Online Therapy Developments
One of the things that I'm working on while I'm on vacation is the development of my online therapy site. I now have a super-duper web designer, Sheryl Heiser , who has been doing fabulous things with my website design. Most of the text for the pages has been written although, as you might imagine, a website is always a work in progress. I'm not usually a procrastinating prevaricator, but putting this website online has taken a phenomenal amount of time. This is in part because I want to make sure that I'm totally prepared to provide therapy online that is as professional as possible, and creates as comfortable an ambience (within the limits of any online experience that is) as I provide in my face-to-face office environment.
As I begin the task of working with my web designer, I find it fascinating to think about how I'm going to provide the kind of welcoming and safe space that I strive to achieve offline. In my office in Watertown, MA, I can achieve that with plants and soft cushions, with muted color schemes and a comfortable couch. Creating a website that evokes a similar feeling is difficult. Here's an example of the obstacle I'm facing. Sheryl sent me a couple of mock-ups of possibilities for the site design and although both were beautiful, only one of them came close to achieving the feeling of serenity and peace that I was looking for (no spoilers here, folks!). The one that I turned down, while beautiful in its own way, did not create a feeling of safety and stability. The photograph on the home page was a woman floating in the ocean with her back to the camera and in clear focus. The water is a beautiful, mediterranean blue and on first viewing, it looks almost like an advertisement for a Paradise vacation spot. However, looking over her shoulder, you can see the awe-inspiring sight she is staring at. In front of her is a huge wave, crashing first on the rocks, and then exploding in white foam.. The wave is in soft focus, but it's in direct contrast to the calm waters in which the woman is floating. The foaming water looks ominously like an approaching Tsunami, not exactly a reassuring image to somebody seeking therapy online, who may already feel like they are facing an emotional metaphoric Tsunami of their own in real life.
It's a tough challenge to create a website that evokes all the things that therapy online aims to provide. A safe place to talk to an experienced mental health professional, at a time that is convenient for you, in the comfort of your own home, trailer, airplane seat, back yard, sail boat or wherever you may wish to conduct therapy online. Once the site goes up, I will be excited to hear feedback from folks letting me know if my objective, under Sheryl's excellent and inspired design implementation, has been achieved.
As I begin the task of working with my web designer, I find it fascinating to think about how I'm going to provide the kind of welcoming and safe space that I strive to achieve offline. In my office in Watertown, MA, I can achieve that with plants and soft cushions, with muted color schemes and a comfortable couch. Creating a website that evokes a similar feeling is difficult. Here's an example of the obstacle I'm facing. Sheryl sent me a couple of mock-ups of possibilities for the site design and although both were beautiful, only one of them came close to achieving the feeling of serenity and peace that I was looking for (no spoilers here, folks!). The one that I turned down, while beautiful in its own way, did not create a feeling of safety and stability. The photograph on the home page was a woman floating in the ocean with her back to the camera and in clear focus. The water is a beautiful, mediterranean blue and on first viewing, it looks almost like an advertisement for a Paradise vacation spot. However, looking over her shoulder, you can see the awe-inspiring sight she is staring at. In front of her is a huge wave, crashing first on the rocks, and then exploding in white foam.. The wave is in soft focus, but it's in direct contrast to the calm waters in which the woman is floating. The foaming water looks ominously like an approaching Tsunami, not exactly a reassuring image to somebody seeking therapy online, who may already feel like they are facing an emotional metaphoric Tsunami of their own in real life.
It's a tough challenge to create a website that evokes all the things that therapy online aims to provide. A safe place to talk to an experienced mental health professional, at a time that is convenient for you, in the comfort of your own home, trailer, airplane seat, back yard, sail boat or wherever you may wish to conduct therapy online. Once the site goes up, I will be excited to hear feedback from folks letting me know if my objective, under Sheryl's excellent and inspired design implementation, has been achieved.
posted by Jassy @ 10:14 PM
1 Comments:
At 2:56 PM,
Dori said…
I just got back from my first visit to a special Women's Headache Clinic. Before it opened, the director (a neurologist and migraine-sufferer) asked headache-stricken women for design ideas. The clinic is dimly lighted (since migraines make people sensitive to light and sound). The walls are a deep blue. Soft relaxing music plays in the waiting area, and the furniture is blond wood (not medical-looking). The artwork consists of photos of soothing (not tropical) beach scenes. It just struck me as amazing and rare and greatthat any professional--therapist, doctor, whatever--would invest so much effort in the patients' surroundings. And it made a HUGE difference. Your lovely office embodies your caring and warmth, and I'm sure that the effort you've put into the website design will have the same effect!
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