How Psychology Practices Should Send a Between-Session Check-In Without Overstepping

17 September 2026·3 min read

Quick answer: Keep between-session check-ins purely administrative — confirming the next appointment, sharing a resource the client's practitioner has already agreed to send — rather than anything that invites clinical disclosure by text. Any message that could be read as informal therapy outside a session crosses a line that reception and admin staff shouldn't be anywhere near. ✨

Here's a boundary worth being explicit about 💖: administrative check-ins (appointment reminders, a practice update) are a normal, useful part of running a psychology practice. Anything that invites a client to share how they're feeling, or responds to distress, is clinical territory and belongs with the treating practitioner, not a scheduling message.

What Most Practices Get Wrong

The common mistake is a well-meaning but vague "how are you going?" message sent by admin staff between sessions, intended kindly but capable of inviting a disclosure that admin staff aren't equipped or authorised to respond to. It's a genuine risk, not just an awkwardness — and it's easily avoided with clearer message design.

The Template

Administrative reminder (safe): "Just a reminder your appointment with [practitioner] is on [date/time]. Reply to confirm or call us on [number] if you need to reschedule."

Practice update (safe): "[Practitioner] wanted to share this resource we discussed in your last session: [link/attachment]."

Avoid open-ended wellbeing questions entirely from admin channels — if a client's welfare needs checking between sessions, that's a decision for the treating practitioner to make and action personally.

A group psychology practice: trains reception staff to respond to any unprompted client distress in a message with a single, consistent line — "thanks for letting us know, I'll make sure [practitioner] sees this before your next session" — rather than attempting to engage with the content themselves.

A solo practitioner practice: only sends resource-sharing messages that were explicitly agreed to in-session, so the client already has context for why the message arrived, rather than it appearing as an unprompted check-in.

The Mechanics: Staff Training

Brief all non-clinical staff on exactly what administrative messaging can and can't include, with example wording they can follow consistently. Set a clear internal process for escalating any client message that raises concern, so it reaches the treating practitioner promptly.

💡 Keep admin messages boring on purpose: the safest between-session message is the one that couldn't possibly be mistaken for clinical care — clear, scheduled, and purely logistical.

Mistakes to Avoid

Sending open-ended wellbeing check-ins from non-clinical staff or channels
Leaving staff without clear guidance on how to respond if a client discloses distress by text
Sharing resources that weren't explicitly agreed to in a session
Assuming a friendly tone is always harmless, regardless of what it invites in response

Please note: general information, not clinical advice — client safety and communication protocols should always be set by the treating practitioner in line with AHPRA and practice-specific policy.

Frequently asked questions

Can a practitioner personally send a check-in between sessions?

That's a clinical decision for the treating practitioner to make based on the individual client, separate from standard administrative messaging.

What if a client texts the practice describing distress between sessions?

Have a clear escalation protocol so it reaches the treating practitioner promptly, and a safe, non-clinical response ready for whoever receives it first.

Should SMS reminders mention the appointment type (e.g. "therapy session")?

Consider privacy carefully here — some clients prefer generic wording like "your appointment" rather than anything that could be seen by others on their device.

Is a wellbeing check-in ever appropriate from admin staff?

Better to keep this clearly separated — admin staff can facilitate access to the practitioner, but shouldn't initiate or respond to clinical content themselves.

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Written by

Kate, founder of Chronically Online

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