Therapy is a very personalized client-patient relationship. There are all kinds of therapy specialities from trauma, EMDR, anxiety to general family + marriage counseling. Finding the right therapist is determined by feeling “understood” and comfortable. Some therapist websites come off too sterile, while others feel calming and comfortable. In this post, we’re going to be reviewing the project for Sound Mind OCD, one of our favorite therapist websites on the internet right now.
A designer’s perspective on powerful therapist websites
The term “powerful” can mean many things for different people. Maybe you associate powerful with loud and vibrant colors. Or, if you’re like our team, powerful means all the stars aligned. The branding is well-executed, the messaging is clearly attracting a certain audience and the website design does a good job at meshing them both.
The Sound Mind OCD website is powerful because it does a beautiful job at utilizing the branding in places where the users needs visuals. This branding meshes calming tones with vibrancy to make the pairing resonate clearly with their ideal audience. Alongside the branding usage, you’ll also find messaging that immediately tells you that you’re in the right place (i.e. a mom in pregnancy or postpartum dealing with OCD).
What do readers look for in therapist websites?
While a designers’ perspective is great, we really want to know what readers look for in therapist websites. Is it relatability? Colors? Professional photography?
In reality, it can be all of these. But, we’ve gathered a list of things that we’ve heard from our clients and their clients based on feedback:
- A concise overview of the therapists’ experience
- Clearly listed out modalities (i.e. EMDR, DBT, etc)
- Fees (i.e. insurance or no)
- Brief outline of personal experiences or situations
- Credentials
- No stock photos
- Photos of the office (if any) so users know what to expect
- Availability
If you are a therapist reading this post and thinking, “Wow, my website has almost none of those!”, keep reading so that we can help you alter your website design to better serve your clients.
Proven Criteria That Makes Therapist Websites Powerful to Potential Clients
A Brief Outline of Personal Experiences
Let’s be honest – we don’t want to go on a website and read someone’s entire career starting in highschool to their mid-40s. Although detail is great, individuals who browse therapist websites like brief outlines. Think, high-level overview.
On the Sound Mind OCD home page, you’ll find a second section that speaks to Taylor’s personal experiences: “As both a mom and someone with lived experience of OCD, I understand the challenges you’re facing…”
This simple sentence lets her ideal readers know she’s “been there” without going down the spiral of what that actually means for Taylor.
A Clear List of Modalities
Therapy modalities are the different approaches that therapists take to address issues and promote self-care and well-being of their clients. Having a clear list of modalities can immediately remove individuals that are looking for certain ones, that maybe you don’t offer.
On Taylor’s Services Page, she dove right into this in the hero section. “…lived experience with advanced training in therapies like I-CBT, ERP and ACT….”. So, if someone was looking specifically for EMDR, Taylor may not be the best therapist for them.
Private Pay vs. Insurance Based Language
Any clinician should express if they are an all private-pay practice or insurance-based practice clearly on their website. Some therapists choose to have a separate page specifically for “Rates & FAQs” like this website. Others choose to address it specifically on the Services Page.
Professional Experience / Credentials Displayed
Credentials are always suggested by our team at Studio Adagio! We are in the age of social media and AI. Keeping this in mind, it’s important that you (a clinician) differentiate yourself professionally from those that are “influencers” without credentials.
After doing years of research with our clients, we found that many individuals who seek any type of clinical help often search for credentialed individuals.
On Taylor’s about page, she gives a summary overview of her credentials such as where she went to school and obtained her degrees. This showcases a level of professionalism and trust that Taylor knows what she’s talking about within OCD and can be the person I need her to help me!
Other Amazing Therapist Websites Designed by Studio Adagio
All of the websites outlined below are proudly designed by Studio Adagio (and formerly – Chloe Creative Studio). As a design team, we’ve specialized in private practice clinicians since 2018. We know what it takes to make therapist websites look well but also perform well.
Empowered Motherhood
A NJ-based therapist specializing in perinatal therapy.
Dr. Lauren Jensen
A California therapist specializing in perinatal and fertility help.
Dr. Annabelle Kyle Dortch
A therapist specializing in young adults who deal with stress, anxiety and trauma based in California and New Work.
The Modern Wellness Collective
A therapist specializing in working with adults in Chicago.
Laura Sandoval Therapy
A therapist based in Texas, specializing in high-achieving moms who struggle postpartum.
Studio Adagio Specializes in Private Practice Website Design
Whether you are brand new to private practice or a fully-seasoned private practice with multiple practitioners, we’d love to work together!
At Studio Adagio, we offer many services that practices need:
- Branding Design
- Website Design
- Copywriting & Messaging
- SEO
By working with our team, you can leave the project feeling confident enough to share your website with colleagues, friends, family members and potential clients. One of the biggest breakthroughs that we see is finally feeling comfortable marketing your practice because you now have the tools that make it easy!
Apply to work with our team here where you can complete a client application and schedule a free 30 minute discovery call.
