Therapy practice name checker
You have a name you love, maybe scribbled in a notes app at midnight. Before you order cards or file your PLLC, check the four things that make people rename a practice later: someone in your state already registered it, the .com is gone, your board's advertising rules don't allow a word in it, or it lands differently with clients than you hoped. Type it in and you'll see all four in about 10 seconds.
What makes a good therapy practice name
The best practice names are easy to say on a phone call, easy to spell into a search bar, and tell people what you do. Most solo practices land in one of three styles:
- Your own name ("Jane Doe Counseling"): simple, always yours, and what referral partners search for. Harder to grow into a group practice later.
- A place or nature name ("Bluebonnet Counseling," "Barton Creek Therapy"): memorable and warm. Check that a nearby practice isn't already using the same landmark.
- A feeling or idea ("Steady Ground Therapy"): says how sessions feel. Make sure it doesn't promise a result your board would call misleading.
Before you fall in love with one, say it out loud as you would answer the phone, then spell it for someone. If you have to explain the spelling twice, clients will too. Then run the checks above, and search Google and Psychology Today for therapists near you with a similar name.
Naming rules by board
Your practice name shows up on your website, your cards, and your directory profiles, so boards treat it as advertising. The common rules: don't use a title you don't hold (like "psychologist" or "psychology" unless you're licensed as one), don't suggest a group or a specialty you don't have ("Center," "Institute," "Specialists"), and don't promise results. A few examples from the rules we track:
| Board | What it says | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Texas, LPC | Every ad, including letterhead, cards, and your website, must show your licensure status, like "Licensed Professional Counselor" or "LPC." Ads can't be misleading or confuse people about your credentials. | 22 TAC 681.49 |
| California, LMFT | Ads must show your name as filed with the board, your license number, and your title (LMFT or MFT). Nothing false or misleading. | 16 CCR 1811; BPC 651 |
| Florida, LMHC | "Mental health counselor" and "mental health therapist" are protected titles. The statute also bars advertising or practicing under a name other than your own, so ask the board before using a trade name. | s. 491.009(1)(e) and 491.012, F.S. |
| New York, LCSW | No false or misleading ads. If you use "Doctor," also name the field of your doctorate. | 8 NYCRR 29.1, 29.2 |
| Ontario, RP | Use "Registered Psychotherapist" or "RP" and the name on the public register. No "Dr." when offering psychotherapy, and no superlatives or claims to be unique. | CRPO Standards 1.2, 6.2 |
Every state's board, advertising rules, and sources are on private practice rules by state. Rules change, so read your board's current text before you print anything.
DBA vs. entity name
Your entity name is the legal name of your PLLC, LLC, or professional corporation, like "Jane Doe Counseling, PLLC." Your practice name is what clients see. If they're different, most states require you to register the practice name as an assumed name or fictitious name, often called a DBA ("doing business as"). Your bank, insurance panels, and NPI record will ask for both.
| Where | What you file |
|---|---|
| Texas | Assumed name certificate. An LLC or PLLC files it with the Secretary of State; a sole proprietor files with the county clerk. |
| California | Fictitious business name statement, filed with the county clerk where the practice is. California doesn't allow LLCs for licensed therapists, so practices usually form a professional corporation. |
| New York | Certificate of assumed name (General Business Law section 130): a PLLC or corporation files with the Department of State, a sole proprietor with the county clerk. |
| Florida | Fictitious name registration with the Division of Corporations (Sunbiz). |
| Ontario | Register the business name with the Ontario Business Registry if you practice under any name other than your own. It renews every 5 years. |
Not sure you need an entity at all? See do therapists need a PLLC or LLC? Once the name is settled, logos and branding for therapists covers the look.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if a therapy practice name is taken?
Check four places: your state's business name search (the Secretary of State, or in Texas the Comptroller's free search), the .com web address, the USPTO trademark search (or the Canadian Trademarks Database in Canada), and a plain Google and Psychology Today search for therapists near you with the same or a similar name. This checker runs the first two for you where the state publishes its records, and links to the rest.
Can I use "psychology" in my practice name if I'm not a psychologist?
Usually not. "Psychologist" is a protected title in every state, and many boards treat "psychology" or "psychological" in a business name as claiming that title. If you're an LPC, LMFT, or LCSW, choose words like counseling, therapy, or wellness instead, and confirm with your board.
Do I need a DBA if my practice name is different from my PLLC's name?
In most states, yes. If you see clients as "Bluebonnet Counseling" but your entity is "Jane Doe, PLLC," you file an assumed name or fictitious name with the state or county. Texas entities file an assumed name certificate with the Secretary of State, California uses a fictitious business name statement with the county clerk, and Florida registers fictitious names with the Division of Corporations.
Does registering my business name give me a trademark?
No. Forming a PLLC or filing a DBA only means your state accepted the name for its records. It doesn't give you the right to stop someone else from using it, and it doesn't mean the name is free of someone else's trademark. A trademark search, and an attorney if you plan to grow, is the way to check that.
Should my practice name include my own name?
It can. Your own name is simple, always yours, and easy for referral partners to find. A place or nature name (like a local tree, river, or street) is easier to remember and to grow into a group later. Some boards limit practicing under a name other than your own, so check yours either way.
What if the .com for my practice name is taken?
Try a close version: add your city, "therapy," or "counseling" (like bluebonnetcounselingaustin.com). Avoid hyphens and odd spellings that are hard to say on the phone. If a therapist near you already uses the name, choose a different name, not just a different ending.
Does this name checker work in Canada?
Yes, for provinces: it checks the .com and .ca, reads your regulator's advertising rules where we have them (like the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario), and links to your province's business name registry, which you search yourself.
Is this legal advice?
No. It's business education, using public records and each board's published rules. Confirm with your state or province and your board before you file, and talk with an attorney before you rely on a name for trademark purposes.
Business education, not legal advice. Results come from public records and published board rules at the time you check; they can be incomplete or out of date. Confirm with your state or province and your board before you file, and with a trademark attorney before you rely on a name. This tool never clears a trademark.