How to start a private practice in Texas

Show "LPC" or "Licensed Professional Counselor" on every ad, your website, business cards and bills.

• Or say you're "licensed by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council."
• LPC Associates: write "LPC Associate" and your supervisor's name.
• You don't need your license number.

22 TAC 681.49(g)–(h)

Keep ads accurate and don't promise results.

• No comparisons with other professionals you can't prove.
• Testimonials are allowed only with disclaimers about the person's credentials.
• Don't say copays can be waived or that insurance pays in full when there's a copay.
• You're responsible for ads others write for you.

Not yet confirmed: No rule mentions the word "specialist." Check with the board before using it.

22 TAC 681.49(a)–(e)

State your license status clearly with an approved title, such as LMFT or LMFT Supervisor.

• LMFT Associates must follow their name with "supervised by" and the supervisor's name on marketing, billing, forms, websites and intake documents.
• Use only your highest academic degree, or name the subject of other degrees.

Not yet confirmed: We found no license number requirement. Check with the board.

22 TAC 801.53(a), (d), 801.43(c)

Keep ads accurate, and don't create unjustified expectations about results.

• No false, misleading, deceptive, incomplete, out-of-context or unverifiable ads.
• Comparisons with other professionals must be backed by facts.
• Testimonials must not be false or misleading and must carry disclaimers about the speaker's credentials.
• Don't claim deductibles or copays are waived when they apply. You're responsible for ads written by anyone you hire.

Not yet confirmed: A "specialist" rule and a flat ban on guarantees aren't named. The unjustified-expectations rule is the closest. Check with the board.

22 TAC 801.53

Clearly state your licensure designation, such as LCSW, and any specialty recognition you hold in ads, websites, social media and directory listings.

Not yet confirmed: We found no license number requirement in 781.316. Check with the board.

22 TAC 781.316

Keep ads accurate, and don't make exaggerated or unsubstantiated claims about how well a service works.

• No deceptive, inaccurate, incomplete, out-of-date or out-of-context information about services or competence.
• Don't reference non-social-work certifications in a way meant to mislead.
• You're responsible for what anyone you hire says in your ads.

Not yet confirmed: Testimonials, "specialist" and guarantees aren't addressed by name. Check with the board.

22 TAC 781.316 and 781.306

Call yourself a "Licensed Psychologist" in your ads and on your website.

• Only licensees may use "psychologist" when practicing psychology.

Not yet confirmed: Whether your license number must appear in ads isn't in the rule. Check with the board.

22 TAC 465.6(b)

Keep ads accurate, and don't ask current clients for testimonials.

• No uninvited in-person solicitation.
• Use a specialty title only if you meet one of the five criteria in the rule (for example, a doctorate or 2-year fellowship in that specialty).
• Say "Board Certified" only with the full name of the certifying board.
• Using a business name? Follow the assumed-name rules (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code Ch. 71).

Not yet confirmed: A separate ban on guaranteeing results isn't spelled out. Avoid promising outcomes.

22 TAC 465.6

Get signed informed consent before you start.

• Fees and payment, and your goals and techniques.
• Limits of confidentiality, and any limits on your license.
• Your supervisor's name and contact details, if you're supervised.
• The Council's name, address and phone number for complaints.
• Your plan for client records if you die, become unable to practice, or close your practice.

22 TAC 681.35

Keep records at least 7 years after your last session with a client.

• For a minor: until 5 years after they turn 18, if that's longer.
• Include signed consent, intake, dates, treatment methods, progress notes, treatment plan and billing.
• For a minor with a custody order: get it, read it and keep it in the record before you start.

22 TAC 681.36

Put the Council's name, address and phone number in your informed consent.

• That's the placement this rule requires.

Not yet confirmed: BHEC's general rule (22 TAC 884.31) may also ask for a notice on your website, a sign or bills. Check it.

22 TAC 681.35(a)(7)

Before services, put the important parts of the relationship in writing and get appropriate consent.

• Include your status (LMFT or LMFT Associate), any probation or Council restrictions, office procedures, after-hours coverage, fees and payment arrangements.
• Explain in writing that client disclosures and records are confidential, and the legal limits of that.
• For a minor under a custody order, get and review the current order first and keep it in the record.
• Don't bill for services not agreed to in writing.

22 TAC 801.44

Keep records at least 7 years after services end, or 5 years after the client reaches the age of majority, whichever is longer.

• Records created while employed by a school or government agency are exempt from this rule.
• Show service dates and types, progress or case notes, and billing information.
• Dispose of records in a way that protects confidentiality.

22 TAC 801.48

Tell the public they can file a complaint with the Behavioral Health Executive Council.

• Use at least one: your intake paperwork or written service contract (before services begin), a sign at least 8.5 by 11 inches in your office, a prominent spot on your website, or your bills.
• Give the Council's name, mailing address and phone number, plus its complaint statement.

Not yet confirmed: The exact wording is in the rule's graphic, and a 2026 amendment may be coming. Confirm the current wording on the BHEC site before publishing.

22 TAC 884.31

Before services, give the client written information about the professional relationship.

• Include office procedures, after-hours coverage, services provided, fees and payment arrangements.
• Releasing information needs a signed, dated written consent, reviewed at least every 12 months.

Not yet confirmed: We found no separate informed consent rule or required confidentiality-limits statement in 781.304. Check with the board.

22 TAC 781.304(a) and 781.311

Keep records 7 years after services end for adults.

• For a minor: until 5 years after they turn 18. Use whichever period is longer.
• Records must show service dates and types, progress or case notes, intake assessment and treatment plan, and billing information.

22 TAC 781.309

Tell clients they can file a complaint with the Behavioral Health Executive Council.

• Use at least one: your intake paperwork or written service contract (before services begin), a sign of at least 8.5 by 11 inches in your office, a prominent spot on your website, or your bills.
• Include the Council's name, mailing address and phone number, plus its complaint statement.

Not yet confirmed: The exact wording is in the rule's graphic, and a 2026 amendment may be coming. Copy the current wording from BHEC before publishing.

22 TAC 884.31

Get written informed consent before you start, in words your client understands.

• What services you'll provide, and tell them about changes.
• Confidentiality and its limits.
• For couples, families and groups: each person's role, confidentiality, and who sees the records.
• When a third party is involved: everyone's role and how your work will be used.

22 TAC 465.11 and 465.12(b)

Keep records at least 7 years after your last session with a client.

• For a minor: until 5 years after they turn 18, if that's longer.
• This includes test data.
• Other laws (insurers, HIPAA) may require longer.

22 TAC 465.22(d)

Tell clients they can file a complaint with the Behavioral Health Executive Council.

• Use at least one: your intake paperwork, a sign in your office (8.5 by 11 inches or larger), your website, or your bills.
• Include the Council's name, mailing address and phone number, plus its complaint statement.

Not yet confirmed: The exact wording is in the rule's image, and an update may be coming in 2026. Copy the current wording from BHEC.

22 TAC 884.31