The AI tools therapists are using today and how to use them ethically
Summary
Establish client communication protocols to define how, when, and where clients can contact you so expectations, boundaries, and therapeutic structure remain clear and consistent across your practice.
Create secure systems for communication by choosing HIPAA-compliant platforms, training staff on privacy standards, and outlining emergency procedures to protect client safety and reduce liability risk.
Develop clear practice messaging guidelines that specify approved communication channels, response times, and appropriate use cases so clients understand how to engage without crossing clinical or confidentiality boundaries.
Set communication expectations early in treatment and reinforce them consistently by framing boundaries as supportive, using technology to enforce limits, and maintaining flexibility only when clinically necessary.
As a therapist, client communication is one of the most important parts of your job. But in order for you and your clients to communicate effectively, you need to create a clear communication structure for your practice—also known as client communication protocols.
Client communication protocols outline how, when, and where you’ll communicate with clients. These practice messaging guidelines are a must if you want to run a successful, effective practice.
But why, exactly, are client communication protocols so important? What should they include? And how do you not only explain your protocols to your clients, but get them to actually adhere to them and respect your communication boundaries?
Why are client communication protocols so important?
“Client communication protocols are important because they protect both the client and therapist,” says Natasha Deen, LCPC and owner of Golden Hour Counseling, LLC. “[Clear protocols] ensure that communication is clear [and] HIPAA compliant.”
Client communication protocols also create clear boundaries around how, when, and where your clients can expect you to communicate with them—boundaries that can help keep burnout and overwhelm at bay.
“For therapists, these protocols function as an important protective barrier against burnout and liability by making it clear that we are not fully accessible at all times,” says Melissa Legere, LMFT, Clinical Director and Co-Founder of California Behavioral Health. “Without them, we run the risk of compassion fatigue and the unhealthy misconception that we are providing crisis services 24/7.”
There are also therapeutic benefits in having clear communication protocols. First, “[communication guidelines] set the tone for the client and therapist’s work together,” says Deen. “It helps the client know what to expect, as well as providing a safe space for the therapist to do their best work in supporting the client.”
In addition, “[Client communication protocols ensure] clients know exactly how and when to reach you, which prevents the misunderstandings that erode rapport,” says Mesha Muwanga, LMFT, and Owner and Founder of Rhema Therapy Inc.
Clearly, client communication protocols are important. But in order for these protocols to be effective, what should they include? Strong practice messaging guidelines also help ensure consistency across providers in group practices or multi-clinician settings.
What to include in client communication protocols
While the most effective practice messaging guidelines may vary from practice to practice, generally speaking, your guidelines should include:
Approved communication channels: “An effective communication protocol must specify specific [approved] communication channels,” says Legere. As a therapist, the bulk of client communication—and all of your communication that includes protected health information (PHI) or sensitive client information—should take place on secure, professional channels, like HIPAA-compliant EHRs or VoIP business phone lines. However, you may also choose to allow less sensitive client communications (like scheduling questions) on other channels, like personal email.
How to use approved channels: In addition to outlining which communication channels you use in your practice, your protocols should also explain how clients should use each channel. For example, “in my consent forms and first sessions, I let clients know that they are free to email me with questions in between sessions for issues regarding scheduling, billing, and that can be a quick response,” says Deen. “I explain that email is not confidential and we cannot discuss clinical matters via email, so we will save it for session.”
Standard response times: Your client communication protocols should also clearly outline your response times—or, in other words, when and how quickly your clients can expect a response when they reach out via your approved communication channels. This is non-negotiable, as it puts expectations and boundaries in place, which can prevent client communications from feeling overwhelming or intrusive. “I make it clear that I also only respond to emails and phone calls during regular business hours,” says Deen. “This way, clients know that I will not respond if they email or call in the middle of the night, for example. This helps them focus on who they can reach out to after business hours.”
Emergency instructions: Your practice messaging guidelines—as well as all of your client communication channels (for example, your voicemail or email signature—should provide instructions on how to handle an emergency. “It is...important to clearly articulate what constitutes an emergency, what to do in an emergency, and the contact details for emergency services and/or a crisis hotline,” says Legere. This is essential for client safety and therapist safety; not only does including emergency instructions in your protocols and communication channels ensure your clients know how to access help in a crisis, but it can also help reduce liability (by demonstrating you provided clear guidance on how clients should handle emergencies during off-hours or when you’re otherwise unavailable).
How to maintain security in client communication
Your client communication protocols lay the foundation for how your practice communicates with clients. But no matter how, when, or where your client communications take place, keeping those communications secure should always be top priority. This is where well-defined practice messaging guidelines become especially important, as they standardize secure communication expectations across all staff and systems.
So how, exactly, do you do that? There are a variety of ways to maintain security in your client communications, including:
Partner with secure providers. How secure your client communications are is directly correlated to where those communications happen—so, when choosing communication channels for your practice, it’s important to prioritize secure platforms and providers. “As part of HIPAA Requirements, therapists should use technology service providers that are willing to sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) whenever Protected Health Information (PHI) is transmitted, stored, or accessible via such a provider's services,” says Legere. “It is also strongly recommended…to make use of services that provide storage and transit encryption—for example, HIPAA-compliant emails, patient portals, and specialized telehealth systems for use in healthcare.”
