Data as of Aug 25, 2026 · Based on 328 AI responses from ChatGPT Search and Google AI Mode · See how Parse measures this
For most private practices, 
Brands AI recommends here
Named in 81% of answers
The top-rated all-in-one choice for most private practitioners. It excels in ease of use, providing a modern interface for scheduling, billing, and telehealth that supports practices from solo to group settings.
Named in 81% of answers
The preferred option for insurance-heavy practices. It is widely cited for reliable claim management, robust note documentation, and consistent customer support, making it ideal for high-volume or complex clinical cases.
Named in 49% of answers
Named in 48% of answers
Source | Citation share |
|---|---|
 Top Electronic Health Record Systems for Mental Health Practiceshttps://www.supanote.ai/blog/best-ehr-mental-health | 4.9% |
 The 9 best EHR systems for therapists | Headwayhttps://headway.co/resources/best-ehr-for-therapists | 4.2% |
 8 Best EHRs for Mental Health Private Practice, Compared (2026)https://www.icanotes.com/2025/10/16/best-ehr-for-mental-health-private-practice/ | 3.6% |
SimplePracticehttps://www.simplepractice.com/ | 3.4% |
The best EHR for marriage and family therapists | CarePathshttps://carepaths.com/marriage-and-family-therapists/ | 3.0% |
Behavioral Health EHR/EMR | TherapyNotes®https://www.therapynotes.com/ | 2.6% |
 The 5 Best EHRs for Private Practice Therapyhttps://therasoft.com/best-ehr-private-practice/ | 2.4% |
EHR Software for Couples & Family Therapists | ICANoteshttps://www.icanotes.com/features/charting/behavioral-health/family-therapists/ | 2.4% |
 Best EHR for Private Practice Therapy 2025 | Top Picks & Guidehttps://www.sprypt.com/blog/best-ehr-private-practice-therapy-2025 | 2.1% |
 The Best Mental Health EHR of 2026 - Choosing Therapyhttps://www.choosingtherapy.com/best-mental-health-ehr/ | 1.9% |
For a **private-practice marriage and family therapist**, I’d narrow the field to **SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, and Sessions Health**. There isn’t one universal winner—the best choice depends mainly on **how much insurance you bill, whether you’re solo or building a group practice, and how much you value…
For a private-practice marriage and family therapist, I’d narrow the field to SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, and Sessions Health. There isn’t one universal winner—the best choice depends mainly on how much insurance you bill, whether you’re solo or building a group practice, and how much you value client-facing polish vs. billing depth. Current 2026 comparisons consistently put those three near the top.
| If your practice is… | I’d choose |
|---|---|
| Mostly private-pay / out-of-network | SimplePractice |
| Insurance-heavy | TherapyNotes |
| Solo, cost-conscious, want a modern system | Sessions Health |
| Planning a larger group practice | TherapyNotes or SimplePractice |
| Couples/family therapy with lots of forms, scheduling & client communication | SimplePractice |
SimplePractice is probably where I'd start for an MFT in private practice.
Its biggest advantage is that it feels like a complete practice operating system, rather than primarily a clinical record system. You get scheduling, intake paperwork, client portal, telehealth, payments, documentation, reminders, and insurance functionality in one place. Recent comparisons particularly praise its client portal, online booking, mobile experience, and overall polish.
Why I think it fits an MFT particularly well:
Downside: You can end up paying for features you don't need, and the higher tiers/add-ons can make the real monthly cost considerably higher than the headline price. Current comparisons put the practical tiers around $49–$99/month before some add-ons.
TherapyNotes would be my pick if insurance billing is a major part of your business.
It's more utilitarian than SimplePractice, but that's partly the point: TherapyNotes was designed specifically around behavioral-health documentation and billing. Current comparisons consistently give it the edge for claims, ERA/payment posting, and insurance-oriented workflows.
Particularly good for:
The current solo price is reported around $69/month, with group pricing structured around clinician seats; verify the exact current price before subscribing.
