Monarch is an online directory that’s reimagining how therapy seekers connect with therapists. It simplifies how you connect with prospective clients, helps you build a cohesive online presence, and is seamlessly integrated with SimplePractice. With Monarch, you can emphasize what makes your practice unique, so you can connect to the prospective clients you can best serve.

This guide includes answers to commonly asked questions about the Monarch Directory: 

• How does Monarch work?
• Why should I list on Monarch?
• Who can list on Monarch?
• How much does it cost to list on Monarch?
• In what order are profiles displayed?
• How do I allow prospective clients to request appointments via Monarch?
• How do I set up a phone screening service for new clients?
• How can I create a service with flexible fees for clients impacted by disaster?
• How can I learn more about prospective clients who request appointments via Monarch?
• How do I refer other SimplePractice clinicians to prospective clients who aren’t a good fit for me?

How does Monarch work?

You can manage your Monarch profile from your SimplePractice account. This is where you can edit your profile information, such as your profile picture, bio, insurance and fees, clients served, and more, and establish your availability for online appointment requests. With a SimplePractice account, you can also take advantage of features like our easy-to-use Professional Website and HIPAA-compliant Telehealth.

Once your Monarch profile is live, therapy seekers will be able to discover you based on the filters they select and the information you’ve entered (ex: specialties, insurances accepted, or availability). This helps you connect with prospective clients who are best suited for your practice.

To get started with Monarch:

• Navigate to Marketing > Directory
• Click Turn on directory access
• Click Edit your profile to review and update your personal profile 

Note: To learn more, see Updating your Public Information settings. For tips on writing your bio, see How to Write a Professional Bio.

Why should I list on Monarch?

Monarch was designed for ease and simplicity—because it shouldn’t be expensive or difficult to enhance your online presence. What sets Monarch apart from other directory services is its integration with SimplePractice, which lets you manage your online presence alongside your practice’s needs directly from your SimplePractice account. It also allows prospective clients to view your availability and request an appointment when they’re ready. This reduces a barrier therapy seekers face to finding care, while leaving you in control of your schedule.

Our online directory doesn’t have any costly membership fees or an exclusive application process. Monarch is included for free on all subscription plans.

Who can list on Monarch?

Monarch supports clinicians with the following specialties: Behavioral health therapy, Counseling, Marriage and family therapy, Psychology, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing, Psychiatry, Social work, and Substance use counseling. Pre-licensed clinicians may also be listed.

Our team is continuing to work on expanding Monarch’s reach and are looking at ways to support other specialties in the future.

Note: To update your specialty, navigate to Settings > Profile > Clinical info.

How much does it cost to list on Monarch?

Monarch is included on all subscription plans at no additional cost. 

Note: For more information on our plans and pricing, see Which subscription plan is right for me?

In what order are profiles displayed?

Monarch aims to create an optimal experience for people seeking mental health resources and support, while giving therapists a fair chance to attract new clients. 

We leverage an ever-evolving algorithm to ensure fairness in how therapist profiles are displayed on the directory. To learn more, see Improving your Monarch profile ranking.

How do I allow prospective clients to request appointments via Monarch?

First, you can enable online appointment requests for prospective clients. To do this:

• Navigate to Settings > Scheduling > Client Portal permissions
• If Online appointment requests are turned off, toggle this on
• Choose Yes for Allow requests from new clients
• Check the box next to each new client type you're accepting: individual clients, couple clients, and/or contacts on behalf of someone else
• Click Save changes

To learn more about setting up online appointment requests for your practice, see Enabling online appointment requests.

Next, you can set up your services to allow prospective clients to request appointments online. To do this:

• Navigate to Settings > Services and products > Services
• Select the service you'd like to edit
• Under Booking options, check the boxes for Allow online appointment requests and Allow requests from new clients
  • Uncheck Require call to request appointment
• Click Save
• Repeat for each service you’d like to allow for prospective clients

You can then update your Availability schedule to include these services, so they'll appear to prospective clients. To learn more, see Managing your Availability. 

How do I set up a phone screening service for new clients?

Many clinicians opt to set up a phone screening service specifically for therapy seekers on Monarch. This allows you to get to know a prospective client, while setting expectations and guidelines for your work together. It also gives therapy seekers the ability to request a brief initial consultation instead of a full appointment through Monarch, the Client Portal, your Professional Website, or the appointment-request widget.

To create a new service for initial consultations:

• Navigate to Settings > Services and products > Services
• Click + Add service 
• From the Service dropdown menu, select 00000 - Initial Consultation - No Charge
  • Customize the service code and description as needed
• Set the Rate and Duration of the service
  • For initial consultations, many clinicians set the rate to $0 and duration to 15 minutes
• Under Booking options, check the boxes for Allow online appointment requests and Allow requests from new clients
  
  • If you’re part of a group practice, choose the clinicians offering this service and adjust their rates as needed
• Click Save

After creating your initial consultation service, you can add it to your existing availability blocks, or create new availability blocks specifically for initial consultations. To do this:

• Navigate to your calendar
• Select the gear icon > Availability schedule
• Click anywhere on the calendar to create a new availability block, or select an existing availability block to edit
• Under Services, click Add service
• Select the 00000 - Initial Consultation service you created

• Click Save

Note: For more information, see Managing your Availability.

How can I create a service with flexible fees for clients impacted by disaster?

With the ongoing wildfires in the greater Los Angeles area, many individuals in impacted communities are looking for care. You can update your Monarch profile to indicate that you’re currently accepting clients impacted by disaster. To do this:

• Navigate to Marketing > Profile
• Toggle Accepting clients impacted by disaster on
  • If applicable, you can also toggle Offering flexible fees on

These indicators will be displayed on your Monarch profile and your practice's Professional Website, if you have this enabled.

Note: If your Monarch profile isn't live, you’ll first need to publish it. You can turn on directory access at Marketing > Directory, then edit and publish your profile at Marketing > Profile. Once you've published your profile, you’ll be able to toggle these profile indicators on. At this time, these profile indicators are only available to California-licensed clinicians.

If you’d like to create a new service for clients impacted by disaster, you can:

• Navigate to Settings > Services and products > Services
• Click + Add service 
• Enter the custom code in the Service field
  • This can be alphanumeric
• Select Add new code

• Enter a Description
• Enter a Rate
  • You can set this to $0 for pro bono services or adjust as needed
• Set the Duration
• Adjust the Booking options
  • Check the boxes for Allow online appointment requests and Allow requests from new clients
  • If you’re part of a group practice, choose the clinicians offering this service and adjust their rates as needed
• Click Save

After creating this service, make sure to update your availability so that clients and therapy seekers can request it online. To do this:

• Navigate to your calendar
• Select the gear icon > Availability schedule

• Click anywhere on the calendar to create a new availability block, or select an existing availability block to edit
• Under Services, click Add service
• Select the custom service you created
• Click Save

Note: To learn more, see Managing your Availability.

How can I learn more about prospective clients who request appointments via Monarch?

If a therapy seeker includes a reason for visit or message when they submit an appointment request through Monarch, you’ll be able to review this before you accept or decline their request.

This information will also be saved on their client Overview page as a prescreener.

Note: At this time, there’s no way to edit or delete a prescreener from a client’s profile. To learn more about the new client prescreener, see Collecting information from new clients. 

How do I refer other SimplePractice clinicians to prospective clients who aren’t a good fit for me?

When you decline an appointment request from a prospective client, you’ll have the option to refer them to other SimplePractice clinicians listed on the Monarch Directory. To do this:

• Click Requests in the left navigation menu
• Select the three horizontal dots next to the request > Decline
• Select your reason for declining
• Customize the email as needed
• At the bottom of the Decline appointment page, select Search for clinicians

You'll see a list of SimplePractice clinicians in your area who are listed on the Monarch Directory. 

Note: Clinicians listed in the Monarch Directory are independent providers who use SimplePractice for their practice management. They’re not endorsed or employed by SimplePractice. SimplePractice isn’t responsible for the conduct of providers listed in the directory.

From this page, you can:

• Filter the results by Location, Specialty, Approaches, Availability, Insurance, Appointment types, or More filters
• Click Add profile to email to attach a clinician to the decline email as a referral
  • If you’d like to first review the clinician’s Monarch profile, click View Profile

• Repeat as needed
• Select Next

Note: To remove a referral, click the X next to their name in the Profiles added bar at the bottom.

• Review the message, and click Decline & Send Now

When the prospective client receives the appointment request decline email, they can click the link next to each referred clinician to view their Monarch profile and request an appointment.

Note: To learn more about managing new client appointment requests, see Enabling online appointment requests.