Therapy no-show and late cancellation policy template

Late cancellations and no-shows cost a session slot that is hard to refill. A clear policy, agreed before the first session, keeps the conversation simple when it happens. This guide gives you a template and the choices behind it.

Agree on it early

The American Psychological Association's ethics code, in standard 6.04, asks psychologists and their clients to reach an agreement about compensation and billing arrangements as early as is feasible. Put your policy in your intake paperwork so clients read and accept it before care starts, and go over it out loud in the first session.

The choices to make

• Notice window. How far ahead must a client cancel to avoid a fee. Many practices use 24 or 48 hours, and you should choose what fits your schedule.
• The fee. The full session fee, part of it, or none for a first missed session. A lower fee is easier to enforce.
• Exceptions. Illness, emergencies and weather. Say how you handle them, and whether you decide case by case.
• How it is charged. Card on file, an invoice, or added to the next session.
• Repeated no-shows. Whether you keep the slot or pause scheduling until the client contacts you.

A template you can adapt

Your appointment time is reserved for you. If you need to cancel or reschedule, please tell me at least [24 or 48] hours before your session by [phone, text or your booking link]. Sessions cancelled with less notice, and missed sessions, are charged at [full fee or percentage] of the session fee. I may waive the fee for illness or emergencies at my discretion. Fees for late cancellations are not covered by insurance and are the client's responsibility. I will contact you if you miss two sessions in a row to check that scheduling still works for you.

Replace the bracketed parts with your own choices. If you also see clients who use insurance, check the rules of your state and of each insurer before you apply a policy to them, because some restrict what you may charge.

Make it hard to forget

• Send reminders by text or email a day or two before each session. Fewer forgotten sessions means fewer fee conversations.
• Let clients reschedule themselves from a link, so cancelling early is easy.
• Keep a signed or electronically accepted copy of the policy in the client record.

RafaNest sends email and text reminders on every plan, and its Professional plan can charge a no-show fee to a card on file. Whatever tool you use, tell clients the policy before you ever apply it.

The policy is a business decision and can have legal aspects that vary by state, so ask your licensing board, your professional association or an attorney to review it. This is general information and not legal advice.