Therapist Website Feature: Julie Ciecior, MA, LPC
I’m back with another therapy website feature for you! This time, I’m excited to introduce a real-life friend of mine from my therapist days; Colorado-based therapist and Bridge template customer, Julie Ciecior.
Julie adapted the Bridge Squarespace template to create a welcoming online space for her private practice. I love how Julie expanded on the warm and inviting essence of the Bridge website and customized elements of the layout to make it her own. With no prior design experience, she was able to create something that accurately represents her personality and her practice - and that’s so inspiring to me!
Read on to learn more about Julie’s work as a therapist, why she was drawn to the Bridge website, and how the process of creating and launching her website allowed her to connect more deeply with her intentions and goals as a therapist.
Your name + credentials: Julie Ciecior, MA, LPC
Your website URL: www.julieciecior.com
Where in the world are you located? Front Range area of Colorado
What do you love about the work that you do? That it seldom feels like work. Being a therapist for me, is so much more than managing and reducing symptoms. It is about tending the soul and working in the transpersonal realms. There is a lot of freedom to be the therapist I feel called to be, and because there is congruence between who I am in the world in my own life, and who I am when I sit with my clients, I find my work leaves me very fulfilled. That is something that I really worked to convey when I built this new website.
Which Hold Space Creative template did you purchase? Bridge
Why did you choose this template? The colors were my first draw. I have a pretty hearty obsession with the deserts of Utah, and the colors reminded me so much of that. Also, the formatting felt easy to navigate, which, for potential clients, was important to me.
What prompted you to choose my templates over others? I looked around a lot for other templates, but none really had the same feeling to me. I am an ENFP through and through, so many of my decisions are based on the intuitive feel. Everything I looked at was nice, but not quite right. Monica’s work just resonated. It helps that she and I did some of our internship together years ago, and so I know her, and trust her. For me, the person creating the things I use in my business matters. I want to support folks who have similar ideals as myself, and Monica clearly knows what therapists are looking for in design. It just shows in her product and process.
How did you feel about your previous website or the website building process before purchasing a template from Hold Space Creative? The copy and design of that website were fine. They were enough, but they did not accurately reflect me. They felt like another business page on the internet, as opposed to how I feel about my website now, where I can feel the heart and soul of myself and my work really in every nook and cranny of my website.
How do you feel now that you've published your new website? It felt like I had legitimately gestated another human being (I am a mom of 2) and birthed it into the world! After I finished I realized it had been 9 months since I set off to start. That is probably way more months than other people need, but a year and a half ago I left a group practice that did not at all align with who I am as a human and therapist, and creating this website for me was the final step in being able to separate myself from that period of time in my life and really claim my true identity as a therapist. It was often exhausting, and terrifying before I launched it. I departed from what might be best practice for traditional businesses, and dove headfirst into what is best practice for my soul. And thank the goddess that I did because it feels incredibly freeing and grounding to be standing in my truth and agency.
How would you describe the process of using a Hold Space Creative template (from purchase to publish)? So intuitive. I have zero experience in design and visual aesthetic is not my forte. When I got stuck, your team was helpful in answering questions, and all of the bones of the design process were in place, so that I could do my part of the gig, which is mostly the copy.
What do you hope your new website does for you and your private practice? I think my highest hope is that it accurately reflects who I am and the work that I do, (said, the Ennegram 4). I also hope that clients find it easy to use and that if they are the right client for me (not all therapists are the best fit for every human!), that it resonates with them and we get to work together.
Is there anything else you'd like to add? I cannot say enough about how much I enjoyed the process, even when I was hating the discomfort of all the self exploration that building the new website brought up for me. When the foundation of the design process is built out so beautifully and thoughtfully, it allows us therapists to really explore the depths of who we are, how we talk about our work and who our ideal clients are. I was grateful to have that foundation, so I was able to do the in depth work that takes some real soul energy. Thank you to all of you at Hold Space Creative for making products that allow for that!
