The Healing Effect · Care team
Healing begins here.
Pick the kind of contact below. The page shows that one, start to finish. Fill in the boxes once and every line fills itself in.
The big lines are what you say out loud. Anything on a tint is for you, not for the client. Cream is never to skip. Purple is the live contact. Gold means nobody picked up. Grey is only if it comes up. Red stops everything.
Make it easy, and make them feel like they picked the right place.
Warm certainty. Kind, and we know what we are doing. Say it your own way, warmly. A caller can hear someone reading.
“Thank you for calling The Healing Effect, this is {your name}. I’m so glad you called. How can we help you today?”
IF THEY TOLD YOU SOMETHING PERSONAL
“Thank you for sharing that with me. Calling is a big first step.”
Only if they told you something personal. Otherwise straight to 2.
“Let’s find you the right person.”
“Can I start with your name and the best number for you?”
“And how did you find us?”
IF THEY SAY ONLINE, OR SOCIAL MEDIA
“Do you remember which one?”
“And how are you planning on paying, insurance or privately?”
IF INSURANCE
“Which insurance do you have?”
“Did you have one of our therapists in mind, or would you like me to help you find the right fit?”
“Great choice, {therapist} is wonderful.”
“Let me pull up that calendar, give me a moment.”
Does the caller have Blue Cross? And did they pick an LAC, LMSW, or intern? Go to 3.5 first.
IF 1.1 GAVE YOU NOTHING
“What are you hoping to work on?”
THEN
“Happy to help. You mentioned {what they said}. {therapist} specializes in exactly that.”
IF THE THERAPIST WORKS ONLINE
“{therapist} is right here in Arizona, and works online.”
IF THE THERAPIST IS AT AN OFFICE
“{therapist} is at our {office} office.”
“Let me pull up that calendar, give me a moment.”
The need first, then the person, then where they work. Never ask “in person or telehealth?” cold.
Never tell a caller how many therapists are at an office.
“Absolutely. What part of the valley are you in?”
IF AN OFFICE WORKS
“Our {office} office is about {minutes} from you, and {therapist} is there. They specialize in exactly what you mentioned.”
IF NOBODY IN PERSON FITS
“Here’s what I’ve got for you. The strongest fit for {what they said} is {therapist}, and they work online. They’re right here in Arizona, and honestly a lot of people end up liking it better, there’s nothing to drive to.”
“Let me pull up that calendar, give me a moment.”
Online as the better option, not the consolation.
“With your Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance, they require that your first visit is with a clinical supervisor. We have a great one. I’ll get you connected and scheduled with {supervisor}, they do the intake, and then they hand you off to {therapist}.”
It is the insurer’s rule, not ours. Say it that way and there is nothing to push back on.
“{therapist} has {time 1}, or {time 2}. Which one’s better for you?”
If neither one works. Ask what their week usually looks like. Then offer two more of theirs.
If nothing on that calendar works. Back to 3.3 and match someone else.
IF BLUE CROSS AND THE THERAPIST IS SUPERVISED
“{supervisor} has {time 1}, or {time 2}. Which one’s better for you?”
This is {supervisor}’s calendar, not {therapist}’s. That name carries through 6.1.
“Perfect. I’m booking that for you right now.”
“Go ahead and put it in your phone, I’ll wait.”
“Great. Let me go ahead and create your profile in SimplePractice, that’s our client portal. I just need a few basic details.”
Say the name SimplePractice out loud. Their forms and reminders arrive from it. Hearing it once stops them wondering who the email is from.
“Let me just get the best email for you, and your date of birth.”
Email · date of birth
→ Ivy and the office manager are still settling the full list.
“Okay if we text you at that number? And leave a voicemail if we ever miss you?”
Write the voicemail answer down. If it is no, we never leave one.
“On the back of the card, is there a separate number for mental health? A lot of plans run that part through a different company.”
Member ID · EAP or regular plan
The old card quoted a per-session estimate on the call: “What your plan is showing us today is about $[amount] a session.” That contradicts your rule that we verify insurance for the client but not on the phone while making the appointment.
