Most therapists don’t know whether their website is actually helping their practice.
You create your site when you start your business, update it once or twice, and then… life and caseloads take over. Suddenly your website is a few years old, doesn’t quite sound like you anymore, and you’re wondering:
- “Does my website feel like my practice?”
- “Is it attracting the right people?”
“Is it doing anything behind the scenes — or just sitting there?”
If you’re unsure, you’re not alone.
And more importantly: your website may be holding you back without you realizing it.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the seven clearest signs that your therapist website needs an update — and how to fix each one.
If you’re a mental health therapist, counselor, psychologist, SLP, or coach wanting a website that reflects your actual work, your actual voice, and your actual impact… this is for you.
Let’s dive in.
1. You’re Getting Traffic… But Very Few Inquiries
(The silent red flag most therapists miss)
You might be surprised: many therapist websites get decent traffic.
But traffic isn’t the goal.
Conversion is.
If your website has:
- Views but no contact form submissions
- Lots of clicks but zero consult calls
- Page views but no inquiries
- A handful of inquiries but not from your ideal clients
Then your website likely isn’t clearly communicating:
- who you help
- what you help with
- what the next step is
This is an extremely common issue — mostly because therapists are taught to write clinical, credential-heavy content rather than clear, client-friendly language.
👉 What to do
Start with your homepage hero section.
In the first 5 seconds, a visitor should see:
- What you do
- Who you help
- How you help
- What to do next
If that’s missing?
Your website is leaking potential inquiries every single day.
2. Your Homepage Doesn’t Answer “Who You Help & What You Do” Immediately
When someone lands on your site, they’re asking:
- “Is this person for me?”
- “Do they help with what I’m struggling with?”
If that’s unclear, they leave.
Not because you’re not qualified — but because they’re overwhelmed.
Therapists often start with:
“I’m a licensed professional counselor with…”
But a client doesn’t start there.
They start with their problem. Their worry. Their hope.
Examples of effective 5-second clarity:
- “Therapy for teens struggling with anxiety, overwhelm, and emotional burnout.”
- “Support for adults navigating stress, overwhelm, and major life transitions.”
- “Speech therapy that helps your child communicate with clarity and confidence.”
Clear beats poetic.
Clear beats clever.
Clear beats clinical.
👉 What to do
Rewrite your homepage hero to be:
- direct
- client-centered
- niche-specific
If you’re unsure how, my new course,
👉 Write Your Website: A Clear, Confidence-Building Guide for Therapists,
walks you through how to nail this in 10 minutes using a simple formula anyone can follow.
3. Your Website Sounds Like It’s Written for Colleagues, Not Clients
This is the #1 reason therapists’ websites don’t convert.
Signs your site is written for colleagues:
- you list your modalities but not the outcomes
- you use jargon (regulation, executive functioning, pragmatic language, attachment wounds…)
- paragraphs are long, clinical, or formal
- the tone feels like a graduate school paper
👉 What to do
Rewrite each section in plain language, the way you talk in session on a warm, grounded, regulated day.
If you need help simplifying your writing without “dumbing it down,”
Module 9 in my website copy course teaches a read-out-loud clarity test that works every time.
4. You Don’t Have Clear, Repeated Calls to Action (CTAs)
(And people don’t know how to take the next step)
If your website isn’t guiding someone toward the next step, it is not working for you.
Most therapist websites use:
- “Learn more”
- “Read more”
- “Contact” (in a tiny corner)
- “Get in touch” (with no info)
These CTAs feel vague and low priority.
What works infinitely better:
- “Schedule a free consultation”
- “Book a clarity call”
- “Request a consult”
“Start here”
And not just once.
Place CTAs strategically:
- Above the fold
- At the end of each page
- After describing a service
- On the About page
On the Contact page
👉 What to do
Choose ONE consistent CTA for your whole site.
If you offer online scheduling, a Book Now button dramatically increases conversions.
I teach the “low friction CTA rule” in depth in Module 6 of my new course if you want help implementing it.
5. Your Website Reflects Your Old Niche (Not the Work You Do Now)
Therapists evolve.
Your niche evolves.
Your confidence evolves.
Your services evolve.
Your population evolves.
Your voice evolves.
But your website?
It probably hasn’t caught up.
Here are signs your website is outdated:
- You’re attracting clients you don’t want to work with
- You’re trying to “appeal to everyone”
- You’ve added services but not updated your site
- You’re still describing a niche you no longer focus on
- Your specialties page feels random or vague
- You use old modalities or approaches you no longer practice
Your website should reflect:
- the clients you MOST want right now
- the work that lights you up
- the people you serve best
Not who you were 2, 5, or 10 years ago.
👉 What to do
Ask yourself:
“If my dream client landed here today…
would they know this site was meant for them?”
If not, it’s time for an update.
6. You Don’t Feel Proud Sharing Your Website
This is a HUGE sign therapists ignore.
If you feel uncomfortable sharing your site:
- on social media
- with referral sources
- with potential clients
- in networking groups
- in your email signature
…it means something is misaligned.
Maybe:
- the copy doesn’t sound like you
- your services aren’t well explained
- the design doesn’t feel modern
- you’ve grown and your site feels “behind”
- something about it feels off but you can’t pinpoint what
Your website should:
- reflect your professionalism
- feel aligned with your values
- make you proud to share it
- help you confidently say, “Here’s how I can help”
👉 What to do
This is exactly why I launched my therapist web design service.
If you want a fresh look, warm messaging and a website you’re proud to share, we can work together to update your site with a modern, therapist-centered layout and clear, conversion-friendly language.
7. People Tell You They Weren’t Sure What You Do or How to Start
(The most honest feedback you can get — but the easiest to miss)
Have you ever heard a potential client say:
- “I wasn’t sure if you were taking new clients.”
- “I didn’t know if you worked with adults too.”
- “I wasn’t sure how to book a session.”
- “I didn’t know what kind of therapy you do.”
- “I couldn’t tell if you do in-person or virtual.”
When people are confused, they don’t ask.
They leave.
Clear websites answer the client’s questions before they even ask them.
👉 What to do
Make every page answer:
- What you do
- Who you help
- What the process looks like
- What to do next
Your website should make the next step feel simple and safe.
How to Fix Your Website Without Overwhelm
If you’re reading this thinking:
“Okay… my site does at least half of these.”
You’re exactly who I created my new website copy course for:
👉 Website Copy in a Weekend: A Clear, Step-by-Step Writing Guide for Therapists
(A simple guide to writing every page of your website — in a weekend.)
This therapist-centered guide gives you:
- A full homepage template
- Service page templates
- About page framework
- CTA strategy
- Contact page blueprint
- Client-friendly language formulas
- Editing and clarity tools
- A Weekend Website Plan
- “Your Turn” implementation prompts
- Real examples (mental health + SLP)
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed writing your website, this will simplify everything.
👉 You can grab it here.
Or, If You Want Someone to Build Your Website For You…
I also offer done-for-you therapist website design that’s:
- clean
- warm
- modern
- mobile-friendly
- optimized for therapist audiences
- built with clear, client-centered copy
- easy to update
- fast to launch
If your website needs more than a copy refresh — if it needs a full redesign or new layout — you can schedule a time for us to talk about it here:
Final Thoughts on Your Website
Your website should be working for you —
- bringing in aligned clients
- reflecting your values
- communicating clearly
- making conversion easy
- supporting your practice growth
If it’s not doing that?
It’s time for a refresh.
And it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
You can update your website with clarity, confidence and ease — and I’m happy to help when you’re ready!