Psychologist-turned-Web Designer: At Your Service
I speak your language and know what you need
GoodWorx Web & WordPress Design specializes in creating Web sites for mental health professionals– Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Social Workers, Therapists, Mental Health Counselors, Personal Coaches, and associations of mental health professionals– in short, any practitioner who works with clients around mental health issues. Here are some examples.
I’m Marcia Hutchinson, the Creative Director of GoodWorx. I’m a former Clinical Psychologist who practiced with individuals and groups for 25 years (Google Marcia Germaine Hutchinson). I bring an intimate understanding of the profession of mental health counseling to all the work I do with mental health professionals who are seeking human-scale, dignified, and credible Web sites.
The Ethical Rules Have Changed
When I began to practice as a solo Psychologist in private practice, the ethical rules were just changing. There was a time when “advertising” your practice was taboo. That has all changed. Now, putting your work in front of the public is essential–it’s a competitive world out there. But that reluctance–and even aversion– to self-promotion runs deep and dies hard. Mental health professionals were slow to adopt the world of technology as an adjunct to their practices. But that’s all changing. There is now a public expectation that you have a Web presence. Now is the time to take the leap– if you haven’t already.
Today, your clients expect to find you online
- More and more, people look to the Internet to find things– including therapists. Potential clients– especially those aged 50 and under–expect you to be online, if only in a very simple way. Because the online environment is increasingly important to your clientele, they want to know that you are forward-looking enough to have a presence there.
- Prospective clients may be looking for a therapist with a particular orientation or specialty. A Web site is an excellent way to let others know about the nature of your practice.
- Increase your referrals. You may think of your practice as local, and your reputation as something that builds by word of mouth—on a local level. It does. But the truth is: You never know where your next referral or opportunity will come from.In our “global village” the rules and the boundaries have changed. Through an online presence, people everywhere can learn about the important work you do– your specialties and offerings. Your referral sources have access to the Internet, and they will use the information you provide on your Web site to determine which clients they will send to your practice.
- A Web site is a wonderful way to educate your clients. At its heart, therapy is an educative process. Your Web site can extend that process by providing content for your clients that can enrich the therapeutic relationship and their lives.
- Your Web site needs to be discreet, dignified and highly professional. This doesn’t mean that it can’t have personality. In fact, nowhere is the personal element more important to include than in a Web site for a mental health professional. Your work is an extension of who you are. YOU are your instrument. And your clients and prospective clients want to know who YOU are because they are placing their sensitive issues in your hands.
- Your Web site needs to convey your character, your treatment philosophy, your theoretical approach, your commitment to your clients/patients and your therapeutic style. It needs to communicate your warmth and approachability and trustworthiness.
Your Web site–as a mental health provider–needs to be handled by a designer who grasps the particular challenges of your work as a provider of mental health services. You’ve come to the right place. At GoodWorx, we speak your language!