I have left the line out rather than port a contradiction. If you want it back, say so and I will put it in exactly as it was.
“Sessions with {therapist} are ${rate}, and the first one’s ${first session}. I’ll send you a written estimate within a day. That’s something we’re required to provide, nothing to read into.”
“And if something comes up and you need to move it, give us 24 hours and there’s no charge.”
“You’re all set. {the time they picked}, with {therapist}.”
“You’ll get a confirmation email from me introducing you to your therapist, with all the details.”
Paste {therapist}’s profile link into that email.
SimplePractice. Book · Prospective to Active · portal invite · reminders on at the client level.
If the client asks how long the first session is: about fifty minutes. A Blue Cross intake can run up to an hour.
“If you need anything, or you ever have a question about a bill, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Our contact information is in that email, and it’s on our website too, thehealingeffect.co.”
“That was the hard part, {first name}. We’ll take care of the rest from here.”
Nothing after this. Say these two and let them go.
They already reached out. Now we call.
Warm certainty. Kind, and we know what we are doing. Say it your own way, warmly.
1. Read the form the client filled out. Twice. They typed it out for a reason. You will never ask them for any of it again.
2. Check how the client asked to be contacted. They picked one on the form. If it says Text me, do not call. Switch to the Texting tab above.
3. Check the form for anything about wanting to die, or someone being hurt. If it is there, tell [who] before you dial. → verify the escalation path before this goes live.
4. Pick the therapist before you dial. The client’s insurance first, then what they wrote, then the format and area they gave us.
5. Have two real appointment times open. You are calling to book, not to check in.
The form already told us: the client’s name, email and phone · telehealth or in person, and their area · call, text or either · their insurance or self-pay · a therapist, or “match me” · what brings them in.
The form does not tell us how the client found us. That is F2.2.
Sooner is the whole game. The site promises the same business day. Aim for minutes.
“Hi, is this {first name}? This is {your name} calling from The Healing Effect.”
“You reached out through our website, and I’m so glad you did. Is now a bad time?”
“No, it’s fine” → keep going to F2.
“Yes, actually” → F1.2.
“No problem at all. What’s a better time for us to chat? It only takes about five minutes to get you scheduled.”
“Or I can text you a couple of appointment times instead, and you just pick one. What works best?”
They pick a callback → put it in your calendar and call then.
They pick a text → switch to the Texting tab and send T1.
“Hi {first name}, this is {your name} at The Healing Effect. You reached out on our website, and I’ve got a couple of appointment times for you.”
“Give me a call back at {callback number}, or watch for my text, those times are on their way. Talk soon.”
Never say why the client contacted us. Our name and a callback number, nothing else. A voicemail plays out loud in whatever room the phone is in.
Say what the times are for. Appointment times, not a time to talk to you.
Send the text before you hang up. The voicemail is what makes them read it.
{callback number} is the number Ivy gives you. → confirm which one.
Send text T1 and log the attempt. Nothing is said out loud at this beat.
Six attempts over two weeks, then stop. Calls and texts both count.
The cadence lives in the Texting tab so the two never disagree. → confirm with Ivy.
“I see you were looking for help with {what the client wrote}. Is that right?”
“Anything else I should know, so I can match you with the best therapist?”
Confirm the one thing. Never read the whole form back. Reading it back turns a person into a file.
What the client says here is what you match on in F3.2.
“And how did you find us?”
IF THEY SAY ONLINE, OR SOCIAL MEDIA
“Do you remember which one?”
The form does not ask this. It is the one thing on this call we do not already have.
“You mentioned you were hoping to see {therapist}. Great choice, {therapist} is wonderful.”
“Let me pull up that calendar, give me a moment.”
Does the client have Blue Cross? And did they pick an LAC, LMSW, or intern? Go to F3.4 first.
“Based on what you wrote and what you just told me, {therapist} is who I’d put you with. {therapist} specializes in exactly that.”
IF THE CLIENT ASKED FOR ONLINE
“That’s online, which is what you were looking for.”
IF THE CLIENT ASKED FOR IN PERSON
“That’s at our {office} office, which is close to you.”
