SimplePractice · Clinical
SimplePractice Couples and Family Therapy Calls
Katie handles couples and family therapy calls: who is attending, whose care it is, scheduling around several people, and consent questions for minors.
More than one person on the appointment
Couples and family therapy multiplies every scheduling problem. Two partners with different work hours. A family with three children in different schools. A divorced couple attending co-parenting sessions who should not be sitting in the same waiting room. The person who calls is only one of the people who need to agree to the time.
Intake gets more complicated too. Who is the identified client? Whose insurance applies, if any? Does everyone know the call is being made?
Couples work also has a timing problem of its own. Partners often call at a breaking point, after a discovery or a decision to separate, and want to be seen soon. Others call after months of one partner persuading the other. In both cases, a first call that goes to voicemail can be enough for the reluctant partner to change their mind.
Questions for multi-participant intake
Your clinicians decide the questions. A common set for relationship and family work:
- Who will attend and how each person is related to the caller
- Whether the other participants know about the call and are willing to attend
- Ages of any children, and who has legal custody
- Insurance or private pay, and whose plan, if insurance applies
- Days and times that work for everyone, not just the caller
- In person, telehealth, or a mix, including participants in different locations
When only one partner calls
Often one person calls on behalf of the couple. Sometimes the other partner does not yet know. Decide in advance what Katie should say when someone asks about another person's appointments, or when a caller wants to know whether their partner has already contacted the practice. A clear rule protects everyone's privacy and saves your staff from improvising on the spot.
Coverage for couples work
Insurance coverage for couples and family therapy varies by plan, and some callers are surprised to learn it may not be covered in the way they expect. Katie collects plan details for your billing staff to verify and states your private-pay rates in the words you give her. She does not tell callers whether their plan will pay.
Safety in relationship calls
Relationship calls sometimes reveal danger: a caller who mentions being afraid of their partner, or who is calling in secret. Your escalation rules should cover this. Katie can ask how and when it is safe to contact the caller, and whether a voicemail or text could be seen by someone else. The structured summary records those answers prominently, so staff follow up in a way that does not put the caller at risk. MedReception AI is live with practices on SimplePractice, where Katie books the joint session directly once a time works for everyone, and staff document as usual.
Frequently asked questions
- Can either partner reschedule a joint session?
- That depends on your policy. If either partner may move it, Katie rebooks it in SimplePractice; if your rules require agreement from both, staff confirm first.
- Who must consent for family sessions with minors?
- Consent rules vary by state and by custody arrangement. Katie captures the custody information the caller provides, and your staff confirm who must sign.
- Can a separated parent book family therapy for a child?
- Katie captures the request and the custody details as the caller describes them. Your team reviews documentation before scheduling.
- Can partners attend from two different places by video?
- If your clinicians offer it, yes. Katie records where each participant will be, which also matters if your clinicians are licensed only in certain states.
Ready to implement this for your SimplePractice practice?
Book a demo and we'll run your own calls through Katie: new client inquiries, sessions booked straight into SimplePractice, billing questions and the crisis escalation rules your clinicians set. You'll see the booking and the summary your staff receive after each call.