Getting started with SimplePractice: Part 3 - Practicing essential workflows

Now that your account settings are configured, you can practice a typical client workflow using a demo client.

Follow the steps below to explore the client profile, send intake documents, schedule an appointment, test Telehealth, and create documentation.

To practice essential workflows:

• Explore the demo client
• Share intake documents and preview the Client Portal
• Create an appointment
• Create a progress note
• Customize your calendar

Explore the demo client

Before using SimplePractice with real clients, you can practice common workflows with the demo client included in your account.

The demo client is listed as Jamie D. Appleseed. To access their profile:

1. Click Clients in the left navigation menu
2. Select Jamie D. Appleseed

This will open the demo client’s profile, where you can view their appointments, documentation, billing information, and other client details all in one place.

Explore the client profile

You can use the tabs at the top of the client profile to access different areas of the client’s record.

The right column also provides quick access to additional details about the client, their billing, and their upcoming appointments.

Edit the client’s information

To view and manage the information associated with a client, click Edit under the client’s name. 

From the Client Info tab, you can update information such as the client’s:

• Legal first and last name
• Contact details
• Reminder and notification settings
• Address
• Time zone
• Date of birth
• Sex

Note: If you make any changes, click Save Client at the bottom of the page.

You can review and update additional client information by selecting the other tabs:

• Billing and Insurance
  • Add or update the client’s billing and insurance information 
  • For more information, see Getting started with client billing and Getting started with insurance billing
• Contacts
  • Add individuals connected to the client’s care, such as a parent or emergency contact
  • For more information, see Managing client contacts
• Client Portal
  • Choose what a client can do through the Client Portal 
  • For more information, see Managing Client Portal permissions for a client
• Privacy
  • Manage the client’s primary clinician and which team members can access their profile
  • For more information, see Granting and revoking access to a client’s profile.

To learn more about editing information for an individual client, see Editing a client's information. 

Note: Information in couple client profiles is organized differently. To learn more, see Managing and editing couple client profiles.

Share intake documents and preview the Client Portal

You can use the demo client to practice sharing intake documents through the Client Portal. This lets you experience how your clients will receive and complete paperwork.

Important: Before sharing intake documents, make sure you’ve set up the Client Portal in your practice settings. To learn more, see Set up the Client Portal. 

By default, your email address will be listed as the demo client’s email address. When you share intake documents with Jamie Appleseed, the email will be sent to that address so you can preview the Client Portal experience as a client.

To share intake documents:

1. Click Share in the top right corner of Jamie’s client profile

2. Select Jamie > Continue to Share
3. Check the documents you’d like to share

Note: The intake forms and consent documents shown here are managed from Settings > Documentation > Shareable documents. If you haven’t customized these templates yet, review the steps in Part 2 before sending them to real clients.

4. Click Continue to Email
5. Review the message, then click Continue to Review
6. Select Share & Send Now

The email will include a one-time sign-in link to the Client Portal. You can use this link to sign in and preview how clients complete documents.

Tip: For a client-facing overview, see Getting started with the Client Portal. You can also share this guide with clients once you begin working with them.

For more information, see Inviting clients to the Client Portal and Sending intake forms and documents to clients.

Create an appointment

You can create an appointment for Jamie Appleseed to practice scheduling a client. You can also set the appointment location to Video Office if you’d like to test telehealth. 

To create an appointment: 

1. Navigate to your calendar
2. Click the date and time when you’d like to schedule the appointment

Tip: You can also click + > Schedule appointment.

3. Select Jamie D. Appleseed from the Client dropdown
4. Review the appointment details, including the date, time, clinician, location, service, and fee
   • To have the appointment repeat, select Recurring and choose how often it repeats 
   • To make this a telehealth appointment, select Video Office as the location
   • To prevent a balance from being created for the demo client, enter $0 for the fee

5. Click Save

Test Telehealth 

If you selected Video Office as the appointment’s location, you can test your device and practice joining a telehealth appointment. 

After saving the appointment, you’ll be prompted to test your call quality. Click Run test and follow the prompts to check your camera, microphone, speakers, and internet connection.

After completing the test, you can start your telehealth appointment: 

1. Select the appointment from your calendar
2. Click Start video appointment
3. Enter your name

4. Click Start video appointment again

You can also join the appointment as Jamie Appleseed from a separate device. To do this: 

1. Select the appointment from your calendar
2. Click Share Link > Copy link

3. Send the link to yourself or to someone testing telehealth with you
4. Open the link in the web browser on a separate device

For more information on starting with telehealth, see Getting started with telehealth.

Create a progress note

You can create a progress note for the demo client to practice documenting a session before working with real clients. Progress notes are tied to appointments and become part of the client’s medical record.

Note: An appointment is required to create a progress note. 

To create a progress note: 

1. Select the appointment from the calendar
2. Click Add note

3. Select a progress note template from the dropdown menu

4. Enter your note content
5. Click Save

You can continue editing a saved note until it’s locked. Once the note is complete, select Sign > Sign and lock to finalize it.

Customize your calendar

You can adjust your calendar view and preferences to better fit your schedule.

Change the calendar view

By default, your calendar opens in Week view. You can switch between Day, Week, or Month at any time.

Update calendar preferences

You can customize the days, hours, and time zones shown on your calendar. To do this:

1. Click the gear icon on the top right
2. Select Calendar preferences

3. Choose the hours you want displayed on the calendar
4. Select which days of the week to display

Note: Appointments scheduled outside the displayed days or hours won’t appear when you view your calendar.

5. Review or update your Primary time zone

Tip: You can also add a Secondary time zone.

6. Click Save

Filter the calendar

You can use dropdown filters to show only specific locations and/or team members on the calendar. 

To learn more, see Filtering by location and clinician. If you’re part of a group practice or on the Plus plan, you can also use advanced filtering options and color coding filters.

Next steps

In this part, you explored key steps in a typical client workflow:

• Navigated Jamie Appleseed’s client profile 
• Shared intake documents through the Client Portal
• Created an appointment for the demo client
• Tested telehealth
• Created a progress note 
• Customized your calendar for your practice’s needs

If you jumped ahead to this part, we recommend completing Part 1 and Part 2 before you begin working with real clients.