Practical and ethical strategies for psychologists in Portugal to increase practice visibility, attract new patients, and retain existing ones.

How to Attract More Patients to Your Psychology Practice

Attracting patients to a psychology practice is a challenge many professionals face, especially in the first years of clinical work. In Portugal, with more than 25,000 psychologists registered with the Portuguese Order of Psychologists (OPP — Ordem dos Psicologos Portugueses), competition is significant — but the demand for mental health services has also never been higher. In this comprehensive guide, we share practical, ethical, and proven strategies to increase the visibility of your practice and build a solid patient base.

1. The Current Landscape of Psychology Services Demand in Portugal

The psychology market in Portugal has undergone a profound transformation in recent years. According to OPP data, Portugal has approximately 25,000 registered psychologists, a number that has been growing consistently. However, demand for mental health services has also been increasing exponentially.

Several factors contribute to this growth:

Greater mental health awareness: Public campaigns and the gradual destigmatisation of therapy have led more Portuguese people to seek psychological support.
Post-pandemic impact: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated demand for mental health services across the country, with an estimated 25% to 30% increase in psychology consultations.
Limited access in the NHS: Long waiting lists in the National Health Service (Servico Nacional de Saude) push many patients towards the private sector.
Support programmes: Initiatives such as the psychology voucher (cheque-psicologo) and school mental health programmes have increased the profession's visibility.
Health insurance: Increasingly, insurers cover psychology consultations, facilitating access to private practice.

This context represents a significant opportunity for psychologists who know how to position themselves correctly in the market. The key is to be found by the patients who need your services — and that is exactly what this article will teach you.

2. Online Presence: Your Digital Shopfront

In 2026, the first thing a potential patient does when they need a psychologist is search on Google. If you do not have a solid online presence, you are invisible to most potential patients.

Professional Website

A website is your digital business card and must convey professionalism, trust, and competence. Here are the essential elements:

Clear homepage: Who you are, what you do, what approaches you use, and where you are located.
"About Me" page: Present your training, specialisations, experience, and your therapeutic approach. Patients want to know who they will be working with.
Detailed services: Describe the areas you work in (anxiety, depression, couples therapy, etc.) with individual pages for each one.
Practical information: Address, opening hours, prices (or price range), accepted insurance, and contact methods.
Contact form or booking: Make the first step easy. The simpler it is to book an appointment, the higher the conversion rate.
Blog: Educational content that demonstrates your expertise (more on this in section 4).
Testimonials: If regulations allow it and with explicit consent, anonymous testimonials can reinforce trust.

Technical tip: Make sure your website is responsive (adapts to mobile phones), loads quickly, and has an SSL certificate (https). More than 60% of searches are done on mobile devices.

Google My Business (Google Business Profile)

This is possibly the most important and most underrated step. A Google My Business profile allows you to appear in local searches and on Google Maps when someone searches for "psychologist near me" or "psychologist in Lisbon".

How to optimise your profile:

Fill in all fields: Name, address, phone, hours, website, service description.
Choose the correct categories: "Psychologist", "Psychotherapist", "Clinical Psychologist".
Add photographs: Of the practice, the building entrance, and a professional photo of yourself.
Post regular updates: Google favours active profiles. Share blog articles, new services, or special hours.
Reply to all reviews: Thank the positive ones and respond professionally to negative ones (always respecting confidentiality).
Ask for reviews: After a few sessions, politely ask satisfied patients to leave a Google review. Reviews are the number one factor in local ranking.

3. Visibility Platforms for Psychologists

Beyond your own website, there are platforms that function as directories and can significantly increase your visibility.

Doctoralia

Doctoralia is the largest health platform in Portugal and many patients use it to find psychologists. A well-completed profile can generate several bookings per month.

Fill your profile to 100% with all specialities and approaches.
Add a quality professional photo.
Include the insurance and agreements you accept.
Keep your schedule updated to allow online bookings.
Respond to patient reviews.

