We tried out the best free online therapy directories and compiled a list of the six best options for marketing your therapy practice for completely free. The best free directories are designed specifically for promoting online therapy practices, while some offer search engine or local listings.
Our Top Picks
- Best Overall - ChoosingTherapy.com | Read review
- Best with Optional Paid Upgrades - TherapyDen | Read review
- Best for Private Pay Therapists - Best Therapists | Read review
- Best Search Engine Profile - Google Business | Read review
- Best Local Listing - YP.com | Read review
- Worth Mentioning - Your Professional Organization | Read review
Best Free Listings At a Glance
Type: Directory
Features: Directory listing; writing & PR opportunities
Pros & Cons
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Totally free, no payment information required - Your free profile displays in search results
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No additional features
Type: Directory
Features: Directory listing; writing opportunities
Pros & Cons
- Basic features available for free
- Premium features are very affordable
- Relatively small
- No other features
Type: Directory listing
Features: Free listing with strong verification
Pros & Cons
- Completely free
- Deeply vets therapists to maintain high-quality directory
- No additional features
Types: Search Engine Profile
Features: Localized search engine listing, data tracking
Pros & Cons
- Largest search engine in the world
- Popular go-to for business info
- Difficult to generate client leads
- Needs a bit of know-how to optimize
Type: Local Listing
Features: User reviews, physical locations
Pros & Cons
- Very detailed and customizable listing
- Yellow Pages are well-known
- No messaging or review features
- Location-based only
Type: Professional Organization Listing
Features: Varies
Pros & Cons
- Usually offers CEUs
- Membership has many benefits
- May require fees
Why Trust Us
300+
Companies Reviewed 2,350+
Hours of Testing 1,150+
Data Points AnalyzedThe reviews on ChoosingTherapy.com are fair, honest, thorough, and based on firsthand experience. To date, we’ve reviewed mental health solutions offered by more than 300 companies. That has involved more than 2,350 hours of firsthand use and consideration of over 1,150 data points. Our editorial policies outline a rigorous review process, but they all boil down to this: produce reviews that our own friends and family can rely on. Learn more here.
Detailed Directory Reviews
Here are our top free therapist directories and marketing solutions.
Primary Features: Free directory listing; publication and PR opportunities through the parent website
ChoosingTherapy.com offers a free therapist directory to licensed therapists. Directory listings allow you to provide in-depth information about your practice, and managing your profile is easy. There are also opportunities to write for the content site as well as PR opportunities to help you build your online expertise to better market your practice.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Totally free, no payment information required
- Continually draws therapy seekers from the parent sites online publications
- Opportunities for writing, publication, and PR
- Your free profile displays in search results, unlike with other free directory options
Cons - Lower volume than other directories
- No additional features such as a teletherapy platform or billing
Overview
After reviewing other free directory options available, it’s clear that ChoosingTherapy.com’s directory is the best available for a completely free profile listing. Unlike TherapyDen, ChoosingTherapy.com allows therapists with free plans to be equally visible across their whole site.
To find out how to join, visit ChoosingTherapy.com’s directory.
Primary Features: Directory listing, a handful of offers/discounts from other platforms
TherapyDen offers free profiles, as well as premium profiles that start at $10 monthly, making it one of the most affordable options for therapist directories.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Basic features available for free
- Premium features are very affordable and the ultimate cost is a pay-what-you-can model
- An exceptionally inclusive set of therapist filters
- Great for small or growing practices
- Can integrate with SimplePractice calendar
Cons - Small, compared to other directories
- Free listings don’t appear in search results
- No other features available such as a telehealth platform or billing assistance.
- No data reporting or lead-tracking features
Overview
TherapyDen is a unique therapist directory with a focus on client inclusivity. A basic profile is available at no cost, and premium features are available on a “pay-what-you-can” basis with a minimum fee of $10 monthly.
While TherapyDen is a smaller directory than many of the larger alternatives, it has a specific focus on accessibility and inclusivity in its filtering system.
To learn more and get started, visit our full TherapyDen review.
Primary Features: Free directory listing
Truly free directories are rare, but Best Therapists breaks the mold. This exceptional platform thoroughly vets its therapists, focuses on cash-pay clients without involving insurance, and charges therapists nothing at all. That’s why it’s my top pick for private pay therapists seeking a free directory option.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Completely free
- Extensive vetting process ensures a high-quality and credible directory lineup
- Avoids insurance involvement
Cons - Vetting process can take some time
- No options for working with insurance
- Newer and less well-known than some competitors
Overview
Best Therapists is a relatively new directory that offers counselors and therapists a completely free platform to market their practices. Unlike some competitors, both therapists and clients can use the platform at no cost, and listings are visible in search results immediately.