“Let me pull up that calendar, give me a moment.”
Say the format back, do not ask it. The client already told us on the form. Saying it proves you read it.
Does the client have Blue Cross? And did they pick an LAC, LMSW, or intern? Go to F3.4 first.
“Here’s what I’ve got for you. The strongest fit for what you described is {therapist}, and they work online. They’re right here in Arizona, and honestly a lot of people end up liking it better, there’s nothing to drive to.”
“Let me pull up that calendar, give me a moment.”
If the client still wants in person. Tell them when you will check again, and put it in your calendar.
“With your Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance, they require that your first visit is with a clinical supervisor. We have a great one. I’ll get you connected and scheduled with {supervisor}, they do the intake, and then they hand you off to {therapist}.”
F4.1 is {supervisor}’s calendar, not {therapist}’s. That name carries through F6.1.
“{therapist} has {time 1}, or {time 2}. Which one’s better for you?”
If neither one works. Ask what their week usually looks like. Then offer two more of theirs.
If nothing on that calendar works. Back to F3.2 and match someone else.
“Perfect. I’m booking that for you right now.”
“Go ahead and put it in your phone, I’ll wait.”
“Great. Let me go ahead and create your profile in SimplePractice, that’s our client portal. I just need a few basic details.”
Say the name SimplePractice out loud. Their forms and reminders arrive from it. Hearing it once stops them wondering who the email is from.
“Let me just confirm your name, the best email for you, the best phone number to reach you at, and the insurance you’ll be using.”
All four are already on the form. You are confirming them, not asking for them again.
Date of birth and member ID are not on the form. → Ivy and the office manager are still settling the full list.
“Okay if we text you at that number? And leave a voicemail if we ever miss you?”
Write the voicemail answer down. If it is no, we never leave one.
“You’re all set. {the time they picked}, with {therapist}.”
“You’ll get a confirmation email from me introducing you to your therapist, with all the details.”
Paste {therapist}’s profile link into that email.
SimplePractice. Book · Prospective to Active · portal invite · reminders on at the client level.
If the client asks how long the first session is: about fifty minutes. A Blue Cross intake can run up to an hour.
“If you need anything, or you ever have a question about a bill, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Our contact information is in that email, and it’s on our website too, thehealingeffect.co.”
“That was the hard part, {first name}. We’ll take care of the rest from here.”
Nothing after this. Say these two and let them go.
A text lands on a lock screen in front of whoever is holding the phone. A partner, a parent, a boss.
A text says who we are, who they are seeing, and when. Nothing else.
Never: why they are seeking therapy, in any words, including anything they typed into the form · a diagnosis, a symptom, a feeling · what a therapist specializes in · the name of their insurance company · anything about medication.
If it does not fit that rule, it is a phone call.
Send one of these three. Not two. Which one depends on what the client put on the form.
“Based on what you shared” is the load-bearing phrase. It proves we read the form and it hands them a therapist that is already theirs, rather than a menu to pick from.
We say their choice back rather than asking who they want. Never ask a question the form already answered.
“Your coverage”, never the insurance company’s name. Their insurer plus a therapy practice on one lock screen is more than a text should show. The times here are the supervisor’s calendar.
Say the name SimplePractice. Naming it once stops them wondering who the email is from.
It is already on the form. You are confirming it, not asking for it again — and it is the one field that breaks everything if it is wrong, because the portal invite goes there.
Write the answer down. You do not have to ask about texting — they are already texting you.
Nothing after this. Send it and let them go.
A second offer and a door out. Do not repeat the first message.
Then stop. Someone not ready this week may be ready in March.
Call them. A lot of the numbers people type into web forms are landlines, and a text to a landline disappears with no error at all.
A carrier block looks exactly the same as a client ignoring you. If several clients in a row go quiet after the first text, that is not the script. Tell Ivy so someone can check the delivery reports.
Send it before you hang up. The voicemail is what makes them read the text.
No first name, no reason. We do not know who is holding that phone. They know why they called.
The offer to move it is the part that works. People do not miss appointments because they forgot. They miss them because something got in the way and they did not feel they could say so.
