How to Handle a First Call with Therapy Clients in English.

Providing a free initial phone or video call to potential therapy clients is a great way to find out if you’re a good fit. It’s also the first step to establishing a strong therapeutic alliance.

But if you’re a millennial like me, you might sometimes find yourself reorganizing your sock drawer for the third time this week instead of making that necessary phone call.

And even if you’re not a millennial, you may be a little nervous speaking with a prospective patient for the first time in English.

So here are some tips to navigate an initial phone call with new clients in English.

Step 1: Consider your approach, preferences and boundaries before you get in touch.

Before you contact a potential client for the first time in English, it’s a good idea to spend a few minutes considering how you would like this call to go.

Ask yourself the following questions:

- What modality do you feel more comfortable using – video or phone calls? This is highly personal, and there is no right answer. However, if you have doubts concerning your listening skills (ex. You know the patient is Scottish and you’re unfamiliar with that accent), a video call might be a better option. Seeing the person gives you much more contextual information about their current state. You gain access to non-verbal cues such as eye contact, body language and facial expressions, which facilitate communication.

-  Where are you going to make or take this phone call? To ensure confidentiality, it’s important to be in an intimate, isolated place. It’s also a good idea to make sure the place you choose is quiet and has strong cell coverage/Wi-Fi connection.

-    What feelings do you hope convey to the person during this initial call? Do you want to come across as warm, welcoming and empathetic, focusing on active listening and meeting the patient exactly where they are in the here and now? Or would you prefer to use a more structured approach, speaking with competence and clarity to reassure patients that they are in the right hands? Whatever your chosen style may be, it should be congruent and consistent with how you communicate in sessions. This ensures the patient knows what to expect from you when you have your first session together.

-   What information do you need to know before the first session, in case you need to refer the patient to another specialist? You might not work with populations such as people who suffer from alcohol or drug addictions, or children and teenagers. Which specific questions will you ask the person to screen for those cases?

- What are your boundaries concerning this call? For example, how long are you willing to spend speaking with prospective clients? Screening calls can last between 10-30 minutes, depending on the therapist’s style and objectives. How will you interrupt or redirect a patient so the call doesn’t turn into a real session? (Don’t worry- I’ve provided some examples below!)

- What practical details are you going to address during this phone call? Some suggestions include scheduling a time and date for your first session (tip: open up your calendar before the call so you can access it easily!), sharing the exact location of your private practice and confirming your rates, accepted payment methods and cancellation policy.

Step 2: Reply to the email to schedule an appointment

Hi [Name],

Thank you for contacting me. I know how difficult it can be to reach out for support/ to decide to start therapy. I’d love to learn more about what’s going on for you now and see if we might be a good fit to work together. Would any of these times work well for a brief phone call?*

Time window 1 / Time window 2/ Time window 3

Let me know what time is best for you and a good number at which to reach you.

I look forward to speaking to you soon.

Kind regards,

[Your Name]

*If you have a scheduling link (ex. Calendly) write “You can schedule a free call here” 

Step 3: Choose and practice the English expressions you’ll use during the call.

Greeting:

I live in Spain, where professionals frequently answer my phone calls just by saying “Hello?” “Yes?” or “Tell me!”. In English, this can be considered quite rude. Whether you’re answering the phone or the person calling, make sure your interlocutor knows exactly who you are, and that you make a polite first impression.

Here are some options below:

Calling:  Hello/ Hi, this is [ your name] speaking. I’m calling regarding/following our recent email exchange. / I’m calling to follow up on our email communication. Is now a good time to talk?

Answering a patient’s call: [Private practice name], this is [your name]. / Hello, this is [your name]. How can I help you? / What can I do for you?

Bonus: try smiling before you start speaking! It may sound strange, but it subtly changes your tone of voice, making you sound friendlier and warmer.  

Inviting the patient to explain their main concern:

If they called: I’m glad you called/ It’s good to hear from you.

If you called: Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today.

Video call: I’m glad/ pleased to meet you / It’s good to put a face to the name.

 Can you tell me a little bit about what’s going on for you?