Professional Social Networks

LinkedIn: Ideal for networking with other health professionals, family doctors, and companies that may refer patients. Publish articles, share professional reflections, and connect with colleagues.
OPP networks: Participate in groups and events organised by the Portuguese Order of Psychologists. Professional networking is a constant source of referrals.

Specialised Directories

Register in national and regional psychologist directories.
Check if your local council (camara municipal) has a health services directory.
International platforms like Psychology Today also have a presence in Portugal.

4. Ethical Content Marketing for Psychologists

Content marketing is one of the most effective and ethical strategies for psychologists. Instead of "selling" your services, you educate the public and demonstrate your competence.

Website Blog

Writing regular articles on your website is a powerful strategy for several reasons:

SEO: Each article is an opportunity to appear on Google for relevant searches.
Authority: Demonstrates knowledge and competence in your area of specialisation.
Trust: Patients who read your articles before booking already arrive with an established trust relationship.

Article topics:

"How do I know if I need to see a psychologist?"
"What to expect from your first psychology consultation"
"Anxiety: warning signs and when to seek help"
"Differences between a psychologist, psychiatrist, and psychotherapist"
"How to cope with grief: a practical guide"

Recommended frequency: 2 to 4 articles per month, with at least 800 to 1,500 words each.

LinkedIn is an excellent platform for psychologists for several reasons:

High organic reach compared to other social networks.
Professional audience that values educational content.
Possibility to connect with decision-makers in companies (for organisational psychology consultations).
Sharing long-form articles directly on the platform.

What to post: Professional reflections, data and statistics about mental health, practical well-being tips, commentary on recent studies, professional experiences (without breaking confidentiality).

Instagram

Instagram may seem like an unlikely platform for psychologists, but it has proven extremely effective:

Educational carousels: Post slides with information about mental health topics. These formats have excellent reach and are widely shared.
Short reels: 30 to 60-second videos with practical tips or concept demystification.
Stories: Share the day-to-day of your practice (without compromising confidentiality), answer frequently asked questions, and create interactive polls.
Visual identity: Use consistent colours and typography to create a recognisable brand.

Note: Never share information that could identify patients. Always maintain the boundary between educational content and clinical practice.

5. Local SEO: Being Found on Google

Local SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the set of techniques that allows your website to appear in the top Google positions when someone searches for psychology services in your geographic area.

Strategic Keywords

Identify the most common searches by your potential patients and optimise your website for those keywords:

"Psychologist in [city]" (e.g., "psychologist in Lisbon", "psychologist in Porto")
"[Speciality] psychologist [city]" (e.g., "child psychologist in Coimbra")
"Psychology consultation [city]"
"Couples therapy [city]"
"Online psychologist Portugal"

On-Page Optimisation

Page titles (title tags): Include the city and speciality. E.g., "Psychologist in Lisbon | Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy | [Your Name]"
Meta descriptions: Write attractive descriptions of 150 to 160 characters that include the location.
Headers (H1, H2, H3): Structure content with headings that include relevant keywords.
Localised content: Create specific pages for each geographic area you serve.
Schema markup: Add structured data for "LocalBusiness" and "Physician" to help Google understand your business.

Off-Page Optimisation

Local backlinks: Seek mentions on local websites, regional newspapers, and local council directories.
Consistent citations: Ensure your name, address, and phone number (NAP) are identical across all platforms.
Partnerships with other health professionals: Link exchanges with family doctors, nutritionists, and other professionals can benefit both parties.

6. The Power of Word-of-Mouth and Professional Referrals

Despite all the potential of digital marketing, word-of-mouth continues to be the most powerful way to attract new patients. Studies indicate that more than 70% of patients choose a psychologist based on personal recommendations.

Building a Referral Network

Family doctors: They are often the first point of contact for people with mental health problems. Introduce yourself to family doctors in your area and explain your areas of specialisation.
Psychiatrists: Many psychiatrists refer patients for psychotherapeutic follow-up. Establish relationships with local psychiatrists.
Other psychologists: Colleagues who have waiting lists or who do not work in your area of specialisation can refer patients.
Schools and universities: If you work with children, adolescents, or young adults, introduce yourself to school psychology and guidance services.
Local businesses: Offer workshops on stress management, burnout, or communication to companies in your area.
Lawyers and family mediators: For couples therapy and expert assessments, this can be an important source of referrals.

