Do Therapists Need a Website If They're on Psychology Today?

I think most therapists in private practice are better off with a website, but not all of them need one right now. Psychology Today is a paid directory of therapists. It is a good way to be seen, yet you sit on a page next to many other therapists. A website is the one place online where only you are on the page, and it is where people go to check you out after a friend, a doctor or Google points them to you.

Below I compare a website, a Psychology Today profile and a Google profile, show how they fit together, and explain when it is fine to skip a website for now.

What does each one do for your practice?

Each tool does a different job. The table sums it up. Prices are as of November 2026.

A Google Business Profile is the free listing that shows your practice on Google Maps and in the map box on Google search. I cover setup in my Google Business Profile guide for therapists.

A domain is your web address, such as yourname-therapy.com. You pay for it each year, and it stays yours, as long as it is registered in your name, even if you change who builds your site.

What a website does that a directory can’t

A directory is built to compare therapists. That is its job. A website is built to help one person decide about one therapist: you.

Here is what a website lets you do that a directory profile doesn’t:

• Speak to the clients you want. You can write a full page about couples, teens or trauma work, in the words your clients use. A profile gives you a few fields and a short statement.
• Answer the questions that stop people. Fees, insurance, what the first session is like, how long people come, what happens if they cancel. Clear answers save you time on calls with people who are not a good fit.
• Send people to booking. You can link straight to the booking page in your practice software, so people can pick a time without waiting for a call back.
• Look steady and real. When someone hears your name, they often search it. A clear site with your photo, license and contact details tells them you are who you say you are.
• Keep what you build. A directory can change its layout, rules or price. Your own words on your own domain stay with you.

One privacy point matters here. A contact form on a therapy website is for first questions, such as “Do you have openings?” It is not the place for health details. Add a short note asking people not to share clinical details there, plus crisis numbers (988 and 911). Secure messages belong in your practice software.

What Psychology Today does better

A website on its own is hard to find. People have to know your name, or your site has to show up on Google, and that can take months. A directory skips that wait.

Psychology Today gives you:

• A place where people are already looking. People go there to browse therapists by area, issue and insurance.
• A license check. The “Verified” seal means Psychology Today staff checked your main license against state or professional databases, and re-check it when it renews. That builds trust you would have to earn on your own.
• Your story in their format. You get an intro video, a personal statement, a photo gallery and a protected phone number, according to its sign-up page.
• A link to your website. That same page says your profile can link to your own site. Use it.

I share some tips on writing a strong profile in my post on making your Psychology Today profile work.

How the three work together

Think of it as three doors into one room. A person might find you on Psychology Today, on Google Maps, or through a friend who says, “Look up Dr. Lee.” Each door should lead to the same clear place: your website, where they can learn more and book.

A simple setup looks like this:

1. Google profile: your practice name, address (if allowed), phone, hours and a link to your website.
2. Psychology Today: a full profile with the same photo and specialty words, plus a link to your website.
3. Website: the full story, fees, and a booking button or phone number on every page.

Keep your practice name, phone number and address the same in all three. It is simpler for clients and avoids mix-ups.

Google says its local results depend on relevance, distance and popularity, and that there is no way to pay for a better local ranking. So no one can promise you a top spot. What you can do is make each profile complete and true, then link them to each other. My plain guide to how clients find you on Google covers the rest.

Telehealth only? You cannot have a Google profile

This rule surprises some online-only therapists. Google allows a business profile only if your business has a place clients can visit, or you travel to clients. A rented mailing address or a virtual office does not count.

So if you only see clients by video, you cannot have a Google profile. For you, Psychology Today and your own website do more of the work. Your website is where you can say clearly which states you are licensed in and how online sessions work.

When you can skip a website (for now)

A website is a tool, not a must. You can reasonably wait if one of these fits you:

• Your caseload is full from referrals you trust, and you are not trying to change who you see.
• You work for a group practice or agency that has its own site and books clients for you.
• You are just starting and money is tight. Begin with a complete Psychology Today profile and a Google profile (if you are eligible). Add a site when you can.
• You are winding down and not taking new clients.

If you skip a website, check your other listings often. Make sure your phone number, hours and openings are right. Old details turn people away quietly.

When a website is worth it

A website earns its keep when you want something to change. For example:

• You want more of a certain kind of client, such as couples, teens or people with trauma.
• You want to move to private pay and need to explain your fees and value.
• You get referrals that don’t turn into bookings because people can’t learn enough about you.
• You are opening a group practice and need one place to show each clinician.

What it costs depends on who builds it. You can do it yourself with a site builder, hire a freelancer, or pay a monthly service. I compare real prices in my breakdown of therapist website costs.

A simple test you can do today

Before you decide, look at yourself the way a new client would. Take five minutes:

1. On your phone, search your full name plus “therapist.”
2. Then search “therapist” plus your town or ZIP code.
3. Write down what shows up. Is it your profile, an old job page, or nothing?
4. Ask yourself: could a stranger tell who I help, how much I cost, and how to book, in under a minute?

If the answer is no, a website (or better profiles) will help. If the answer is yes and you are busy, you may be fine as you are.

What to do next

• Search your name and town on your phone and note what you find.
• If you are eligible, claim or update your free Google Business Profile.
• Fill in every part of your Psychology Today profile and add your website link.
• If you decide to build a site, start with my step-by-step guide to building a therapy website.

If you would rather not build it yourself, this is what I do at HealerSites. It’s $75 a month on a 12-month plan with no build fee, or a $1,500 build fee, paid in two halves (at design approval and at launch), then $25 a month. Both include five pages that I write for you, your booking link, and a tune-up of your Google profile and Psychology Today text during the build. I can’t promise rankings or new clients. Nobody honestly can. You can read more about me or contact me with questions.

I checked every fact in this post against the sources linked above in November 2026.