Chicago Therapy Practice Brand Photography
Definition Counseling
& Therapy
Arlyn came to me in the middle of a rebrand she was building for her Chicago therapy practice Definition Counseling & Therapy. Jess of Vividly Made — a branding and web designer — had created a new logo, a warm, neutral palette, and a site structured around who the practice serves. What Arlyn didn't have was the photos for her new website.
Definition Counseling & Therapy serves families, couples, and individuals through every kind of transition. So the main guidance for the shoot was to show the practice at work, including clients, office staff and therapists.
Key Words
Empowered
Tranquil
Growth
Journaling
All stages of life
Connection
“Faceless client” photos
Diversity
Walk and talk outdoor photos
Client Objectives
Objective 1
Objective 2
Objective 3
Arlyn wanted the entire website to feel like an open door: neutral, warm, and approachable. A prospective client is often at their worst moment when they land on a therapy website, so the images should be friendly and lower the temperature with warmth.
We needed therapy to look like therapy while protecting privacy, which meant we could not use actual clients of the practice. The answer was "faceless" photos, by shooting from behind, overhead, and hands, so the viewer can picture themselves at the client.
Definition Counseling & Therapy serves families at all stages of life: children, couples, families, and individuals. We made sure to include a diversity of "clients" in the photos to show the kinds of therapy clients Arlyn's practice already serves.
The FRAME Method
The web designer, Jess, had already set the palette and the general site architecture. I met with Jess before the session to be sure I didn't miss any images, and so she understood my plans for the shoot.
Creating a feeling of warmth and diversity was very important to Arlyn, so I worked closely with her get models for the shoot that would be perfect to serve as "clients" for her photos.
Location
The Definition Counseling & Therapy palette leans organic, greens and stone, so it was important to find a location that was neutral and wouldn't fight against the design plans. Additionally, we were going to have a large group: with 3 staff, 4 models and a dog, we needed to find a space that could accommodate all those needs.
We also needed a space that would have various "looks:" multiple office spaces, a front desk, and couches. We ended up taking some of the photos outdoors to a nearby park to capture some "walk and talk" video that Arlyn wanted.
Research
Shot List
Warm and welcoming. Lifestyle headshots of the team, plus the tools of the work. Journaling with coffee, books and notebooks, the emotion wheel, caring therapists working.
All life stages. Sessions in progress across every service, virtual and in person. Couples, multi-generational families, and play therapy with puppets and toy cars.
Outdoor and organic. Walk and talk from behind, outdoor journaling, and headshots of Arlyn in evening light.
The Results
This is what strategic brand photo and video looks like when it's built to carry a business into its next phase: Michelle now has one visual home for everything Revival Health & Wellness is becoming.
The Results in Action
Find Definition Counseling & Therapy at:
What Arlyn says...