Therapist website guide: what to include for a private practice

Reaching out to a therapist is a big step, and most people take it quietly, late at night, on their phone. Before they send a message, they want to know whether you're the right person: what you help with, how you work, whether you're qualified, and what happens next. A good therapist website answers those questions calmly and clearly. This guide is for individual therapists, counselors, psychologists and coaches in private practice who want a simple, trustworthy site, and it covers what potential clients look for, how to write about yourself, how to handle fees and booking, and how to keep privacy at the center of it all.

What potential clients look for on a therapist website

People searching for a therapist are often stressed, uncertain or comparing several options at once. They tend to scan for the same things, in roughly this order:

1. Who you help. The people and concerns you work with, in words they'd use themselves.
2. How you work. Your approach, described plainly, and what a session feels like.
3. Whether you're qualified. Your license or credential, and where you're able to practice.
4. Practical fit. In person or online, availability, fees and insurance.
5. How to start. One clear next step, such as booking a free consultation.

Your first screen should cover the first two in a sentence or two. Something like "I'm a licensed counselor helping adults with anxiety, burnout and life transitions, in person in [city] and online across [state]" lets a reader know right away whether to keep going.

Your approach and specialties

This is the heart of a counselor website, and it's where many sites fall back on vague language. "I provide a safe, supportive space" is true of almost every therapist. It doesn't help someone choose you.

Describe who you work with

• Populations: adults, teens, couples, families, new parents, older adults, professionals, students.
• Concerns: anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, relationship issues, life transitions, work stress. List the areas you actually focus on rather than every possible topic.

A short, specific list builds more trust than a long one.

Explain your approach in plain words

Name the methods or modalities you're trained in, then explain what they mean for the client. For example: "I often draw on cognitive behavioral therapy, which means we'll look together at the patterns in your thoughts and habits and try small, practical changes between sessions." A short paragraph on what a first session is like also helps a nervous reader picture walking in, or logging on.

Credentials and license

Credentials reassure clients, and in many places they also come with rules about how you present yourself.

• State your license type and where it's held, for example "Licensed Professional Counselor in [state]" or the equivalent title for your country or region. If you're licensed in more than one state or region, list each.
• Say where you can practice online. Online sessions are usually limited to the places where you're licensed, so be clear about that.
• Education and training: your degree, plus any significant additional training in the methods you describe.
• Professional memberships you hold, named accurately.
• Supervision status, if you're pre-licensed or practicing under supervision, stated clearly along with your supervisor's details where your rules require it.

Licensing boards and professional associations often have specific requirements about titles, advertising, testimonials and what must appear on your site. Follow your licensing board's rules and your professional association's code of ethics, and check with them if you're unsure. This guide isn't legal or clinical advice.

Use only the titles and credentials you actually hold, written exactly as your board uses them. Small wording differences can matter.

A warm, professional bio and photo

Clients are choosing a person, not a service. Your bio should sound like you on a good day: warm, steady and clear.

A simple structure works well:

• One or two sentences on who you help and why the work matters to you.
• A short note on your background and training, without repeating your entire resume.
• A line of something human, if you're comfortable sharing it.

Write in the first person. "I work with adults who feel stuck" feels more direct than "Jordan works with adults who feel stuck." Our guide to writing a professional bio goes into more detail.

A clear, friendly photo matters more for a therapist than for most professions, because clients want to imagine sitting across from you. Choose a recent photo with natural light, a relaxed expression and a simple background. Choosing a profile photo has practical tips.

Fees, insurance and practical details

Being open about practical details saves both you and potential clients time, and it lowers the anxiety of reaching out.

• Say whether you take insurance. If you do, you can say you're in network with some plans and invite people to ask. If you don't, say so plainly and mention whether you can provide paperwork for out-of-network reimbursement where that applies.
• Fees: many therapists list their session fee or a range, and mention whether they offer a sliding scale or reduced-fee spots. Follow your local rules and your own comfort level.
• Session format: in person, online or both, and roughly how long sessions are.
• Location: the general area for in-person sessions.
• Availability: whether you have openings, a waitlist, or evening or weekend times.

