Client Outcome Claims in Psychology Marketing: What AHPRA Actually Allows You to Say

25 September 2026·3 min read

Quick answer: AHPRA's advertising rules allow psychology practices to describe general treatment approaches and typical presenting issues, but not specific claims about success rates, guaranteed outcomes, or comparisons implying better results than other practitioners — and testimonials are banned outright for this profession. Most practices can say more than they think, as long as it stays general and evidence-informed rather than results-guaranteeing. 🤍

Most psychology practices either say almost nothing about outcomes out of fear of breaching AHPRA rules, or occasionally slip into language that implies a guarantee without realising it. Understanding exactly where the line sits opens up genuinely useful, compliant content that still helps a prospective client feel confident reaching out. 💖

Please note: general information, not legal advice — always check the current AHPRA and National Law Advertising Guidelines directly, and consult your registration board if you're unsure about specific wording.

What most practices get wrong: using confident, results-oriented language pulled from general marketing advice ('clients see real change fast', 'proven to work') without realising these phrases can read as the kind of unreasonable-expectation-creating claims the National Law specifically prohibits for registered health practitioners.

The Compliant Outcome Language Formula

Replace outcome guarantees with process and approach descriptions:

Instead of: "Our clients see results within weeks" → Use: "We use [modality], an evidence-based approach commonly used for [presenting issue]"
Instead of: "Proven to reduce anxiety" → Use: "[Modality] has a strong evidence base for supporting people experiencing anxiety"
Instead of: a client testimonial → Use: a general description of who the practice typically supports, written by the practice itself

Practice specialising in anxiety and stress: Rewrote website copy from 'we help you overcome anxiety fast' to 'we work with adults experiencing anxiety using CBT and ACT, evidence-based approaches with strong research support' — same confidence, without the guarantee.

Practice offering couples counselling: Removed a client-written testimonial from their homepage (not permitted under AHPRA rules) and replaced it with a general description of common relationship challenges the practice supports, written in the practice's own voice.

EMDR-trained practitioner: Described the modality's general evidence base for trauma-related presentations, citing the general body of research rather than claiming a specific personal success rate — factual, verifiable, and non-promissory.

How the rules actually work

The National Law prohibits advertising that is false, misleading, deceptive, creates unreasonable expectations of beneficial treatment, or uses testimonials for certain regulated professions including psychology. Describing a modality's general evidence base is generally acceptable because it's a verifiable, non-personalised claim about the approach — not a promise about any individual client's result.

💡 Confidence in your approach doesn't require a guarantee about the outcome. You can sound genuinely expert and reassuring by describing your training, modality and the evidence behind it — without ever promising a specific result, which is both more honest and more compliant.

Mistakes to avoid

Using results-oriented marketing language borrowed from non-regulated industries without checking it against AHPRA rules.
Publishing any client testimonial, even a glowing one shared voluntarily — this is banned outright for the profession, not just discouraged.
Implying your specific practice gets better results than others, which risks the 'unreasonable expectation' prohibition.
Avoiding all outcome-related content out of excess caution, when general evidence-based descriptions are genuinely allowed.

Frequently asked questions

Can we cite published research about a modality's effectiveness?

Yes — citing established, general research about a treatment approach's evidence base is different from making a personal, unverifiable claim about your own results.

What about client-written Google reviews that mention improvement?

Reviews left independently on third-party platforms sit in a different category from testimonials you actively collect and publish yourself — but avoid actively soliciting, reposting or featuring reviews that reference clinical outcomes.

Does this apply to social media captions too?

Yes — the same advertising rules apply regardless of the platform, so a confident Instagram caption is held to the same standard as your website.

Honestly, is this overly cautious?

The rules exist because health advertising can create real harm if it raises false hope — treat the caution as reasonable, not excessive, and lean on describing your approach rather than promising a result.

Keep reading 🤍

Written by

Kate, founder of Chronically Online

I help Gold Coast and Brisbane businesses grow with branding, websites and marketing that actually works.

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