it felt clinical and transactional. But SEO Medics understood completely. The ads are warm, the language is appropriate, and I’m receiving inquiries from people I can genuinely help. My caseload is full for the first time in my practice.”
“The online therapy campaign alone changed my practice. I now have clients across BC, not just Victoria. My specialty (EMDR) has a waitlist for the first time ever. The investment paid back in the first month of retained clients.”
“I have used SEO Medics for the last year and they have been absolutely incredible! From the first consultation they were very informative and answered all of my questions. They provided continuous, ongoing support to ensure my Google Ads were doing well, and making changes when/as needed. I’m very grateful for everything they’ve done for me and my business!”
The searches we target for your therapy practice
Keywords are customised to your exact specialties, credentials, and modalities. We also build a comprehensive negative keyword list to exclude non-clinical searches (job listings, training courses, etc.) so your budget reaches only potential clients.
Counselling & Therapy Google Ads — FAQs
Canada & USA — province-wide & state-wide for online therapy
In-person campaigns target your local market. Online therapy campaigns expand province-wide or state-wide — dramatically multiplying your addressable client pool for the same budget.
Ready to build your therapy practice?
Book a free strategy call. We’ll review your current online presence, identify your highest-opportunity keyword targets, and outline exactly what a compliant, effective campaign for your practice would look like.
Free Therapy Practice Strategy Call
30 minutes with a specialist who understands mental health advertising policy, BCACC guidelines, and what works for therapy practices in Victoria and BC. No obligation.
New clients may qualify for up to $600 in free Google Ads credit — we check eligibility at no cost.No obligation · No lock-in · Built for therapy practices