For therapists and counsellors

Your cancellation policy. We do the asking.

Keep the therapeutic relationship about therapy. Guacamole handles reminders, late-cancel fees and refilling the hour.

Early access · Free to use · 1.9% per payment

What no-shows cost therapists

The session is gone. The fee never comes.

~10%of psychology appointments are missed (UK cohort study); vendors report up to 20–30%4
$5,400a year lost to just two late cancels a month at $225 a session5
73%of providers do not charge a cancellation or no-show fee at all6
Sound familiar?

Money talk can hurt the work.

Raising a late fee in session feels like it puts the relationship at risk. So you absorb it, and quietly resent the gaps in your week.

Guacamole does the asking. You stay the one they like.

  1. 5:00 · Your evening client's session, the slot others ask for.
  2. 5:10 · A message: "Can't make it, sorry."
  3. 5:15 · You could charge. You decide it would damage the work.
  4. 6:00 · Another hour unpaid, the fourth this month.
How it works

Prevent. Protect. Recover. Refill.

01

Prevent

Gentle reminders, and easy rescheduling within your window.

02

Protect

Sessions are secured with a card at booking. Nothing is charged upfront.

03

Recover

Late cancel or no-show? Your fee is collected, and you never raise it in session.

04

Refill

A cancelled hour is offered to clients who want an earlier session.

"But…"

What every therapist asks us first.

"SimplePractice already charges late fees."

It can, when you mark it and decide to. Guacamole sends the reminders, applies your policy without you raising it, and offers the freed hour to clients who want an earlier session.

"Charging hurts the therapeutic alliance."

That is exactly why it should not come from you. The policy is agreed at intake, and every message comes from Guacamole, so fees never enter the session.

"Most of my clients use insurance."

Insurers don't pay for missed sessions, so the fee is always billed to the client, insured or not. Guacamole only touches the fee, not your claims.

"What about clients in crisis?"

Waive any fee in one tap, with a kind note. You stay in control of every exception.

Your number

What no-shows cost your practice.

Set to typical numbers for therapists. Change them to yours.

Lost per year

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Fees you could collect at your policy

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Estimate from your inputs. Prevented no-shows and refilled slots come on top.

Free template

Your cancellation policy, ready to use.

Copy it, change the bracketed numbers, and post it. Then let Guacamole make sure it actually gets paid.

Cancellation Policy

Our session time is reserved for you alone, and I can't offer it to anyone else at short notice. If you need to cancel or reschedule, please let me know at least [24] hours in advance.

• Cancel or reschedule [24]+ hours ahead: no charge.
• Late cancellation (under [24] hours) or missed session: a fee of $[75].

This fee is billed to you directly; insurance does not cover missed sessions. In emergencies or sudden illness, please contact me and the fee will be waived. A card on file secures your sessions and is only charged under this policy.
The rules

Charge it the right way.

Agreed at intake

Your policy is accepted at booking, the same way it would be in your intake paperwork.

Insurance and boards

Insurers usually do not pay for missed sessions, and some panels or licensing boards have their own rules. Check yours.2

Nothing clinical

Messages never mention therapy content. Only the time, the policy and the amount.

A typical month

What it looks like for therapists.

Example figures at an average price of $150. Prevented and refilled sessions are revenue you keep that would otherwise be lost.

Monthly statementExample
No-show fees recovered$975
11 no-shows prevented$1,650
6 sessions refilled$900
Guacamole fee (1.9% of $13,000 processed)−$247
Net gain+$3,278

You have nothing to lose.

$0to start
1.9%per payment, only when money moves
100%of our fee back on refunds
0contracts

Free to use. 1.9% per payment, only when money moves. Refund a payment and our fee comes back. No contract. See pricing

In short

Guacamole is revenue recovery for therapists. Clients accept your cancellation policy at booking and secure sessions with a card. Reminders reduce missed sessions, your late-cancel fee is collected only when the policy applies, and freed hours go to clients who want an earlier session. Free to use, 1.9% per payment.

FAQ

Questions therapists ask.

Should a therapist charge a cancellation fee?

Many do, with a 24 to 48-hour window and exceptions for emergencies. A clear, agreed policy protects your schedule and the therapy.

Does insurance cover late cancellations?

Usually not. The fee is billed to the client directly. Check your payer contracts.

How do I avoid discussing fees in session?

Guacamole sends the reminder, the charge and the receipt on your behalf, so it never needs to come up.

Can I make exceptions?

Always. Waive any fee in one tap.

What does it cost?

Free to use. 1.9% per payment, only when money moves. Refund a payment and our fee comes back. No contract.

Stop writing off missed sessions.

Early access is opening for therapists.

Free to use · 1.9% per payment

  1. Curogram: mental-health no-shows (UK review)
  2. Headway: therapy cancellation policy
  3. Heard: the best cancellation policy for your therapy practice
  4. Allia Health: no-shows and late cancellations in therapy
  5. HelpSquad: therapy cancellation policy and how to enforce it
  6. Tebra: patient no-show statistics