The tradeoff is that SimplePractice feels more modern and client-friendly. One 2026 comparison essentially summarizes the distinction as TherapyNotes optimizing for insurance/billing and SimplePractice optimizing for user experience.
Sessions Health is worth serious consideration if you're solo and want to keep your overhead down.
Current comparisons put it around $39/month, with unlimited clients, while still providing the core EHR/practice-management functions.
I'd especially consider it if you:
If I were setting up an MFT practice today, I'd make the decision this way:
1. 70%+ insurance → TherapyNotes.
The billing/documentation advantages become much more important, and the difference in client-facing polish isn't likely to outweigh them.
2. Mostly private pay or out-of-network → SimplePractice.
I'd pay the premium for the smoother client experience, scheduling, forms, portal, telehealth, and general administrative workflow.
3. Starting out and watching expenses → Sessions Health.
You can get a lot of the functionality you need without committing to a more expensive ecosystem.
Don't evaluate the EHR just by asking, "Does it have SOAP/DAP/BIRP notes?"
For an MFT, I'd test these workflows during the trial:
That testing can change the answer more than a generic "best EHR" ranking.
For a typical solo MFT private practice:
Current 2026 comparisons similarly put SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, Sessions Health, and TheraNest among the leading options, with Jane standing out more for sophisticated scheduling/multidisciplinary practices.
If you tell me (1) solo vs. group, (2) percentage private-pay vs. insurance, (3) approximate number of clients/week, and (4) whether you do mostly individuals, couples, or families, I can give you a much more specific EHR recommendation and a side-by-side cost comparison for your practice.
3. Starting out and watching expenses → Sessions Health.
You can get a lot of the functionality you need without committing to a more expensive ecosystem.
Don't evaluate the EHR just by asking, "Does it have SOAP/DAP/BIRP notes?"
For an MFT, I'd test these workflows during the trial:
That testing can change the answer more than a generic "best EHR" ranking.
For a typical solo MFT private practice:
Current 2026 comparisons similarly put SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, Sessions Health, and TheraNest among the leading options, with Jane standing out more for sophisticated scheduling/multidisciplinary practices.
For a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) in private practice, the "best" EHR and practice management software depends heavily on your **payer mix** (insurance vs. private pay) and whether you primarily see individuals, couples, or whole families . MFTs often need robust handling for multi-client billing (handling…
For a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) in private practice, the "best" EHR and practice management software depends heavily on your payer mix (insurance vs. private pay) and whether you primarily see individuals, couples, or whole families . MFTs often need robust handling for multi-client billing (handling primary/secondary insured when treating couples/families) and clean telehealth setups that accommodate multiple screens or remote participants.
The top-tier platforms heavily favored by private-practice mental health clinicians break down as follows:
To help narrow down the exact right fit for your practice, tell me:
For a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) in private practice, the "best" EHR depends heavily on whether you primarily see individuals, couples, or whole family systems, and how you handle billing (insurance vs. private pay). Because MFTs often need seamless handling of multi-client dynamics—like joint/family…
For a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) in private practice, the "best" EHR depends heavily on whether you primarily see individuals, couples, or whole family systems, and how you handle billing (insurance vs. private pay). Because MFTs often need seamless handling of multi-client dynamics—like joint/family charting, tracking multiple responsible parties, or hosting group/family telehealth—the top options differ slightly from a standard solo medical or psychiatric EHR.