Never leave a gap sitting on its own. End on two real times, never on “would you like me to?”
Billing, “will this help me”, anything about a therapist beyond their name, anything about their insurance. Nothing clinical, ever, in writing.
Stop, and add the number to the do-not-text list the same minute.
“STOP” is the official word, and it is the only one our system catches on its own. “Please don’t text me”, “take me off this”, “no thanks” and “I’m all set” all count exactly the same and none of them trip the automatic opt-out. That is on you to catch.
The law gives us ten business days. We do it the same minute, because the ten days are a ceiling and a person who asked twice is a person we failed.
Anything about wanting to die, not being here, or hurting themselves or anyone.
You cannot tell how urgent it is from a text, so do not try. On a call you can hear it. Here you cannot. If you are not certain which of these two it is, send T7.1 and call.
Send it, then call, in that order. Do not wait for a reply before you dial. You cannot dial 988 or 911 for them from your phone. Tell [who] straight away, either way.
Past or ongoing, nothing about today. Then keep going and book them. Tell [who] anyway.
No questions, no investigating, never promise confidentiality first. Screenshot the thread, write their exact words, and tell [who] straight away.
988 call or text, 24/7 · 911 immediate danger · 1-844-534-4673 Arizona, if 988 will not connect
Tell [who] by [how] straight away. Every time.
Never leave a gap sitting on its own. The moment you say what we cannot do, say what we can do in the same breath.
“{therapist} isn’t taking new clients right now. What I can do is schedule you with {other therapist}, who’s also great. They’re here in Arizona too, and they’ve got openings online.”
Do not offer the waitlist.
If the client asks for that therapist again by name, you can put them on that list. Never both on the same call.
“Also, it rarely happens, but if you meet your therapist and you don’t feel a connection, just reach back out and we’ll connect you with another therapist. That’s the benefit of a group practice, we can give you options.”
Only here, or if the client hesitates about the person. Never unprompted.
“We’re not in network with Medicare, and I don’t want to put you somewhere that won’t work out financially. Let me get you pointed somewhere better.”
A plan we do not take. Out-of-network benefits, the monthly receipt they can submit, then our self-pay rate.
“I’m really glad you called. I can tell you everything about how we work, what it costs, who’d be good. For the booking itself, {their person} would need to call us.”
They can tell you anything. We confirm nothing back, including whether that person is already a client.
“I’m not the right person to answer that, but I’ll have someone call you today.”
Nothing clinical, ever. No condition, no medication, never whether therapy will help. When unsure, use the line on the left.
If the client asks about privacy, answer fully and warmly.
Anything about wanting to die, not being here, or hurting themselves or anyone. This comes first, everything else stops.
“Thank you for telling me. I’m really glad you said something.”
Say that first, every time.
You never ask whether someone is suicidal. Tell C.1 and C.2 apart by when the client says it is happening.
“I want you with someone who’s trained for exactly this, and honestly that’s not me. Will you hang up and call or text 988 right now? They’re there this minute, day or night.”
IF THEY SAY YES
“Thank you. Call us back afterward, I’d still like to get you in with someone.”
IF THEY WILL NOT, OR SOMEONE IS ALREADY HURT
“Then I need you to call 911 right now, or have someone with you call.”
They are going to, they have started, it is in their hand, they say tonight, or you cannot tell and it sounds urgent.
You cannot dial for them. 988 and 911 do not work from your phone. Ask twice, warmly, then tell us either way.
“Thank you for trusting me with that. I want you to have this in your pocket: 988, call or text, any hour. It’s free, and it’s there whether or not you’re our client.”
Past or ongoing, nothing about today.
Then keep going and book them.
If you cannot tell which it is, do both.
“Thank you for telling me. I’m going to make sure the right person here knows about this today.”
No questions, no investigating. Never promise confidentiality first. Write their exact words and tell [who] straight away.
988 call or text, 24/7 · 911 immediate danger · 1-844-534-4673 Arizona, if 988 will not connect
Tell [who] by [how] straight away. Both C.1 and C.2, every time, even if the call ended fine.