[Updated 8 May 2023] Do you know the basic paperwork that 
you need to have in place for your private practice? Here’s a checklist to get you started.
√ Welcome Letter
√ Social Media Policy (optional)
√ Consent to Treatment via Face to Face
√ Consent to Treatment via Telehealth
√ HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
√ Release of Information
√ Client Information
√ Receipts
√ List of Community Resources
√ List of Other Counselors to Refer to
√ Reading Lists / Handouts on Different Clinical Issues
√ Disaster Planning [Updated on 8-28-11 in recognition of Hurricane Irene!]
Let me know if I’ve left something out. Happy to add it to the list.
P.S. – Did you happen to notice that you can start working on these things long before you hang out your shingle?
Tamara, thanks for this list! The only item I don’t have is a termination letter. I have a termination face sheet added to the file when it is closed. Do you have examples of of a termination letter and how it is effectively used?
Kipp Lanning LIMHP-CPC
http://www.adultspancounseling.com
Lincoln, NE
Hi, Kipp! I’ve missed your voice – thanks for dropping back in here to chat! And, thanks for the nudge – I’ll put up a post in the next couple of weeks so that everyone will have the info on termination letters.
(By the way, whenever anyone clicks on your name above, they will be taken directly to your website so you don’t need to add the URL a second time . . . unless, of course, you just want to. However, adding your city and state is a nice touch to facilitate further networking.)
I was looking for you disclosure statement. I am working on creating mine to submit with my application for a provisional license and was looking up different ones. I came across your site but can’t seem to find it. Would you be able to share it with me?
Hi, Amanda! Thanks for dropping in! I don’t have an informed consent form to share with you because it really should be uniquely tailored for you and your practice. I see therapists every day “borrowing” and outright stealing disclosure statements from other therapists and giving little thought to their own practice needs. Your policies and your language in your forms is all part of your marketing and should reflect your unique personality. I put some thoughts down on paper and hired an attorney to make sure that I had covered everything I needed to and had also managed to be compliant in the states that I work in. I would encourage you to do the same to protect you and your clients, too.