Common Private Psychotherapy Practice Forms

One of the challenges of starting a private practice is developing your practice policies and the forms that go with them. There are tons of forms… just figuring out what you need can be daunting. Be patient as you work through the process and keep in mind you will need to edit them as your practice evolves (hint: don’t print too many copies at once).

I started my practice in fall of 2014. I am still modifying forms and policies, as things change and new informed consents and policies are added to the ridiculously long list of forms private practice requires.

The ridiculously long list is one reason I switched to electronic health records (EHR) and chose Simple Practice. Charting and editing forms are so much easier than with paper forms. The seemingly endless forms are required whether you are using paper or using an EHR with e-sign for a “paperless” chart.

You will need to develop and/or review and understand most of these forms, depending on your practice model:

• Registration/Intake Form
• Diagnostic Evaluation / Biopsychosocial Assessment
• Client Payment Record / Appointment & Activity Log
• Informed Consent for Psychotherapy
• Introductory Letter for marketing
• Practice Policies
• Confidential Psychotherapy Notes
• Receipt for Payment / Superbill
• Sliding Scale Payment Agreement
• Treatment Plan
• Sublet Rental Agreement (if you sublet your office)
• Group Therapy Note
• Group Therapy Informed Consent
• Progress Note
• Progress Note with Treatment Plan
• CMS1500 Claim Form
• Telehealth Informed Consent
• HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP)
• Receipt and Acknowledgment of HIPAA NPP
• Consent for Release of Information (SUD requires a different consent)
• Consent to Charge Credit Card
• Informed Consent for Reminder Messages
• EAP: Assessment, Referral, Progress Notes & Informed Consent
• Social Media Policy
• Diagnostic and Objective Measurement tools like the PHQ9, GAD7, and PCL5
• Informed Consent for In-office Appointments for Vaccinated
• Informed Consent for In-office Appointments for Unvaccinated Clients
• Good Faith Estimate (added into law as of January 1st, 2022!)
• Private Medicare Beneficiary Contract

This list is not an all-inclusive list of the forms you could possibly need, but these are common. Several of these forms you can find online for free, such as the HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7).

For a Social Media Policy, I recommend checking out Dr. Keely Kolmes at https://drkkolmes.com/2010/02/01/updated-private-practice-social-media-policy/#.XyzbRijYo2w. This is her free version that you can modify. She has an updated version for a fee.

For additional forms, I recommended doing an online search plus, looking at the list of forms provided in The Paper Office. The Paper Office includes access to all the forms in an editable format with tons of great information every clinician needs.

If you are considering your forms, then congratulations are well on your way! You are deep in the process of starting your private practice!

This part of the process can feel overwhelming. Like the old adage, one day at a time, think of this process as One Form at a Time.

Consider an EHR with e-signature so that modifying forms is easier. And above all, don’t give up. It is totally doable, I promise.

Here’s my book about starting your private practice. Step Fourteen is all about creating your forms.

Featured Image by Lorraine Mays from Pixabay