You can now create joint profiles for couple clients. 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 potential couple clients in the Clients & 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 and click + Create > Create Client.
Note: See Adding a new client and navigating your Clients & Contacts list to learn about the different ways you can add a new client.
When 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:
- First Name
- 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 & Contacts list as the Client 1 or Client 2 for this Couple Profile.
After you've finished entering each client's information, click Create & 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 you also have the Client Portal setup, you'll then see the Send Intakes options. It’s divided into three steps:
- Client Items
- Here you can choose which Consent Documents, Questionnaires, and Profile & Credit Card Forms to send to the client(s).
- After you've made your selections for the client(s), click Continue to Email.
Note: Documents that you share with one client in the couple will only be visible to that client. If you want both clients to have access to a document, you must send it to each client individually.
- Compose Email
- Here you can customize the email that you send to the client(s) along 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 My Account > 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
- Here you can review the client(s) that will receive Client Portal access, view the Client Portal Greeting message, and confirm which items 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 just like any other client. The profile name listed at the upper right corner will display their couple name.
Note: See Getting started guides for your clients for PDF guides you can share with new clients about using the Client Portal.
If a client that's part of a Couple Profile also has their own individual client profile, the client will be able to choose between the two Client Portal accounts upon logging in.
The client can also click the Profile dropdown in the upper right to select a different Client Portal profile to manage.
Note: See the Creating an individual client profile from a Couple Profile section below to learn how to convert a client from a couple into an individual client.
Managing potential couple clients in Clients & Contacts
The system will automatically scan your account for existing couple appointments. If it finds any, you'll see this banner above your Calendar:
You can click Review now to go to the Clients & Contacts list to manage potential couple clients.
From the Clients & Contacts page, you'll see a banner that indicates the number of potential couples the system recognized. This banner will remain at the top of the Clients & Contacts page until you address every potential couple the system recognized.
You can also use the toggle to view potential couples or potential duplicate clients and contacts. You can only view one list at a time.
To address a client on this list, click Manage:
If you want to add a client as part of a Couple Profile, click Add this client to a Couple. If you don't want to add a client to a Couple Profile, click This client is not part of a Couple. After you go through your list of potential couple clients and indicate one or the other, you will no longer see the banner at the top of this page.
If you click Add this client to a Couple, you'll see the option to Preview Couple. This button will take you to the Create new Couple Client page.
You can review all of the information on the Create new Couple Client page. You'll need to select a client in the couple that will be Responsible for billing to move forward with creating the Couple Profile.
When you're ready, click Create Couple. You'll then see a pop-up that allows you to view their new profile so you can view or make edits to the new Couple Profile.
Important: Adding a client to a Couple Profile will not 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 client 1 or 2 of a couple, follow these steps:
- Go 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 arrow 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 window where you can select the documents you want to share with each client and edit the email that goes along with it.
Tip: You can also click Share at the upper right of your couple's Overview page to select documents to share to the couple through the Client Portal.
Note: See Sending intake forms and documents to clients to learn more about how to resend intake forms, view completed documents, and check the status of a client's intake.
Managing and editing Couple Profiles
To manage your clients and contacts, click Clients from your Calendar homepage.
Note: See Enhanced Client Management for Minors to learn more about how to navigate the Clients & Contacts list and how to manage your clients and contacts.
On the Clients & Contacts list, you'll see a Couple label for your Couple Profiles. Individual clients will have a Client label instead.
To edit a Couple Profile, click Manage > Edit Client info. You will then be directed to the Couple Info page for the Couple Profile. You can also access this Couple Info page by going directly to the couple Overview page > Edit.
There are 3 different tabs that you can edit:
- Couple Info
- Here you can edit the active status of the client, default Location, Client Notes (a field to add non-clinical notes), Date First Seen, and a referral.
- Clients
- Here 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 Client info.
- 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.
- Here you can manage the couple's individual demographic details, appointment reminders, Client Portal access, and the individual responsible for billing in the couple.
- Billing and Insurance
- Here 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.
Creating an individual client profile from a Couple Profile
You have the option to convert a client from a Couple Profile into an individual client within the system. 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. Keep in mind that if you need to make changes to a client's insurance, appointment reminders, or billing settings, you'll need to update both their individual and Couple Profiles separately. Client demographic information (except for DOB, Sex, Gender Identity, Relationship Status, and Employment Status) is shared between the individual and Couple Profiles.
To create an individual client profile from a Couple Profile:
- Go to the couple's Overview page > Edit > Clients
- Click Manage > Convert to Individual Client for the client you want to convert
- Review the client's information and click Convert
- Click Convert Now
Important: Once a client from a couple is converted into an individual client, this action cannot 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 & Contacts list.
Creating a couple appointment
To create a new appointment for a Couple Profile, go to the Calendar homepage and create a new appointment. Select the Couple Profile as the client. Review and edit the other details of the appointment, and click Done to save.
Note: The couple appointment type that existed before this release will no longer be supported.
Secure Messaging with couples
For Couple Profiles, you can send Secure Messages to the couple in a group thread, or if only one of the individuals has Secure Messaging enabled, you can message the client individually. You have the option to send a group or individual Secure Message. Secure Messages sent to the client in their individual thread will not 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 and 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, go 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 is 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 rofile from 2 existing clients, what information is moved to the Couple profile?
When you create a Couple Profile from existing individual client profiles, only the clients’ demographic information, insurance information, contact information, and any stored credit card information will be transferred into the Couple Profile.
Additionally, by default, an existing client’s settings for email consent, Client Portal access, and appointment reminders will be carried over. However, these settings can be updated independently for the individual client’s solo and couple profiles after the Couple Profile is 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 will 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 when creating a new appointment is no longer available. See Creating a couple appointment to learn more.
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 are 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. See Managing and editing Couple Profiles to learn how to select a Primary Client for insurance billing.
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.
See Managing and editing Couple Profiles to learn how to select a Primary Client for insurance billing.
Do I have to create a couple using 2 existing clients?
No, 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. See Adding a new couple client to learn more.
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. To use the new Couple Profile for scheduling recurring sessions, simply delete the old couples appointment and add a new recurring appointment in its place, this time with the new Couple Profile.
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 use the automatic tool that scans your account based on previously added Couple appointments. This scan won't occur if former Couple appointment types have not been created since it is a one-time scan. This is designed to streamline the process of creating Couple Profiles for your clients.
You can also create a couple from existing clients or contacts by clicking +Create Client > Couple > Add Existing Client or Contact.
See Managing potential couple clients in Clients & Contacts to learn how to use this tool.
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 will be able to log in using 1 email address. They can then manage either profile from the same Client Portal. See Client Portal from a couple's perspective to learn more.
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 checking 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. See Sending documents to couples to learn more.
If the members of a Couple Profile have the same first and last initials, you can review the client’s Overview page which will 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. See Managing and editing Couple Profiles to learn how to edit a couple's settings.
Can I have a Telehealth appointment with members of a couple who are in different locations?
Yes, with the release of Enhanced Client Management for Couples, you'll be 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. You can learn more about holding Telehealth appointments with couples in this guide: Multi-client support on Telehealth.
Can I split a bill between the members of a couple?
No, there isn't a way to split a bill between members of a couple at this time. If the members want to pay equally towards appointment bills, you can alternate the responsible for billing party for each appointment or split the appointment fee between each member's credit cards evenly.
You can refer to How to add a nickname to a client's credit card to learn how to add nicknames to clients' credit cards so you can easily keep track of which individual to charge.
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/or delete a Couple Profile if needed. See Creating an individual client profile from a Couple Profile to learn how to convert couple clients into individual clients.