Counsellor website design: a guide for therapists in Spain

If you work as a counsellor, psychologist or therapist in Spain, your website is often the first thing potential clients check before they get in touch. Someone looking for support compares practitioners nearby, reads how each one works and decides who feels right to talk to. This guide to counsellor website design covers what your site should include, a calm design and tone, confidentiality, the Spanish rules on health advertising and what a website costs. To see an example, explore our demo for psychologists (psicologos.webautonomos.es).

Would you rather we built it for you? See our websites for therapists in Spain: you get a free demo within 24 hours, before you pay.

Why does a counsellor or therapist need a website?

A practice website gives potential clients a calm place to learn who you are, how you work and how to book before they reach out. Unlike a directory or social media, it is a space you control.

Asking for help, and making that first call, is a highly personal decision. Today, the search often starts on Google, with phrases such as ‘English-speaking therapist in Alicante’, ‘counsellor in Valencia’ or ‘online therapy’, and ends on a website that inspires trust. Without one, you appear at best in a directory, next to other practitioners.

Your own site is the starting point of your practice’s online presence and marketing. There, a potential client can find your training and approach, and see what a first appointment is like. GPs and other mental health professionals may also look at it before referring someone to you.

What pages should a therapist website include?

A therapist website needs a home page, an about page, your services, your location and fees, an easy way to get in touch and a short FAQ. A few clear pages with a simple structure work best, whether you run a private practice or belong to a larger centre. Our checklist of essential website elements covers the basics.

Home page: who you are, who you help and how to take the first step

Your home page should answer three things straight away: who you are (for example, ‘English-speaking counsellor in Jávea’ or ‘psychologist in Valencia’), who you see (adults, teenagers, couples) and how to book. A visible ‘Book an appointment’ or WhatsApp button means nobody has to search for a way to reach you.

About page: training, Colegio membership and experience

This is where a reader decides whether you are a good fit and whether they can trust you. A helpful about page includes:

• Your name, a photo and, if you are a psychologist, your Colegio (the official professional association) and colegiado number.
• Your training and years of experience.
• The areas you focus on, such as child, perinatal or sport psychology, or bereavement counselling.
• Your approach in plain words: what happens in a session and how the process works.

To present your story with confidence, these tips on building your personal brand can help.

Location, opening hours and fees

Visitors want to know early on where you are and what it costs:

• Your practice address (street, number and town), with a map and how to get there: parking, bus or metro.
• Opening hours, including whether you see clients in the evening or at weekends.
• An indicative fee and the payment methods you accept.
• Whether the first appointment is longer or priced differently.

Booking: simple ways to make a first appointment

Give two or three ways to reach you: phone, WhatsApp and a short form. If you already use one of the booking tools on the market, a button or link to it is enough; here is how to choose a booking system and set it up. And reply quickly: someone making contact for the first time will appreciate a prompt answer.

An FAQ page for the first visit

A short FAQ page makes the first visit less daunting and saves you calls. It can cover how long sessions last and how often, how you plan the process together, whether video sessions are available, what happens if a client needs to cancel and whether you accept insurance.

How to present your services

Many therapy websites stop at a list of technical terms. Visitors who arrive with a specific problem want to recognise themselves in what they find, so organise your services in three ways.

By client group: adults, teenagers, children, couples and families

Separate therapy for adults from support for children and teenagers: a parent looking for help for their child is not looking for the same page as an adult who wants help for themselves. Couples and family therapy deserve their own section too.

By reason for seeking help

Many searches start with what someone is going through, not with the name of a therapy. A list of the issues you work with helps visitors recognise themselves:

• Anxiety, panic attacks and work stress.
• Depression and low mood.
• Grief and loss.
• Low self-esteem and managing emotions.
• Trauma, phobias and social anxiety.
• Difficulties with a partner or family.
• Eating disorders and addictions.

Describe each one in two or three sentences, with the signs that often come with it and what your support involves, without promising results or timeframes. If you are not a health psychologist, describe the support you offer rather than the treatment of a condition (see the Spanish rules below).

By approach and techniques

If you use cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), EMDR, mindfulness or person-centred counselling, explain in one sentence what it means for the client and which techniques you use.

How should a counselling website sound?

