Everything You Need to Know About Website Templates for Therapists

We’re not here to discuss *whether* you need a website, because we both know you do. Psychology Today can’t carry your entire online presence – you need a space that you own, in addition to any you rent (Psychology Today, HealthProfs, Instagram, etc). The solution to growing online is simple (good website. Done) but getting there is hard – which is why you NEED to know about website templates for therapists and other options for making it easier.

> Click here to read more about why you can’t stop at Psychology Today (if you use it at all)

What You Need in a Website (As a Therapist)

Your website is the beginning of your therapeutic rapport with your audience (ideally, your clients). Even if they find you from an external source (your Psychology Today profile, an article, another provider) – people ARE Googling you and checking out your website before deciding whether to book. 

So, your website needs to:

• Tell people who you are and what type of therapy you specialize in
• Create a compelling case for working with you by showing off both your personality and your expertise
• Make your ideal client feel seen, understood, and curious to learn more

(Your website does NOT need to list out every certification you’ve earned or modality you use – here’s why)

Why You Should Start Your Site Early

I am BEGGING you – please start your site before opening (or within the first 3 months of having your practice). I know the desire to put it off until you’re further in, rely on Psychology Today, or focus on social media is strong, but hear me out:

• You rent social media, but you own your website. Your Instagram, TikTok, and even Psychology Today listing can be taken down at any time – but your website gives you a central hub for your marketing efforts that’s all yours.
• A major part of SEO is time – so the earlier you start a website, the earlier you can build a good domain reputation and future rankings
• Creating your website takes focus and time – which you’ll likely have more of before you fill your caseload. Waiting can lead to either rushing your site (and worse results) or putting it off and dealing with the consequences of not having one for longer.

Your First Website Should be a Template

I design custom websites for healthcare & wellness professionals and I’m still telling you that your first website should probably be a website template – so you know I’ve got a solid case to make.

>> Click here to see some of my latest launches!

Your first 1-2 years of business are for exploring, getting to know your audience, and maybe beginning to niche down. Even if you’re an experienced provider (or have had a business before) – you’ve never had this business with these clients in this capacity before. And the quickest route to regret in your business is investing too much up front, creating financial worries, and living in a scarcity mindset when it comes to your caseload.

You also don’t need to spend your time learning how to build a website from scratch, because that’s not your literal business. Trying to earn a quick degree from YouTube in web design inevitably leaves you stressed and your website cluttered (and low-converting – trust me, I’ve seen the stats).

To show up for your therapy clients well, you don’t need to:

• Know which pages should be linked in your menu
• Figure out how to balance eye-catching with calming
• Learn about SEO metadata

BUT to run your practice, you will need to be able to:

• Explain your unique philosophy and approach to therapy
• Talk about your services to potential clients
• Build brand recognition over time 

A website template guarantees your website will be organized, have all the pages you need, leverage a conversion-focused flow (the right sections in the right places to guide people to your inquiries), and be packed with form AND function. 

You’re left in charge of writing your copy (or I can do it for you), adding your personality, and driving traffic to your website – all of which build on skills that you’ll need anyway as a successful business owner.

Basically, you’re skipping over the stuff you don’t need to learn to run your business well, and getting practice at the stuff you do (with help, because a good website template comes with tutorials + resources).

No, Website Templates for Therapists Aren’t Cookie Cutter

Let’s be clear: The quickest way to blend in with other therapists’ websites is to create one yourself.

(I’m not saying that all DIY websites are bad. I’m not saying your website is bad. But I am saying that these are the things my clients tell me during discovery calls, so I'm very confident you've wondered about it).

If you’ve ever used a Canva template (try mine for free if you haven’t!), great website templates for therapists are the same concept. You get a strategic design that you can make endless changes to (fonts! Colors! Photos! Placement!) and skip the analysis paralysis of staring at a blank page.

Because even if you make a ton of changes (do it! Go nuts!) – it’s easier to edit than create (again, ask my clients who aren’t sure how to describe their goals for their brand design but do have comments on the moodboard & concepts! It’s just how our brains work).

But not all therapists are created equally – and not all templates are either. So let’s talk about…

What to Look for in Website Templates for Therapists

Customizability

In working with a lot of therapists to create new websites, I’ve found multiple companies that advertise a customizable website, give you zero help in learning how to use and edit it, and actually box you into the same theme or design – forever.

Make sure that your website template is truly customizable, so you can grow your website with your business (and zero headaches).

>> Looking for a quick way to figure out how customizable a template is? All templates built on Showit (the best powerful drag-and-drop website creator) give you full creative freedom – now and forever.

Responsive Design

More than half of website traffic comes from mobile devices (AKA; more people use phones to browse than their computers), so you NEED a template that looks good on big AND small screens.

>> Click here to learn more about making your website design mobile-friendly.

Preview your website template on your computer and your phone before purchasing, and make sure it’s on a website builder that offers a lot of mobile design options (again, Showit is far and away the winner here – browse this blog post to see exact examples of how you can change up the design for desktop vs. mobile!)

SEO-Friendliness

Templates optimized for search engines help boost your visibility, bringing more potential clients your way. And while templates should include some basic SEO features, not all do – so here’s what you’re looking for in your website template:

• Correct setup of SEO headings and text tags. Each page should have one main heading (H1), then use subheadings (H2), then H3, etc. Ask your template designer how they have this set up! 
• Tutorials on how to finish setting up SEO (adding page titles/descriptions, connecting to Google SEO services, etc)
• Tutorials on how to create URL redirects from your current website to avoid any lost traffic

>> Want an easy way to check if headings are set up correctly? Navigate to the preview of the template you’re looking at and use the HeadingsMap Chrome plugin to make sure there’s one H1 and not everything is H2/H3.

Ease of Use

Look for user-friendly templates, especially if tech isn’t your strong suit. Typically, templates built on Showit or Squarespace are the most user-friendly (WordPress may require a lot of coding beyond your comfort level). You’ll also want to check that your template comes with tutorials to show you how to use it!

Speed and Performance

Choose templates that load quickly and perform well. Slow websites can frustrate visitors and drive potential clients away. (Some of this has to do with the size of the photo files you put on your site, which is why I recorded a tutorial for my template tutorial library on optimizing photos before adding them).

Browse Website Templates for Therapists

>> If you want to take your SEO and online growth seriously – what you'll need is a website template. Shop my collection here! (You can also book a professional template customization for an elevated experience!)

>> Want to write better copy for your site? I've got freebies on freebies for that – try this guide for writing your About page, or this one for your services page!

>> If custom is more your style, you'll want to look through my brand and website design services!