What sets Best Therapists apart is its strong focus on provider quality. Their rigorous vetting process extends beyond licensure checks, including incorporating peer-sourced character testimonials, online practice reviews, and even screening for signs of burnout. This ensures that only the most qualified and well-supported therapists are listed. Additionally, ongoing evaluations help maintain a high standard of care, making the platform a reliable choice for clients seeking top-notch therapy, and ensuring that your name and reputation are protected.
Primary Features: Free business listing in Google search results.
A Google Business listing is a must-have for any business, including therapy practices. This free tool enhances your visibility, particularly in local search results, making it invaluable if you offer in-person services.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Completely free
- Google has the most users out of all search engines
- Most client’s go-to for finding information about location and business hours
Cons - Difficult to generate client leads with this method
- Not the only online marketing step that needs to be taken
- Needs a bit of know-how to optimize it
Overview
A Google Business listing is one of the most essential things to have for any business – especially an in-person one. It will allow potential clients to find your website, address, business hours, and contact information.
The downside to a Google Business listing is it can only take you so far. It’s difficult to generate client leads from scratch with a Google listing alone, so you’ll need assistance from other services to round out your online marketing efforts.
If you run a business – especially an in-person one – listing it on Google is one of the most important steps you can take to boost your online presence.
To learn more about Google Business and to get started, visit the Google Business website.
Primary Features: Free business listing
A listing on YP.com (Yellow Pages) is a valuable asset for any business, including therapy practices. With its strong focus on local search, YP.com helps potential clients in your area find your services quickly and easily, making it a useful tool for increasing visibility.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Very detailed and customizable listing
- Yellow Pages are well-known
Cons - No messaging or review features
- Location-based listings, so not great for telehealth practices
Overview
YP.com is a well-known general business directory that allows therapists and mental health practices to promote their businesses online. It lacks messaging and client review features and is based heavily on your geographic region, so it isn’t ideal for telehealth practices.
YP.com is easy to use and could offer a good boost for local traffic, depending on how popular it is where you live.
Primary Features: Free therapist directory listing
Often overlooked, professional organizations such as the APA or ACA typically operate dedicated directories for you and anyone else affiliated with the organization. State licensing bodies may also have options.
Pros & Cons
Pros - Usually includes access to online learning platforms
- Membership to a professional organization improves your credibility
Cons - Not as popular among clients as a paid directory is
- Usually limited in extra features
Overview
Affiliating with your professional organization can offer a lot of benefits including access to educational resources, professional networking and events, and often, access to a directory listing for generating new clients.
Directories operated by professional organizations like the APA or ACA are a great choice, free for members, but may not be as popular among clients.
Other Free Options to Consider
During our research, our team uncovered a few other free marketing solutions that might be worth looking into for your practice.
Primary Features: Free business listing in Bing search results.
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While it isn’t quite as popular as Google, Bing is still worth listing your practice on. Google certainly hosts the majority of internet searches, however, there are plenty of people who use Bing every day, so listing here covers all of your bases.
Primary Features: Free business listing in Yahoo search results.
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Compared to Google and Bing, Yahoo is still used enough that it’s worth creating a quick listing. While it is less popular overall than Google and Bing, there are still some users who prefer it. A business listing with Yahoo ensures your practice will be further visible.
Primary Features: Free profile for businesses, options for advertising campaigns
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It’s difficult to discuss business social media profiles without bringing up Facebook. Presently, it’s one of the most important places you can have a social media profile for your practice.
Primary Features: Free profile for business networking, options for advertising campaigns, paid learning platform
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More for professional networking than for generating new client leads, LinkedIn is the best place to get your name out amongst colleagues, form new connections, and build a brand.
Primary Features: Free business listing, messaging features
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Yelp comes to mind when you think of restaurant reviews, but the service is good for therapists and service providers of all kinds, as well. It allows you to message potential clients about general topics and accumulate user reviews, as well as publish contact information and links to your website.
Primary Features: Free classifieds listings
Learn MoreShow less
The original online classifieds website still holds up in some instances. Typically thought of when it’s time to buy a used car, Craigslist operates a solid classifieds section for businesses and services, depending on its popularity in your local area.
Primary Features: Free basic website
Learn MoreShow less
Building a solid website is essential for online marketing. While you’ll always get better results with paid website builders, a free plan with Wix is a good place to get started.
For those on a very tight budget, it is possible to get a basic website set up for free with Wix, but you won’t be able to add a custom domain name, there will be ads on-page, and your features will be limited. But, it’s a good place to start, if you need to get a website off the ground.