Warm, calm and plain: write as you would speak to a new client, free of jargon, slogans and promises. The tone of your copy can reassure readers as much as the design does.

Many visitors read a counsellor’s website at a vulnerable moment, so a few habits help them feel at ease:

• Write in the first person if you practise alone, so the site sounds like you.
• Explain each technical term the first time you use it, so a stranger can understand it.
• Share concrete details, such as how long a session lasts, rather than slogans.
• Avoid alarmist descriptions of disorders and any wording that promises an outcome.

If writing is not your thing, see how to write website content when you’re not a writer.

Counsellor website design: calm, clear and accessible

Website design for therapists should feel calm and welcoming without being cold, so that an anxious visitor can feel comfortable and find what they need without effort. A clean layout, plenty of white space, a smooth user experience and a design that reflects your practice matter more than visual effects.

Design choices: colours, fonts and photos

Soft colours (blues, sage greens, warm creams) and a large, readable font create a quiet, safe space. Avoid a busy design and intense reds, and skip generic stock photos of smiling people with folders: a real photo of you and your consulting room feels far more personal, helps build trust and shows clients what your practice looks like.

Pick one main colour and one accent colour, and use them consistently for headings and buttons. A plain logo, even just your name in a clear typeface, is enough; there is no need to commission an elaborate brand before you open. A friendly portrait in natural light usually comes across better than a formal studio shot.

Navigation, language and easy reading

A visitor should understand within a few seconds what you do and how to get in touch. Some practical examples from well-built counselling sites:

• Navigation with five or six clearly labelled items (About, Services, Fees, Location, Booking), so nobody gets lost.
• Body text in plain language, written from the client's point of view, with brief paragraphs that are easier to follow and scroll on a phone.
• One call to action repeated on each page, for example a button to send a WhatsApp message.
• Your credentials (degree, Colegio number, related training) shown properly on the About page, not hidden in the footer.
• A few blog topics linked from each service page, so reading one leads naturally to the next.

If your clients speak English and Spanish, a second language version is a strong signal that you can actually work with them; it can also contribute to the growth of your practice among expats in your area.

Accessibility: a design everyone can use

Keep in mind older visitors and people with low vision:

• Enough contrast between text and background.
• Large buttons that are easy to find and tap.
• Alternative text on images.
• Headings that give each page a clear structure.
• Short sentences without jargon.

Mobile-friendly design

Many clients will look you up on their phone, sometimes at a difficult moment. Check that your number can be tapped to call, that WhatsApp is easy to find and that the site loads quickly; speed also counts for Google, as explained in why your website’s speed affects your Google ranking.

Video and in-person sessions: how to explain each format

Many therapists offer both formats, so make clear what each one involves and help clients understand what to expect.

Online therapy: what your website should explain

If you see clients by video call, explain which tools or video platform you use, what the client needs (a good connection and a private, quiet place), how payment works and whether this format is for adults only or also for couples. A counsellor in Valencia can see someone in Madrid this way: if you take clients from all over Spain, say so, because it widens the area you serve.

In-person sessions: how to get there and what to expect

Add photos of your practice and waiting room, directions (street, entrance, floor, nearby parking) and whether the premises have wheelchair access. These small details help clients feel less nervous before a first visit.

Confidentiality: protecting the clients who write to you

Confidentiality is the foundation of therapy, and it begins with the first message, which sometimes arrives with a lot of emotional weight. Your website should ask for little and protect it well.

A form designed to ask only for what you need

To arrange a first appointment, a name, a phone number or email address and, if you like, the preferred format (by video or in person) are enough. Don’t ask visitors to share the reason for the consultation: it is health data and you don’t need it to start. Add a checkbox so visitors accept your privacy policy.

Legal pages required in Spain

You need a legal notice with your identification details, as Spain’s LSSI requires, a privacy policy that explains how you handle data (who is responsible, the purpose and how long it is kept) and a cookie policy if you use analytics. Your website should never store anyone’s clinical records.

Health advertising in Spain: basic rules for your therapy website

Your website advertises a mental health service, and in Spain that comes with its own rules, depending on your title. Here are the essentials, explained in general terms; if you are unsure about your own situation, we recommend checking with your Colegio or professional association.