I’d like to know a little more about why you’re considering starting therapy now.

Confirming understanding of their main goals for therapy:

- From what you’ve said, it sounds like one of the main things you want to work on in therapy is + noun or ing. + Is that right?

Instilling hope in the patient: (if you decide to take them on, of course)

-  You’re in the right place– I regularly work with issues like the ones you’re describing. Here’s how I’ve helped people through these kinds of issues in the past… (give an example)

Referring a patient to someone else:

- Unfortunately / I’m afraid I don’t work with _________ in my practice / working with ______________ is not my area of expertise. I would be happy to send you the contact details of a mental health professional specialised in that area.

Bookmarking (when you want to acknowledge what a potential patient has said but you don’t want to get into it over the phone):

- I can tell how important this is, and this is certainly something I’d like to make space for in our first session /when we meet in person (if this is a phone call).

Gently interrupting:

-  I’m afraid we don’t have the space to fully explore this topic today / we have to end in a couple of minutes. But before that, is there anything else you would like to tell me or ask me?

Addressing practical details:

-  I’d like to make sure we also discuss + ex. your availability for a first session/ my current rates and cancellation policy

Ending the call:

-  Thank you so much for calling. I’ll be in touch via email soon to send you [a confirmation for our first appointment / a recommendation for another therapist]. Have a lovely day.

Though these expressions are not exhaustive, I hope they give you a place to start. I recommend practising these with another English speaker before your call!

Step 4: Follow up by email.

Whether you’ve decided to meet for a first session, or you will refer this patient to another professional, it’s important to send them a clear follow-up email.

Here are two basic templates. Make sure to modify them to provide a personalized answer and to best fit your approach and tone.

Subject line: Appointment Confirmation - Date

Dear [Patient Name],

[Optional – reference the meeting you had. It was a pleasure speaking with you today. /meeting you today. ]

Important: it’s often better not to mention the issue discussed in depth during your initial call to protect confidentiality but if you feel it’s appropriate and it fits your style, you may write something like…

Beginning therapy is an act of courage, hope, and self-care. I’m honoured to accompany you in this process/ on this journey]

I’m writing to confirm your first appointment scheduled for [date] at [time].

My office address is [address + optional directions]. 

[Optional- including paperwork they need to fill out before your first session] Please fill out the documents attached and bring them to your first appointment. Completing the paperwork before your session gives us more time to talk during your first appointment.

Therapy appointments last for [length ex. 50 minutes]. Your appointment time is scheduled especially for you. Therefore, if for any reason you are unable to keep your appointment or need to reschedule, please email me at least 24 hours in advance. It is my policy to charge for missed appointments without 24 hours’ notice.

If you have any questions leading up to our appointment you can reach me at [phone number + office hours] or via email at [email address]. 

I look forward to meeting with you.

Kind Regards,

[Your Name]

Subject line: Psychotherapy/ Counselling Recommendation

Dear [Client Name],

Thank you for speaking with me regarding your wish to begin psychotherapy.

[Optional- validate the bravery to start a therapy process.

Ex. I understand how challenging it is to reach out for support/ I know how difficult it can be to decide to start therapy]

Unfortunately, I don’t feel that I’m able to provide the support that you need/ I feel that another clinician/mental health professional/ psychotherapist /etc. would be a better fit for your needs.

I can recommend [Name and contact details for therapist], who is specialized in [issue described ex. Working with teenagers]. / If you are looking for someone who specializes in ____, I’d recommend reaching out to [Name and contact details for therapist].*

*Exercise common sense when mentioning the issue described. Remember that emails can be hacked and if the issue the patient described is particularly sensitive, it might be preferable not to bring it up or to say “your main area of concern”.

If you need the names of additional professionals or further information to assist you in finding someone who can better address your needs, please feel free to contact me.

Kind Regards,

[Your Name]

I hope these tips and email templates help your first call with an English-speaking client go smoothly!

I’d love to help you practice this, giving you tailored feedback and further ideas. If you’d like to discuss this, book a free consultation here.

Otherwise, if you want more specialized tips on how to provide therapy in English? Feel free to join my free email list here.