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Thank You for Your Referral Template

Published November 3, 2023

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Sending a “thank you for your referral” letter to a referral source can feel like another to-do on an already overwhelming task list, but with our “thank you for your referral” template, you can significantly simplify this task.

Thanking someone for a referral is an important part of marketing your practice. It can ensure the other practitioner feels appreciated, helps to build your reputation, and may even solidify future referrals. 

In this guide, we provide a sample “thank you for your referral” template, along with examples of how to thank someone for referring you. 

Use our “thank you for your referral” template to ease your administrative workload, while building rapport with fellow clinicians, and marketing your practice effectively.


Why other providers may refer clients to you

As a clinician, you’ve received extensive training and education to build your clinical skill set and treat a wide range of mental health conditions. 

However, there are occasions when you, or other providers, may need to refer clients to another mental health therapist, including:

1. Level of care 

High acuity clients, or clients in crisis, who may benefit from more intensive or ambulatory care, can be referred to an outpatient or inpatient program or service.

2. Competence 

Therapists have a duty to work within their areas of competence. If a client demonstrates that they need to work on an issue where the therapist lacks experience, a referral may be necessary. 

3. Conflicts of interest or ethical considerations 

Strong differences in personal or religious beliefs, treating the potential client’s partner, or dual-relationships are all conflicts of interest, and the client should be referred to another therapist. 

4. Termination 

If the client is not benefiting from therapy with a clinician, and they’ve already sought to address these issues, the individual may benefit from working with another provider. In this case, the clinician can send their client a termination of therapy letter, then recommend other mental health providers.

5. Cultural and identity-based considerations 

Clients' sexual, gender, and cultural identities are important considerations in assessing the efficacy of therapeutic interventions. You, or the client, may come to the conclusion that the client would benefit from working with clinicians who have those identities or clinical competency in those areas.

 


What to include in the thank you for the referral letter

Thanking someone for a referral is a professional courtesy that can build a mutually-beneficial relationship between you and the referring provider. 

To nurture this professional relationship, you’ll want to include the following components in your “thank you for the referral” letter:

Appropriate greeting

Begin the letter with a professional greeting by including their full name and professional title. This signals respect and attention to detail. 

Give thanks

Ensure the letter expresses gratitude to the referring provider—clearly saying “thank you for the referral.” You can include phrases like “I appreciate you taking the time to refer a client to me/this practice.”

Provide additional information where appropriate

If you are about to offer a new service or bring on another professional with a specific area of expertise, this may be an opportunity to communicate that information. For example, you could state, “I thought you’d like to know that we have just hired [X], who has expertise in dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) for trans youth, should you come across any prospective clients who need those services.”

Offer mutuality 

You may want to add that you are aware of their areas of clinical competence—stating your intention to return the favor by referring any prospective clients requiring those services to them.

Conclusion 

Conclude the letter by reiterating your appreciation and include any contact information about how to reach out to you.

Edit

Always proofread your letters before sending them, ensure they are free of typos and grammatical errors. You could always have a colleague proofread the letter as well. Alternatively, you can use a word processing software with a spell-check and grammar editor. 

To save time, you can save our “thank you for your referral” templates to your computer or upload it to your EHR software. The next time you want to thank a referral source, you can easily access the template and just fill in the blanks. 


Sample therapist letter template

Now that you’re familiar with how to thank someone for a referral, download and save our free “thank you for your referral” template to start expressing gratitude to providers who help you increase your client list and expand your business. 

Dear [Referring physician (including title and relevant qualifications, i.e. LMFT/LCSW)],

Thank you for referring [new client’s name] to my office. I value our relationship and I appreciate your confidence in my skills and service.

 

I thought you may be interested to know that our practice has just hired a new clinician, [insert new therapist's name and title], who has expertise in treating [insert relevant areas of competence], should you come across any prospective clients that you think would be a good fit. 

Of course, if I come across any clients that I think would benefit from your services, I will be sure to promptly refer them to you directly. 

 

I look forward to working with [client’s name] and thank you again for your referral. If you wish to discuss any future cases, or want to ask about the suitability of another client, you can contact me at [insert contact information].

 

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Your practice name]

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