What to Look for in a Therapist Website Designer
Not All Designers Understand Therapy Practices
Designing for a therapist isn’t like designing for a restaurant or retail brand. Your industry has unique constraints—HIPAA awareness, ethical considerations, sensitive client journey, directory optimization. The right designer understands this context.
BethanyWorks, led by Bethany McCamish, specializes in psychology-backed branding for therapists. This buying guide helps you evaluate designers and find the right partner for your practice.
Essential Qualities in a Therapist Website Designer
1. Experience with Therapists or Healthcare
Why it matters:
Designers who’ve worked with therapists understand:
- Psychology Today integration
- HIPAA-aware form handling
- How clients actually find therapists
- Ethical constraints on marketing
- The sensitivity of the client journey
What to ask:
- “How many therapist websites have you designed?”
- “What do you know about HIPAA considerations?”
- “How do you handle scheduling integration?”
Red flag:
“What’s Psychology Today?”
2. Strategy, Not Just Design
Why it matters:
A pretty website isn’t useful if it doesn’t attract clients. Strategy includes:
- Understanding your ideal client
- Positioning your specialty
- Optimizing for search
- Converting visitors to inquiries
What to ask:
- “How do you approach strategy before design?”
- “How will you optimize for my ideal clients?”
- “What makes a therapy website effective, not just attractive?”
Red flag:
Jumping straight to colors and fonts without strategy discussion.
3. Mobile-First Approach
Why it matters:
60%+ of therapy searches are mobile. Your site must work perfectly on phones—not as an afterthought.
What to ask:
- “How do you approach mobile design?”
- “Will you show me mobile versions during the process?”
- “How do you test mobile experience?”
Red flag:
“The template is responsive, so it’ll be fine.”
4. SEO Awareness
Why it matters:
Being found in search matters for therapists. You need at least foundational SEO:
- Page titles and descriptions
- Local optimization
- Site structure for search
What to ask:
- “What SEO work is included?”
- “How will the site be structured for search?”
- “Do you do keyword research?”
Red flag:
“SEO is separate—you’d need another provider.”
5. Clear Process and Communication
Why it matters:
Web projects can drag on forever without clear process. You need:
- Defined timeline
- Clear milestones
- Regular communication
- Revision parameters
What to ask:
- “What’s your typical timeline?”
- “How do revisions work?”
- “How will we communicate during the project?”
Red flag:
Vague answers or no defined process.
6. Ongoing Support Options
Why it matters:
After launch, you’ll have questions and need updates. Support options:
- Training on how to update
- Ongoing maintenance packages
- Availability for questions
What to ask:
- “What training do you provide?”
- “What support do you offer after launch?”
- “What if I need updates in 6 months?”
Red flag:
“Handoff is final—you’re on your own after launch.”
Portfolio Evaluation
When reviewing designer portfolios for therapist websites:
Good Signs
- Multiple therapy/healthcare sites
- Sites that don’t all look the same
- Clear calls to action
- Professional photography
- Mobile versions that work well
- Fast loading
- Clear positioning on each site
Concerning Signs
- All sites look identical
- Generic stock imagery
- No therapy/healthcare experience
- Sites that are slow or broken
- No mobile examples
- Unclear calls to action
Questions About Portfolio Pieces
- “What was the strategy for this site?”
- “What results did this client achieve?”
- “Why did you make this design choice?”
The Right Price Range
What to Expect
Budget options ($1,000-3,000):
- Template-based with customization
- Limited strategy
- Basic functionality
- May be newer designer
Mid-range ($3,000-8,000):
- More customization
- Some strategic work
- Standard features included
- Experienced freelancer
Professional ($8,000-15,000+):
- Custom design
- Strategy-first approach
- Full feature set
- Agency or senior freelancer
- Comprehensive service
What You’re Paying For
- Strategy and discovery time
- Design customization
- Development work
- Revisions
- Communication and project management
- Training and support
Price Red Flags
- Too low: Under $1,000 usually means template-only or very junior
- Unexplained high price: Can’t articulate what you’re paying for
- No clear scope: Price without defined deliverables
Important Questions to Ask
Before hiring, ask:
- “Can you show me therapist websites you’ve designed?”
- “What’s your understanding of how clients find therapists?”
- “What strategy work happens before design?”
- “What’s your timeline and process?”
- “What’s included vs. additional cost?”
- “How do revisions work?”
- “What platforms do you use, and why?”
- “What SEO work is included?”
- “What training do you provide?”
- “What happens if I need changes after launch?”
Warning Signs
Avoid designers who:
- Have no healthcare experience and don’t ask questions
- Can’t explain their process
- Give vague timelines
- Don’t discuss strategy
- Show only generic portfolios
- Pressure you to decide quickly
- Won’t provide references
- Don’t listen to your concerns
Working with BethanyWorks
At BethanyWorks, we specialize in psychology-backed branding for therapists:
What’s included:
- Deep strategy before design
- Archetype-based positioning (Brandcend® methodology)
- Custom Showit website design
- WordPress blog integration
- SEO foundation
- Training and support
Investment:
- Brand + Website starts at $10,998
- Comprehensive Brandcend® experience: $34,997.99
Ready to discuss your website needs? Book a discovery call to explore the approach.
About BethanyWorks: Psychology-backed brand strategy and design for women-owned service businesses. Founded by Bethany McCamish, TEDx speaker and 2x founder. bethanyworks.com/contact/
About BethanyWorks: Bethany Works ® is a creative agency based in Portland Oregon, serving clients across the US, in Canada, and globally. We specialize in building psychology-backed brands that consider consumer behavior and building stunning, interactive websites. We also support our clients with marketing services with a focus on SEO, AEO, and email marketing.
RESULTS THAT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES
Download our case studies + client experiences to review the impact our website design and brand strategy services have beyond the stunning deliverables you’ll find in our portfolio.
