What should therapists NOT put on their websites?

I read my T's website practically cover to cover every week. There's not much about him on the net so I just read it to hear his voice in the words. I found a typo but I haven't told him.
The best bit for me is where he uploads all his power point presentations and information sheets for all the lectures and workshops he gives. I enjoy reading those and they get updated fairly regularly.
I wouldn't find it useful to read non-therapy related stuff on there, such as "I'm a father of two and my hobbies are. .." and I wouldn't see one who wrote about that stuff. I also see a picture as being very important. My supervisor is so awesome but I only saw her in desperation after initially ruling her out due to her lack of a picture.

That's not true in my experience. Both the Ts I've seen had websites. In fact I probably wouldn't consider a therapist who didn't have one. I need that amount of info before I meet with them. USA and UK seem quite similar in my experience in terms of the therapist search websites and the therapists' individual websites.

That would make me think of a knitting pattern. " Pick up your rods to do your work - cast off and begin again ! ".

I'd really like to see your idea of a good therapy website!

My T and Pdoc don't have websites. Well, the practice my T in is has one, but it isn't his specifically and doesn't really give specific info about him. I've never used a website to pick a T or pdoc; insurance list is always what I work off of because if they aren't on my insurance it won't matter anyway. I generally don't realize there is a website on my doctors until they send me there to get paperwork, etc.

I always used online info to select the therapists that I approach but then choose based on the impression during the consultation in person. I like to do my own search rather than referrals or clinics matching me with a therapist so online information is important for me.

Of course websites are meant to serve as marketing strategy, I don't condemn them for that as long as it remains professional. The sites of both Ts I have seen are quite informative. One thing I found excessive about the first is that he has five different pictures of himself - why is that necessary? I understood later working with him that he has strong narcissistic traits and a tendency to impose himself in all sorts of contexts. My current Ts website clearly pushes to target a specific type of clientele, which I identified with, why I was interested in the first place. One thing I thought goes a bit too far is the description of the services he apparently provides, he describes himself as an eclectic therapist using a variety of methods but then puts five different modalities as five different kinds of therapy strategies clients could choose from. The reality is not like that but a mixture. Also, he emphasizes on the website that he is quite goal oriented and pragmatic - another main factor I picked him for. But my experience does not match this too much and I always need to push to stay on track and to discuss actual practical approaches I can use to tackle my issues. But now he understands that I want to do this and am not interested in spreading out everywhere and works that way with me.

In general, I like when they keep their websites informative and professional and I get a unique feel about their background and work. I like to see a short biography. I don't like too flashy designs and, as others also mentioned, therapists posting personal life information and pictures on their websites. I also would not pick one who uses poor grammar and language. And yeah no Harry Potter-like (or similar) quotes please, or quotes/sentences that promise some sort of dramatic transformation and spiritual enlightenment.

Something else about other online info than their websites: I prefer if a therapist does not have public social media with all sorts of personal information and interactions available. I mean, of course I am curious but I don't think this is very professional. If their family members or friends do it, I don't mind at all, but a therapist running open pages like that give me the impression that they are either overly attention seeking or do not have very good boundaries (my experience with my 1st T was like this).

I found my T on psychology today webpage, and don't use his website other than to copy paste when I want to refer someone which I do periodically. Its a pretty basic webpage nothing flashy.

-woo-woo chakra stuff
-that they want to help you change
-that they want to help you feel less pain
-the language of "patients" and "treatment"
-talk of "sympathy"

None of those things apply to the reasons I have seen a therapist. I find them condescending and I know that if I went to one of those therapists, it would be a terrible match. When I was seeing a T, it was to get support and have someone to just listen. Not try to change me. I also refuse to do woo-woo chakra stuff, meditation, yoga, energy healing, crystals, Angels, fairies, herbs, etc. It's just not for me.

That's interesting what you say about them mentioning hobbies. I think all the T's in the practice I got to have a "hobbies" section in their profile. One of the things that my marriage counselor (MC) says in his is "I enjoy playing golf, though I'm not very good." Which I think gives some insight into him and his persona. Most people would just say they love to play golf. (My T talks about liking tennis and golf, but doesn't mention how good or bad she is!)

Reading what he and T wrote for their full profiles, including their therapy philosophy, it's like, "Yep, that's them as a T." It's funny, I was just looking at T's the other day, after I'd talked about how she tends to pathologize rather than normalize. And what word does she mention in her profile? "Pathology is addressed as an interference to satisfactory and satisfying functioning." (She says other stuff, too, of course.) Her photo looks like she's trying to appear caring and serious. For some reason, hers was taken in a field (or had that background added), while all the other practitioners had theirs taken in front of the same bookshelf.

While MC talks about how we can't control our feelings, how they're neither good or bad. And how telling someone they shouldn't feel scared is like saying they shouldn't have brown hair. So it's more about what we do with those feelings. I would have picked him based on his writeup (ended up being referred to him by T, after I found her on Psychology Today, since she specializes in anxiety). But probably not from his photo, which looks like someone was just like, "OK, say, cheese!" If he'd had the look in that photo like he gets when he's being really caring, a more genuine smile, then I'd have been more drawn to him. So I really think it's the whole package of the profile.

I think if it was a clinic profile where everyone had a hobbies section it wouldn't be so bad, because it wouldn't be their choice, but if a T with sole responsibility for developing their own website made a point of talking about themselves and their lives I would think that might not bode well in terms of their self-disclosure and self-focus during sessions. I know a few of his hobbies because I read his Amazon author profile, but if he had thought it a relevant thing to put on his therapy homepage I probably would have ruled him out. Probably mostly because of my experience with T1.

That makes sense that it's different because it's just his own page. Plus from your past experience with a T, you were looking for someone who didn't disclose as much...

By the way, in a slightly OT side issue, my T has written a terrible unintentional sexual euphemism on his Amazon author page. It made me laugh so much when I first read it and it still makes me chuckle

They shouldn't have a web site, imo, so I voted other.

I heard therapists saying this but I don't get it. Why not have a website? How do prospective clients find them then if they are not part of a clinic or not via referral?

Word of mouth by friends that have had good therapists and know other good therapists in my area.

Websites equal advertising, imo. I don't trust ANY form of advertising, especially when it pertains to mental or physical illness.

I see. I guess we are different in what we trust better. I personally would not trust word of mouth without any info I can check out myself and always prefer to do my own search and interviewing. It is true that websites are advertising though, every professional website is, in a way.

I actually discussed this a bit with my T recently, why I am curious. He certainly has a very business-like website targeting a well defined clientele so is not against this, but told me that a few of his colleagues are and even criticized him for using a "marketing strategy". His argument was that this way he has access to types of clients that interest him and may be compatible with him but would be unlikely to come through referrals without the visible info. Brought me up as an example, and it is very true. I guess different strategies can have their own merits within a specific context and for different people.

I agree that advertising can't be trusted but word of mouth isn't always do-able -- my social network for instance is utterly useless for such stuff.

The psychoanalysts appear to have associations that offer referral services in many places -- Low Fee Clinics | APsaA

I really like the idea in general -- I used the one in my area to get a bunch of referrals (who were told some basic stuff about me in advance by the T who first spoke to me and got me the referrals).

I didn't finally end up picking any of the referrals because they mostly left me meh but I can see the idea working in other cases (although current T is also an analyst, she wasn't one of the referrals I got).

ETA: The link says low-fee but the referrals are general.

I don't recall ever seeing a therapist website and not being disturbed in some way.

I think mostly what gets me is the crazy overreaching... I will help you transform your life, find meaning, awaken your heart, etc. And then I go try them out and they have no coherent plan or process.

Maybe old testimonials from former clients who ended on bad terms. My old testimonial is on ex-T's site still, 4 years later. Bugs me.

I like their websites because I want to know how old they are - if they looked under 55 - I ruled them out.

I immediately disqualified anyone who had client testimonials.

Yes testimonials are definitely something I don't like either even though both therapists I have seen so far have them. There can be some elements in them though that reveal aspects of the therapist's general approach and personality regardless of outcome with the particular client.

Here's a testimonial I'd like to see:

Oh, and I'm sick of "Ms. X uses many different therapeutic approaches, tailored to suit the needs of the individual client." It's just trite and I've seen therapists who claim to do thus, and they don't.

So, what should therapists have on their websites then if so many things seem to be unwanted by clients?

For starters, a picture of themselves that looks like them.

Next, their qualifications should be on there somewhere, not buried in a bio. And I'd like the dates of their degrees and how long they have been licensed, license number, etc.

Appointment request form, other contact info, directions.

And keep descriptions of therapy to a minimum.