In our review of Wix, we found a lot of benefits in its free plan. If you lack a website, it’s a great place to start.
Paid Options to Consider
As you start to expand your online presence, you may find that you need more client referrals than you can generate through free platforms. While many free options are available for managing your practice’s marketing and online presence, they can’t quite compete with the effectiveness of the best therapist directories.
A few of the most popular therapist directories worth noting include:
- Psychology Today – a high-volume and popular paid therapist directory.
- GoodTherapy – another high-volume paid directory with other benefits like CEUs.
- Zencare – an all-in-one practice management platform and marketing solution.
- Zocdoc – a fully managed directory platform for all kinds of providers.
Things To Consider Before Listing Your Practice
The number of people in your specific geographic area that are likely to be searching for practitioners
The degree of competition you’ll be facing among other therapists in your area on any given directory
The time and energy you are able and willing to commit toward a strategy for improving your marketing
Whether you’re interested in bolstering your online presence by writing blog posts or articles
Whether you’re looking for a main source of client referrals, or you’re simply looking for a secondary or supplemental source.
What Do I Include in My Listing?
In your therapist directory listing, it’s important to focus on a few aspects:
- Approachability – clients should immediately gain the impression that you are warm, approachable, and welcoming to them regardless of what they may be going through
- Depth – ensure your listing captures details of your approach. Be specific here; it will ensure that your clients are well-matched to your particular style.
- Specificity of Expertise – your listing needs to express what specialties are really your specialties and explain thoroughly why you are an expert in them.
- Call to Action – toward the end of your listing (or at multiple points) your listing should directly ask potential clients to take an action such as visiting your website, scheduling an appointment, or contacting you.
- Visual Elements – Secondary to the content but almost as important is how you are representing yourself visually. Ideally, your listing should include recent, high-quality photos and videos.
Final Verdict
“When it comes to free therapist directories, ChoosingTherapy.com is an excellent choice for most therapists. It’s user-friendly, provides free visibility in search results right away, and offers opportunities for PR and publication through its parent site. For those open to an optional monthly fee, TherapyDen is a standout option with its affordable, pay-what-you-can premium features—perfect for small or growing practices.
For therapists with specific needs, other directories may be worth exploring. Best Therapists is ideal for private-pay therapists looking to connect with cash-pay clients through a vetted, quality-focused platform. Local practices seeking to boost visibility may benefit from search engine or local listing profiles.
If you’re curious about paid directories with more features and greater client reach, check out my guide to the best therapist directories. Or, if you’re looking to offer in-network services, read my roundup of the best insurance credentialing options for therapists.”
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do Therapist Directories Work?
Therapist directories allow you to list yourself or your practice to a public search tool that allows potential clients to sort and find the therapists in their area. Directories usually charge a monthly fee to maintain their profile. Clients find your profile and contact you for scheduling, or schedule directly, depending on how the platform is designed.
Is a Therapist Directory Listing Worth It?
Whether a therapist directory listing is worth it to you and your practice is entirely dependent on a wide range of factors including your practice’s current dynamic, its financial situation, your goals, and where you are located. Most important, perhaps, is your therapeutic niche. Generalists will have an easier time being listed but will have a lot of competition to overcome, whereas practitioners with a defined niche will appear to clients much more readily.
ChoosingTherapy.com strives to provide our readers with mental health content that is accurate and actionable. We have high standards for what can be cited within our articles. Acceptable sources include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, and other high-integrity sources of mental health journalism. Learn more by reviewing our full editorial policy.
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Church, M. (2024). TherapyDen Review: Cost, Pros & Cons, & Is It Right for Your Practice? Retrieved from: https://www.choosingtherapy.com/therapyden-review/
We regularly update the articles on ChoosingTherapy.com to ensure we continue to reflect scientific consensus on the topics we cover, to incorporate new research into our articles, and to better answer our audience’s questions. When our content undergoes a significant revision, we summarize the changes that were made and the date on which they occurred. We also record the authors and medical reviewers who contributed to previous versions of the article. Read more about our editorial policies here.
Author: Melissa Boudin, PsyD (New author)
Medical Reviewer: Kristen Fuller, M.D. (New medical reviewer)
Primary Changes: Complete rewrite of article. Fact-checked all information and reconsidered/made changes to the recommendations list based on research and product testing. Updated where necessary to improve factual accuracy and readability. Companies removed from list:Bing Places for Business, Yahoo Local, Facebook, LinkedIn, Yelp, and Craigslist. Companies added to list: Best Therapists.
Author: Matthew Church, M.S. (New author)
Medical Reviewer: Melissa Boudin, PsyD (New medical reviewer)
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