Therapist websites: what to put on the page, and what not to collect

People reading a therapist's website are often nervous already. Some have been thinking about reaching out for months. Some are looking on behalf of a partner or a kid. Most are reading at night, on a phone, trying to answer one question: is this the right person for me, and how do I start?

A good practice website answers that calmly and quickly. It also does something less obvious: it avoids collecting things it shouldn't.

What to put on the page

Who you see, and how you work

Plain words beat clinical ones. "I work with adults dealing with anxiety, burnout and big life changes" is more useful to a reader than a list of modalities. Then, briefly, how you work: what a session looks like, whether you're more structured or more conversational, what methods you use if they matter to the people you see.

If there are people you don't see (couples, kids, certain conditions), saying so helps everyone. It saves them a hard first call that ends in a referral.

Fees and insurance

This is the question people are most afraid to ask, so answer it on the page if you can. Your fee per session. Whether you're in network with any insurers, or out of network and able to provide a superbill. A sliding scale, if you offer one.

If you'd rather not list a number, at least say how fees work and how to ask. Silence on cost makes people assume it's out of reach.

How to start

One clear next step. Usually a "Book a consultation" or "Request a first session" button that goes to the scheduling tool you already use. Say what happens next: a free 15-minute call, a first session, an intake form from your practice software.

Who you are

Your credentials and license, said plainly. Where you trained, if it matters to you. And a real photo. People want to see the face of the person they'll be talking to. A warm, simple headshot does more than a stock photo of a couch.

Where, or online

Your office location if you see people in person, and whether you offer online sessions. If you're licensed in certain states, list them. People across a state line may not be able to see you, and they should know before they reach out.

A crisis line

Say clearly that the site and email aren't for emergencies, and list where to go instead (in the US, calling or texting 988 reaches the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). Put it in the footer of every page.

What not to collect

This part matters more for therapists than for almost any other small business.

The contact form is for first hellos

A website contact form is handy for "Hi, I'd like to set up a call." It's not the place for someone to describe their symptoms, history or diagnosis. Most website forms send a plain email, and plain email isn't built for health information.

On the sites I build for practices, the form asks only for a name, a way to reply and a short message, and the page says not to include private details. Anything clinical, including intake forms and notes, belongs in your practice software, which is built for it.

Ask before adding tracking

Many websites quietly load tracking code from ad and social platforms that records what visitors do. On most business sites that's routine. On a therapist's site, it can reveal that a particular person visited a page about a particular condition, and regulators have paid attention to that in healthcare.

The safe default is to keep ad tracking pixels off a practice site. If you want visitor numbers, use a basic analytics setup and talk it through with whoever advises you on privacy and compliance first.

Rules depend on your practice

Whether privacy laws like HIPAA apply to your practice, and how, depends on how you work and bill. I build websites. I'm not a compliance advisor, and this post isn't legal advice. Your practice software vendor and your professional association are good places to ask. What a website can do is stay out of the way: collect the least it can and hand the real paperwork to tools built for it.

What you can skip

• A long philosophy page. A few honest paragraphs beat three pages on your therapeutic orientation.
• A blog, unless you'll actually write it. An empty one looks abandoned.
• Pop-ups and chat bubbles. They feel pushy to someone who is already hesitant.
• Stock photos of people looking sad by a window. Readers have seen them on every other site.

How often it changes

Practice sites change less than most. Mostly it's fees, availability ("currently accepting new clients" or a waitlist), insurance changes and a new photo every few years. That's why a lighter plan usually fits.

• Build from $1,500. You own the site.
• Hosting at $39 a month keeps it online, secure and backed up.
• Changes at $100 an hour, with an estimate first. Updating your fees or your availability line is usually 15 to 30 minutes.
• Steady, $149 a month for hosting plus 1.5 hours, fits a practice that changes something most months. If you change things a few times a year, hosting plus hourly costs less.

More on practice websites on the therapists and clinics page. All prices are on pricing.