In the rapidly evolving world of mental health care, Electronic Health Records (EHR) have become an indispensable tool for practitioners.

The move from traditional paper and pen record-keeping to digital platforms has significantly shifted how mental health professionals manage their practices. This shift brings increased organization, accessibility, and efficiency – transforming how we approach mental health care.

One EHR software that has been making waves in the industry is SimplePractice. Our video review highlights how SimplePractice is the top-rated EHR service across various review platforms such as G2 and more.

Renowned for its user-friendly interface and robust feature set, SimplePractice is a best-in-class practice management system designed specifically for mental health practitioners. It offers a modern, intuitive solution that addresses solo to medium-sized practices’ unique needs.

Why best for small to mid-sized? SimplePractice puts everything together.

However, it’s not suited for large organizations precisely for the same reason: everything is together! There’s no separation or ability to create different sections within the platform.

What makes SimplePractice the top choice among its competitors? This in-depth review reveals all the relevant details, so continue reading after the Brief Review below to find out!

SimplePractice Brief Review

SimplePractice Review

Name: SimplePractice

Description: Best EHR For Solo to Medium-Sized Mental Health Professionals

Offer price: $39+ per month

Currency: US

Operating System: Online

Application Category: EHR

Author: Online Mental Health Reviews

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Overall

4.5

• Third Party
  (4.75)
• Quality
  (4.6)
• Cost
  (4.1)
• Design
  (4.7)

Summary

Widely regarded as the highest rated and most popular EHR system. Ideal for group practices.

Pros

• Time Saver: Reduces time spent on administrative tasks.
• Cost-Effective: Integrates various functions, saving money.
• Easy onboarding: Intuitive and user-friendly software.
• Customizable notes: Options for various professional needs.
• Integrated insurance processing: Simplifies claim management.
• Intuitive Design: User-friendly interface simplifies navigation.
• Flexible Pricing: Accommodates varying budgets and sizes of practices.
• Comprehensive Record Keeping: Keeps track of appointments, billing, and notes.

Cons

• Limited Customization: May not fully adapt to unique workflow needs.
• Customer Support: Response times can sometimes be slow.
• Billing Features: Billing is relatively simple.
• Limited Reporting Tools: The platform might lack comprehensive analytics.
• Limited Integration: May not integrate with all desired third-party apps.
• Pricing: While flexible, it might be costly for smaller practices.
• Mobile App Limitations: Not all features are available on the mobile app. Not available on Android.

• Try Free 30 Days
• Try SimplePractice
• SimplePractice Website

SimplePractice stands out with its comprehensive features, including HIPAA-compliant telehealth services, a self-service client portal, EMR/EHR capabilities, and various plans and notes options.

Not only does it streamline the client intake workflow, but it also provides secure messaging, online booking/self-scheduling capabilities, document upload, and a clear view of billing and payments.

While the software has revolutionized practice management with interactive calendars, appointment reminders, and support for insurance and individual client billing, it’s the little details like its mobile app functionality and integrations with Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook, and Stripe that genuinely set it apart.

However, no software is without its limitations.

SimplePractice lacks e-prescribing functionality, which may not make it the ideal choice for all telemedicine providers. Despite this, it remains a strong contender in the market, offering a wealth of benefits at a reasonable price point, starting at just $39 per month for a single clinician.

In this review, we’ll delve deeper into the world of SimplePractice, exploring its key features, benefits, and limitations to help you determine if it’s the right EHR solution for your mental health practice.

Stay tuned as we unpack why SimplePractice has quickly become a favorite among mental health professionals and how it could transform your practice.

What Makes SimplePractice Unique

SimplePractice sets itself apart in the online marketplace with its comprehensive tools explicitly tailored for mental health practitioners, such as appointment scheduling, insurance claims management and telehealth capabilities.

For example, there is a log that tracks all changes to clients so that way all members of the team are held accountable. This demonstrates how SimplePractice is beneficial for small to mid-sized teams.