The leading platforms tailored for private mental health practices balance clinical documentation, scheduling, and client portals:
To help narrow this down, tell me:
If you’re a **marriage and family therapist running a private practice**, I’d narrow the field to **SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, and Sessions Health**. The “best” one depends primarily on whether you’re private-pay or insurance-heavy. ### My ranking EHR | Best for | My take
If you’re a marriage and family therapist running a private practice, I’d narrow the field to SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, and Sessions Health. The “best” one depends primarily on whether you’re private-pay or insurance-heavy.
| EHR | Best for | My take |
|---|---|---|
| SimplePractice | Best overall / private-pay | ⭐ Best default choice |
| TherapyNotes | Insurance-heavy practices | ⭐ Best for billing + clinical documentation |
| Sessions Health | Solo, cost-conscious practices | ⭐ Best value |
| Jane | Growing/multidisciplinary practice | Great scheduling, less therapy-specific |
| TheraNest | Small group practices | Worth considering, but not my first choice |
Recent 2026 comparisons consistently put SimplePractice and TherapyNotes at the top, with the distinction being client experience vs. insurance/billing depth.
SimplePractice would be my starting point for most MFTs.
It gives you the whole practice-management ecosystem: scheduling, intake paperwork, documentation, client portal, telehealth, payments, insurance workflows, and mobile apps. Its client-facing experience is particularly polished.
I'd choose it if you:
The catch is that the advertised starting price isn't necessarily your real cost. Current comparisons put the plans around $49/$79/$99 per month, and important capabilities such as more advanced insurance workflows can push you toward the higher tiers.
Verdict: 9/10 for a typical solo MFT practice.
TherapyNotes is the one I'd seriously consider instead if you take a lot of insurance.
Its strength is that it was built specifically around behavioral-health practices. Insurance claims, ERAs, billing workflows, and therapy-specific documentation are particularly strong. Recent comparisons consistently find it superior to SimplePractice when insurance billing is the central workflow.
The tradeoff is that the interface/client experience isn't quite as polished as SimplePractice.
Current 2026 comparisons put the solo plan around $69/month, with group-practice pricing structured differently.
I'd choose TherapyNotes if:
Verdict: 9/10 for an insurance-heavy MFT.
Sessions Health is the sleeper option I'd investigate if you're a solo practitioner who doesn't need all the bells and whistles.
It's particularly attractive for a private-pay solo practice: scheduling, notes, billing tools, client portal, etc., at a lower price. Current comparisons put it around $39/month for the paid solo offering.
The question is whether its smaller ecosystem and less mature client-facing experience matter to you.
Verdict: 8.5/10 if keeping overhead low is a priority.
I'd make the decision this way:
Mostly private pay → SimplePractice
Mostly insurance → TherapyNotes
Mostly private pay + solo + want to minimize overhead → Sessions Health
Planning a multidisciplinary/group practice → SimplePractice or Jane
One other important consideration: don't choose based on note templates alone. The bigger long-term differentiators are insurance billing, client onboarding, scheduling, payment processing, data portability, support, and how well the system fits your actual workflow. Recent comparisons make the same point: switching EHRs later is a substantial migration project.
If you see couples and families, I'd test each finalist with an actual couple/family workflow before committing:
That's where an EHR can look excellent in a generic therapist demo but become frustrating in real MFT practice.
If you tell me (1) solo vs. group practice, (2) roughly what percentage is insurance vs. private pay, (3) whether you do mostly individual/couples/family therapy, and (4) whether you want AI note-taking, I can give you a much more specific recommendation—and tell you which plan I'd actually buy.
The question is whether its smaller ecosystem and less mature client-facing experience matter to you.
Verdict: 8.5/10 if keeping overhead low is a priority.
I'd make the decision this way:
Mostly private pay → SimplePractice
Mostly insurance → TherapyNotes
Mostly private pay + solo + want to minimize overhead → Sessions Health
Planning a multidisciplinary/group practice → SimplePractice or Jane
One other important consideration: don't choose based on note templates alone. The bigger long-term differentiators are insurance billing, client onboarding, scheduling, payment processing, data portability, support, and how well the system fits your actual workflow. Recent comparisons make the same point: switching EHRs later is a substantial migration project.
