> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.opentherapy.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Reviews and advertising rules

> Why reviews on Open Therapy can't discuss treatment, how screening works, and what you can and can't do about a review.

## Why reviews here look different

Section 133 of the *Health Practitioner Regulation National Law* prohibits using testimonials to advertise a regulated health service. A client posting on their own social media is their business. A review Open Therapy publishes on your profile is **our advertising of your service** — and yours.

So the line we apply is: a review may describe the **service**, but not the **treatment**.

| Allowed                                                             | Not allowed                                               |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| Booking, waiting times, availability, punctuality, cancellations    | Any symptom, condition, diagnosis or reason for attending |
| Admin — invoices, fees, rebates, Medicare, NDIS, paperwork, reports | Any treatment, technique, medication or test result       |
| Premises, parking, accessibility, video quality                     | Any statement about outcome, progress or improvement      |
| Manner and communication                                            | Any clinical recommendation                               |
| Languages, appointment times, location                              | Any claim about clinical skill                            |

<Note>
  This cuts both ways: a review can't say therapy helped, and it can't say it didn't. Outcome claims
  are out regardless of whether they flatter you.
</Note>

## Screening

Every review is screened before it appears, in two stages. Nothing is published on a timeout, a failure or an unclear verdict — anything ambiguous goes to a person.

Three outcomes:

| Outcome       | What happens                                                              |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Approved**  | Published on your profile. The author is emailed.                         |
| **Rejected**  | Not published. The author is emailed the specific reason and can rewrite. |
| **Escalated** | Held for a person to read.                                                |

The reasons a review is held or rejected are recorded as one of: mentions a symptom, condition or diagnosis; describes treatment, technique or medication; describes a clinical outcome or improvement; recommends the practitioner for a clinical need.

Implication counts. *"I can finally sleep through the night"* is an outcome even though it names no diagnosis.

## What you can't do

<Warning>
  Therapists have **no moderation, reply or takedown control** over reviews. You can't remove one,
  respond publicly, or ask for one to be reconsidered because you disagree with it.
</Warning>

Screening is Open Therapy's responsibility and is applied identically for everyone. Leaving it with you would make it your advertising decision, which is exactly the thing the National Law is about.

## What you can do

* **Report a factual error or a breach.** If a published review names a diagnosis, describes treatment, or contains something that shouldn't have cleared screening, write to [governance@opentherapy.app](mailto:governance@opentherapy.app). Getting a review published in breach is our problem to fix, not yours to absorb.
* **Raise a conduct concern.** If a review is abusive or identifies a third party, same address.

## Don't solicit reviews

<Warning>
  Asking clients for testimonials about your clinical care can itself breach s133 advertising
  requirements, independently of anything Open Therapy publishes. Don't ask clients to review your
  treatment, and don't offer anything in exchange for a review.
</Warning>

Reviews on Open Therapy are also constrained mechanically: one per client per therapist, and editing replaces the original rather than adding a second.

## Your rating

Your star rating and review count come from approved reviews and are maintained automatically. They're a sort option in the directory — **Highest rated** — alongside soonest available and lowest price.

## Further reading

Ahpra publishes guidance on advertising a regulated health service, including the testimonial prohibition. Read it at [ahpra.gov.au](https://www.ahpra.gov.au) — it applies to your own website and social media as well as your Open Therapy profile.