How I Cut My Admin Time to One Hour Per Week: A Guide for Therapists
How I Cut My Admin Time to 1 Hour a Week: A Guide for Therapists
If you’re a therapist who feels buried under administrative tasks, you’re not alone. Many private practice owners start with small budgets and do everything themselves—managing emails, billing, scheduling, documentation, and more. While this might feel manageable in the early days, it often becomes overwhelming as your caseload grows. You realize you’re spending hours every week on unpaid admin work, leaving you burned out, inefficient, and stressed.
For years, I was in the same boat. I was spending 7–10 hours a week doing admin tasks outside of my client hours. Now? I spend just 1 hour a week on admin tasks, and my practice runs smoothly. My clients are onboarded quickly, payments are automated, and I almost never get emails from clients (only 8 in the entire year of 2024!).
Let’s dive into why most therapists get admin work wrong, how I transformed my practice using automation tools, and how you can do the same.
The Real Cost of Admin Overload
Unoptimized admin work leads to burnout, inefficiency, and mistakes, which ultimately costs you money. Think about the time you spend chasing payments, correcting errors, managing new client inquiries, and clinical documentation. Each hour you spend on these tasks is an hour you’re not spending with clients or improving your practice. Worse, many therapists don’t even calculate the cost of their administrative work when setting their fees.
Why Most Therapists Get It Wrong
Therapists often set their fees based on what their colleagues charge, their years of experience, or a target income like, say, $150k. They might consider overhead costs like office rent and phone lines, but they rarely include their unpaid admin time in these calculations. This creates a cycle of overwork and under-compensation.
Here’s an example:
Let’s say you want to earn $150,000 a year. You calculate that you need to see 22 clients per week at $150/session to hit that number.
But what about the 7 hours a week you spend on admin tasks? You’re essentially working 7 unpaid hours every week, which adds up to $36,000 worth of unpaid work annually.
Instead, ask yourself:
“How can I make $150,000 working X total hours per week, including admin time?”
If you want to work 22 hours per week, and 7 of those hours are admin, you’ll need to see 15 clients per week and charge $200/session.
Reducing your admin load allows you to keep your rates more affordable and focus on client work—not unpaid administrative tasks.
Your Cancellation Policy is Probably Hurting Your Income Too
Speaking of saving time and money, your cancellation policy is probably also hurting your income—but for the sake of keeping things simple, we won’t get into that here. If you’re curious about how traditional cancellation policies can cost you as much as 15–20% of your yearly income, check out my blog post here. (Trust me, it’s worth the read!)
Benefits of an Admin-Light Practice
Automating your practice isn’t just about saving time. It improves your life, your client experience, and your business. Here’s how:
For Therapists
More time for what matters: Whether that’s client care, professional growth, or personal life, automation frees up your schedule.
Reduced burnout: Spending fewer hours on tedious tasks helps you stay energized and motivated.
Scalability: Tools like Simple Practice and Squarespace grow with you, accommodating employees, new services, or locations.
For Clients
Faster onboarding: Clients can quickly schedule consultations, complete forms, and get started without delays.
Clear expectations: Automation ensures policies are consistent and transparent, helping clients feel confident in your process.
Fewer errors: Less human error means smoother experiences for clients.
Bottom Line: Automating admin tasks costs a fraction of what hiring a biller or assistant would, allowing you to reinvest savings into your practice or yourself.
Tools That Transformed My Practice
Here’s how I cut my admin time to 1 hour a week using four key tools: Squarespace, Google Workspace, Simple Practice, and QuickBooks.
1. Squarespace: The Foundation of a Streamlined Practice
My practice website isn’t just a marketing tool—it’s an administrative powerhouse. It screens potential clients, funnels inquiries, and automates scheduling, so I don’t have to spend time on phone calls or emails.
Key Features:
Screening Forms: I use HIPAA-compliant Google Forms linked directly to my website to prescreen clients. This eliminates unnecessary inquiries like “Do you take my insurance?” or “Do you offer couples therapy?”
Online Scheduling: Clients schedule consultations directly through my practice management system that is linked to my Squarespace website.
Clear Copy: My website is written to attract ideal clients and gently screen out those who aren’t a good fit.
