If you would like to focus most of your time on therapy and not on administrative work, you need these 5 time-saving solutions for therapists.
1. Use Keyboard Text Replacement
When communicating with client, you will find that you have certain phrases and sentences that you tend to use over and over again. I have found the text replacement tool to be an incredibly useful way to save time. Text replacement allows you to use just a few letters when typing to shortcut an entire phrase or sentence. For example, you could use “ccl” to shortcut the word “cancel” or to shortcut the sentences: “I cancelled your appointment tomorrow. Thank you for letting us know.”
You can find instructions for using text replacement in Apple products here. For Microsoft products, you can create reusable text snippets. You can also download an app, such as TextExpander, to assist you with creating shortcuts.
2. Create Custom Email Signatures
Creating custom email signatures is another way that you can save time typing the same information over and over again. Most email service providers allow you to create multiple email signatures. Your standard signature should include your name with your credentials, your practice name, your office phone number, your office address (if you have a physical office), your website URL, and a confidentiality clause advising clients of the risks of using email. You might also want to include a note about your cancellation policy.
In addition to your standard signature, you can create custom email “signatures” tailored to different audiences. For example, you may want to create an email signature specifically for new clients that is essentially an email template which provides them with all of the information they need to know before their first appointment, including where your office is located, how to access intake forms, how to log into a teletherapy session, etc. And you can customize the signatures for new clients who are coming in for couples appointments or for minor clients.
3. Create Custom Phone Extensions
Because it can be time consuming to respond to client phone calls, you can create a separate phone extension specifically for new clients. When they dial this extension, you can have them sent directly to a voicemail that gives them instructions on how to become a new client at your practice. You can also include information about your waitlist times, and which insurance providers you accept, if any. I like to instruct potential clients that, rather than leaving a voicemail, they should complete a new client contact form on our website (see number 4). I recommend RingCentral’s cloud-based phone system.
4. Use Secure Contact Forms
Creating a contact form for new clients to complete as their initial contact with you is a great way to save time and give clients a clear path to scheduling with you. Use a service like Hushmail (affiliate link) to create a secure contact form that asks new clients for information such as their name, phone number, email, date of birth, reason for requesting therapy, insurance information, etc. With this information, you can quickly assess whether you will be a good fit for the client and respond appropriately.
You can also include information at the beginning of the form about your wait time, what insurance you take (if any), and whether you offer in-person and/or virtual appointments. This provides potential clients with the ability to quickly assess whether they want to proceed with requesting an appointment.
5. Subscribe and Save
If you have a physical office space, you will need a constant supply of things like tissues, paper, coffee cups, and more. Services like Amazon’s Subscribe and Save (affiliate link) enable you to subscribe to the things that you will regularly need delivered at whatever frequency works best for you. That way, you won’t have to remember to reorder things like tissues.
If you would like more information about email signature templates, contact form templates, recommendations on phone systems, and recommendations on secure contact form providers, you can get all of this and more by purchasing my Step-by-Step Program for Starting Your Own Therapy Practice (Coming Soon!). I am also available for consulting services – Contact me for a free 30-minute consultation.