This article is part of our Therapy Practice Marketing Guide: how clients find a therapist, how to market ethically and privately, and how to choose the right help. Want to know where your practice's site stands? Get a free 20–30 page website audit within 24 hours.
Your telehealth therapy website should say exactly which states you can see clients in, and why: a full license in each state, or an authorization under an interstate compact. Federal telehealth guidance tells providers to verify where the patient is located before each appointment, so a clear statement on your site saves both you and the client from a mismatch.
The rules depend on your license type. Psychologists have PSYPACT. Counselors have the Counseling Compact, which is now issuing privileges in a small number of states. Social workers have a compact that, as of October 2026, is not yet issuing multistate licenses. This guide summarizes each and shows how to word your website.
It is part of our Therapy Practice Marketing Guide. It is marketing guidance, not legal advice. Confirm your own eligibility with your licensing board.
Key Takeaways
- Licensing generally follows where the client is located during the session; HHS tells providers to verify patient location before each appointment.
- PSYPACT lets eligible psychologists practice telepsychology into other participating states with an APIT authorization.
- As of October 2026, the Counseling Compact lists 11 live states, and only counselors licensed and living in a live state can apply for privileges.
- The Social Work Licensure Compact's site says multistate licenses are not yet being issued.
- List your states plainly on every telehealth and specialty page, and update them when your licenses change.
The basic licensing rule
The federal government's telehealth site explains in Licensing across state lines that the ability to deliver care across state lines "varies based on state regulations." It lists the main routes:
- A full license in the other state.
- Temporary practice laws, which some states use for existing clients who are traveling, such as college students or seasonal residents.
- Licensure reciprocity, which some states offer to neighboring states.
- Joining a licensure compact.
- Telehealth registration, where a state offers it.
It also gives a direct tip: "Prior to an appointment, providers should verify patient location and obtain consent."
The ACA Code of Ethics, Standard H.1.b, puts it the same way for counselors: those who use distance counseling "may be subject to laws and regulations of both the counselor's practicing location and the client's place of residence," and should make clients aware of the legal limits of practicing across state lines.
So the question your website must answer is not "Do you offer telehealth?" It is "Can you see me where I am?"
PSYPACT for psychologists
The Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, known as PSYPACT, is an agreement among participating states. It offers two authorities:
- APIT (Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology) for telehealth.
- TAP (Temporary Authorization to Practice) for limited in-person work in another state.
PSYPACT's telepsychology page (checked 29 October 2026) lists the APIT requirements. You must:
- Hold an E.Passport issued by ASPPB.
- Meet the compact's education requirements; its rules define a graduate degree as a doctoral degree.
- Hold a full, unrestricted psychology license based on a doctoral degree in at least one participating state.
- Have no history of disciplinary action on any psychology license.
- Declare a PSYPACT "home state", and always be physically located in that state while providing telepsychology under the authorization.
The page says applications take three to four weeks to process after submission. It also says providers remain responsible for each PSYPACT state's laws and rules.
PSYPACT's home page shows states are still joining. Its news feed listed Alaska passing PSYPACT legislation on 25 June 2026 and Iowa on 1 July 2026. Participation changes, so check the official PSYPACT map before you list states on your site. Passing a law and being able to practice there are not always the same date.
The Counseling Compact
The Counseling Compact covers licensed professional counselors (titles vary by state: LPC, LMHC, LPCC and others). According to counselingcompact.gov (checked 29 October 2026):
- Eleven states are live: Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wyoming.
- Missouri went live on 19 October 2026.
- 29 more states and the District of Columbia are working toward participation, with no dates given.
- Right now, a counselor can apply for privileges in other live states only if they are licensed in and live in one of the live states.
- A privilege to practice is described as "equivalent to a license to practice counseling in another state."
- A privilege expires on the same date as the home state license. Renewing your home license does not automatically extend the privilege; you renew it separately.
- Recent graduates completing supervised hours are not eligible.
The site also says some states may need more time to complete all steps. So if your state has joined the compact but is not on the live list, you cannot yet use it.
The Social Work Licensure Compact
For social workers, the Social Work Licensure Compact site says the compact "has been enacted in at least seven states and has reached activation status, however multistate licenses are not yet being issued." It says implementation will take 12 to 24 months before multistate licenses can be issued.
Until that changes, an LCSW who wants to see clients in another state generally needs a license there or another route the state allows.
What your website should say
Make your licensing statement short, specific and easy to find. Put it on your telehealth page, your About page and each specialty page.
Good examples
- "I'm a licensed psychologist in California. I see clients by telehealth anywhere in California, and in other PSYPACT states through my APIT authorization. You must be located in one of these states during each session."
- "I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor in Ohio and offer telehealth to adults located in Ohio. I also hold a Counseling Compact privilege to practice in Indiana."
- "I'm licensed as an LCSW in New York and New Jersey. I can only see clients who are physically in one of those states at the time of the session."
Avoid
- "Telehealth available nationwide." Almost no individual therapist can say that accurately.
- "Licensed in all compact states." Compact authority depends on your eligibility, your home state and each state's live date.
- Listing a state where your license has lapsed.
Helpful extras
- A link to your board's license lookup and, if relevant, to the PSYPACT verification directory or the compact's own lookup.
- A line in your FAQ about travel: "If you'll be traveling during therapy, tell me in advance so we can check whether sessions are allowed from there."
- A short note on what happens in a crisis when the client is remote. See Crisis Resources on Therapy Websites.
Search and location pages for telehealth
Telehealth widens your market, but only to states where you can legally practice. Focus content there:
- Write one telehealth page per state you serve only if each has real, state-specific information (licensing, insurance, local resources). Otherwise keep one page listing all states.
- Avoid cloned state pages with the name swapped; Google's spam policies treat near-identical regional pages as doorway abuse.
- Keep your Google listings honest. A video-only practice is generally not eligible for a Google Business Profile. See Google Business Profile for Therapists.
For the privacy side of telehealth on your site, read What Therapists Need to Know About Website Privacy and Data Protection.
Next step
When your licensing statement is clear, the next step is a site that turns out-of-area visitors into booked sessions without privacy gaps. HIPAA-Compliant Contact Forms, Intake and Scheduling for Therapists covers the tools. To check how your current site presents your states, get a free 20–30 page website audit within 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Can I see a telehealth client who lives in another state?
It depends on where the client is located during the session and the routes that state allows: a full license, temporary practice, a compact authorization or telehealth registration. Check with the board in the client's state.
Which states are in the Counseling Compact right now?
As of 29 October 2026, counselingcompact.gov lists 11 live states: Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wyoming. Check the site for updates before you rely on it.
Can I use PSYPACT if I am a master's-level clinician?
No. PSYPACT is for psychologists. Its APIT page requires a full, unrestricted license based on a doctoral degree, and its rules define a graduate degree as a doctoral degree.
Can social workers practice across states with a compact yet?
As of October 2026, the Social Work Licensure Compact site says multistate licenses are not yet being issued. Social workers generally need a license in each state or another route that state allows.
Should my website say "telehealth nationwide"?
Almost never. List the specific states where you can see clients and explain that the client must be located there during sessions.
