A therapist's website isn't just a digital business card anymore — it's the first session. Clients form an impression of your safety, professionalism, and attunement long before they walk through your door. With more people seeking mental-health support online, your website has become one of the most powerful tools for growing and sustaining a healthy practice.
Why Therapists Need More Than a Generic Website
Many therapists try to piece together a basic site on Squarespace or Wix, assuming "something simple" is enough. The problem is that therapy clients don't browse like regular shoppers. They're anxious, overwhelmed, and often in a vulnerable state while searching.
A therapist website has to do three things extremely well:
- Establish safety (tone, language, warm visuals)
- Signal credibility & professionalism (registrations, qualifications, modalities)
- Make taking the next step feel easy (clear booking paths)
If your website doesn't do this, people click away — not because you're not good at your work, but because the website didn't meet them where they are.
Features Every Therapist Website Should Include
1. A Clear, Compassionate Home Page
Your homepage should help clients exhale. That means:
- Warm, grounded language
- A simple statement of who you help
- A quick explanation of how therapy with you works
- A call-to-action to book or enquire
2. Service Pages That Reflect Real Clinical Expertise
Separate pages for:
- Individual therapy
- Child & adolescent therapy
- Couples therapy
- Trauma counselling
- ADHD/Neurodivergence support
- Anxiety/Depression
- Somatic/Gestalt/Polyvagal modalities
Each page needs:
- A simple explanation of what the issue is
- How therapy helps
- How you uniquely approach it
- What clients can expect in the first few sessions
These pages are SEO gold. Search engines index them as "solutions," which brings in high-intent clients.
3. Professional "About" Page
Clients choose you, not your modality.
Include:
- Your story (professionally told, not personal overshare)
- Training, professional memberships, supervision approach
- Your therapeutic style (relational, collaborative, trauma-informed, etc.)
- A friendly photo
This page is usually the second most visited on any therapist's site.
4. Easy Pathways to Book
A high-performing therapist website always has:
- A clear "Book a Session" button
- An embedded booking system or contact form
- Transparent fees
- Locations (or online therapy availability)
- Medicare rebate/NDIS/EAP information where relevant
Clarity reduces friction. Hidden fees or vague booking options increase bounce rates.
5. SEO Foundations for Local Visibility
Therapists rely heavily on local search.
Essential SEO elements:
- LocalBusiness schema + Service schema
- Location-based keywords (suburbs, cities, regions)
- Mobile-first design
- Fast load speeds
- Optimised meta titles/descriptions
- Consistent Google Business Profile
A therapist website with no SEO is a website nobody sees.
Platforms Therapists Commonly Use (and When They Work)
Wix / Squarespace
Good for:
- New therapists
- Single-location practices
- Basic blog + booking integration
Limitations:
- Harder to scale
- Weaker long-term SEO performance
WordPress
Best for:
- Multi-therapist practices
- Heavy SEO strategy
- Custom referral or intake workflows
- Blogs that actually perform
Limitations:
- Needs maintenance
- Not beginner-friendly
Therapy-specialised templates
Good for:
- Anyone wanting fast setup
Limitations:
- Template-locked
- Poor SEO
- Limited design autonomy
If long-term growth matters, a custom or semi-custom WordPress build is usually the most future-proof choice.
Design Choices That Work Extremely Well for Therapists
- Soft, grounded colour palette (not corporate blue)
- Spacious layout and readable typography
- Real photography over stock images when possible
- Simple navigation (clients don't explore deep menus)
- Friendly but professional tone
- Accessibility compliance
What you absolutely don't need:
- Overly clinical language
- Heavy animations
- Medical-style branding
- Walls of text
- Generic "wellness" clichés
Clients want clarity, emotional safety, and a sense of who you are.
Should Therapists Blog? Yes — If Done Strategically
Blog posts help your site rank for long-tail search terms like:
- "Trauma counselling near me"
- "Gestalt therapy brisbane"
- "ADHD counselling for adults"
- "Somatic therapy explained"
Good topics include:
- How therapy helps with a specific issue
- Nervous system regulation tips
- Attachment, boundaries, trauma healing education
- Child/adolescent mental health explanations
Blogs don't need to be long — 600 to 1,200 words is ideal.
The Biggest Mistakes Therapists Make With Websites
1. Writing in academic or clinical language
Clients want to feel understood, not lectured.
2. Hiding fees or making booking difficult
Uncertainty stops people from engaging.
3. Not showing their face
A headshot dramatically increases trust and conversions.
4. Not optimising for local search
Your ideal clients often live within 10–20 minutes of your practice.
5. Letting design overshadow clarity
Therapy sites should feel calm, not artistic for the sake of being "different."
Final Takeaway
A strong therapist website does one thing above all:
It builds a relationship of trust before a client ever contacts you.
If the site is clear, grounded, warm, ethically compliant, and built with proper SEO, it becomes more than a marketing asset — it becomes an extension of your therapeutic presence.
Meet Krystyna
Founder, Creative Director
Hi, I'm Krystyna. I create thoughtful websites that clearly communicate who you are and what you do, and help connect you with the people already looking for your services.