How to Choose a Website Builder for Your Therapy Practice
You didn't get into this field to become a web designer. You became a therapist to help people work through their stuff, to create safe spaces for healing, and to make a real difference in people's lives. But before someone becomes your client, they're probably Googling you at 11pm from their phone, trying to figure out if you're the right person to help them through whatever they're dealing with.
That first impression that makes people trust you? It happens on your website.
And I get it. Choosing a website builder feels overwhelming. There are like a million options out there, each one promising to be the easiest, the best, the most affordable. Meanwhile you're just sitting there thinking "I just need something that works and doesn't make me want to throw my laptop out the window."
So let's break this down in a way that actually makes sense for your practice.
What Actually Matters When You're Building a Therapy Website
Before we even talk about specific platforms, let's get real about what you actually need. Because after working with hundreds of health practitioners in private practice I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t. You don't need half the features these website builders are trying to sell you.
You need something that:
Makes you look professional and trustworthy (because people are literally trusting you with their mental health)
Doesn't require you to learn code or spend every weekend troubleshooting broken plugins
Works perfectly on phones because that's where most people are finding you
Lets you make quick updates when your schedule changes or you add a new service
Helps you actually show up when people search for therapists in your area
That's it. That's the list. If a website builder does those things well, it's probably going to work for your therapy practice. Everything else is just noise.
The Big Question: How Tech-Savvy Are You Really?
Look, I'm not here to judge. Some therapists love tinkering with technology. Others break into a cold sweat at the thought of updating their email signature. Both are totally valid.
But this matters when choosing your website builder.
If you're someone who gets genuinely excited about learning new software and doesn't mind spending a few hours on YouTube figuring things out, you've got more options. You can handle platforms with a steeper learning curve because you'll actually put in the time to learn them.
But if you're like most therapists I work with, you want something that just works right out of the box. You don't want to become a tech expert. You want to set up your website, make it look good, and move on with your life. And honestly? There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Your energy is better spent on your clients anyway.
Understanding the Different Types of Website Builders for Therapists
There are basically three types of platforms you'll come across, and they all serve different purposes.
All-in-One Platforms (Squarespace, Wix)
Platforms such as Squarespace and Wix are like buying a fully furnished apartment. Everything you need is already there, you just need to arrange it how you like. The templates are beautiful, the tools are built in, and you don't need to cobble together different services to make things work. For most therapists, this is the sweet spot. You can literally have a professional therapy website up and running in a weekend.
I wrote a whole guide about choosing the best website builder for therapists if you want to dive deeper into the specific platforms, but the TL;DR is that Squarespace typically tends to give you the best looking results with the least amount of effort if you are just getting started.
All-in-One Business Platforms (Kajabi)
If you're a therapist who's also building a coaching business, creating online courses, or selling digital products alongside your therapy practice, Kajabi is worth serious consideration. It's not just a website builder - it's your entire business infrastructure in one place. You get your website, course hosting, email marketing, sales funnels, and payment processing all integrated seamlessly. Click here to sign up to a free 30 day Kajabi trial.
The big advantage here is that you're not juggling five different tools and trying to make them talk to each other. Everything lives in one ecosystem. This makes sense if you're offering things like group coaching programs, self-paced courses on anxiety management, or membership communities for ongoing support. But if you're strictly doing one-on-one therapy sessions, Kajabi is probably more platform than you need (and it's pricier too).
Content Management Systems (WordPress)
Content management systems such as Wordpress are great if you’d like to have complete control over EVERYTHING. However, this isn’t always necessary for all practices.
WordPress actually makes sense for therapy practices: if you're running a larger group practice with multiple therapists, or you're a multi-location therapy clinic that needs serious SEO capabilities and custom functionality. WordPress is incredibly powerful for building authority in search engines, and when you have the right setup, it can be a game-changer for practices that need that level of sophistication.
