With this feature, you have the ability to add clients to a couple profile, and also have individual profiles for them. The couple profile is kept separate from the individual profiles, so changes that are made to either file are independent of each other. This will give you greater flexibility as a note, diagnosis, or bill for a couple profile will not appear on the individual client profile, and vice versa.
In this guide, we'll walk through:
- Adding a new couple client
- Sending a new couple client intake
- Client Portal from a couple's perspective
- Managing couple clients in your Clients and contacts list
- Sending documents to couples
- Managing and editing couple profiles
- Creating an individual client profile from a couple profile
- Creating a couple appointment
- Secure Messaging with couples
- Creating and managing couples on the mobile app
- FAQs
Adding a new couple client
To add a new couple client:
- Navigate to the Calendar homepage
- Click + Create > Create Client
- Under Client Type, select Couple
Note: To learn about the different ways you can add a new client, see Adding a new client and navigating your Clients and contacts list.
After you select Couple, you'll see tabs for Client 1 and Client 2. You'll have the option to enter this information for both clients:
- Legal first name
- Legal last name
- Email Address
- Required for Client Portal access
- Phone Number
- Required for Text and Voice Reminders
- Responsible for billing
- Checking this box will make this client the responsible party on billing documents
- Billing Type
- Self-Pay or Insurance
- Location of appointments
Note: Clicking Add Existing Client or Contact will allow you to select an existing client or contact from your Clients and contacts list as the Client 1 or Client 2 for this couple profile.
After you've finished entering each client's information, click Continue.
Sending a new couple client intake
If you've entered an email address for either or both of the clients in the couple profile, and have set up the Client Portal, you'll see the option to Send Intakes. This is divided into three steps:
Client Items
- You can choose which Consent Documents, Questionnaires, and Demographics & Credit Card forms to send to the client(s)
- After you've made your selections for the client(s), click Continue to Email
Important: Documents that you share with one client in the couple will only be visible to that client. If you want each client to view or complete a document, you must share it with each client individually.
Compose Email
- You can customize the email that you send to the client(s) with your practice documents
- After you've reviewed and made any changes, click Continue to Review
Note: To adjust the default text of this email for your entire practice, go to Settings > Client Portal > Emails tab and click Edit on the Welcome email. For more information, see Sending intake forms and documents to clients.
Review & Send
- You can review the client(s) that will receive Client Portal access, view the Client Portal Greeting message, and confirm the item(s) you’re sharing with each person
- After you've finished your final review, click Share & Send Now
Client Portal from a couple's perspective
When an individual from a couple logs into the Client Portal, they'll see the Welcome message and documents that were shared with them. The name listed in the top right corner of their Client Portal will reflect their couple profile.
Note: For PDF guides you can share with new clients about using the Client Portal, see Getting started guides for your clients.
If a client also has their own individual client profile, the client will be able to choose which profile they'd like to manage upon login.
The client can also click the Name in the top right corner to select a different Profile or Sign Out.
Note: For more information about setting up your online appointment request settings, see Enabling online appointment requests.
Tip: To learn how to convert a client from a couple into an individual client, see the Creating an individual client profile from a couple profile section below.
Managing couple clients in your Clients and contacts list
From the Clients and contacts page, you can manage your client and contact information. For couple clients, you can make changes to existing couple profiles, as well as create a new couple profile from two existing clients.
Note: To learn more about using this page across all client types, see Adding a new client and navigating your Clients and contacts list.
To update a couple’s profile on this page:
- Click Manage
- Select Edit Client info
This will take you to the couple’s Couple Info page in their settings. To learn more about what changes you can make from this page, see Editing a client's information.
To create a couple profile from individual clients and/or contacts:
- Click Manage
- Select Add this Client to a Couple
- Navigate to the Client 2 tab
- Select Add existing client or contact
- Use the search bar to search for the name of the client or contact you want to add to the couple with Client 1
- Select the client or contact
- Click Select
- After verifying each client’s information, click Continue to begin the intake process
Tip: You can’t finish creating a couple profile until you have chosen which client is Responsible for Billing. To learn more, see What does it mean to choose who is "Responsible for Billing"?
Important: Adding a client to a couple profile won’t affect their existing individual client profile. All of the records that live in an individual client's profile will remain separate from their couple profile. After a couple profile is created, any new couple appointments and documentation created for the couple will automatically be attributed to their new couple profile.
Sending documents to couples
To share a document with the clients within a couple:
- Navigate to the couple's Overview page
- Scroll down to the Shared with Client section and click Share New
- You’ll then have the option to Select whom you want to share items with
- Clicking the green checkmark will deselect the person from receiving the item(s)
- Once satisfied with your selection, click Continue to Share
- Then you'll see the Send intakes page, where you can select the documents you want to share with each client and edit the email that is sent with it
Note: To learn more about resending intake forms, viewing completed documents, and checking the status of a client's intake, see Sending intake forms and documents to clients.
Managing and editing couple profiles
To manage your clients and contacts, click Clients from your Calendar homepage.
Note: To learn more about navigating the Clients and contacts list and managing your clients and contacts, see Enhanced Client Management for minors.
On the Clients and contacts list, each client will have a label. Couple profiles will have a Couple label, while individual clients will have a Client label.
To edit a couple profile, click Manage > Edit Client info. You’ll then be directed to the Couple Info page for the couple profile.
Tip: You can also access this Couple Info page by going directly to the couple’s Overview page and clicking Edit.
There are 3 different tabs that you can edit:
Couple Info
- This is where you can edit the active status of the client, default Location, Client Notes (a field to add non-clinical notes), Date First Seen, and add referral information.
Clients
- This is where you can manage the couple's individual demographic details, appointment reminders, Client Portal access, and the individual responsible for billing in the couple. To edit client 1 or client 2's individual details, click Manage > View/Edit Clientinfo.
- To manage client 1 or client 2's Client Portal access or change the Responsible for Billing setting for their couple profile, click Manage > Client Portal & Billing.
- To manage client 1 or client 2's appointment reminders, click Manage > Edit Appointment Reminders.
Billing and Insurance
- This is where you can edit the Billing Type, billing documents, billing notifications, Credit & Debit cards on file, the Primary Client (for insurance billing), Insurance Information, and the Default Service.
- If the client designated as Responsible for Billing has insurance information listed in their individual profile, it will be transferred into their new couple profile.
- If the client designated as Responsible for Billing doesn’t have insurance information listed but the other member of the couple does, the other member's insurance information will migrate into the new couple profile.
- If two individual clients both have credit cards listed and are merged into a couple profile, the credit card of the client that is listed as Responsible for Billing will become the default card.
Creating an individual client profile from a couple profile
You have the option to create an individual client from a couple profile. If either client from the couple is coming to your practice for individual services, this will give you the flexibility to have a separate profile for that client where you can add notes, diagnoses, and other documentation.
Important: All documentation, billing, and settings handled in individual client profiles are kept separate from couple profiles and vice versa. If you need to make changes to a client’s preferences or settings, it’s important to treat their individual and couple profile independently.
To create an individual client profile from a couple profile:
- Navigate to the couple's Overview page > Edit > Clients
- Click Manage > Create an Individual Client for the client you want to create
- Review the client's information and click Create & Continue
- Click Create Now
Important: Once an individual is created from a couple, this action can’t be reversed.
After converting a client from a couple profile into an individual client, you'll see a separate profile for this client in your Clients and contacts list.
Creating a couple appointment
To create a new appointment for a couple profile:
- Navigate to the Calendar homepage
- Create a new appointment
- Select the couple profile as the client
- Review and edit the other details of the appointment
- Click Done
Secure Messaging with couples
For couple profiles, you can send Secure Messages to the couple in a group thread. Alternatively, if only one of the individuals has Secure Messaging enabled, you can message the client individually.
Important: Secure Messages sent to the client in their individual thread won’t be visible to the other client in the couple.
To enable Secure Messaging for a couple:
- Navigate to their Overview page > Edit > Clients
- Click Manage > Manage Client Portal & Billing
- Select Send & receive Secure Messages
- Click Save when you're done
- Repeat these steps for the other client in the couple
To send a Secure Message to a couple, navigate to the couple's Overview page and click Message. You'll be able to select which thread you want to begin messaging through. To message in the group thread, both members of the couple must have Secure Messaging enabled.
Note: It’s not required for a client to have an individual profile (in addition to the couple profile) to message the client individually.
Creating and managing couples on the mobile app
Creating a Couple Profile
- Tap the Clients tab at the bottom of your screen
- Tap + > Create Client > Client Type > Couple
- Tap Add Client
- Select an existing client or contact, or add a new client by tapping +
- Tap the Billing & Insurance tab
- Select a Billing Type (Self-Pay or Insurance)
- Select a Responsible for Billing individual
- Tap Save (iOS) or the checkmark (Android)
After you save your new Couple Profile, you'll be able to send the intake documents to each member of the couple. Tap the Details tab on a Couple Profile to view Client Portal, appointment reminders, and billing settings. Tap Edit at the upper right to make changes to the clients' settings.
When creating an appointment for a couple client, make sure to select the new Couple Profile as the client.
Contacting a couple clients
On a Couple Profile in the mobile app, you can tap the phone button to call a member of the couple, or tap the envelope button to email a member of the couple. After tapping the phone or envelope button, you'll be able to select the client in the couple that you want to contact.
Sharing documents for a Couple Profile
On a Couple Profile in the mobile app, tap Shared under Documents. Tap + to share new documents with either or both members of the couple. Tap an individual client's name to view previously shared documents for either client.
FAQs
You can find answers to frequently asked questions about Enhanced Client Management for Couples, below:
- If I create a couple profile from 2 existing clients, what information is moved to the couple profile?
- Where did the couple option go on the calendar fly-out? How do I set up couples appointments moving forward?
- What does it mean to choose who is "Responsible for billing"?
- How can I choose who the diagnosis is attached to?
- Do I have to create a couple using 2 existing clients?
- What happens to my old couple appointments?
- What is the best way to create a new couple from existing clients?
- How come my previous notes don't show up in my new couple client? Can I migrate the documentation of my individual clients too?
- Will my clients now have 2 logins for the Client Portal?
- How can I tell who filled out which intake form?
- Can two members of a couple have two different reminder types?
- Can I have a Telehealth appointment with members of a couple who are in different locations?
- Can I split a bill between the members of a couple?
- Can I split a couple?
If I create a couple profile from 2 existing clients, what information is moved to the couple profile?
When you create a couple profile from existing individual client profiles, the clients’ demographic information, insurance information, contact information, consent for email, text and voice messages, and any stored credit card information will be transferred into the couple profile.
Additionally, by default, each individual will be granted Client Portal access during the creation flow and text reminders will initially be disabled for the couple profile. However, these settings can be updated independently for the individual client’s solo and couple profile after it's created.
When you create a new couple profile, none of the documentation from past appointments or consent forms will be moved over to the new profile and past records will not be affected. You can use the new couple profile for all documentation and billing moving forward.
Where did the couple option go on the calendar fly-out? How do I set up couples appointments moving forward?
With Enhanced Client Management for couples, you’ll need to create a couple appointment by scheduling a new appointment and selecting a couple's joint profile as the client. The previous option to select a couple appointment type is no longer available. To learn more, see Creating a couple appointment.
What does it mean to choose who is "Responsible for Billing"?
The client you choose to be Responsible for Billing will be the financially responsible party on all billing documents.
Although both clients in the couple will be listed by name on invoices, only the individual that is marked as Responsible for Billing will be listed in the To: field, indicating that they’re financially responsible for the appointment fee.
For superbills, the Responsible for Billing client will also be listed in the Make payments to: field so that the correct client is reimbursed by the insurance payer appropriately. If needed, you can always update which client is set as Responsible for Billing and recreate the associated superbills.
If the couple will be using insurance for their appointments, you can select a Primary Client based on the insured individual. The Primary Client can be the same as or different from the Responsible for Billing client. The client Responsible for Billing will still be listed as the responsible party, but the Primary Client's insurance information will populate onto claim forms and superbills for insurance billing purposes. This means that you can bill insurance through the Primary Client's insurance plan, but still have the Responsible for Billing individual held accountable for the remaining client responsibility.
Note: To learn how to select a Primary Client for insurance billing, see Managing and editing couple profiles.
How can I choose who the diagnosis is attached to?
Diagnoses for a couple client will automatically be attached to the individual that's selected as the Primary Client. The Primary Client is the individual that's insured and will be listed on claims and superbills for insurance billing purposes.
Note: To learn how to select a Primary Client for insurance billing, see Managing and editing couple profiles.
Do I have to create a couple using 2 existing clients?
Alongside creating a couple using 2 existing clients, you can create a new profile for a couple using the same creation workflow as you would for an individual client. You can also create a couple profile by adding a new individual client to an existing client as their partner. To learn more, see Adding a new couple client.
What happens to my old couple appointments?
Couples appointments that were created before the release of Enhanced Client Management for couples will remain on your calendar. Couples appointments that were created in a recurring series using the previous couple appointment type will continue to go on until the last appointment in the series.
You can also refer back to notes for past couples appointments by looking through your calendar or on individual client profiles.
Note: Previously created couple appointments will be distinguished from new Enhanced Client Management couple appointments by the name that is listed for the appointment. The previous couple appointments will only list the individuals’ first names, while the new ECM couple appointments will list the clients first names and the initial of their last name.
What is the best way to create a new couple from existing clients?
The best way to create a new couple profile from existing individual clients is to create them from the Clients and contacts page. To learn about this process, see Managing couple clients in your Clients and contacts list.
Note: For information on how to create new couple profiles from new clients, see Adding a new couple client.
How come my previous notes don't show up in my new couple client? Can I migrate the documentation of my individual clients too?
When you create a new Couple Profile, it will only record notes for new appointments scheduled for this couple client moving forward. Previous notes will remain in the individual client profiles to keep client files as secure as possible. There isn't a way to migrate documentation from individual client files into a Couple Profile.
Will my clients now have 2 logins for the Client Portal?
No, when an individual client is added to a couple and is given Client Portal access for both profiles, they’ll be able to log in using 1 email address. They can then manage either profile from the same Client Portal.
Note: To learn more, see Client Portal from a couple's perspective.
How can I tell who filled out which intake form?
You'll be able to see which client in a couple received and completed each intake form by viewing the Shared with client box on the couple Overview page. Below each document name, you'll see a status and the specific individual's initial. To learn more, see Sending documents to couples.
If the members of a couple profile have the same first and last initials, you can review the client’s Overview page instead. It’ll display the full name of which client completed a questionnaire.
Can two members of a couple have two different reminder types?
Yes, appointment reminders are customizable for each individual in the couple. To learn how to edit a couple's settings, see Managing and editing couple profiles.
Can I have a Telehealth appointment with members of a couple who are in different locations?
Yes, you’re able to hold a 3-way Telehealth appointment. The individuals can each receive their own link for the call, so they can access the Telehealth appointment from different locations. To learn more about holding Telehealth appointments with couples, see Using Telehealth for multiple clients at the same time.
Can I split a bill between the members of a couple?
There isn't a way to split a bill between members of a couple. If the members want to pay equally towards appointment bills, you can alternate the party responsible for billing for each appointment or split the appointment fee between each member's credit cards evenly.
Note: You can add a nickname to a client’s credit card, which can help you keep track of which member’s card you’re charging. To learn more, see How to add a nickname to a client's credit card.
Can I split a couple?
There isn't a way to split a couple. However, you can create an individual client profile from a couple profile and delete the couple profile, if needed. To learn how to create individual clients from couple clients, see Creating an individual client profile from a couple profile.