Train your staff on safe, secure client communication. If you have a staff (clinical or otherwise), you’ll also want to train them on your client communication protocols—and how to maintain security in client communications. “Ongoing staff training on privacy and security practices is also a required aspect of HIPAA compliance,” says Legere.
Get consent. To add another layer of protection to your client communications, make sure to “obtain written ‘technology consent’ that explains the risks and limits of electronic communication,” says Muwanga.
Client communication best practices
Want to ensure your client communication is as effective and supportive as possible—both for you and your clients? Here are a few best practices to keep in mind:
Avoid texting, social media, and other personal channels
You don’t necessarily have to limit all client communications to HIPAA-compliant platforms. But there are certain communication channels and methods that, for the most part, you should avoid when communicating with clients, including:
Social media: “Communication on social media should be avoided,” says Deen. “It’s not confidential at all—and it can become difficult as it’s easy to cross boundaries on social media.”
Personal phone/voicemail: “Handing out a personal cell number or voicemail lets clients bypass office hours and deposit sensitive data on an unencrypted carrier mailbox,” says Muwanga.
Texting: You should also be wary of texting with clients on any personal devices. “I would avoid [texting],” says Deen. “You can run into issues when you save contact information, especially if you’re using a personal phone…[for example], if a friend or family member uses your phone or sees messages pop up it can be a confidentiality issue.” If clients want text-style convenience, direct them to a HIPAA-compliant secure messaging platform instead of your personal phone.
So, why should you avoid communicating with clients across these more personal channels? Not only are they less secure—which may put your client’s information and/or confidentiality at risk—but they also “have an informal nature that compromises an appropriate level of professionalism,” says Legere.
To keep your client communications as safe as possible, stick to the more secure, professional communication options—and avoid communicating with clients on any personal devices, accounts, or channels.
Set communication boundaries with clients
Your client communication protocols set clear expectations on how you want your clients to communicate with you and your practice. But you also need to make sure that your clients meet those expectations and follow your protocols—and that means setting some boundaries.
“Establishing clear protocols is not only an administrative task, but also a therapeutic exercise in exemplifying healthy relationship structures,” says Legere. “Given that many clients have boundary issues in their own lives, the ways in which we [therapists] maintain our communication boundaries with a combination of care and firmness exemplify that a relationship can be caring and secure without being enmeshed. This is a big part of creating safety and predictability, which is part of the healing process.”
The “right” communication boundaries—and the “right” way to set those boundaries with clients—will vary by situation. But here are a few best practices on how to set communication boundaries with clients—and ensure they respect your protocols:
Share communication protocols and highlight your boundaries from the get-go. The best time to set boundaries around communication is at the very start—before you and your client run into any communication issues. “I always make [communication protocols] clear in my first session with clients,” says Deen. “I find that this is the easiest way to do it—before a situation arises and things become complicated…It’s easier to discuss boundaries ahead of time rather than trying to reinforce them after the fact.”
Frame the protocols as a win-win. If you want your clients to respect your communication boundaries, how you present them is important. If you can show them how the client communication protocols benefit them as well, they’re more likely to adhere to them. “Framing the conversations as ‘these boundaries are in place to protect the client’ is helpful too,” says Deen. “For example, I will tell clients to avoid sending sensitive information detailing what is going on over email because it isn’t a secure platform and I don’t want their confidentiality to be compromised. I will also mention that I can’t be as helpful via email, so we should save it to discuss in session.”
Let technology enforce your boundaries for you. While you can’t control if and when a client decides to disregard your communication protocols, you can “use technology guardrails…so boundaries hold,” says Muwanga. For example, you might set a “Do Not Disturb” to your business voicemail during off-hours so your personal time and/or sleep isn’t interrupted by late-night client calls.
Be flexible when setting practice messaging guidelines
Sticking to your client communication protocols—and upholding your own communication boundaries—is important. But they aren’t necessarily set in stone! As a therapist, you may find yourself in a situation where you want to infuse more flexibility into communication with a client.
For example, if you have a client that you know is in crisis—and you have the time and bandwidth to offer additional support—you might shorten your standard response time. For example, “If a client flags the message as ‘urgent,’ I guarantee a same-day callback and schedule a brief risk-assessment telehealth slot if done during working hours,” says Muwanga.
Just make sure that, if and when you offer a client more flexibility in communication (for example, by responding faster than your typical response time or taking an emergency call), you explain that it’s an exception to your protocols—and that moving forward, those protocols will still need to be respected. Note that for any situation involving imminent danger, clients should always be directed to call 988 or go to the nearest emergency room rather than waiting for a callback.
Sources
Deen, N. (2026). Personal interview.
Legere, M. (2026). Personal interview.
Muwanga, M. (2026). Personal interview.
U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Summary of the HIPAA Privacy Rule.
U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Business Associate Contracts.
Psychology Today. The Ethical Use of Social Media in Mental Health. March 2023.
How SimplePractice streamlines running your practice
SimplePractice is HIPAA-compliant practice management software with everything you need to run your practice built into the platform—from booking and scheduling to insurance and client billing.
If you’ve been considering switching to an EHR system, SimplePractice empowers you to run a fully paperless practice—so you get more time for the things that matter most to you.
Try SimplePractice free for 30 days. No credit card required.