But - and this is important - WordPress really works best when you have someone managing it for you. I design WordPress websites for larger therapy practices who need that power and flexibility, but we're talking about practices with the budget and infrastructure to support ongoing maintenance. If you're a solo therapist or small practice, you probably don't need this level of complexity.
Practice Management Platforms with Website Features (SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, PRACTICE BETTER)
Platforms such as Simple Practice, Therapy Notes & Practice Better are are super convenient because everything lives in one place - your schedule, billing, client notes, and a basic website. But here's the catch: the website features are pretty limited. They work fine if you just need a simple online presence, but they're not going to help you stand out or convert visitors into clients the way a proper marketing website will.
My take? Use these platforms for running your practice, but build your actual marketing website somewhere else. You need those robust features for practice management, but your website is what actually brings clients through the door in the first place.
The Features That Actually Matter for a Therapy Website
Let me save you some time. Here are the features you should actually care about when evaluating website builders:
Mobile Optimization (Non-Negotiable)
I cannot stress this enough. The majority of people searching for a therapist are doing it from their phone. If your website looks broken or weird on mobile, they're bouncing to the next therapist on Google. Make sure whatever platform you choose automatically handles mobile responsiveness. You shouldn't have to do anything special - it should just work.
Easy Content Updates
You need to be able to change your rates, update your bio, or add a new service without calling your nephew who "knows computers." Look for platforms with simple, visual editors where you can see what you're doing as you edit. If the platform requires you to touch code to make basic changes, keep looking.
Built-in Contact Forms
You need a simple way for people to reach out. A good contact form should collect their name, email, phone, and maybe a brief message about what they're looking for. That's it. Don't overcomplicate this. And make sure the form is HIPAA-conscious - you don't want to collect detailed health information through a website form anyway.
Basic SEO Tools
SEO sounds scary but it's really just about making sure Google can find you. Your website builder should let you easily edit page titles, descriptions, and URL structures. If it lets you add alt text to images and has built-in sitemaps, even better. You don't need fancy SEO plugins or tools - just the basics done right.
Decent Load Speed
If your website takes forever to load, people leave. Simple as that. This is one of those behind-the-scenes things that good website builders handle for you automatically. When you're testing platforms, try loading a demo site on your phone. If it feels slow, that's a red flag.
What About HIPAA Compliance?
Okay, this is where people get really stressed out, so let me make this super clear: Your marketing website does not need to be HIPAA compliant.
Your website is for marketing. It's where people learn about you and decide if they want to work with you. You're not storing client information there. You're not sharing session notes. You're just telling people who you are and what you do.
What does need to be HIPAA compliant is anything where you're actually handling protected health information - your client portal, intake forms with detailed health questions, billing systems, that kind of thing. Use dedicated platforms for that stuff, not your website.
Think of it this way: Your website is the front door to your practice. It needs to be welcoming and informative. The actual therapy work happens in a different space entirely, and that's where your HIPAA-compliant tools come in.
Design Matters More Than You Think
I know you're not a designer. But your website's design is doing a lot of heavy lifting for your practice, whether you realize it or not. The colors you choose, the photos you use, the overall vibe of your site - all of that is communicating something to potential clients before they even read a single word.
This is why I'm such a big fan of platforms like Squarespace. Their templates are designed by actual designers who understand things like color psychology and visual hierarchy. You're starting from a place that already looks professional and trustworthy. You just need to customize it to fit your practice.
When you're looking at different website builders, pay attention to their template quality. Do they feel modern or outdated? Do they look like therapy websites or like they're designed for restaurants? Can you easily imagine your content fitting into these layouts? If you're looking at a template and thinking "I have no idea how to make this look good," that's probably not the right platform for you.
I actually wrote a post about what great health and wellness website design looks like if you want to see some examples of websites that really nail the design piece. It might help you understand what to look for when you're evaluating different platforms.
Making Your Final Decision
Okay, so how do you actually choose?
