Is Your Therapy Website Pushing Clients Away? 5 Common Mistakes to Fix
You put your heart and energy into supporting clients every day. You didn’t sign up to be a marketer. You signed up to help people heal.
But here’s the hard truth: if your therapy website isn’t working for you, it might actually be working against you.
For many potential clients, your website is their first “hello.” Before they email, call, or even think about booking a session, they’re scrolling your homepage and silently asking themselves:
Do I feel safe here?
Do I feel understood?
Does this therapist actually get what I’m going through?
Or will I just feel like another number?
And if your site feels outdated (so many therapy websites are still stuck in the Friends and Seinfeld era 😩), too clinical, or just plain confusing, they might click away before you ever get the chance to connect.
The good news? Most therapy website mistakes are surprisingly easy to fix. If your site is straight out of the 90s or early 2000s, you probably need a full redesign (web design has evolved a lot since then).
But if it just needs some love? Here are the five biggest mistakes I see, and how you can turn them into opportunities to connect.
1. Speaking in Jargon Instead of Client Language
If your service pages sound like they were written for a graduate seminar, you’re not alone. Many therapists default to clinical language because it’s familiar. Some even believe big words = more credibility.
But here’s the thing: you’re not writing for professors. You’re writing for people in pain.
Potential clients aren’t Googling “cognitive behavioral interventions.” They’re typing in things like:
“Why do I feel anxious all the time?”
“Help for high-functioning anxiety near me.”
“Do I have PTSD?”
And if your website leans too heavily on acronyms like CBT, DBT, or EFT, you might lose them before they ever realize you’re the therapist they’ve been searching for. (True story: the first time I saw EFT, I thought it meant Electronic Funds Transfer 🤷🏼♀️.)
👉 Fix: Write like you would in a first session. Use plain, compassionate language that validates their experience. You can still mention your training, but frame it around what your clients want most: relief, connection, hope.
2. Hiding the “Human” Behind Credentials
Your degrees and licenses? Impressive. You worked hard for them. But they aren’t usually the deciding factor when someone chooses you.
People say yes to therapy when they feel safe, seen, and connected. If your About page reads like a résumé, you’re hiding your most powerful asset: your humanity.
With that said, it’s important to show your potential clients that you know your stuff. AI and Google like websites that illustrate your expertise. So, it’s a little bit of a juggling act.
👉 Fix: Share your “origin story” (yes, Marvel-style 🦸♀️). Why did you choose this line of work? How do your clients describe you? What values keep you coming back to the therapy room every day? Pair that with a warm, inviting photo, and your website suddenly feels like a genuine introduction, not just a list of credentials. It’s a-ok to list your credentials somewhere on your site, but consider saying things like, “My 15 years of experience,” or “Working in a men’s shelter for twelve years expanded my skills in…”
3. Outdated or Cluttered Website Design
Picture this: you land on a site with clunky menus, broken links, and a banner that still says “Telehealth During COVID.” Yikes.
In today’s world, your website is your digital office. If it looks messy or outdated, people assume working with you will feel the same way.
👉 Fix: Make your site feel like a space clients want to step into. That means:
Mobile-friendly design (many clients are searching on their phones).
Secure (HTTPS) so visitors know their info is safe.
Clear, simple navigation.
Current info and fresh photos (no headshots from 2010).
Even small design upgrades can shift your site from “meh” to modern, trustworthy, and client-friendly.
4. Skipping the Blog (or Letting It Collect Dust)
I hear this all the time: “I don’t have time to blog.” Totally fair. You’re busy helping real humans, not churning out content.
But here’s why a blog matters:
It boosts your SEO, allowing more people to find you online.
It shows Google (and potential clients) that you’re credible and trustworthy. This is known as
E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. (⬅️I wrote about it, if you wanna click on it!)
It lets people experience your voice and approach before reaching out.
Fresh content signals your practice is active and engaged.
When your blog is non-existent or hasn’t been updated since 2019, it can send the wrong message.
👉 Fix: Post once a month. Keep it simple: answer a common client question, share insight on a therapy topic, or write about something you’re genuinely passionate about. And if writing isn’t your thing? Outsource it. (Hi, that’s literally what I do 👋.)
5. No Clear Call to Action
This might be the #1 mistake I see.
Your homepage may be strong, but without a clear next step, visitors are left hanging.
👉 Fix: Every page needs a warm, clear call to action (CTA). Examples:
“Schedule Your Free Consultation”
“Contact Me to Get Started”
“Reach Out Today. Healing Begins Here”
It’s not pushy, it’s clarity. Without it, you risk losing clients who actually want to work with you but aren’t sure how to take the next step.
Your Website Can Be a Welcome Mat
If you’re realizing your website might be guilty of a few of these therapy website mistakes, don’t beat yourself up. You weren’t trained in marketing. You were trained to help people heal.
And the best part? These fixes are simple.
✅ Use client-friendly language
✅ Show your humanity
✅ Keep your site fresh and current
✅ Blog consistently
✅ Add clear CTAs
Do that, and your therapy website transforms from “just okay” to genuinely connecting with the people who need you most.
And if you don’t want to DIY it? That’s my sweet spot. I help therapists create websites that feel authentic, compassionate, and client-friendly, so your work gets seen by the clients who need you most.
Because your work matters. And the right words can make all the difference.
Frequently Asked Questions About Therapy Websites
Q: Why isn’t my therapy website bringing in clients?
A: It’s often unclear copy, outdated design, or no clear next step. Fixing these helps clients connect and reach out.
Q: Do I really need a blog on my therapy website?
A: Yes. A blog builds trust, boosts SEO, and demonstrates to clients that your practice is active and credible.
Q: How often should I update my therapy website?
A: At least once a year, or anytime your services, fees, or contact info change. And consider design tweaks every two to three years to keep it fresh.
Q: What’s the #1 mistake therapists make with websites?
A: No clear call to action. Without a “Schedule Now” button, clients don’t know what to do next.
Q: How do I make my therapy website more client-friendly?
A: Use plain language, show your personality, keep design fresh, blog consistently, and add clear CTAs.
Suzanne Griffin is a mental health copywriter who helps therapists, group practices, and wellness providers across the US and Canada find the right words to reach the people who need them most. With nearly a decade of professional writing experience, she blends strategy, SEO, and empathy to craft content that builds trust with both clients and Google. Passionate about reducing stigma and translating clinical expertise into client-friendly content, Suzanne ensures therapists’ voices shine online. Based in Orlando, Florida, she can usually be found with her nose in a book, snuggling with her dog and cats, or brainstorming her next blog idea.