Colegio membership and registration: what your website must show

To practise as a psychologist in Spain, Colegio membership is compulsory, and your website must show your Colegio, your colegiado number and your qualification. If your practice is authorised as a health centre, add the registration number your region gives it.

Therapist, counsellor or health psychologist: not the same thing

Health psychology requires the Máster en Psicología General Sanitaria (or PIR training in clinical psychology) and an authorised centre. A therapist, counsellor or coach without that qualification can present what they do, but not as health care or psychological treatment.

Promises and testimonials: what to leave out

Don’t promise a cure, relief or results, avoid lines such as ‘you’ll feel better after the first session’, and keep patient testimonials off your website, including any you might write or rewrite yourself. Build trust with your training, your methods and practical details instead. Similar rules apply to other clinics, as you will see in our guide to website design for dentists and physiotherapists.

Local SEO for therapists: appear in searches near you

When someone types ‘therapist near me’ or ‘counsellor in Valencia’, Google often shows a map with nearby therapists before the websites. Local SEO aims to give your website and your Google listing a presence in those results, a low-cost form of marketing for therapy practices that see clients in person.

Keywords with your town and neighbourhood

Use phrases such as ‘English-speaking psychologist in Alicante’, ‘couples counselling in Valencia’ or ‘child psychologist in Elche’ in your titles and copy, and name the towns where you see clients, such as Santa Pola or Elda. If you also work by video, add phrases without a town, such as ‘online counselling’. Here is how to choose local keywords that match what people search for.

Your Google Business Profile, consistent with your website

Complete your practice’s profile with the same name, service, address (exact street and number) and phone number as your website, add your opening hours and real photos, and update it whenever something changes. These steps show how to optimise your Google Business Profile.

Useful content and resources for potential clients

Many therapists create content now and then about mental health and wellbeing: it responds to real concerns of potential clients and can bring visits from Google. Clear posts written with care are enough, and many practices group them in a ‘Resources’ section, for example:

• How to know if it is time to ask for help.
• What an anxiety disorder is and how a counsellor can help.
• How to support someone with depression.
• How to prepare for a video call with a counsellor.
• Looking after your emotional wellbeing day to day.

Remember that a post doesn’t replace a professional assessment, and say so at the end of each one.

Common mistakes on therapy websites

These mistakes come up often on websites for therapists and small practices, and can put off someone who is about to write to you:

1. Hiding your training and experience.
2. Using acronyms such as EMDR or ACT that clients may not understand.
3. Hiding your fees or how to book.
4. Cold or alarmist copy about disorders that doesn’t connect with the reader’s life.
5. Not explaining the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist: psychiatrists are doctors and can prescribe medication.
6. Forgetting to update your opening hours or fees.

How much does a website for therapists cost in Spain?

In Spain, a professional website costs around €800 to €2,000 from a freelancer and €1,500 to €4,000 from an agency, before maintenance (Social Media Pymes, 2026). With WebAutonomos, it costs €15/month with no upfront fee and no commitment, or €349 as a one-off payment.

Option	To start	After that
Freelance web designer	€800 – €2,000	Maintenance extra
Agency	€1,500 – €4,000	Maintenance extra
WebAutonomos, monthly	Nothing upfront	€15/month, no commitment
WebAutonomos, one-off	€349, paid once	The website is yours

Do it yourself or hire a designer

A website builder such as Wix or Squarespace costs little at the start, but you learn the tool and make every change yourself (see Wix or WordPress for two common options). A freelance designer or an agency does the work for you at the prices above: check whether hosting and maintenance are included and who owns the domain name. These website prices in Spain give a fuller picture.

Use a done-for-you service

With WebAutonomos, each plan includes the same services: a website designed and written from your Google listing and your photos, hosting, an SSL certificate, daily backups, technical maintenance, a contact form, a WhatsApp button, legal pages, basic SEO and one change a month after launch to update a text or your opening hours. Choose whichever plan suits you best. The .es domain is registered in your name and included for the first year (about €12/year after that). We work with you in English and can build your site in up to four languages, such as English and Spanish, at no extra cost.

You see your website before you pay: request your free demo and it will be ready in less than 24 hours. If it is not right for you, it costs nothing and commits you to nothing.

Your website is an extension of your practice: it doesn’t need to be big or expensive, just clear, honest and easy to use on a phone.