Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for counsellors and psychotherapists.
A checklist built from how counsellors and psychotherapists work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Private progress notes
- Booking with reminders
- Intake and informed consent forms
- Session fees, sliding scale and receipts
- Practice calendar for associates
- Referral and sharing log
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For counsellors in solo practice
- For psychotherapists in group practice
- For the practice owner
- For the receptionist or practice administrator
- For supervisors
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Sessions held, cancelled late and missed, by clinician
- Consent forms outstanding and the date each was given
- Fees collected and outstanding, by client rate band
- Free hours by associate for the coming fortnight
- Referrals in and out, with source and outcome status
- Access log showing who opened which record
- Caseload size by clinician, without clinical detail
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- SMS
- WhatsApp or other messaging
- Video meeting links
- Card and payment link
- Accounting export
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Who can read my progress notes?
- Does the software run the video call itself?
- Can consent be shown if a client later asks?
- How does a late cancellation get handled?
- Can fees differ from one client to the next?
- Can associates see each other’s clients?
- Can the system give advice on a client’s care?
- Can existing clients be moved over?
- What does your team see during support?
- How do I find out the cost?
- How long before I can see clients through it?
- What should a practice prepare before we start?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Notes are scattered and hard to protect
- No-shows and late cancellations cost income
- Payment follow-ups are uncomfortable
- A group practice has no shared view
Prefer to talk it through? See the counsellors and psychotherapists page.