Update this section whenever your availability changes.

How clients book a consultation

Make the next step obvious and easy. Most private practice websites offer a brief free consultation call so the client can ask questions and both of you can see if it's a good fit.

• One clear call to action on every page, like "Book a free 15-minute consultation."
• Link to the booking or scheduling tool you already use, such as the client portal or scheduler from your practice management system. Your website points people to it; the booking itself happens there.
• Offer an alternative, like an email address or a short contact form, for people who prefer to write first.
• Set expectations: how quickly you usually reply and what the consultation covers.

Our guide to the portfolio contact section has more ideas for making this part simple.

Privacy and confidentiality on your site

Confidentiality is the foundation of your work, and your website should reflect it.

Client stories and testimonials

Never post client stories, quotes or details without clear consent, and even then, think carefully. Many licensing boards and professional codes restrict or discourage testimonials from current or former clients, partly because asking for them can put pressure on someone in a vulnerable position. Check your board's rules before using any. If you want to show how you work, describe a typical concern and your general approach instead of a specific person.

Keep first contact brief

A website contact form isn't the right place for sensitive health information. Keep it short:

• Name and preferred way to be contacted.
• A general reason for reaching out, if they'd like to share one.
• A note asking people not to include personal health details in the form.

Add a short line telling visitors that the contact form isn't for emergencies, along with where to go for urgent help in your area. Discuss anything detailed during the consultation or through the secure tools you already use for client communication.

If you wouldn't want a client's words read by someone else, they don't belong on your website or in a plain contact form.

Make your site easy for everyone to use

A few habits make your site easier for everyone to use:

• Use readable text sizes and strong contrast between text and background.
• Keep paragraphs short and headings clear, so a tired or overwhelmed reader can find what they need.
• Write descriptive link text like "Book a consultation" rather than "click here."
• Add alt text to your photo.
• Check that everything works well on a phone, since that's where many people search.

Building an accessible portfolio website covers more of these basics.

Therapist website examples

These are made-up outlines to show how different practitioners might organize a private practice website. Use them as starting points, not templates to copy word for word.

Example 1: Licensed counselor for adults with anxiety

• Headline: "Counseling for adults with anxiety and burnout, in person in [city] and online across [state]."
• About: a short first-person bio, license type and state, training in two named approaches.
• Who I help: four focused concerns, each with one sentence in plain language.
• What to expect: what the first session looks like and how often people usually meet.
• Fees and insurance: session fee, whether insurance is accepted, sliding scale availability.
• Contact: a link to book a free consultation, plus a short contact form with a privacy note.

Example 2: Couples and family therapist

• Headline: "Helping couples and families communicate and reconnect."
• Approach: a paragraph on how sessions with more than one person work.
• Specialties: communication, parenting stress, blended families, major life changes.
• Credentials: license type and region, relevant additional training and memberships.
• Practical details: in-person and online options, evening availability, current openings.
• Book: one button linking to the practice's scheduling tool.

Example 3: Coach in private practice

• Headline: "Career and life transition coaching for mid-career professionals."
• About: background, coaching training, and a clear note on what coaching is and isn't, including that it isn't a substitute for therapy.
• How we work: session length, format and typical number of sessions.
• Fit call: a link to book a short introductory call.

Building your therapist website

You don't need a complicated site. A homepage, an about section, a page on your approach and specialties, practical details, and a clear way to book are enough for most private practices. If you already have a resume or CV, you can turn your resume into a website as a starting point: Folitox AI drafts an editable site from your PDF or DOCX, which you can then rewrite in your own warm voice. Browse the portfolio templates to find a calm, readable design; there are 100+ responsive templates, and you can publish for free at an address like yourname.folitox.com or connect your own domain.

Whatever tool you use, say who you help, how you work, that you're qualified, what it costs and how to start, and protect confidentiality on every page.