Keeping Referrals Active

Send a thank-you email when you receive a referral.
Share useful articles or resources with your referral contacts.
Organise small informal meetings with professionals in your network.
Offer to give free training sessions or workshops.

7. Patient Portal: Retaining Your Existing Patients

Attracting new patients is important, but retaining existing ones is equally crucial — and significantly more cost-effective. A satisfied patient not only continues follow-up but recommends your services to family and friends.

A modern patient portal allows:

Online appointment booking: Patients can book, reschedule, or cancel sessions autonomously, 24 hours a day.
Secure communication: Encrypted messages between sessions for brief questions, sharing therapeutic exercises, and follow-up.
Questionnaires and scales: Send assessment questionnaires (PHQ-9, GAD-7, etc.) before sessions to optimise consultation time.
Psychoeducational materials: Share articles, videos, and resources relevant to each patient's therapeutic process.
Session history: Patients can view summaries of previous sessions and track their progress.

The patient experience outside of sessions is as important as within them. An intuitive and professional portal reinforces the perception of quality and care.

8. Efficient Schedule Management to Maximise Availability

A poorly managed schedule is one of the main reasons practices lose patients. Communication failures, forgotten appointments, and manual processes create unnecessary friction.

Intelligent schedule management with integrated billing allows:

Reduce no-shows: Automatic reminders via SMS and email reduce no-shows by up to 40%.
Optimise schedules: Identify the most sought-after time slots and adjust your availability to maximise occupancy.
Smart waiting list: When a patient cancels, the system can automatically notify patients on the waiting list.
Automatic billing: Receipts generated and sent automatically after each session, saving you administrative time.
Insurance management: Simplified processing of insurance-covered consultations.
Occupancy reports: Analyse occupancy rates, most and least popular time slots, and trends over time.

The time you save on administrative tasks can be reinvested in clinical care, training, or marketing — all activities that contribute to practice growth.

9. Marketing Ethics: Boundaries Defined by the OPP

Marketing for psychologists in Portugal is subject to specific ethical rules defined by the Code of Ethics of the Portuguese Order of Psychologists. It is fundamental to know and respect these boundaries.

What You Can Do

Inform about your services: Describe your training, specialisations, therapeutic approaches, and practice conditions.
Publish educational content: Articles, videos, and posts that educate the public about mental health.
Maintain a professional online presence: Website, profiles on professional platforms, and social networks.
Participate in interviews and media: Contribute as a specialist in media outlets.
Offer workshops and training: Psychoeducational activities for the public or for companies.

What You Should Avoid

Promising results: Never guarantee cures or specific outcomes. Psychotherapy is an individual process and results vary.
Non-consented testimonials: Any testimonial must be anonymous and have explicit, informed consent.
Comparisons with colleagues: Avoid any form of comparative or disparaging advertising of other professionals.
Sensationalist language: Avoid titles or descriptions that appeal to fear or are alarmist.
Public diagnoses: Never diagnose public figures or specific situations in media or on social networks.
Confidentiality breach: Even in educational content, never share details that could identify patients, even indirectly.
Misleading advertising: Do not exaggerate qualifications, experience, or results.

Ethical Best Practices

Always include your OPP professional membership number.
Clearly identify your training and specialisation.
Use accessible but rigorous language.
Clearly distinguish between educational information and clinical advice.
If in doubt about the appropriateness of a marketing action, consult the OPP Code of Ethics or contact the Order directly.

10. Metrics to Measure Practice Growth

What is not measured cannot be improved. To assess the effectiveness of your patient attraction strategies, regularly monitor these metrics:

Acquisition Metrics

New patients per month: How many new patients arrive at the practice monthly?
Referral source: How did each new patient find you? (Google, Doctoralia, colleague referral, word-of-mouth, social media)
Conversion rate: Of how many initial contacts, how many actually book and attend the first consultation?
Acquisition cost: If you invest in advertising, how much does it cost to acquire each new patient?

