5 questions about websites for therapists [2025 update]

If you're just starting out with your private practice, one of the very first things to consider is your website. Do you really need it? What should be on it? What CMS should you use? These (and two more) are vital questions that really affect both your website's and your private practice's performance! So, let's get them answered! Here's everything you need to know about therapy websites!

Question 1: Do I really need a website for therapist?

If you want to grow your counseling services - yes. In fact, all successful therapists have websites where they showcase their experience and services. Websites are not just necessary for your potential clients to get to know you and trust you (you want to establish this crucial emotional connection as quickly as possible, here a good domain name is essential); they are also mandatory when it comes to almost all marketing strategies out there.

If you want to resonate with your ideal client, you need to get their trust first. And to do so, you need to show the following elements:

• Who you are

• What kind of services you offer

• And why they should work with you and not your competition.

That's what websites are for when it comes to all mental health professionals.

Additionally, whether you are planning on doing Google Ads, Facebook Ads, or SEO (to be visible high in the search engine ranking), you need a website!

Plus, with a website that allows easy bookings, you can get new clients 24/7 and provide them with an easy and convenient way of reaching out to you.

Question 2: Who should design my therapist website?

In general, you have three options here:

• Do it yourself

• Hire a freelance web developer/designer

• Hire an agency

All those options have their pros and cons. If you design a website for your therapy practice yourself, you'll most likely spend quite some time doing that, but you'll save some money, too. If you hire an agency, you'll pay more, but you have access to more services, so you can also introduce marketing to your PP.

Basically, the decision depends on two questions:

• How much time do you have (to design and develop your own website, learn how to do so, etc.)?

• How much money do you have (can you afford to invest in a freelancer/company that will design your website for you?

Many therapists think that working with an agency is expensive, so they discard this option without checking the actual prices. That's true; agencies can be very expensive, but that doesn't mean that this is a bad option. You just need to look for an agency that's within your budget range.

Working with us on your new website comes with several important benefits:

• We understand your niche; we have a PP of our own so we speak your language.

• We look long-term at your website - we'll help you design and create a website that's ready for marketing and is more than just a digital business card.

• We offer marketing services as well, so that you can work with us to grow and scale your therapy business.
  

Question 3: What CMS should I pick?

That's a big decision; you will have to stick to your CMS for many months and perhaps even years. This abbreviation stands for content management system, and it's basically an online platform where you can design, edit, update, and publish your website online. It's an all-in-one management dashboard for your website.

When it comes to the most popular CMS platforms out there, you have the following options:

Not all of those CMS platforms are good for a therapist's website. For example, Shopify is strictly for e-commerce websites. If you want a standard website, your choice basically comprises:

• WordPress

• Wix

• Squarespace

The latter two are so-called no-code platforms, meaning you can design your website from scratch without writing a single line of code (all you need is a built-in drag-and-drop editor). Both are good if you want to develop or at least manage and update your website yourself.

WordPress is also a very good platform, but it requires more technical expertise.

If you want to design your website yourself, you'll spend far more time trying to master WP compared to Wix or Squarespace. Of course, you can use of the WP website builders, e.g., Elementor, that's also an option.

There is one more thing you need to know - both Wix and Squarespace are paid (around $300 per year), while WordPress is technically free to use.

Here at Fully Booked Pros, we can help you design your website in all three CMS platforms depending on your preferences. However, if you're thinking of a Wix or Squarespace, we definitely recommend Wix.

It gives you more customization options, is more flexible (e.g., Wix doesn't have this grid that Squarespace imposes on all users), and has a more user-friendly dashboard.

Question 4: What should be on my website?

If you are a therapist, it's good to structure your website in three different ways. This has a lot to do with the way people look for mental health services on Google (we assume you'll want to grow your visibility on Google at some point, right?).

Your website should clearly address:

• What kind of therapy services you offer (e.g., CBT, EMDR, psychodynamic therapy, online therapy etc.)

• What kind of conditions you treat (e.g., anxiety, depression, burnout, etc.)

• What kind of clients you work with (e.g., individual therapy, family therapy, couples therapy, teen therapy, etc.)

This way, depending on what your potential clients are looking for on Google, they can find you because your website can be promoted to both the client looking for EMDR therapy and the one looking for help with their anxiety.

Apart from a search-optimized structure (that's important when it comes to search engine optimization), you should have some sales-boosting elements that will encourage potential clients to reach out to you. In the therapy world, that's usually a free initial consultation. Give your potential clients to book such a free, non-committal call, and you will see that getting more clients is easier.

Lastly, your website should build trust towards you as a therapist. Design it so that people visiting it feel nice and welcome. Talk about your experience and willingness to help. You can also mention some of your personal experiences from the past to make yourself more authentic. And photos, beautiful photos. They are VERY important. Your website should have photos both of you and your office. You can also add some relevant stock images, but don't go overboard with them.

What else should I put on my website?

In general, your website should clearly convey your approach to therapy. If you have some client testimonials, you can use them on your website, even in the form of anonymous quotes. Social proof can trigger many people to reach out to you.

If you're thinking, even initially, about SEO, make sure to have a separate blog section on your website. Blog content can be very helpful in terms of so-called topical authority.

Additionally, it's important to give your prospective clients a quick and easy way to reach out to you. That's what contact forms are for. Make sure you have one on every major subpage within your website, just like in the example below:

We also recommend our clients create at least a small section explaining what a typical therapy session looks like. This way, you can also build trust even before your potential client decides to contact you.

What's the best design for therapists?

Here, a lot depends on your personal preferences, especially concerning color palette. In general, it's better to use soft colors (sometimes referred to as muted color palettes), especially warm ones. Bright colors also have their place, but they should mainly complement the soft ones; otherwise, your website will become tiring to view and read through.

Clean design is very important. What does it mean? Pay attention to those best practices when it comes to the modern design of a user-friendly website:

• Create a clear and understandable menu that's accessible from both the top and the bottom (footer) or your website.

• Use clean, sans-serif fonts to make your content easy to read.

• Don't put too many photos, animations, bold fonts, and other overwhelming visual elements that can make your website "heavy".

• Make sure each subpage has a similar structure so that your clients know what to expect when browsing your website.

Take a look at the examples on the therapist website ; perhaps you will find something that you like!

Therapist website examples

Question 5: What should I do with my website once it's ready?

The shortest answer is to start marketing. We help our clients through Google Ads, Google Maps, and SEO. All those activities require a website. Of course, you may need to implement some changes to your website or at least to integrate it with Google tools, but this is something we can do for you.

Once your website is ready, the best thing to do is to put it to work by promoting it wherever you are with your business. You can start Google Ads and SEO, but also promote your website on social media (e.g., on relevant Facebook groups) and in other places online (e.g., business, local, and therapy communities).

Do you want to know more? Book a free consultation with us, and let's talk! :-)