Psychology Today Therapist Directory
Background
Psychology Today has one of the largest online directories for connecting people with licensed mental health professionals. Having used it myself, I found it impersonal and overwhelming. This led me to investigate whether others face the same issue and identify opportunities to improve the therapist search experience.
Date
Winter 2025
Services
UX/UI Design
Client
Psychology Today
Tools
Figma, Zoom, Canva, Google Forms
Problem
My research revealed users struggled to confidently choose the right provider. Many felt flustered by the number of available professionals and found it difficult to compare providers because key information like insurance, provider availability, and pricing wasn’t clearly presented.
Based on these findings, I established three redesign objectives:
Reduce decision fatigue by simplifying the therapist search experience.
Surface critical provider information earlier in the search process.
Create provider profiles that show personality and trust, not just credentials.
Design Challenge
How can I reduce uncertainty and decision fatigue while helping users confidently choose the right provider?
Process
To investigate these challenges, I conducted a user survey and usability test of Psychology Today's existing platform. Through the survey, I gained a better understanding of users’ overall experiences searching for therapists online and learned whether others shared the same frustrations I experienced. During the usability test, participants completed common tasks on Psychology Today’s therapist directory. By observing where they encountered issues, I gained a better understanding of what made choosing the right provider difficult.
I synthesized these findings by organizing similar observations into recurring themes using an affinity diagram. This process revealed patterns across the research, helping me prioritize the issues that would have the greatest impact on the redesign.
Affinity diagram showing the four key themes identified from the survey and usability testing: therapist matching, insurance and cost, scheduling, and usability.
After identifying the recurring themes, I created two personas that represented the needs, frustrations, and goals shared by participants. These personas became key reference points throughout the design process, ensuring that every design decision aligned with user needs.
With a clearer understanding of users' needs, I explored wireframe concepts that addressed the main issues identified during my research. Many participants struggled to find providers that met their needs, so I created a guided therapist-matching questionnaire to help narrow their options.
Participants also struggled to compare providers because important information was scattered throughout each profile. To address this, I revamped therapist profiles to surface insurance details, pricing, specialties, and provider personalities, making comparisons easier. Because participants found scheduling appointments frustrating, I introduced a direct-booking feature to simplify the process.
Next, I transformed my wireframes into a high-fidelity prototype using Figma, refining the layouts, color palette, and visual hierarchy while ensuring the design met accessibility standards. The prototype then served as the basis for usability testing to determine whether the redesign addressed the issues identified during my research.
I first gathered feedback from my classmates before moving on to additional testing with Useberry, where seven participants evaluated the redesign. Overall, participants described the experience as straightforward, inviting, and uncluttered. Most found the interface trustworthy and easy to navigate. They also suggested improvements, including making the branding more distinctive and incorporating additional visual elements into the therapists' profiles.
Useberry usability test used to gather participant feedback on the redesign's clarity, trustworthiness, branding, and overall user experience.
After analyzing the feedback, I refined the design by simplifying interface elements and incorporating illustrations to create a warmer, more welcoming experience. While I wasn't able to implement every suggestion due to time constraints, the feedback confirmed the strengths of the redesign while also highlighting areas for future improvement.
Final Designs
Therapist Matching Questionnaire
I created a simple questionnaire to help users find therapists that fit their needs. This tool makes the search easier by providing results that match their preferences. The goal is to reduce the stress of choosing and help users start with a more focused list of therapists.
Search Results
The results page shows important details like insurance options, costs, specialties, and availability. This allows users to compare therapists easily without needing to open multiple profiles.
Therapist Profile
The therapist profile was updated to show the details that participants find most important. Information about insurance, pricing, specialties, and the therapist's personality is now easier to access. This helps users make better choices and build a more personal connection with each therapist.
Appointment Booking
Users can now easily schedule appointments directly on the platform. This updated booking process makes it simpler, letting users stay on the site without needing to email therapists or leave their current page.
Confirmation
A clear confirmation screen shows users that their appointment is successfully booked. It also explains the next steps, which helps reduce any doubt after the reservation.
Outcomes
● Participants described the redesign as straightforward, inviting, and uncluttered, making the experience feel more approachable than the original interface.
● Most participants found the interface to be trustworthy and easy to understand, supporting the goal of creating a more welcoming therapist search experience.
● Feedback indicated that the redesigned therapist profiles more effectively communicated providers' personalities, aligning with one of the project's primary design objectives.
● Participants also identified opportunities for improvement, such as creating more distinctive branding and incorporating additional visual elements into therapist profiles. These insights provided clear direction for future iterations.