What good therapy websites get right
The quiet design choices that separate a therapy website that brings the right clients in from one that, gently, sends them elsewhere.
01 / What a good therapy website is for
It is not to sell. It is to feel safe enough to enquire.
A prospective client does not arrive at a therapist's site in the mood most websites are built for. They are not browsing, not comparing features, not weighing up value. They are often in a low moment, trying to find a version of themselves able to reach out. The website's only job, and it is a real one, is to make reaching out feel possible.
Good therapy websites manage this quietly. They sound like the therapist. They show the right accreditations where a careful reader checks. They publish a fee without apology. They offer a short, gentle first-contact form, and they link to a crisis line for anyone who needs one instead. They do not use stock photographs of candles, they do not speak in wellness marketing, and they do not promise outcomes therapy cannot honestly promise.
This page walks through what separates those sites from the generic template ones. It is not a design showcase. It is a list of considered choices that BACP-registered and UKCP-registered therapists tend to make when they understand how their site will be read at eleven at night by someone who has not yet decided whether to call.
02 / Six things good therapy sites share
The parts that carry the trust
Not rules. Patterns seen across the therapy websites that quietly bring the right clients in.
A bio that actually reads like the therapist
Not a list of qualifications at the top and a stock photograph underneath. A proper paragraph of how you work, a second on who you tend to work well with, and a third on the training that shaped you. Prospective clients read the About page more closely than any other.
Accreditation shown where it is checked
BACP, UKCP, HCPC or NCS registration number in the footer, on the About page and on the fees page, each linked to your entry on the professional register. Quiet, verifiable, and placed where a careful client looks before they enquire.
Photography that does not feel borrowed
A photograph of you that looks like you on a normal day, and, if you work in person, a photograph of the room. Neutral, honest, unposed. Stock photography of candles and pebbles is the single clearest signal that a site was not built with the work in mind.
Fees written without apology
A per-session fee, any concessionary or low-fee slot policy, cancellation terms and payment method. A line explaining why fees are what they are is welcome. A hidden fees page makes nervous clients more nervous.
A first-contact form shaped for the moment
Name, a way to reply, and a few sentences on what brings them now. Not a fifteen-field intake form. The first enquiry is the first therapeutic moment, and a shorter form leads to kinder, truer first messages.
Safeguarding and crisis information placed well
A short, calm note that the site is not a crisis service and links to the Samaritans, 111 and a local emergency route. Near the contact form, not hidden in a footer. Ethical, responsible and genuinely useful when someone is in distress.
FAQ
Common questions
What are the most common mistakes on therapist websites?
Stock photography, a bio that reads as a CV, no fees, a tracking-heavy contact page, and an About page that tells you about the practice rather than the person. Most of these come from template builders that were not written with therapy in mind. Each one quietly reduces enquiries from the clients you most want to reach.
Is a testimonials page ethical for therapists?
BACP and similar bodies advise caution. Direct client testimonials are generally discouraged because of the therapeutic relationship and the risk of breaching confidentiality. Supervisor endorsements, training body quotes, or anonymised reflections on the kind of work you do sit more comfortably within professional frameworks.
Should the About page lead with qualifications or with tone?
Tone first, qualifications second. A prospective client is trying to decide whether you feel safe to speak to, not to audit your training. Open with a paragraph about how you work and who you tend to work well with, then a clear section with accreditations, training, supervision and modalities.
How many pages does a therapy site actually need?
Most practices land at between six and twelve. Home, About, Fees, Contact, a page per specialism (anxiety, trauma, bereavement, couples), a page per modality you practise (CBT, person-centred, EMDR, IFS), and a careful first-session page. More than that is usually repetition. Fewer and search struggles to match you to the right enquiry.
What does a good 'first session' page look like?
Short, plain language, and specific. What happens when you arrive or open the link, how long the session is, what is discussed, what is agreed at the end, and what payment and cancellation look like. Reduces the silent worry that stops many prospective clients from booking.
Do I need a separate page for online therapy?
If you offer it, yes. Search splits cleanly between 'online therapist UK' and 'therapist [town]', and each deserves a page that addresses the practicalities honestly. Platform used, how to prepare, what to do if the connection drops, confidentiality considerations for working from home.
Want a site built with this kind of care?
Plans from £39/mo. Credential-led design, specialism pages, confidential enquiry forms and ongoing changes, all looked after.