Email & SMS Notifications

Reminders sent for you, every time

Reduce no-shows, automatically.

Without automated reminders you either have to manually text or email your clients ahead of sessions to reduce no-shows, whilst debating whether it seems unprofessional; or you choose not to send reminders, meaning there is more chance of no-shows. Neither of these options are ideal.

Counselling Buddy handles session reminders automatically. Session reminders are ready to go as soon as you create your account. By default, they are sent to both you and the client 24 hours and 1 hour before the session, to ensure the session doesn’t slip your, or your client’s mind. You can customise the reminder schedule, write your own reminder templates, or disable them entirely.

If you are taking some time off, whether it’s a bank holiday, CPD, a birthday or anything else, you can disable all outgoing communications with a single switch in your Notifications settings. You don’t need to clear your auto-repeating sessions from your calendar, just turn off the reminders*.

*If you use Billing & Payments, and have auto-billing enabled, you will need to turn off the master switch for Billing & Payments, or cancel the sessions that you will miss.

Placeholders that personalise every message

Write your template once - Counselling Buddy fills in the right details for every client, every session:

Hi {client_name},

Just a reminder that your {appointment_type} is booked
for {session_date} at {session_time}.

If you need to reschedule, please get in touch as soon
as possible.

See you soon,
Sally

Saly Sampson Counselling & Psychotherapy

Available placeholders include client name, session date and time, session type, and more. Every email and SMS goes out personalised, and you don’t have to lift a finger.

Flexible when you need it to be

The default schedule covers most practices. But if you need more control:

• Add extra reminders - useful for new clients, or for sessions with long gaps between them
• Remove reminders - for clients who’ve asked not to receive them
• Set custom timing - any interval in hours, for any session
• Override the template - write a different message for a specific appointment

And if you’re taking leave, on holiday, or simply want a break from outgoing communications - a single switch in your account settings disables all notifications until you turn them back on.

GDPR-aware from the start

Email and SMS notifications are configured to avoid including unnecessary personal or clinical information in message content. Reminders confirm the appointment; sensitive session details stay inside the platform.

• Minimal personal data in reminder content by default
• Client consent managed through your account settings
• No third-party marketing - reminders come from your practice, not Counselling Buddy
• Audit logs for all sent communications

How it fits into the rest of the platform

• Appointment Management - reminders are configured per appointment type and fire automatically on booking
• Billing & Payments - payment request emails are sent through the same notification system
• Client Management - communication history is logged against the client’s profile
• Google Calendar - reminders are timed from the synced session time, so they’re always accurate

Getting started

1. Go to Settings → Notifications in your account
2. Review the default templates - or write your own from scratch
3. Assign templates to appointment types if you want different messaging per session format
4. Book a session - reminders will fire automatically from this point on