Retention Metrics

Continuity rate: What percentage of patients return after the first consultation?
Average follow-up duration: How many sessions does each patient have on average?
No-show rate: What percentage of booked consultations do not take place? (Ideally below 10%)
Cancellation rate: How many consultations are cancelled and with how much notice?

Financial Metrics

Monthly billing: Track the monthly evolution of billing.
Occupancy rate: What percentage of available time slots are actually occupied? (Ideally above 75%)
Revenue per hour: What is the average value you generate per hour of work (including administrative time)?
Revenue diversification: What percentage comes from individual consultations, couples, companies, workshops, etc.?

Digital Metrics

Website traffic: How many visits does your website receive per month?
Google ranking: For which keywords do you appear in the top positions?
Online reviews: How many reviews do you have and what is the average?
Social media engagement: Reach, interactions, and follower growth.

Practical tip: Create a simple spreadsheet or use your clinical management software to record these metrics monthly. Review the data quarterly and adjust your strategies accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should I invest in marketing for my practice?

There is no universal figure, but a general rule is to invest between 5% and 10% of monthly billing in marketing. For a practice in its start-up phase, this figure may be higher (up to 15%). Start with free strategies (Google My Business, social media content, networking) before investing in paid advertising.

Is it ethical to advertise as a psychologist in Portugal?

Yes, as long as you respect the OPP Code of Ethics. Informational advertising — which describes your services, training, and specialities — is permitted and even encouraged. What you should avoid is misleading advertising, promises of results, or any content that could compromise the dignity of the profession.

Should I offer online consultations to attract more patients?

Online consultations significantly expand your geographic reach. Many patients, especially in rural areas or with reduced mobility, prefer the online format. Offering both modalities (in-person and online) is a competitive advantage. Make sure you use a secure platform that meets data protection requirements (GDPR).

How long does it take to see results from marketing strategies?

SEO and content marketing are medium to long-term strategies — expect 3 to 6 months to see significant results. Google My Business and Doctoralia can generate faster results (1 to 3 months). Networking and professional referrals can yield immediate results but require continuous investment of time and relationships.

Do I need to hire a marketing professional?

For most psychologists at the start of their career, the strategies described in this article can be implemented independently. If your practice is growing and available time is limited, consider hiring a digital marketing professional specialising in healthcare. Make sure they understand the ethical restrictions of the profession.

How can I stand out in a market with so many psychologists?

Specialisation is the key. Instead of presenting yourself as a "general psychologist", specialise in a specific area (anxiety, trauma, couples therapy, child psychology, professional burnout, etc.) and become the reference in that area in your geographic zone. Patients prefer specialists when facing specific problems.

Are social networks really effective for psychologists?

Yes, when used strategically. Social networks allow you to demonstrate competence, humanise your practice, and reach potential patients who are not yet actively looking for a psychologist but recognise the need when consuming your content. Instagram and LinkedIn are the most effective platforms for mental health professionals in Portugal.

Conclusion

Attracting patients to your psychology practice is not a matter of luck — it is the result of a consistent, ethical, and multifaceted strategy. Start with the fundamentals: a complete Google My Business profile, a professional website, and a solid referral network. Then evolve to more sophisticated strategies like content marketing, local SEO, and social media presence.

Remember that sustainable practice growth is a gradual process. Do not try to implement all strategies at once. Choose two or three that make the most sense for your current situation and execute them consistently for at least three months before assessing results and adjusting course.

Above all, never lose sight of what matters most: the quality of the service you provide. No marketing strategy replaces clinical competence and the therapeutic relationship. Your best ambassadors will always be the patients you have helped to live a better life.

Invest in tools that allow you to focus on what truly matters — your patients. An integrated clinical management platform can free up hours per week that you would otherwise spend on administrative tasks, allowing you to dedicate that time to clinical care, ethical marketing, or simply your own well-being.

The success of your practice begins with a first step. Which of the strategies in this article will you implement this week?