However, bigger organizations will find this log tool ineffective, as there will be too much data for accountability.

Nonetheless, SimplePractice, with its unique offerings, like the customizable template library, professional website builder, and the Monarch directory for connecting therapists and patients, is a standout choice in the EHR landscape.

Most importantly, SimplePractice is universally regarded as the best EHR system for mental health professionals across the board by various review platforms.

Best Features and Benefits of SimplePractice

• User-friendly Client Intake: Streamlines the intake process with easy sharing of documents and paperless form completion.
• Scheduling: A clean calendar interface that syncs with popular calendars like iCal, Google Calendar, and Outlook.
• Client Portal: Provides a secure platform for clients to complete intake forms, request appointments, communicate via HIPAA-compliant messages, download documents, and pay bills.
• Plans & Notes: Includes pre-built templates and customizable forms, enhanced by the integration of Wiley Practice Planners.
• Wide range of form options: Allows users to add diverse field types to their forms, including long-answer, short-answer, single choice, multiple choice, dropdown, and date fields.
• Template library: Provides a library of profession-specific templates for easy customization.
• Smart Billing System: Offers a billing system tailored for behavioral health providers, featuring credit card processing, secure storage of credit card information, and insurance claims filing.
• Telehealth integration: Incorporates a HIPAA-compliant telehealth solution that launches video appointments directly from the calendar.
• Professional website builder: Enables users to create professional websites for their practices, complete with appointment booking and client portal access.
• Monarch online directory: Connects behavioral health therapists and counselors with patients, driving growth for SimplePractice customers.
• Competitive analysis: Outshines top competitors like TheraNest, TherapyNotes, TherapyAppointment, and Luminello in cost, features, and ease of use.
• Strong recommendation: Highly recommended for solo, medium, and group practices due to its comprehensive feature set, including a streamlined client intake workflow, telehealth appointments, and a mobile app with impressive feature parity.

Who is SimplePractice Best For (and Not For)

SimplePractice is a versatile EHR solution designed with a user-friendly interface to cater to various health and wellness professionals’ unique needs.

At the same time, it might not be suitable for certain providers due to specific feature limitations.

• Best for Solo to Medium-Sized Practices: Offers a wide range of features and reasonably priced plans, ideal for solo to medium-sized practices needing a new system.
• Best for Group Practices: Provides a streamlined client intake workflow, diverse form options, telehealth appointments, and a mobile app with impressive feature parity, making it a top choice for group practices.
• Best for e-therapists, Mental Health Coaches, Speech Therapists, Physical Therapists, Dieticians, Nutritionists, Life Coaches, and Wellness Coaches: With its tailored features, SimplePractice is an excellent choice for professionals offering blended care services.
• Not for Providers Needing Bulk-Add Clients and ePrescribing Features: Although it offers many benefits, SimplePractice may not be the best option for those requiring bulk-add clients and ePrescribing capabilities.
• Not for Telepsychiatrists and Other Telemedicine Providers: The lack of e-prescribing functionality makes SimplePractice less ideal for telepsychiatrists and other telemedicine providers.

My Experience with SimplePractice 

As a healthcare professional, I understand the numerous challenges of managing a practice. From keeping track of appointments to handling billing and insurance issues, the complexities can be overwhelming. I was thrilled to discover SimplePractice, a comprehensive practice management software for small to mid-sized mental health professionals.

What Makes SimplePractice Stand Out?

From my experience, SimplePractice stands out for its intuitive interface and all-in-one approach to practice management. It’s designed to streamline the workflow of healthcare professionals, offering an easy-to-navigate platform that covers everything from appointment scheduling to billing and insurance processing. This level of integration is ideal for small to mid-sized practices, as it saves time and reduces administrative burden.

