Creating a Client
This guide walks you through the different ways to create clients in Sessions Health, whether you’re adding an individual, setting up a couple, family, or conjoint chart, or creating a chart for a minor. You’ll also learn about a few tools that help you complete the setup process and support each client’s needs.
💡 You only need a first and last name to create a client. You can complete their details yourself, or the client can complete them through the Client Portal if your settings allow it.
In this article:
- Video Tutorial
- Adding an Individual Client
- Completing the Client Setup Wizard
- Creating Couples, Family, or Conjoint Clients
- Adding a Minor Client
- Supporting LGBTQ+ Clients
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related Resources
Video Tutorial
Learn the main ways to create individual, conjoint, and minor client charts in Sessions Health.
We have a full list of client video tutorials to demonstrate how to work with clients in Sessions Health.
Adding a New Individual Client
You can create a new client from several places in Sessions Health.
ℹ️ An email address is required only for clients who need appointment reminders or access to the Client Portal. If a client does not need these features, you can leave the email field blank. The same email address cannot be used for multiple client records.
Creating a Client From the Sidebar
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Select New Client in the left sidebar.
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Enter the client’s First Name and Last Name. Optionally add an Email address.
- Select Create.
Creating a Client From the Client's List Page
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Go to Clients in the left sidebar.
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Select Add in the upper right corner.
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Enter the client’s First Name and Last Name. Optionally add an Email address.
- Select Create.
Creating a Client From the New Appointment Popup
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Select New Appointment in the left sidebar, or click any open spot on your Calendar.
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Under Client, enter the client’s first and last name.
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Once prompted, select Add below the name field.
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Change the client type (such as Individual) as needed.
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Confirm their First Name and Last Name, and optionally add an email address.
- Select Create.
ℹ️ New clients appear in an incomplete state until you go through the setup wizard. Incomplete clients appear in the Needs Attention list on your home page.
Completing the Client Setup Wizard
After you create a client, you will see a New Client Setup panel at the top of their chart on the Details tab. The setup wizard helps you complete essential items, including:
- Filling out basic account information, contact information, and demographics
- Inviting them to the Client Portal
- Selecting individual Billing Settings, Default Service, and Insurance Policies
- Adding Contacts
💡 Most fields in the setup wizard are optional. You can complete as much as you need now and update the client’s information at any time from their chart.
Starting the Setup Wizard
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Open the client’s chart.
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Select Start Setup in the New Client Setup panel.
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Follow the guided steps to complete information such as demographics, account details, and any fields needed for billing.
- Select Complete on the final page to finish setup.
Creating Couples, Family, or Conjoint Clients
Sessions Health supports group charts for couples, families, and other multi‑member therapy arrangements.
Creating a Group Chart
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Select New Client in the sidebar, or go to Clients and select Add.
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Choose Couple / Family / Conjoint.
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Enter a name for the group's chart.
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Select New Client or Existing Client and enter the member's First Name and Last Name.
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Select Add Member to add additional clients to the chart.
- Select Create.
Understanding the Identified Patient and Billing Contact
- The Identified Patient is the person whose insurance will be used.
- The Billing Contact is the person who will be billed and receive billing documents.
- For private pay, the Identified Patient selection does not affect billing.
Managing Members
After saving, you will land on the Members tab. Conjoint charts do not include a Details tab. To view or edit demographic information, open the individual member’s record.
Configuring Member Settings
In the Members tab, you can configure whether each member:
- Receives appointment reminders
- Receives session bridging questionnaires
Configuring Portal Access
Use the Portal tab to manage portal access for each member. Portal access is controlled separately for the individual chart and for the family chart. A member can have access to their own individual chart, the family chart, both, or neither.
ℹ️ Client Portal documents stay in the chart where they were requested. Paperwork requested from a family or conjoint record appears only in that record, and paperwork requested from an individual record appears only in that individual chart.
Adding a Minor Client
Adding a minor client includes setting up the parent or guardian contacts who help manage the client’s care.
Creating a Minor Client
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Select New Client in the sidebar, or go to Clients and select Add.
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Choose Minor.
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Enter the minor’s First Name and Last Name.
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Add at least one New Contact or Existing Contact.
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Select Billing Contact if the contact should receive billing documents.
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Select Receive appointment reminders if the contact should receive reminders.
- Select Create.
Managing Portal Access for Minors
Minor portal access is completely optional, and you can choose whether the minor, their parent or guardian, or both should have access based on your practice’s needs. See the Client Portal for Minors article for full details.
ℹ️ For more guidance on managing minor charts, contacts, and parent or guardian access, see Managing Minor Client Records and Parent Access in Sessions Health.
Supporting LGBTQ+ Clients
Sessions Health is designed to help you support LGBTQ+ clients with respect and clinical accuracy. By separating identity information from administrative requirements, you can provide a more affirming experience for each client.
Recording Pronouns
You can add a client’s pronouns so they show up clearly for anyone in your practice who works with them. This ensures the client is addressed correctly and consistently.
Pronouns are recorded in the Client's chart under Details > Account Information > Pronouns.
Chosen Name and Legal Name
The name you enter in the main Name field appears throughout the client’s everyday experience, including the Calendar, Dashboard, and Client Portal. Legal Names are used only on forms that require them.
From the Client's chart, under Account Information, select Add Legal Name. Select Save to add a legal name to a client's chart.
Legal Sex and Gender Identity
You can tailor what you collect based on your practice needs.
From the Client's chart under the Demographics section, Sex and Gender Identity are separate fields.
If you are a private-pay practice, you can remove the legal Sex field from your portal intake settings so that clients provide only information relevant to their care. This setting can be found within your Account Settings > Portal > Client Information > Request Client's Legal Sex Designation. Disabling this toggle removes the field from the portal.
ℹ️ To help prevent claim rejections, the Sex field in a client’s record should match what their insurance payer has on file. Many payers still use binary markers for claim matching.
Sessions Health provides separate fields for primary Name, Legal Name, Pronouns, Sex, and Gender Identity, so your clinical records can reflect the client accurately while still meeting external insurance billing requirements when needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I collect information about race or other demographics?
Many demographics are not required for insurance and are not included in the built‑in demographics. You can collect this information through a custom intake form.
How do I add parents, guardians, or family members when creating a client?
You can add parents, guardians, or other family members as contacts while creating the chart or by using the Contacts panel on the right side of the individual's chart. Contacts can optionally handle billing, sign documents, receive reminders, and view upcoming appointments.
For couples or families, you can also create a conjoint chart, designate an Identified Patient, and assign a Billing Contact. If a parent or guardian is already a client, do not delete their record, since this removes them as a contact.
Why am I getting an error that an email cannot be used?
The same email address cannot be used for multiple client charts. If one person needs to appear in multiple charts, they can be added as a contact on other charts or included in conjoint charts without creating duplicate client records.
Where do Client Portal documents appear?
Client Portal documents always show up in the chart where you requested them. If you request paperwork from a family or conjoint record, it appears in that record. If you request paperwork from an individual record, it appears only in that individual's chart.
Do you support group therapy sessions?
Group therapy is not currently supported with shared billing. If you conduct group therapy, you will need to create an appointment for each individual client at the same time.
Related Resources
For more help with client setup, these resources are a good next step: