The Only 6 Emails You’ll Need to Write As a Private Practice Therapist
Spending hours writing and rewriting emails to your current (or potential) clients is not a good use of your time!
You are a master at making people feel safe, seen, and heard. You deliver insight and coping tools that change people’s lives. You do not specialize in email correspondence.
So, we’ve taken the guesswork out of client emails for you.
Here are the only six email templates you’ll need in your therapy private practice.
How do I respond to late cancellation?
First off, it’s important to have clear cancellation policies in place from the get-go.
We advise you to implement at least a 24-hour cancellation policy. Have clients sign an agreement with your intake paperwork, and reiterate it to them during the intake session. If a cancellation happens, chances are clients will understand the no-show policy and respect your boundaries.
Here’s a quick and easy response to a late cancellation email (based on a 24-hour cancellation policy).
How to respond when a client late cancels:
Hi (Insert Client Name),
Thanks so much for getting in touch and letting me know. As per my 24-hour cancellation policy, you will be charged the full fee for this session. I’d be happy to discuss this during our next session on ____.
Looking forward to connecting then,
YOUR NAME
How do you respond to a therapy inquiry email?
If you are wondering how to to respond to a client seeking therapy, wonder no more! This email response is pretty straightforward.
If they are a good fit, respond and schedule a consult call.
If they aren’t a good fit, respond and if appropriate refer out.
Responding to a new client inquiry that’s a good fit
Hi (Insert Name),
Thanks so much for reaching out. I’d love to learn more about what you are looking for and tell you a bit more about my practice. You can schedule a consult call here*.
Looking forward to connecting soon,
YOUR NAME
*Link to scheduling system. Julie recommends using Calendly for consult calls and Simple Practice for scheduling with clients.
Why Calendly and not Simple Practice? Calendly links to google calendar and in general, is just a lot easier to update than Simple Practice.
Consult calls are quick (generally 15 minutes) and with Calendly you have more flexibility in when you offer them without needing to update all the time.
Responding to a new client inquiry that’s not a good fit
Hi (Insert Name),
Thanks so much for reaching out. Sounds like what you are going through is really challenging, I’m so proud of you for taking the first step to reach out for support. Unfortunately, I don’t work with ____ in my practice. If you are looking for someone that specializes in ____, I’d recommend reaching out to the following therapists in our community. They are wonderful and would surely be able to support you.
(List 2-3 referrals)
Wishing you the best of luck as you find the right fit,
YOUR NAME
Providing additional referrals is a personal preference, and only a recommendation, not a requirement.
Finding the right support for mental health is a real problem in America. Access to care should not be this hard (which is why we are creating kick-ass websites that speak to your clients and rank on google and help people find you, but you know that by now).
This is not only good customer service but it is also kind. And if you have a solid referral list it really won’t take that long to provide other therapists’ names.
Plus, you never know what this person will say to their friends/colleagues/family/google about your practice. While they might not be the right fit for you, someone else they know might be.
New client inquiry - practice is full
Option 1:
Hi (Insert Name),
Thanks so much for reaching out. Unfortunately, my practice is full and I won’t have availability until _______. If you would like to be added to my waitlist and contacted when a spot opens up, I’d be happy to connect then.
Take care,
YOUR NAME
Option 2:
Hi ____,
Thanks so much for reaching out. Unfortunately, my practice is full and I’m not accepting new clients at this time. Here are a few therapists with availability that would be excellent fits to work with you!
(List 2-3 therapists*)
Best,
YOUR NAME
*Again, great networking opportunity! Connect with other therapists and let them know you’ll be referring to them. Perhaps you have a peer consult group and you rotate referrals of the group members. Community is key.
How do you write a networking email?
Networking doesn’t have to be scary. As therapists, you already know how to connect, be curious, and make people feel warm and welcomed. Use these professional skills to reach out to your community. Here’s how to start:
What to say in an email for networking
Hi there,
I’m a therapist in private practice specializing in [INSERT SPECIALITY]. I’m looking for psychiatrist referrals for my clients and have heard great things about your practice. I’d love to connect and learn more about your services and the best way to send clients your way. You can schedule a virtual “coffee chat” with me here [LINK TO CALENDLY].
Looking forward to connecting with you soon,
[YOUR NAME]
Next Steps
Use these six email templates as a jumping-off point. Copy and paste them into a google doc and then tweak them to sound like your voice!
Include your practice policies, your scheduling system, and your tone of voice. Clients are reaching out to work with YOU, so remember to use email as a warm starting point.
Once the texts are written in your tone of voice, just copy and paste the responses into the appropriate emails. Continue to update them and improve your system as your practice evolves with you.
Now get out there and work your magic!
Julie Goldberg is the founder of Third Nature Therapy, a virtual therapy group offering holistic mental health care for people seeking a different perspective on wellbeing. As a mental health practitioner herself, she offers straightforward and easy to implement methods for running a successful private practice.