Building trust before the first session

The context

Aurélien wanted a professional online presence to make his practice visible and make it easier for people to reach out, without falling into the cold, clinical conventions of healthcare websites. The challenge: translating a human, relational approach — Gestalt therapy works on contact, the here-and-now, and the person as a whole — into an interface that feels calm and safe from the very first second. A project run end to end, from art direction to launch on his own domain.

The approach

1. Understand the practice before drawing anything

Conversations up front to get a feel for Aurélien's posture and what matters in his relationship with his patients. The visual direction follows directly from those values: presence, listening, precision.

2. An editorial stance rather than a commercial showcase

A generous, literary serif typeface up front sets a calm, inhabited tone. The site reads like measured speech rather than something to be consumed — a choice that pulls it away from the marketing conventions of the sector straight away.

3. Line drawing as a visual signature

A series of line illustrations (faces, hands, symbolic motifs) gives the site its identity and embodies the themes of the practice — contact, place, grounding — without falling back on wellness clichés. Graphic consistency built on drawing rather than on photography.

4. Black on white, punctuated with warmth

A tight palette: deep black on white, generous whitespace, and a few cream accents that warm the whole thing without distracting from it. Restraint as an act of care — attention goes to what is being said, not to the interface.

5. A reassuring architecture

A deliberately short, linear journey: the practice → the background → the framework on offer → getting in touch. The framework (rates, how a session runs, the first phone call) is spelled out in black and white to remove hesitation and bring the visitor closer to making contact.