Pro Tip: Funnel all inquiries through your website by listing it on directories, voicemails, business cards, and social media. This ensures a consistent process for everyone.
2. Google Workspace: A Multi-Purpose Administrative Tool
Google Workspace powers many of my admin tasks, from email to documentation.
Key Features:
Domain-Specific Email: Professional communication with clients and colleagues.
New Client Inquiry Form: Prescreens clients based on location, presenting problem, and scheduling needs.
AI-Powered Clinical Notes: I use Google’s Gemini AI to turn session summaries into clear, concise, and clinical progress notes in minutes.
3. Simple Practice: The Backbone of My Practice
Simple Practice is the most critical tool in my workflow, acting as the hub for scheduling, billing, telehealth, and documentation.
Key Features:
Client Portal: Clients manage their own scheduling, billing, and paperwork.
Automated Billing: Invoices, receipts, and superbills are generated and sent automatically. Payments are processed automatically at the end of each day.
Streamlined Clinical Documentation: I’ve created note templates with checkboxes, dropdowns, and reusable information to save time.
Integrated Telehealth: My 100% telehealth practice runs seamlessly with Simple Practice.
Pro Tip: Spend time creating robust templates for documentation. With a little effort upfront, you can significantly reduce the time spent writing notes.
4. QuickBooks: Simplifying Accounting
QuickBooks handles all my income and expenses, making tax season stress-free.
Key Features:
Automatic Categorization: Tracks and organizes income/expenses for tax deductions.
Accounting: Makes filing taxes quick and easy whether you’re doing them yourself through the TurboTax integration or sending your info to your accountant.
Pro Tip: Keep personal and business finances separate for clarity and easier bookkeeping.
5. Optional Cost Savings
If you’re looking to keep your practice very lean, you may not need Google Workspace. If you don’t require a domain-specific email, Google’s tools, or their AI-powered documentation assistance, you can rely on secure messaging within your practice management system and use your personal phone for non-client communication.
However, skipping Google Workspace means you’ll lose access to tools like Google Forms and Google’s HIPAA-compliant AI service (Gemini) for clinical documentation. Without an AI tool, you’ll need to consider how much time you’re spending on documentation. If writing progress notes or other clinical documents takes you more than a few minutes per client, investing in a HIPAA-compliant AI solution could still save you time and money.
Other HIPAA-Compliant Documentation Tools:
HIPAA-compliant AI tools and transcription services like Speech-to-Text Medical AI or Nuance Dragon Medical One often range from $20–$100/month, depending on features.
If documentation is a major time sink for you, using AI through Google Workspace (just $75/year) is often the more cost-effective choice.
I suspect that practice management systems like Simple Practice, Theranest, and others will launch AI tools to help with documentation very soon.
Cost Comparison: Automation vs. Hiring Staff
Here’s a breakdown of the costs for automation versus hiring administrative help:
Annual Costs of Automation Tools (these are estimated costs in 2025):
Squarespace: $276/year
Simple Practice: $600/year
QuickBooks: $456/year
Google Workspace: $75/year
Total: $1,407/year
Cost of Hiring Admin Staff:
$20–$50/hour for 5 hours/week = $5,200–$13,000/year.
Insurance billing adds even more cost.
Savings: Automation is significantly cheaper while providing consistent, error-free results.
Key Metrics of Success
Here’s how I know my systems are working:
Reduced Admin Hours: I spend just 1 hour/week on admin tasks.
Faster Onboarding: Good-fit clients get in quickly without delays.
Fewer Errors: No missed forms or payment mistakes.
Consistent Work Hours: My schedule is predictable and stress-free.
No Payment Chasing: All invoices are paid on time.
Improved Balance: I’m happier, more present, and less burned out, which makes me a better therapist.
Final Thoughts: Know Your Value
When setting your fees, account for all your overhead costs and your working hours—not just client-facing time. Automation tools can drastically reduce admin work, but even a few hours a week should be compensated. By streamlining your practice, you free yourself to focus on what really matters: your clients, your personal life, and your professional growth.
Ready to simplify your practice? Explore the tools that transformed mine:
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