One of the most impressive features of SimplePractice is its suite of note-taking tools. As a therapist, having access to a variety of notes, such as discharge planning and SOAP notes, at your fingertips makes life significantly more straightforward. The software also allows for customization, allowing me to tailor it to my needs.

Ease of Onboarding

When we started using SimplePractice, we found the onboarding process intuitive and straightforward. The platform offers a step-by-step guide to help new users get started, and a wealth of resources are available, including webinars and live classes, to help you make the most of the software.

Insurance and Billing

With SimplePractice, insurance and billing become less of a headache. The software provides an integrated insurance processing feature, allowing you to manage claims directly within the platform. Plus, the billing feature lets you easily create and send professional invoices.

Overall, we give SimplePractice a Quality Score of (4.6/5)

SimplePractice Pros and Cons

SimplePractice is a comprehensive practice management system for mental health practitioners, offering various features and benefits, but like any platform, it has pros and cons.

Pros

• Intuitive Design: Offers a user-friendly interface that makes navigation easy.
• Wide Range of Features: Provides a comprehensive set of tools, including appointment scheduling, billing, insurance claims management, and EMR/EHR capabilities.
• Affordable Pricing: Starts at $39 per month for a single clinician, making it budget-friendly.
• Telehealth and Mobile Applications: Includes HIPAA-compliant video telehealth for virtual sessions and robust mobile apps.
• Multiple Providers: Allows for team and single-practitioner subscriptions, catering to practices of various sizes.
• Interactive Calendars and Appointment Reminders: Streamlines scheduling and ensures no missed appointments.
• Client Import and Export: Facilitates easy migration of client details.
• Insurance and Individual Client Billing: Takes the hassle out of invoicing and claims management.
• Helpful Tutorials: Provides resources for users to get the most out of the platform.

Cons

• Limited Progress Notes and Psychotherapy Notes Functions: The platform’s capabilities in this area could be more extensive.
• No Inventory Management: Lacks features for managing physical inventory.
• Basic Billing Features: This does not offer advanced billing functionality.
• No Financial Reporting: Misses out on providing financial analytics.
• Limited Software Integrations: This may not integrate with some third-party software.
• No Native Marketing Features: This does not include inbuilt marketing tools.
• No Medical-Specific Billing: Not optimized for medical billing needs.

How do I Sign Up for SimplePractice? 

1. Visit the SimplePractice Website: Navigate to www.simplepractice.com in your web browser.
2. Start Free Trial: Click the “Start Free Trial” button at the homepage’s top right corner.
3. Enter Your Details: Fill in the required details, such as your full name, email address, and a new password for your account.
4. Choose Your Profession: Select your profession from the dropdown list provided.
5. Read and Accept Terms of Service: Review the terms of service and privacy policy. Check the box if you agree with them.
6. Click on Get Started: Click the “Get Started” button to proceed.
7. Confirm Your Email Address: You will receive an email to confirm your email address. Open this email and click on the link provided to verify your account.
8. Complete Setup: Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your profile setup, which includes setting up your practice details, adding services, and configuring your calendar.
9. Choose Your Plan: After the 30-day free trial, choose the Essentials Plan for $39/month or the Professional Plan starting from $59/month.
10. Make Payment: Enter your payment details to subscribe to your chosen plan.
11. Start Using SimplePractice: You can now use SimplePractice to manage your mental health practice efficiently.

Please note that SimplePractice offers a 30-day free trial for you to evaluate its features before committing to a subscription.

Overall, we give SimplePractice a Design Score of (4.8/5)

SimplePractice Third-Party Reviews

• 4.6/5 from 2,600 Reviews – GetApp
• 6.9/10 from 11 Reviews – TrustRadius
• 4.4/5 from 1520 Reviews – Trustpilot
• 3.9/5 from 89 Reviews – G2
• 1.08/5 from 12 Reviews – BBB

While SimplePractice does have a few negative review scores from aggregates such as Better Business Bureau (BBB), it’s also universally rated as the top EHR platform from most other review platforms.