There isn't a single "best" EHR for a marriage and family therapist (MFT) because the ideal choice depends heavily on your workflow—specifically whether you run a **solo or group practice** , whether you do **private pay or insurance billing** , and how you handle **couples/family documentation**. The leading options…
There isn't a single "best" EHR for a marriage and family therapist (MFT) because the ideal choice depends heavily on your workflow—specifically whether you run a solo or group practice , whether you do private pay or insurance billing , and how you handle couples/family documentation.
The leading options on the market for private therapy practices break down by their unique strengths:
To help narrow down the ideal platform for you, let me know:
Yes. I looked at current 2026 comparisons and pricing. For a **private marriage & family therapy practice**, I’d narrow the field to **SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, and Sessions Health**, with the best choice depending primarily on your payer mix and how much you value client-facing polish. ### My short answer | Best…
Yes. I looked at current 2026 comparisons and pricing. For a private marriage & family therapy practice, I’d narrow the field to SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, and Sessions Health, with the best choice depending primarily on your payer mix and how much you value client-facing polish.
| Best for | My pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall | SimplePractice | Best balance of scheduling, documentation, portal, telehealth, billing, and client experience |
| Insurance-heavy practice | TherapyNotes | Particularly strong claims/ERA workflow and therapy-specific documentation |
| Private-pay / value | Sessions Health | Leaner, modern platform at a lower price |
| Growing group practice | TheraNest | Good multi-clinician/practice-management capabilities |
| Excellent scheduling / multidisciplinary practice | Jane | Especially good if your practice may expand beyond traditional psychotherapy |
A current 2026 comparison similarly puts SimplePractice at the top overall, TherapyNotes ahead for insurance-heavy practices, and Sessions Health as the value choice for solo therapists.
I'd choose this if you're a typical solo or small MFT practice and want the least friction.
Its strengths are the things you'll touch constantly:
The big advantage is that it feels like a practice-management system built around the client experience, rather than primarily a billing/documentation system. Current comparisons consistently identify its interface, portal, apps, and overall workflow as strengths.
Downside: You need to look carefully at which tier contains the features you actually need. The headline starting price can be misleading once you add insurance-related functionality and other extras. Current 2026 comparisons put its plans roughly in the $49–$99/month range depending on tier.
Best fit:
Solo/small MFT practice + good client experience + insurance and/or private pay + desire for an all-in-one system.
If you're going to be doing a lot of insurance billing, I'd give TherapyNotes very serious consideration.
It is more narrowly focused on behavioral health than SimplePractice, and that's actually an advantage. Its strengths include:
Current 2026 comparisons consistently put TherapyNotes ahead of SimplePractice for insurance-heavy practices.
The tradeoff is that SimplePractice generally has the nicer client-facing experience—portal, mobile experience, interface, etc. TherapyNotes is more utilitarian.
The current solo price is about $69/month, according to multiple 2026 comparisons.
Best fit:
MFT who accepts several insurance plans and wants billing/documentation to be rock solid.
This one is worth looking at if you're private pay or have relatively simple billing needs.
Sessions Health emphasizes a clean, relatively lightweight workflow:
Current comparisons put it around $39/month for the paid solo tier, substantially below many of the competitors.
The reason I wouldn't automatically pick it over SimplePractice is that you're giving up some of the mature ecosystem/client-facing polish.
Best fit:
Solo MFT + mostly private pay + wants to keep overhead low.
TheraNest is particularly interesting if you're contemplating adding associate therapists or building a small group practice.
It offers:
Current comparisons put its entry pricing around $29/month per therapist, although the feature tiers and add-ons make the actual cost more complicated.
I'd put it behind SimplePractice and TherapyNotes for a typical solo MFT, but it becomes more interesting as the practice gets bigger.
Jane has arguably the best scheduling/booking experience of the group.
I'd consider it if you're building something broader than a conventional therapy practice—for example, multiple clinicians, multiple disciplines, rooms, workshops, or other services.
For a straightforward solo MFT practice, though, I think SimplePractice or TherapyNotes is a more natural fit. Current comparisons put Jane's strength particularly in scheduling and multi-practitioner workflows.
I'd make the decision this way:
If 70%+ of your clients are insurance:
→ TherapyNotes
If you're mixed insurance/private pay:
→ SimplePractice
If you're almost entirely private pay:
→ SimplePractice or Sessions Health
If you're planning to build a group practice:
→ SimplePractice or TherapyNotes, with TheraNest also worth a trial
If you're extremely cost-conscious:
→ Sessions Health
One important point for an MFT: don't choose based primarily on note templates. You can adapt templates in most of these systems. I'd pay much more attention to your entire weekly workflow: intake → scheduling → couples/family documentation → superbill/claim → payment → reminders → telehealth → treatment plan → discharge.
Because you're an MFT, I'd specifically test how each EHR handles couples and family cases rather than just individual therapy.
Ask each vendor to demonstrate:
That can matter far more to an MFT than whether one system has a prettier calendar.
1. SimplePractice — 9/10
2. TherapyNotes — 8.8/10
3. Sessions Health — 8.3/10
4. TheraNest — 7.8/10
5. Jane — 7.7/10
If you tell me (a) solo vs. group, (b) roughly what percentage is insurance vs. private pay, (c) whether you see mostly individuals vs. couples/families, and (d) whether you need superbills/claims, I can narrow this down to the best 2 options for your particular practice and compare their actual 2026 costs and features side-by-side.
For a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) in private practice, your needs are slightly different from a solo individual psychotherapist or a medical doctor. As an MFT, you frequently handle multi-client sessions (couples and families), complex billing arrangements (managing multiple profiles or linked contacts under…
For a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) in private practice, your needs are slightly different from a solo individual psychotherapist or a medical doctor. As an MFT, you frequently handle multi-client sessions (couples and families), complex billing arrangements (managing multiple profiles or linked contacts under one family unit), and occasionally robust group therapy or sliding-scale tracking.
The market features a few standout platforms, each catering to slightly different practice styles, tech preferences, and administrative workflows.
Top EHR and Practice Management Options for MFTs
Key MFT-Specific Features to Test During Free Trials:
To help narrow down the ideal fit, let me know:
For a **private MFT practice**, my overall pick would be **[SimplePractice](https://www.simplepractice.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com)**—but **[Sessions Health](https://www.sessionshealth.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com)** is the one I'd seriously consider if you care more about value, flexibility, and transparent pricing. ###…
For a private MFT practice, my overall pick would be SimplePractice—but Sessions Health is the one I'd seriously consider if you care more about value, flexibility, and transparent pricing.
| EHR | Best for | My take |
|---|---|---|
| SimplePractice | Best overall | ⭐ Best default choice for an MFT |
| Sessions Health | Best value / flexibility | ⭐ Best alternative |
| TherapyNotes | Insurance-heavy practices | Excellent billing/documentation |
| Jane | Practices with broader services | Excellent practice-management system |
| SimplePractice | Growing group practice | Particularly strong operationally |
I'd choose this if you want one polished system that handles essentially everything: intake, scheduling, documentation, treatment plans, client portal, telehealth, payments, superbills, and insurance billing.
It's particularly attractive for an MFT because it supports group appointments, including sessions involving multiple clients, and its telehealth supports up to 15 mental-health clients in a session.
Its insurance workflow is also mature: claims, claim tracking, ERAs, superbills, and eligibility verification are integrated.
Current pricing starts at $49/month for Starter; Plus is $99/month and adds more advanced practice/group features.
Why I'd pick it: It has probably the best balance of ease of use + mature features + client experience + scalability.
Downside: You can end up paying for features you don't need, and some billing/AI capabilities carry additional costs.
This is the one I'd demo before making a final decision.
Professional is currently $39/month for one clinician, with additional clinicians at $29/month. The base subscription includes the EHR, scheduling, documentation, client portal, secure messaging, payments, billing tools, assessments, treatment plans, and unlimited storage.
For an MFT, an especially nice feature is explicit support for minors, couples, and conjoint clients.
