STORY | LEIDEN

A Branding Shoot at a Therapy Practice in Leiden

By Aleksandria Rudenko | Published 28 October 2026

Two psychologists of Therapy Care in gray armchairs by the big window of their therapy practice in Leiden, a monstera in front

This branding shoot at a therapy practice in Leiden was for Therapy Care, two psychologists who work with expats, from children to adults. They wanted photos that show how it feels to walk into their room.

Their practice room looks out over the treetops, with one big window and a light, calm feel. On an overcast August morning, it became the setting for one of my photoshoots in Leiden.

Portraits for a Therapy Practice

We began with simple portraits against a pale wall, the kind every website and business card needs. First each of them alone, then side by side, then back to back. I kept my direction light, so their smiles stayed their own.

Every frame of this session also exists in black and white. Back to back, with their arms crossed, the two of them look like the team they are.

Black and white portrait of two psychologists standing back to back with crossed arms against a plain wall at their branding shoot — The same pale wall, in black and white

Branding Photos in a Room Made for Listening

Next came the room itself. Two soft gray armchairs face each other, with a box of tissues and glasses of water on small tables in between. A floor lamp stands in the corner, and the window frames the green treetops. I photographed the room empty too, because a first visit is easier when you already know the room.

Empty room of the therapy practice with two gray armchairs, a tissue box on a small table, a floor lamp and a window over treetops

Then each of them sat down with a laptop, just as on a normal workday. Meanwhile, I moved around them quietly, so the laughter in these frames is real.

Psychologist in a cream zip jacket laughing in an armchair, hands clasped above a laptop on a small round wooden table

Woman in black laughing in a gray armchair with her laptop open, a large monstera and a glass of water beside her

By the bookcase, they leafed through a book together, heads close.

Two psychologists reading a book together by a bookcase with a snake plant on top, a candid moment from their branding shoot

He also got a portrait of his own by the same bookcase, one hand resting on the shelf and the plants beside him.

Smiling man in a cream zip jacket resting a hand on a dark bookcase with books, a snake plant and ivy in the therapy practice

On the shelf below, psychology books stand next to a children’s game. It is a small sign of who comes here.

Psychology books and a children's game on a dark shelf, a snake plant and trailing ivy above them in the therapy practice

A Session Seen From the Doorway

To show the work itself, they took turns: one as the psychologist, the other as the client. That way, no real client had to appear in the photos. For this part, they changed into lighter summer clothes. I kept the face of the client out of the frame, often looking over a shoulder or through the half-open door. As a result, the photos keep the privacy that a branding shoot at a therapy practice should respect.

Psychologist with a notebook listening in an armchair by the window, the shoulder of a man blurred in the foreground

Man in a tan polo explaining something with a laptop on his knee, seen past the long dark hair of a woman in the foreground

From the corridor, the door frames the conversation like a quiet scene from a film.

Session in a therapy practice seen through a half-open door, a man in a tan polo talking to a woman in a green velvet chair — The practice room, seen through the door

Business Cards and a Last Laugh

Their business cards lay on a dark wooden table, with their own portrait printed on the front. At the end, each of them sat down once more with a laptop, next to a big monstera.

Those last frames are the most relaxed of the morning. He laughed behind his glasses, and she looked up with a smile that says come in. For me, that is what a branding shoot at a therapy practice should show: warmth before the first word.

Man with dark glasses frames and a beard laughing over his laptop beside a large monstera, wearing a tan polo shirt

Smiling woman with a lanyard and a laptop on her lap in a gray armchair, the last portrait of the branding shoot

Running a practice of your own? Discover how my photoshoots in Leiden work.