Short answer: a therapy practice website should help the right clients quickly decide "this person could help me, and I can afford it." Spell out who you work with, your approach, fees and insurance, availability and next steps. Keep contact forms and analytics privacy-safe, and be careful with testimonials. Then make sure you're findable through Google and the directories clients already use.
This article is general information, not legal or compliance advice. Check with your licensing board, professional association and a compliance professional for your situation.
The Short Answer
- A clear statement of who you help, the issues you focus on, and where you practice (in person, telehealth or both).
- Fees, insurance and sliding-scale details.
- Current availability ("accepting new clients" or a waitlist).
- A low-pressure next step, like a free consultation call.
- Privacy-safe forms and tracking.
- A careful approach to testimonials and reviews.
- An accurate Google Business Profile and directory listings.
What Do Prospective Clients Look For?
People searching for a therapist are often stressed and comparing several options. Make the important answers easy to find:
- Fit: the populations and concerns you work with, and your approach, in plain language rather than only clinical terms.
- You: a warm, real photo, your credentials and license, and a short note in your own voice.
- Logistics: location, parking, telehealth availability, hours, and whether you're accepting new clients.
- Cost: fees, insurance accepted, out-of-network options and sliding scale.
- What happens next: how to reach out, how quickly you respond, and what the first session is like.
Which Pages Does a Practice Website Need?
- Home: who you help, where, and how to get started.
- About: credentials, license, approach and background.
- Specialties: a page per main focus area if you have several, such as anxiety, couples or adolescents.
- Fees & Insurance.
- FAQ: first sessions, cancellations, telehealth, confidentiality.
- Contact, including crisis guidance such as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and a clear note that the contact form isn't for emergencies.
How Do I Handle Privacy on My Website?
This is where practice websites differ most from other small business sites.
Contact forms: keep the first-contact form minimal (name, preferred contact method and a general reason), and tell people not to include clinical details. If your form will collect health information, use a form or practice-management tool designed for healthcare that will sign a business associate agreement (BAA).
Analytics and tracking: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' bulletin on online tracking technologies explains that HIPAA rules apply when information collected through tracking tools includes protected health information. One example is tracking on a page where someone schedules an appointment. The bulletin also says cookie banners don't count as a valid HIPAA authorization. Note that in June 2024 a federal court vacated part of that guidance, the part about tracking a visitor's IP address on unauthenticated public pages about health conditions or providers, and HHS says it is evaluating next steps. Review your setup with a compliance professional.
In practice: avoid ad-tracking pixels on booking and contact pages, keep analytics minimal, and don't embed third-party tools on pages where clients enter health information unless they're covered by a BAA.
Can I Use Testimonials or Ask for Reviews?
Carefully, and check your own profession's rules first. For example, the American Psychological Association's Ethics Code, Standard 5.05, says psychologists don't solicit testimonials from current therapy clients or from others vulnerable to undue influence. Other professions and state boards have their own advertising rules. Also remember that replying publicly to a review can confirm that someone is a client, so think through how you'll respond before reviews come in.
Many practices build trust instead with a clear approach, credentials, professional memberships and helpful articles that answer common questions.
How Do Clients Find My Practice?
- Google Business Profile, with an accurate category, address (or service area for telehealth-only practices where appropriate), hours and website link.
- Your website, with pages that name the concerns you help with and the area you serve.
- Therapist directories your clients already use, with details that match your site.
- AI search, which increasingly answers "find a therapist near me" style questions. See How to Show Up in AI Search.
Work through our local SEO checklist, skipping the review steps if your profession's rules discourage soliciting them.
Is My Site Accessible and Calm?
Design matters here. Use calm colors with readable contrast, generous spacing, plain language and no autoplay media or pushy popups. Make sure forms work with a keyboard and screen reader. Our website accessibility guide has a quick checklist.
For a calm, appointment-focused healthcare layout, see a sample dental practice website design in our Design Showcase: Larkhaven Dental.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use Google Analytics on my therapy website? A: Be cautious. HHS guidance says HIPAA applies when tracking collects protected health information, for example on appointment pages. Keep tracking minimal and get compliance advice for your setup.
Q: Should I list my fees? A: Generally yes. Cost is one of the first questions clients have, and listing fees and insurance details saves everyone time.
Q: Can SS Labs build a privacy-conscious practice website? A: Yes. We keep tracking minimal, design simple contact flows, and work with the healthcare-focused booking and form tools you choose. We aren't a compliance consultancy, so we'll coordinate with your compliance advisor on requirements.
Get a Practice Website
Want a calm, clear website that helps the right clients reach out? SS Labs is a web design studio based in Minneapolis, MN. Let's talk on a free 30-minute consultation.
Call: 507-339-5547
Email: Benjamin@StrategicSolutionsLabs.com
Book online: request your free 30-minute consultation. We reply within 24 hours.
Sources
U.S. HHS: Use of Online Tracking Technologies by HIPAA Covered Entities and Business Associates
American Psychological Association: Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct