HIPAA-Compliant Websites for Therapists: What Actually Matters (and What Doesn’t)

If you’re a therapist building a new website or revisiting an old one, you’ve probably heard the phrase “HIPAA-compliant website” said like it’s one thing you either have or don’t have.

Most of the time, it’s used in a way that feels vague, a little intimidating, and honestly not that helpful when you’re just trying to launch a site that’s professional, easy to use, and safe for the people reaching out.

Here’s the thing: your website itself isn’t automatically “subject to HIPAA” just because you’re a therapist. What matters is what your website collects, where that information goes, and how it’s stored or shared once a potential client hits submit. That’s the part that can create risk, and it’s also the part you can tighten up with a clear plan.

This guide breaks down what HIPAA compliance really touches on when it comes to therapist websites, what areas tend to get overlooked, and how to build a site that still feels warm and human without turning it into a tech project.

What HIPAA means for a therapy website

HIPAA exists to protect protected health information, and when we talk about websites, the main issue is usually not your homepage copy or your blog content. The concern starts when someone shares personal details through a contact form, a scheduling tool, an intake workflow, a portal, or even a message that’s routed into the wrong inbox.

For therapists, protected health information can show up in ways that feel small but still matter. Someone might share symptoms, a diagnosis, trauma history, relationship concerns, medication details, or even just the context that connects their name and contact info to the fact that they’re seeking therapy. It’s very normal for people to overshare on a contact form because they’re trying to feel understood, which is exactly why the systems behind your website should be set up thoughtfully.

So the real question isn’t “Is my website HIPAA compliant?” The better question is “Am I collecting or sending private information through tools that are actually designed to handle it?”

The parts of a therapist website that should be HIPAA-safe

Not every page or feature on your site needs the same level of protection. Most of the time, HIPAA-related concerns live in four places: forms, scheduling, email, and telehealth.

1. Contact forms (this is the most common weak spot)

Contact forms are where things go sideways most often, mostly because many standard form tools are made for general businesses and store submissions in a way that isn’t appropriate for sensitive information. And even if the form “looks” secure, what matters is the full path: how the information is transmitted, where it’s stored, and who can access it.

A safer therapist contact form setup usually includes:

• Your website using HTTPS (this is baseline)

• A form provider that supports HIPAA use and offers a Business Associate Agreement (BAA), if it’s handling protected information

• Secure storage or minimal storage of submissions

• Thoughtful routing so form content is not landing in an unsecured inbox and sitting there forever

One practical, therapist-friendly improvement is also simplifying what you ask for. A contact form does not need someone’s full story. It can collect the basics and move the deeper details into your secure intake process instead, which is better for privacy and also better for your workflow.

2. Online scheduling

Scheduling is often easiest when it lives inside a platform built for healthcare. Many therapy-focused scheduling and practice management systems are designed around privacy, and they’re more likely to include the right agreements and safeguards.

Where things get risky is when general scheduling tools are used without verifying whether they’re appropriate for healthcare workflows. Sometimes people choose them because they’re simple or cheap, but then you end up with appointment requests and personal details being stored in the wrong place.

If your scheduling tool is collecting anything beyond basic scheduling information, it’s worth being intentional about what platform you use and whether there’s a BAA available when needed.

3. Email communication

Even when a website is set up well, email can quietly become the place where sensitive info piles up. Form submissions get emailed, notifications get forwarded, and before you know it, you’ve got personal details living in a regular inbox that was never meant to be a long-term storage system.

If email is part of your inquiry flow, you want to be sure you’re handling that communication in a way that aligns with HIPAA expectations. For many therapists, this means using a secure portal for messaging, or using email tools that are specifically set up for HIPAA workflows with the proper agreements in place.

This is another reason short contact forms are a win. The less personal detail you collect upfront, the less personal detail gets transported through notifications and email chains.

4. Telehealth links and embedded tools

If your website links to telehealth sessions or embeds a telehealth experience, the platform matters. There are often standard consumer versions of tools and then healthcare-specific versions that include stronger privacy safeguards and the ability to sign a BAA.

This doesn’t need to feel complicated, but it does need to be verified. If you offer virtual sessions, you want to be confident your platform is appropriate for that.

What does not need to be “HIPAA compliant” on a therapist website

This is where therapists can get stuck, so I want to make it really clear.

Your general website content doesn’t become a HIPAA problem just because it exists. Your:

• Homepage

• About page

• Services page

• FAQs

• Blog posts and educational content

…can all talk about your specialties, the types of therapy you offer, what sessions are like, and what you help people work through. HIPAA is about handling protected information, not about whether you can write about anxiety therapy, couples therapy, trauma recovery, or anything else.

So yes, you can absolutely create SEO content around services like couples therapy in Houston, anxiety therapy in Austin, or relationship counseling in Dallas without creating a compliance issue, as long as the actual intake and communication systems are set up correctly.

Website platforms and HIPAA: what therapists should know

A lot of people assume HIPAA compliance is about choosing the “right” website builder, but in most cases the builder isn’t the main issue. Most mainstream builders are not “HIPAA compliant out of the box,” and the reason is simple: they aren’t healthcare tools. They’re website tools.

The compliance-sensitive parts usually come from what you connect to the site, like:

• Contact forms

• Scheduling tools

• Email routing

• Portals

• Payment systems

• Third-party integrations

You can have a Squarespace, Wix, or WordPress site and still have a very safe setup, as long as you’re thoughtful about which tools handle sensitive information and whether you have the right agreements in place.

The BAA: the detail that actually matters

A Business Associate Agreement is what separates “this tool is probably fine” from “this tool is willing to handle protected information under HIPAA rules.” If a vendor is storing, processing, or transmitting protected health information and they do not offer a BAA, that’s your biggest red flag.

This is also why “HIPAA-compliant website” is rarely a single checkbox. It’s a system, and the system is only as strong as the tools it relies on.

How to reduce risk without making your website feel clinical

Therapy websites have a unique job. They need to be clear enough that a stressed-out person can quickly understand what you offer and how to take the next step, while still feeling like a real human is behind the practice.

A few improvements that make a big difference without changing the vibe of your site:

• Keep your contact form short and focused on logistics, not life history

• Add a simple line encouraging visitors not to share clinical details in the form

• Use a secure intake or portal process for the deeper information

• Audit where submissions land, how long they’re stored, and who has access

This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about reducing unnecessary exposure and building a process you feel confident in.

Next steps

If you want a therapist website that’s structured to be found on Google and set up in a way that’s mindful of HIPAA workflows, it helps to approach it like a real system, not just a set of pages. The goal is clarity on the front end and safe, intentional tools behind the scenes.

If you’re ready for that kind of build, you can take a look at our website design services. It’s the easiest way to start the conversation and make sure your site is built to convert while keeping your inquiry flow clean and privacy-conscious.