How long should I wait before the first reminder?

About a week. Sooner reads as anxious; later, and the session has faded from memory, which makes paying feel like an old debt instead of a current courtesy. The first reminder should assume forgetting, because that is nearly always what happened.

Should I pause sessions over unpaid fees?

As a last resort, and as a clinical decision rather than an email one. Suspending therapy by message, over money, does something to the work that is hard to undo. If it has reached that point, it belongs in the room first: what is the non-payment about, and what needs to change for the work to continue.

Should I just take payment in advance instead?

Payment at booking or before the session can reduce reminder admin. Agree the timing with clients in advance.

What about a client who leaves owing money?

Send the final-note version once, adapted to the ending, and then decide what the amount is worth to you. Compare the amount owed with the cost of pursuing it, and review your payment terms for future clients.

Is small claims court ever worth it?

It exists, it works for clear written agreements, and for a typical session fee it is almost never worth the time, the fee and the feeling. It is the genuine last resort for a large accumulated amount with a signed agreement behind it, not a response to one missed £70.

Payment reminder templates for therapists

Client first name

Amount

Session date

Append bank details placeholder

1. First nudge

Send around a week after the session.

Subject: Session fee for [session date]

Hi [Client's first name], Just a gentle reminder that the fee for our session on [session date] (£70) is still open. No rush, the details are below. [Your bank details] Best wishes, [Your name]

2. Second reminder

Send two to three weeks after the session.

Subject: Session fee for [session date]

Hi [Client's first name], A quick follow-up on the fee for our session on [session date], £70. If you can settle it in the next week, that would be a help. If anything is making payment difficult, tell me and we will sort something out. [Your bank details] Best wishes, [Your name]

3. Final note

Send around a month after the session.

Subject: The fee for our session on [session date]

Hi [Client's first name], The fee for our session on [session date], £70, is still unpaid. Our counselling agreement sets out the payment terms we agreed at the start, so I will keep this short. I'd rather we talk about this at our next session than keep emailing about it, so let's make a little space for that. [Your bank details] Best wishes, [Your name]

Using the reminders

Each template includes the amount, session date and payment details. The first assumes the client forgot; the final note invites a conversation in session.

Persistent non-payment can be clinical material. Discuss what needs to change for the work to continue before suspending therapy over unpaid fees.

If reminders become a recurring task, review your payment terms. Payment before or at the session should be agreed in your counselling agreement.

Frequently asked questions

Bloom sends payment reminders with the session amount and payment details included.

Get started See how it works

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