We build therapist websites, so we have an interest in how these rules are read. This guide quotes each rule, cites where we read it, and says so where the text is silent.
Who do the Texas rules cover?
Four professions answer to the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council (BHEC), each with its own chapter of rules: professional counselors (22 TAC chapter 6811), marriage and family therapists (chapter 8012), social workers (chapter 7813) and psychologists (chapter 4654). This guide covers all four. It leaves out psychological associates and school psychology specialists, whose rules we did not review.
State law limits what the Council may regulate in advertising. Occupations Code section 507.155(a) says it “may not adopt rules restricting advertising or competitive bidding by a person regulated by the executive council except to prohibit false, misleading, or deceptive practices.”4 The rules below are about titles and honest wording, and the only placement requirements are for the complaint notice and the records and complaint instructions covered below. California’s rule goes further, as our California guide explains.
What must my license title say on a Texas website?
Counselors, marriage and family therapists and social workers must show their license status in advertising, each in the board’s own words. We found no wording rule for psychologists, only title protection.
| If you are | What your advertising must show | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| LPC | Your “licensure status by the use of a title such as ‘Licensed Counselor’, or ‘Licensed Professional Counselor’, or ‘LPC’”, or a statement that you are licensed by the Council, with reference to the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors | 22 TAC §681.49(g)1 |
| LPC Associate | “LPC Associate,” with your name followed by your supervisor’s name | §681.49(h), §681.911 |
| LMFT or LMFT Associate | License status through a title such as “Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist,” “LMFT,” “LMFT Associate” or “LMFT-S” | §801.53(d)2 |
| LCSW, LMSW or LBSW | Your “licensure designation” on website pages, and your license title or initials “in all professional uses” of your name, plus the initials of any specialty recognition, such as LMSW-IPR | §781.316(c), §781.4143 |
| Licensed psychologist | We found no prescribed wording. “Licensed Psychologist” and “Psychologist” may be used only by someone licensed by the Council, and a specialty title needs one of the qualifications the rule lists | §465.6(b)4 |
Of the title rules, only the social work rule names websites. It defines advertising to include “website entries, email, cell phone communications, social media communications,” and says its title requirement covers “website pages.”3 The counselor and marriage and family therapist rules say the Council imposes “no restrictions on advertising by a licensee with regard to the use of any medium.”1, 2 We read that to reach a website, and a social media bio the same way.
Two Texas details catch websites. A counselor may use “art therapist” or “AT” only with the art therapy specialty designation (§681.49(i)).1 Degrees have their own rule: an LPC may advertise “the highest academic degree in counseling or a counseling-related field,” plus other degrees if the subject is named (§681.49(d), (e)), and an LMFT follows the same pattern (§801.53(a)).1, 2
What must an Associate add to the website?
An LPC Associate or LMFT Associate must name the supervisor wherever the Associate’s name appears, and the rules say websites are included. The counselor rule, §681.91(m), says the Associate’s name “must be followed by a statement such as ‘supervised by (name of supervisor)’ or a statement of similar effect, together with the name of the supervisor,” and that the disclosure “must appear on all marketing materials, billing documents, and practice related forms and documents where the LPC Associate’s name appears, including websites and intake documents.”1
The marriage and family therapist rule is the same in substance (§801.43(c)(2)): an LMFT Associate “must not represent themselves as an independent practitioner,” and the supervisor disclosure covers “websites and intake documents.”2
The rules say where the Associate’s name appears, not where on the page the line goes. Our reading: put the supervisor line next to your name each time it appears, as a heading, byline or bio, rather than on one page only. The line has to name your current supervisor, so a change of supervisor means an edit to every page that carries it. See also our guide on what an associate or pre-licensed therapist’s website must say about supervision.
Associates in other professions face related limits. An LPC Associate “shall not engage in independent practice” (§681.91(d)), and a Licensed Master Social Worker who plans to apply for the LCSW “may not own or operate a private practice to provide clinical social work to clients” (§781.407(a)).1, 3
Three of these rules may change soon. On August 7, 2026 the Texas Register published proposed amendments5 to §681.91, §801.53 and §884.31. The §681.91 proposal would let an Associate “own and operate a private practice while under supervision” and would move the website sentence to paragraph (o) without changing its words. The §801.53 proposal would add “whether presented in print, radio, digitally, or online” to the definition of advertising. The §884.31 proposal would rewrite the complaint notice rule described below, and its explanation says it aligns the rule with House Bill 4224. The counselor board’s October 2 agenda6 lists the §681.91 changes as up for adoption and says the next Council meeting is October 27. On October 23, BHEC’s list of recently adopted rules7 showed none of the three. This guide follows the current text and states no outcome, so check that list before you rely on a paragraph letter or the notice wording.
Do I need a license number on my website?
We found no Texas advertising rule that requires one. Two other rules mention a license number or the license itself, and neither is written for a website:
- Section 882.30(a) says a licensee “must display an official copy of the holder’s license in a prominent place in the office, building, complex, or facility where services are delivered.” Psychologists and social workers (Occupations Code chapters 501 and 505) may instead give a client “written notification of the holder’s license number accompanied by instructions for verification of same.”1
- Section 801.44(o) tells a marriage and family therapist who “engages in technology-assisted services” to “provide the client with the licensee’s license number and information on how to contact the council by telephone, electronic communication, or mail.”2
Neither says a website counts as your office or as the way to reach a client, so a telehealth-only practice should ask BHEC. Putting your number on your site is our suggestion.
Do I need the Council’s complaint notice on my website?
Under the rule as it reads today, only if you choose the website as your method, though a separate Texas statute, covered next, asks for complaint instructions on a provider’s website anyway. Rule 884.31(a) says licensees “shall provide notice to the public” that complaints can be filed with the Council “by any of the following methods”: on intake paperwork, on a sign of at least 8½ by 11 inches in your place of business, “in a prominent and easily accessible location on the licensee’s website,” or in a bill for services.1 One method meets the rule. The notice “must include the Council’s name, mailing address, and telephone number” and a “NOTICE TO CLIENTS” statement set out in the rule. The block below has all of it.
The Council has proposed to change this rule, as described above. As proposed, §884.31(b) would read “Notice must be posted in a prominent and easily accessible location on the licensee’s website” and “must also be provided on a sign prominently displayed in the licensee’s place of business,” with intake paperwork or a bill as the options only for a licensee who has “neither a physical location nor website.” The proposed notice would also say how to request a copy of mental health records and how to file a consumer complaint with the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.5 Because the website is where the statute below points as well, we suggest posting the notice there whatever the Council adopts.
Does Texas require records and complaint instructions on my website?
Yes for most therapists who keep client records, in our reading. Health and Safety Code §181.105, in effect since September 1, 2025, says “a covered entity shall prominently post on the entity’s Internet website and at any entity facility detailed instructions for a consumer to” request the consumer’s health care records from the entity, “contact the disciplinary or licensing authority for the covered entity” and “file a consumer complaint as described by Section 181.103.”9
The chapter has its own definition of “covered entity,” separate from the HIPAA definition (compare §181.004(a) and (b)), and it includes a “health care provider” (§181.001(b)(2)). We read that to reach a therapist who keeps client records, whether or not HIPAA covers your practice. The section does not apply to a covered entity that does claims processing, billing or similar work for another covered entity that treats clients directly (§181.105(b)). The statute sets no wording and no layout beyond “prominently.” Section 181.103 describes the attorney general’s consumer information website, which lists the state agencies that regulate covered entities and how each handles complaints.9
The Council’s own rules point the same way. A counselor “must comply with Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapters 181 and 611, concerning access to mental health records and confidential information” (§681.45(c)), and marriage and family therapists have a similar rule (§801.48(c)).1, 2 A violation of chapter 181 by a covered entity licensed by a state agency “is subject to investigation and disciplinary proceedings” by that agency (§181.202).9 Our layout for the three items is in the block at the end of this guide. If you are not sure the section applies to you, ask BHEC or a Texas health-privacy attorney.
Does Texas privacy law change what my website must say?
Two Texas privacy laws can reach a therapist’s site. Neither supplies wording for a disclosure, and whether either applies to you depends on facts about your practice.
The Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (Business and Commerce Code chapter 5418) applies only to a person that “conducts business in this state or produces a product or service consumed by residents of this state,” processes or sells personal data, and “is not a small business as defined by the United States Small Business Administration” (§541.002(a)). It does not apply to “a covered entity or business associate governed by” the HIPAA privacy, security and breach notification rules (§541.002(b)(3)), and it exempts “protected health information” under HIPAA and “health records” (§541.003(1), (2)). A small business may still not sell sensitive data without the consumer’s prior consent (§541.107(a)). Only the attorney general can enforce the Act, after a 30-day chance to cure, with a civil penalty of up to $7,500 per violation (§§541.151, 541.154, 541.155). Our guide on analytics and HIPAA covers tracking tools on a therapy site.
The second is the Texas Medical Records Privacy Act, the chapter that holds the section above (Health and Safety Code chapter 181, often called HB 3009). Its “covered entity” includes a “health care provider” and a “person who maintains an Internet site.” Under §181.154(a), a covered entity “shall provide notice to an individual for whom the covered entity creates or receives protected health information if the individual’s protected health information is subject to electronic disclosure,” and it may give “general notice” by “posting a notice on the covered entity’s Internet website.” The statute sets no wording. Civil penalties are capped at $5,000 per negligent violation, $25,000 per knowing or intentional one and $250,000 where the information was knowingly or intentionally used for financial gain (§181.201(b)). A Texas health-privacy attorney can tell you whether your billing and telehealth tools make the notice necessary.
Who is responsible for the words on my site?
You are, including words someone else wrote. Section 681.49(c) says “a licensee who retains or hires others to advertise or promote the licensee’s practice remains responsible for the statements and representations,” and the social work and marriage and family therapist rules say the same.1, 2, 3 If a vendor writes your pages, our SEO guide has sections on what board advertising rules add to every page and on hiring help.
The standard for the words themselves is in §882.31, which applies to all four professions. Licensees “may not authorize, use, or make any public statements or advertisements that are false, deceptive, misleading or fraudulent,” whether through what they state, suggest or omit, about their “training, experience, supervision status, abilities or competence” and about their degrees, credentials, affiliations, publications and research.1 Testimonials get their own lines. Counselors and marriage and family therapists are told that advertising is misleading if it “contains a testimonial that includes false, deceptive, or misleading statements, or fails to include disclaimers or warnings as to the credentials of the person making the testimonial” (§681.49(b)(4), §801.53(b)(4)). Psychologists are told that licensees “do not solicit testimonials from current clients or patients” (§465.6(a)(1)).1, 2, 4 Our testimonials guide covers the national ethics codes.
What happens if my website doesn’t comply?
The Council’s schedule of sanctions for counselors (§681.203, §681.205) rates a violation of the advertising rules in §681.49(a), (d), (e), (g) and (h) at Level Five, a reprimand, which the rules describe as “inadvertent or relatively minor misconduct and/or rule violations.”1
A penalty can come on top. Counselors “may be subject to an administrative penalty of up to $5,000 per violation, per day of occurrence, and/or be required to refund all or a portion of the fees received” (§681.203(b)). The statute sets the same ceiling for everyone the Council regulates: a penalty “may not exceed $5,000 for each violation,” and “each day a violation continues or occurs is a separate violation” (Occupations Code §507.352(a)).1 Section 801.302(5) repeats the $5,000 figure for marriage and family therapists.2 For psychologists, Occupations Code §501.408 adds that the Council “may order corrective advertising if a psychologist, individually or under an assumed name, engages in false, misleading, or deceptive advertising.”4
What does a compliant Texas block look like?
Replace the brackets with your own details. These are our layouts of what the rules require, not wording the Council supplies.
LPC
[Your full name], LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
To use the statement the rule offers instead of a title, write “Licensed by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors.”
LPC Associate
[Your full name], LPC Associate
Supervised by [Supervisor’s full name], LPC-S
LMFT Associate
[Your full name], LMFT Associate
Supervised by [Supervisor’s full name], LMFT-S
Social worker
[Your full name], LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
If you hold a specialty recognition, add its initials, as in “[Your full name], LMSW-IPR.”
Complaint notice, from 22 TAC §884.31
NOTICE TO CLIENTS
The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council investigates and prosecutes professional misconduct committed by marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, psychologists, psychological associates, social workers, and licensed specialists in school psychology.
Although not every complaint against or dispute with a licensee involves professional misconduct, the Executive Council will provide you with information about how to file a complaint.
Please call 1-800-821-3205 for more information.
Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, 1801 Congress Ave., Ste. 7.300, Austin, Texas 78701. Telephone (512) 305-7700.
Everything above the last line is the rule’s own text. The last line is the Council’s name, address and number from its complaint page;10 confirm it there before you paste, because the rule asks for a mailing address.
Records and complaint instructions, our layout for Health and Safety Code §181.105
How to request your records: [Say how a client asks you for records, such as a written request by email or mail.]
How to contact my licensing authority: Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, 1801 Congress Ave., Ste. 7.300, Austin, Texas 78701. Telephone (512) 305-7700.
How to file a consumer complaint: Contact the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the Texas Attorney General.
The statute supplies no wording, so this layout is ours. Fill in the first line from how you handle record requests, and confirm the Council’s details on its complaint page before you paste.
We build the block from the license details you give us and ask you to confirm them before launch. Every design we do includes license details placed to meet your state board’s advertising rules, and our terms say you stay responsible for the site as an advertisement under your board’s rules. See how we build practice websites.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. The Council’s proposals above may be final by the time you read this. For your own site, ask BHEC, your professional association’s legal or ethics line, or a Texas attorney.
Questions therapists also ask
Can I leave my supervisor’s name off if the website is my own practice?
No. The rule covers any website where an LPC Associate’s or LMFT Associate’s name appears, whoever owns the practice. The proposed change to §681.91(d) would let an Associate own a practice while under supervision, and it keeps the disclosure sentence as it is.5, 6
Do Texas psychologists have to put “Licensed Psychologist” on a website?
We found no prescribed wording in chapter 465, but it reserves “Licensed Psychologist” and “Psychologist” for people licensed by the Council. A psychologist who practices under an assumed name or through a legal entity must also follow the Assumed Business and Professional Name Act and section 5.060 of the Business Organizations Code (§465.6(c)).4
Can an LPC-S show the supervisor title?
Yes. Section 681.49(j) says a counselor who is a Council-approved supervisor “may use the designation ‘LPC-S’ when advertising their supervisory status.” It is optional, and it does not replace the license status line.1
Where to start
Check one thing first: does every page that carries your name also carry your license status, and, if you are an Associate, your supervisor’s name? Then put the Council’s complaint notice and your records and complaint instructions on your website. Other states word these rules differently, and our state-by-state guide lists them. When you want the block built and kept current, find the plan that fits your practice.
If you want a site built and kept for you, see website design for therapists.