Here's what I recommend: Pick 2-3 platforms that seem like they might work. Sign up for free trials (most platforms offer them). Then spend an hour with each one just poking around. Try to:
Edit some text on a template
Upload a photo
Change the colors
Add a contact form
Preview how it looks on your phone
Pay attention to how it feels. Does the interface make sense to you? Can you figure out how to do basic things without googling every step? Do you feel excited about building your site or do you already feel overwhelmed?
Trust your gut. The "best" website builder is the one you'll actually use and update. If a platform is technically superior but makes you want to cry every time you log in, it's not the right choice for you.
And if you go through this process and realize you just don't want to deal with any of it - that's totally valid too. That's literally why people like me exist. You can always hire someone to build it for you while you focus on what you're actually good at, which is being an amazing therapist.
When You've Outgrown Your Current Platform
At some point, you might realize your website builder isn't cutting it anymore. Maybe you're adding online courses. Maybe you're expanding into a group practice. Maybe you just want more design flexibility. That's normal.
Some signs it might be time to switch:
You keep hitting limitations with what you can do
Your website feels dated and refreshing the design is impossible
You're spending too much time maintaining it
You need features your current platform doesn't offer
The platform is too expensive for what you're actually using
Switching platforms isn't fun, I won't lie. But it's also not the end of the world. Your content is still yours. Your domain is still yours. You're just moving to a new home. If you do decide to make the switch, I wrote a detailed comparison in my website builder for therapists guide that might help you figure out where to move to.
Common Mistakes Therapists Make When Choosing a Website Builder
I've seen therapists make these mistakes over and over, so learn from their experience:
Choosing Based on What Another Therapist Uses
What works for someone else might not work for you. Your colleague who loves WordPress might have a tech-savvy partner who helps with updates. Your friend who swears by Wix might have more time to spend on website design than you do. Make the choice based on your situation, not someone else's.
Overcomplicating the Decision
You don't need every bell and whistle. You need a website that looks professional, loads fast, works on phones, and makes it easy for people to contact you. That's it. Don't get caught up in comparing 47 different features you'll never actually use.
Waiting for the Perfect Platform
There is no perfect platform. They all have pros and cons. Pick something good enough and get your website live. Waiting another six months to make the "right" choice means six months of lost clients. Imperfect action beats perfect inaction every single time.
Ignoring the Learning Curve
That platform might have every feature you could ever dream of, but if you need a weekend workshop to figure out how to use it, is it really the right choice? Be honest with yourself about how much time and energy you want to invest in learning new software.
Your Next Steps
So where do you go from here? Here's my advice:
If you're brand new to private practice and need something straightforward, start with Squarespace. It's the safe choice that rarely disappoints. The templates look professional right out of the box, the editor is intuitive, and you can have a full therapy website up in a weekend. You can check out my detailed breakdown of website builders to see exactly why I recommend it.
If you're already established and thinking about expanding into courses or coaching, look at Kajabi. It's pricier, but if you're going to use all its features, it pays for itself. Just don't jump to Kajabi too early - you need to be ready to leverage all those tools.
If you're tech-savvy and want complete control, WordPress might be your jam. Just know what you're signing up for in terms of maintenance and management. Maybe check out some examples of what great mental health websites look like first to get inspired by what's possible.
And honestly? If you get through all of this and realize you just want someone to handle it for you - I get it. Building a website isn't everyone's thing, and that's completely fine. You have other things to focus on, like actually running your practice and helping your clients.
Let's Make This Happen
Your future clients are out there right now, searching for a therapist who can help them. They're looking at websites, trying to figure out who feels like the right fit. Don't let analysis paralysis stop you from getting your website live.
Pick a platform, give it a weekend, and see what you can create. It doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to exist. You can always improve it later.
And hey, if you want a professionally designed therapy website that actually converts those late-night Google searches into booked clients without the DIY headache, I'd love to chat about how I can help. I've built websites for dozens of therapists and I know exactly what works for your industry.
Either way, stop overthinking it. Your practice deserves a website that works as hard as you do. Let's make it happen.
