Question 1

Do I really need a website, or is a Psychology Today profile enough?

Accepted Answer

You need some kind of web presence. Whether that means a full website depends on how your clients find you.

If referrals keep your caseload full, a directory profile and a Google listing can be enough for now. If you want to fill openings from people searching, a website matters. A directory profile is shared space: every page looks alike, and you don't control how it ranks or what it costs next year. Your own site is the one place where you set the story.

Most practices that want to grow end up with both, and the two work best when they point at each other.

Question 2

Is Psychology Today still worth paying for?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your practice, and therapists report very different results. Some private-pay therapists say it sends them a client or two every few months. Others keep a profile mainly because it needs no upkeep.

Treat it as one door, not the whole house. Keep the profile complete and current, link it to your website, and count the inquiries it actually sends you over six months. Then decide with your own numbers.

Question 3

My referrals keep me busy. Do I still need marketing?

Accepted Answer

Word of mouth is the best source there is, and nothing here replaces it. But referrals can dry up when a referrer retires, moves or fills their own caseload.

A clear, simple site means that when someone searches your name after a recommendation, they find something that sounds like you. Think of it as a first impression and a safety net, not a growth campaign.

Question 4

How long does SEO take?

Accepted Answer

Longer than anyone wants. Most practices see early movement within a few months, and it keeps building after that. In busy cities it can take longer.

Pages for specific searches, like "EMDR therapist in Seattle", usually start showing up before broad ones like "therapist near me". Anyone who promises page one in 30 days in a big city is selling something.

Question 5

Can you guarantee page one on Google?

Accepted Answer

No, and nobody honest can. Google decides rankings, not us.

What we can do is the work that moves them: a clear page for each specialty, a complete Google profile, fast mobile pages, and clear updates on what changed and what's moving. If an agency guarantees a ranking, ask them how.

Question 6

Will I show up when someone asks ChatGPT for a therapist?

Accepted Answer

Nobody can promise that, so be wary of anyone who does. AI tools tend to be careful about naming individual therapists, and they draw on more than your website: directories, your Google profile, local mentions and how consistently you're described across all of them.

What helps is saying clearly who you help and where, in the same words, everywhere you appear. That helps Google and real people too. A quick test: ask ChatGPT the way a client would, with your city and your specialty, and see what comes back.

Question 7

Do I need a Google Business Profile? What if I work from home?

Accepted Answer

Yes, claim and verify one. It's what puts you in the map results when someone searches "therapist near me".

If you work from home or only see clients online, you can set it up as a service-area business and hide your street address. Keep your practice name, address and phone number identical across your website, Google, Apple Maps and your directories. Changing an address after verification can trigger a suspension, so make those changes carefully and ask us before you move.

Question 8

Why do I need a separate page for each specialty?

Accepted Answer

Because clients search for the problem, not the method. Someone types "anxiety therapist" or "couples counseling" plus a city, and Google shows the page that matches.

One services page that lists everything gives you a weak match for all of those searches. Separate pages let each one speak directly to the person searching, in your voice.

Question 9

Do I need a blog?

Accepted Answer

Not at the start. Specialty pages and a good Google profile come first. A blog helps over time if you can keep it going, because it answers the questions people ask before they book.

A blog with three posts from 2021 doesn't help anyone. If writing isn't for you, skip it. We'd rather build something you'll keep up than something that goes stale.

Question 10

Can I use AI to write my website or blog?

Accepted Answer

You can, with care. Google says it looks at whether content is helpful, not how it was made. But unedited AI text tends to read as generic, and clients notice.

Use AI for first drafts and ideas, then rewrite in your own voice and check every clinical claim yourself. And never paste client details or session notes into a general AI tool.

Question 11

I get visitors but no inquiries. What's wrong?

Accepted Answer

It's usually a few small things rather than one big one. The page doesn't say who you help in the first few seconds. It opens with your credentials instead of the client's problem. There's too much on it, or no obvious next step. Or the fees and insurance are hidden.

The fix is rarely more traffic. It's a clearer page and one calm next step, like a free consult. Book a free call and we'll look at your site with you.

Question 12

Should I list my fees and insurance on my website?

Accepted Answer

Yes. "Do you take my insurance?" and "What does a session cost?" are two of the questions that decide whether someone reaches out. Say which plans you accept, whether you provide superbills for out-of-network reimbursement, your private-pay rate, and whether you offer a sliding scale.

If you'd rather not publish a number, say how someone can find out. People who can't find an answer often move on to a therapist who gives one.

Question 13

Can I put client testimonials on my website?

Accepted Answer

Be careful. The APA, ACA and NASW ethics codes say not to solicit testimonials from clients, because of the power gap in therapy. Some regulators, including in Canada, go further and don't allow therapists to use client reviews at all.

Reviews that clients leave on their own, on Google for example, are a separate matter, but replying to one can confirm that someone is your client, which is a confidentiality problem. So we don't build client testimonials into therapist sites. Trust comes from a warm bio, a clear approach, real photos, your credentials, and a plain description of what a first session is like.

Rules differ by profession, state and country, so check with your own board.

Question 14

Are Google Ads worth it for a therapy practice?

Accepted Answer

They can be, but they're not where we'd start. Ads make sense when you have openings to fill now and a website that turns visitors into inquiries. Without that, you pay for clicks that go nowhere.

Work out what one new long-term client is worth to you, then track the cost per inquiry, not the number of clicks. Start small and measure. And keep ad tracking away from pages where visitors share anything private (see the tracking question under Privacy and HIPAA).

Plain answers to real questions.

Do I need a website?

Getting found on Google and AI

Turning visitors into inquiries

Ask us. You’ll get a plain answer.

Plain answers to real questions.

Do I need a website?

01Do I really need a website, or is a Psychology Today profile enough?

02Is Psychology Today still worth paying for?

03My referrals keep me busy. Do I still need marketing?

Getting found on Google and AI

01How long does SEO take?

02Can you guarantee page one on Google?

03Will I show up when someone asks ChatGPT for a therapist?

04Do I need a Google Business Profile? What if I work from home?

05Why do I need a separate page for each specialty?

06Do I need a blog?

07Can I use AI to write my website or blog?

Turning visitors into inquiries

01I get visitors but no inquiries. What's wrong?

02Should I list my fees and insurance on my website?

03Can I put client testimonials on my website?

04Are Google Ads worth it for a therapy practice?

Ask us. You’ll get a plain answer.