A therapist website should say who you help and how, show your fees and insurance, post the Good Faith Estimate notice if you see self-pay clients, offer one calm way to book a first call, list crisis numbers like 988, and keep ad trackers off booking pages. Keep it short, warm and easy to use on a phone.
This is a website checklist, not clinical or legal advice. Your licensing board and your counsel decide what your site must say.
What should a therapist's home page say?
In the first screen, a visitor should know who you help, how you help, where you work (in person, online or both) and how to take the next step. People often arrive at a hard moment and leave fast if the page is confusing.
- One plain sentence on who you help, like "Therapy for adults with anxiety and life changes in Houston."
- Your name, license type and a real photo.
- In person, telehealth or both, and where.
- One button: book a free intro call.
What should the About page include?
People want to know who they will be talking to, so the About page does a lot of the work. Keep it warm and specific.
- A real, recent photo, not a stock image.
- Your license type and number, and the states you can practice in.
- How you work, in two or three plain sentences.
- Who you work best with, and who you refer elsewhere.
- A link to book the intro call.
Which pages does a private practice site need?
Most practices need eight pages or sections. Fewer, clearer pages beat many thin ones.
| Page | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Home | Who you help, how, where and the next step |
| About | Your background, license, approach and a real photo |
| Who I help | The concerns you work with, in the client's words |
| Fees and insurance | Session fees, insurance or out-of-network details, sliding scale if any |
| Book a call | One short form or a scheduling link |
| FAQ | What a first session is like, cancellations, telehealth |
| Privacy policy | What the site collects and why |
| Contact | Phone, email, office address if you have one, and crisis numbers |
Do you need to post fees and the Good Faith Estimate notice?
Fees in view help people decide to reach out. And if you see uninsured or self-pay clients, federal rules ask for more. CMS says information about the availability of a Good Faith Estimate must be written so consumers can understand it and displayed so it is easy to see and easily searchable on the provider's website, in the office and where scheduling happens (CMS key responsibilities for providers). CMS also publishes a model notice you can adapt.
Put the notice on the fees page and link it from the footer, so it is never more than one tap away.
How should the booking path work?
One path, start to finish. Most practices do best with a free 15-minute intro call as the single next step, booked through a short form or a scheduling link. Every extra field and every second option loses people.
- Ask only for a name, a phone or email, and a good time.
- Keep clinical questions out of the website form; collect them later in your practice software's secure portal.
- Answer missed calls with a short, kind text that offers intro-call times.
For the reminder and intake side, read therapy appointment reminders and intake.
What about privacy and tracking pixels?
Be careful with ad and analytics trackers. HHS's bulletin on online tracking technologies warns that tracking tools on health websites can disclose protected health information. On June 20, 2024, a federal court in Texas struck down part of that guidance covering public pages, and HHS notes the order at the top of the bulletin. The rest still stands.
The safe habits: no ad pixels on booking, intake or contact pages; collect the minimum on any form; and ask your counsel before you add tracking anywhere.
Does a therapist website need to be accessible?
Yes, plan for it. The Department of Justice's web accessibility guidance from March 18, 2022 says the ADA's requirements apply to the goods and services businesses offer, including on the web. In practice:
- Text that is large enough, with strong contrast.
- Alt text on photos, and captions on any video.
- Forms and menus that work with a keyboard and a screen reader.
- Buttons big enough to tap on a phone.
Where should crisis information go?
Everywhere a person might look when they are struggling. Say plainly that the site is not for emergencies, and list 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and 911. Put it in the footer, on the contact page and next to the booking form. If you answer missed calls by text, the first text should carry it too.
What should a therapist website leave out?
- Client testimonials you asked for. Most ethics codes bar soliciting them. Read can therapists ask clients for Google reviews.
- Promises of results. Describe your approach, not outcomes.
- Walls of jargon. Write the way you talk in a first session.
- Hidden fees and a buried contact page. People give up before they call.
Custom vs template vs directory profile
| Directory profile only | Template site you build | Built for you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who controls it | The directory | You | You own the site and the domain |
| Fees, GFE notice, crisis info | Limited fields | You add them | Built in from day one |
| Booking path | The directory's form | A plugin or a scheduling link | One path, tied to text-back and reminders |
| Privacy and trackers | Their settings | Easy to get wrong | Set up without pixels on booking pages |
| Cost | Their monthly fee | Builder fees and your time | Priced on a free call |
Where to go from here
Book a free call. In 15 to 30 minutes we look at how people find and reach your practice, with your privacy rules in front. Elevate, a Houston AI, software and marketing studio led by Justin Davis, prices every site on that call, with one flat price in writing before work starts. See how we build websites and what we do for Houston therapists and counselors.