Insurance claims are priced separately at roughly $0.19–$0.25/claim, depending on volume; integrated telehealth is $10/month per practitioner.
Why I'd pick it: You get an unusually large amount of functionality without being locked into a high monthly subscription.
Downside: It doesn't have quite the same ecosystem/polish/market maturity as SimplePractice.
If you're going to be heavily insurance-based, TherapyNotes deserves a very close look.
The solo plan is currently $69/month, with claims and eligibility priced separately at $0.14 each. It includes unlimited clients, appointments, notes, secure messaging, a client portal, basic telehealth, and unlimited storage.
Its billing system handles electronic claims, patient balances, CMS-1500s, superbills, prior authorizations, and billing-specific user permissions.
Why I'd pick it: It has a strong reputation for the clinical-documentation and insurance-billing side of private practice.
Downside: The interface feels more utilitarian than SimplePractice, and some of the newer practice-management/client-experience features aren't as elegant.
Jane is worth considering if your practice is going beyond conventional psychotherapy—for example, a multidisciplinary practice or a practice with multiple types of providers.
It has excellent scheduling, online booking, telehealth, forms, payments, superbills, CMS-1500s, and optional insurance billing. Current plans are $54/$79/$99 per month, with insurance billing available as an add-on.
Why I'd pick it: The practice-management side is exceptionally strong.
Downside: For a pure psychotherapy practice, I think Sessions Health, TherapyNotes, or SimplePractice are more naturally suited to the workflow.
Solo, mostly private-pay:
→ Sessions Health
Solo, insurance + private pay:
→ SimplePractice or TherapyNotes
Couples/family-heavy practice:
→ SimplePractice or Sessions Health
Lots of minors/family members/conjoint clients:
→ Sessions Health gets extra points because it specifically supports minors, couples, and conjoint clients.
Growing into a group practice:
→ SimplePractice
Insurance billing is the biggest headache:
→ TherapyNotes
Multidisciplinary practice:
→ Jane
1. SimplePractice — 9/10
Best all-around choice.
2. Sessions Health — 8.8/10
Best value and probably the one I'd test against SimplePractice.
3. TherapyNotes — 8.5/10
Best if insurance billing/documentation are dominant.
4. Jane — 8/10
Fantastic platform, but somewhat more than a typical therapy-only practice needs.
One important MFT-specific consideration: don't evaluate these solely on note templates. I'd test how each handles a couple as a client, individual members of a family, minors, guardians, conjoint sessions, separate portals/consents, superbills, and claims. That's where the differences become much more consequential than the marketing feature lists.
If you tell me (1) solo vs. group, (2) private-pay vs. insurance, (3) approximate clients/week, and (4) whether you primarily see individuals, couples, families, or a mix, I can narrow this to the best 2 options for your specific practice and compare their actual monthly cost and workflows.
For a **private MFT practice**, I’d narrow the field to **SimplePractice, Sessions Health, and TherapyNotes**. There isn’t one universal winner—the best choice depends heavily on whether you’re private-pay vs. insurance-based, solo vs. group, and how much you value ease of use versus billing depth. ### My ranking | |…
For a private MFT practice, I’d narrow the field to SimplePractice, Sessions Health, and TherapyNotes. There isn’t one universal winner—the best choice depends heavily on whether you’re private-pay vs. insurance-based, solo vs. group, and how much you value ease of use versus billing depth.
| Best for | My take | |
|---|---|---|
| 🥇 SimplePractice | Best overall / easiest all-in-one | Most polished, excellent client experience, strong scheduling/forms/telehealth |
| 🥈 Sessions Health | Best value | Excellent functionality for the price; particularly compelling for a solo practice |
| 🥉 TherapyNotes | Insurance-heavy practices | Very strong clinical documentation and billing; less slick than SimplePractice |
I'd pick SimplePractice if you want to set up your practice and have everything just work: online intake, customizable forms, scheduling, reminders, documentation, telehealth, payments, superbills, insurance eligibility, and claims.