Overall, we give SimplePractice a Third-Party Score of (4.75/5)

How Much Does SimplePractice Cost

• Essentials Plan: This plan starts at $39 per month for a single clinician. It includes core features like client intake, scheduling, client portal, plans & notes, billing & invoicing, and telehealth.
• Professional Plan: The Professional Plan starts at $59 per month for a single clinician. It offers additional features and capabilities beyond the Essentials Plan.
• Group Plans: For practices with multiple clinicians, group plans start at $99 per month.
• Additional Clinicians: Each other clinician will cost $39 per month.
• Telehealth: Telehealth video functionality comes with an additional charge of $10 per month per clinician.
• Professional Website: SimplePractice recently released a website builder that costs an additional $15 monthly.
• Credit Card Transactions: Transactions made through the platform incur a charge of 2.95% + 30¢ per transaction.
• Coverage Reports: Each coverage report costs $0.05.
• Electronic Claims: Electronic claims are charged at $0.25 per claim.

Please note that these prices are subject to change, and it’s always best to check their website for more details.

Overall, we give SimplePractice a Cost Review Score of (4.1/5)

SimplePractice: Free Trials, Refunds, Pausing, and Cancellations

• Free 30-Day Trial: SimplePractice offers a free 30-day trial for users to explore their services.
• No Refunds: Once a payment has been made, SimplePractice does not offer refunds. Users are encouraged to cancel before their next billing cycle if they no longer wish to use the service.
• Pausing Your Account: It’s currently unclear whether SimplePractice allows users to break their accounts. For accurate information, users should directly contact SimplePractice’s customer support.
• Cancellations: Users can cancel their SimplePractice subscription at any time. It’s recommended to cancel before the next billing cycle to avoid charges for the next period.

Please note that these policies are subject to change, and it’s always best to check the SimplePractice website or contact their customer service for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

Alternatives to SimplePractice 

If SimplePractice doesn’t quite meet your needs, several other practice management systems may be effective alternatives.

• TherapyNotes: A robust practice management system offering scheduling, billing, and documentation features.
• SimpleClinic: Designed specifically for healthcare practitioners, SimpleClinic offers appointment scheduling, client management, and invoicing capabilities.
• TheraNest: Focused on mental health providers, TheraNest provides scheduling, billing, and documentation features.
• Power Diary: Power Diary is a user-friendly practice management software with features like appointment scheduling, client management, and invoicing.
• CounSol: CounSol is a practice management software designed for mental health professionals, providing scheduling, billing, and secure client communication features.

Remember, choosing the right practice management system depends on your needs and preferences. Consider exploring alternatives to find the best fit for you.

Is SimplePractice Legit Conclusion

In conclusion, SimplePractice emerged as a leading practice management system designed specifically for mental health professionals.

The software’s intuitive, user-friendly interface and comprehensive feature set make it an ideal choice for solo to medium-sized practices. It provides an array of tools, including client intake, scheduling, billing, telehealth, and a client portal, all of which are HIPAA-compliant and designed with the needs of mental health practitioners in mind.

However, SimplePractice is not without its limitations.

While it excels in many areas, it lacks advanced billing options, financial reporting, extensive software integrations, and native marketing features. Moreover, it doesn’t offer medical-specific billing or templates for treatment plans and has limited functionality for progress notes and psychotherapy notes.

Despite these drawbacks, the overall value of SimplePractice cannot be underestimated. It offers a comprehensive and affordable solution for smaller multi-provider practices and solo practitioners in the mental health field.

In conclusion, SimplePractice offers a comprehensive, easy-to-use solution for small to mid-sized mental health professionals seeking to streamline their practice management. It’s designed with the user in mind, providing an intuitive interface and a wealth of features that make managing a practice simpler and more efficient.

If you’re a healthcare professional looking to save time and focus more on your patients, we recommend SimplePractice.