How to name a therapy practice in Ontario: the rules, and the name patients remember
The direct answer
Registered psychotherapists in Ontario may name their practice whether they are self employed, in a partnership or in a professional corporation. CRPO treats the name as advertising under Standard 6.2, so it must make no false or misleading claim, and any specific detail it contains, such as a location or a practitioner's name, must be factual and verifiable. CRPO gives "Best Therapy Services" and "Guaranteed Results Psychotherapy Clinic" as examples of names to avoid. Restricted professional titles require the appropriate professional entitlement and registration category; CRPO registration alone does not authorise psychologist or psychological associate. A professional corporation's legal name must include "Professional Corporation", the profession and a shareholder's surname, and invoices must show the registrant's name as it appears on the public register.
Five conclusions
The argument, compressed.
- CRPO treats the practice name as advertising, so Standard 6.2 applies to it.
- Every specific detail in the name must be factual and verifiable: a neighbourhood you practise in, associates you actually have.
- "Psychologist" and "psychological associate" are restricted titles in Ontario.
- A professional corporation's legal name needs "Professional Corporation", the profession and a shareholder's surname, though the practice can trade under a different business name.
- Search the federal trademarks database before you commit. Provincial registration alone gives you no exclusive right to the name.
Working framework · 5 decisions
The practice name check
Run every shortlisted name through five tests, in this order. The first three are rules; the last two decide whether the name works as a brand.
Decision 01 / 05
Claim
Remove misleading or unverifiable claims and prohibited superlatives or result promises. Review the actual name in context rather than banning every quality-related word.
The rules a practice name has to meet
CRPO allows registrants to name their practice whether they are self employed, in a partnership or in a professional corporation. Because the College defines advertising to include business names, the name falls under Standard 6.2: it may make no false or misleading claim, and any specific information in it, such as a location or a practitioner's name, must be factual and verifiable.
CRPO gives conditional naming examples: a place-based name depends on the actual location, associates must exist, and a privately run practice must not imply municipal operation. Its examples warn against superlative and guaranteed-result names. None is a reusable approval for a different practice.
Restricted professional titles need the appropriate entitlement and registration category; check CPBAO's current guidance before using psychologist, psychological associate or behaviour analyst. A professional corporation's legal name must include Professional Corporation, the profession and shareholder surname requirements, while a separate registered business name may be used publicly. Registrant names also belong on invoices and client records as specified by CRPO.
The decision the rules leave open
City-plus-service names can be difficult to distinguish from nearby practices. Consider whether a referred client can remember and find yours, while checking that every location, team and service detail is factual. This pattern alone does not establish compliance.
The names that work as brands carry one distinct element a person can hold onto: a place that means something locally, a word with an image attached, a founder's name when the founder is the draw. That element is the part of the name a friend repeats, and it is the part that becomes a distinctive asset over time.
Describe the service beside the name. The hypothetical example Cedar Lane, couples and family therapy in Kingston separates a memorable name from a service description. It is an illustration, not a real client or an approved name; location, service, title and legal requirements still need checking.
The recall test
If a client can only remember your name as "the counselling place in the city", the referral goes to whoever ranks first for those words.
Protecting the name you choose
Provincial business-name registration is separate from trademark protection; it is not exclusive clearance. Before committing to a name, search similar spellings, trade names and prior use as well as the Canadian Trademarks Database. Confusion can cross Nice class boundaries, and unregistered prior use can create rights. Ask Canadian trademark counsel or a registered agent about the specific name and filing need. Processing estimates must be dated and distinguish examination from registration; do not budget around a universal three-year forecast.
Before you use it
Questions that can change the recommendation.
Can I use the word psychologist in my practice name in Ontario?
The title requires the appropriate professional entitlement and registration category. Being a registered psychotherapist does not by itself authorise psychologist or psychological associate; consult CPBAO's current title guidance for the relevant practitioner.
Does CRPO approve practice names?
CRPO sets the rules rather than approving names one by one. The name counts as advertising under Standard 6.2, so it must make no false or misleading claim and every specific detail in it must be factual and verifiable.
Can I call my practice "and Associates" before I hire anyone?
CRPO lists "M. Jones and Associates Psychotherapists" as inappropriate when no associates exist, because the name would be misleading. Add the words once the associates are real.
What must a professional corporation's name include?
The legal name must include the words "Professional Corporation", the health profession and one or more shareholder surnames. The practice can trade publicly under a separate registered business name.
Research record
What this guide draws from.
Each source note describes what the reference supports. Platform guidance, research findings and Branding Tatva's practical suggestions have different scopes.
- Naming your practice
College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario
Appropriate and inappropriate name examples, professional corporation naming.
- Standard 6.2: Advertising
College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario
- Standard 1.2: Use of terms, titles and designations
College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario
- For Employers, Insurers and Third Party Payers
College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario
Professional title entitlement and registration categories.
- Trademarks guide
Canadian Intellectual Property Office
Prior use, trade names, searches and professional advice.
- Trademarks Act, section 6
Department of Justice Canada
Confusion is not limited to the same Nice class.