Its insurance tools can submit and track claims, process ERAs, generate superbills, and check eligibility. www.simplepractice.com Its telehealth is also integrated directly into the calendar rather than requiring a separate platform.
The downside is cost. Current pricing starts around $49/month for the entry plan, with more advanced functionality at higher tiers.
I'd choose it if: you want the smoothest client-facing experience and don't mind paying somewhat more for convenience.
This is the one I'd seriously consider before automatically choosing SimplePractice.
Sessions Health currently starts at $39/month for unlimited clients, with scheduling, documentation, client portal, secure messaging, payments, billing, and unlimited document storage included.
It also supports electronic claims, ERAs, eligibility checks, secondary claims, superbills, and out-of-network courtesy billing. Claims are currently $0.19–$0.25 each, depending on volume.
That's an unusually good price/functionality combination.
And interestingly, recent therapist discussions tend to describe Sessions Health as a strong alternative to SimplePractice, particularly once clinicians have actually used it for a while rather than merely comparing feature lists.
I'd choose it if: you're a solo or small practice, you're comfortable with a somewhat less polished UI, and you want to keep overhead down.
TherapyNotes is the one I'd look hardest at if you're going to have a substantial insurance caseload.
It's more clinically oriented and has a long history in behavioral health. Current solo pricing is $69/month, with group pricing starting at $79/month for the first clinician and $50/additional clinician. Telehealth is an additional $15/month per clinician.
The tradeoff is that it doesn't feel quite as modern/client-friendly as SimplePractice.
Recent therapist discussions are interesting here: clinicians specifically mention TherapyNotes as a good choice when dealing with Medicaid/managed-care billing, while others praise its billing and customer service.
I'd choose it if: insurance billing is a major part of your business and you prioritize mature behavioral-health billing functionality over aesthetics.
I'd actually evaluate these in this order:
If you're mostly private pay:
→ Sessions Health
If you're mostly private pay but want the most polished practice:
→ SimplePractice
If you're mostly insurance:
→ TherapyNotes or SimplePractice
If you're building a group practice:
→ SimplePractice, then Sessions Health
If you're very cost-conscious:
→ Sessions Health, by a pretty substantial margin.
Don't just evaluate these on "notes + billing." Couples/family workflows can be surprisingly important.
For an MFT, I'd specifically test:
Sessions Health explicitly advertises support for minors, couples, and conjoint clients, which makes it particularly worth testing for an MFT.
If you told me "I'm opening a solo MFT private practice tomorrow; pick one for me", I'd probably say:
Start a trial of Sessions Health and SimplePractice simultaneously.
Put your actual intake packet, couple case, family case, progress note, superbill, payment workflow, and a mock insurance claim through both. Don't judge them from the demo.
If Sessions Health feels comfortable, I'd save the money and use it. If its interface/workflow annoys you, SimplePractice is worth paying more for.
If you tell me (1) solo vs. group, (2) private pay vs. insurance, (3) approximate number of clients/week, and (4) whether you do mostly individual, couples, or family therapy, I can give you a much more definitive recommendation—and compare the 5–7 best options on pricing, couples/family functionality, notes, insurance, telehealth, client portal, and AI documentation.
For a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) in private practice, the "best" EHR and practice management software depends heavily on your workflow—specifically whether you primarily see individuals, couples, or families, and whether you handle insurance or operate cash-pay/superbills. Unlike general medical software, you…
For a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) in private practice, the "best" EHR and practice management software depends heavily on your workflow—specifically whether you primarily see individuals, couples, or families, and whether you handle insurance or operate cash-pay/superbills. Unlike general medical software, you need a system that easily manages multi-client/couple profiles, shared family billing, and flexible note templates without forcing you into an individual-only medical box.
The top-rated choices for private therapy practices, categorized by their strengths, include:
To help narrow down the exact fit for your practice, let me know:
