A therapist website that makes the first step feel a little easier.

The hardest part is the first message

Many people who look for a therapist have thought about it for months. When they finally search, they open several websites in a row and read your About page more closely than any other. They are not comparing technique. They are asking whether you seem kind, whether you seem to understand people like them, and whether they could say something hard to you.

Write that page in the first person, in your own voice. Say who you work with, what a session is like, and what you believe about change, in a few honest paragraphs.

Practical information, stated plainly

• Your fee per session, and whether you offer a sliding scale
• Whether you take insurance, are out-of-network, or provide a superbill
• Which states you are licensed in, for video sessions
• Your cancellation policy
• Whether you are accepting new clients now or keeping a waitlist

These facts spare people the awkwardness of asking. Keep a note that the site is not for emergencies, with the national 988 line for people in crisis.

Contact without pressure

Some clients prefer to email. Others want to hear your voice first. Offer both: a short form and a bookable 15-minute call. Approve each request yourself so you can see whether you are a fit before anything is confirmed. Make clear that anything private belongs in the session, not in the form, and keep clinical details out of email.

What someone checks before reaching out to a therapist

People looking for a therapist often read several sites late at night and say nothing to anyone. Beyond the About page, the practical details decide who gets the first message:

• Whether you work with their concern and their age group, couples or families
• Whether you see people in person, by video, or both
• Evening and weekend availability
• How long a session is and how often people usually come
• What happens in the first conversation, and whether it costs anything

Put them on the Fees and First session pages, so nobody has to ask about money in their first message.

Which apps a private practice uses, and which to keep off

Appointments with approve-each mode is the core: offer a free intro call and a first session as separate services, and nothing is confirmed until you accept. The person gets a confirmation and a reminder email with a link to reschedule. It asks for a name, email, phone and a short note; label the note so people know not to write about what they are going through. It takes no payments and holds no clinical records.

The announcement bar is for time away or a waitlist that has opened. The AI Agent can answer fees, location and how video sessions work, but many therapists leave it off, since a person in distress shouldn't be talking to a bot; if you turn it on, give it the 988 line and tell it not to discuss anyone's situation. Contacts keeps intro calls in one list. Skip the Photo gallery.

A walk through the Open Door Counseling example

Open Door Counseling is the made-up practice in the preview, with the line a calm, confidential space to talk things through and a Book a free intro call button. How I work is written in the first person. Fees lists the session fee, the sliding scale and insurance details. First session says what the hour is like. Get in touch has the email, the intro call calendar and the crisis note.

Its free address is opendoorcounseling.dollarsite.page, and you can connect a domain you own once it is live. You can build yours by talking to Chip about your practice, or by sending a few phone photos of the office and a portrait.

When directories and referrals already send clients

Many therapists get most inquiries from therapist directories, insurance panels and colleagues. Keep those listings. A person who finds you there usually searches your name next, and your own site gives them more of your voice than a directory profile can. Link it from each listing that allows a website, and keep fees and availability matching. The board that licenses you and your professional code set the rules on titles, advertising and client quotes, so check them before describing credentials or outcomes.

Telehealth, location and the room

If you see people by video, say which states you are licensed in, how the session works, what technology they need and what to do if the connection fails. If you see people in person, describe the building, the waiting area and the parking. People worry about being seen walking in, so mention whether the entrance is private. These small facts remove practical objections and make that first message easier to send.