Your front desk, while you're with a client.
Solo practitioners wear every hat. When you are in session, Chatref answers new-client questions, captures inquiries, and routes any distress message to the 988 Lifeline – so nothing falls through the cracks between appointments.
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Why it matters
The problem this solves.
The challenge
Solo therapists are in session most of the day. The phone rings, emails arrive, and no one answers.
What it costs
Every unanswered inquiry is a potential new client who found another practice. And the time spent returning calls cuts into your
The Chatref way
Chatref acts as your virtual front desk around the clock, answering the questions you would answer yourself – without you picking
The Chatref solution
How Chatref covers a solo practice.
You are in session. A prospective client visits your site, asks about fees and availability, and Chatref answers from your practice content. It captures their name and contact info. You follow up after your session and book them in.
Real questions
What Chatref answers here.
Are you currently accepting new clients?
What do you charge per session?
Do you offer a sliding scale?
Do you do telehealth or in-person sessions?
How do I schedule a first appointment?
What do you specialize in?
Loved by support teams
Solo therapists, running a full practice without a receptionist.
How solo practitioners use Chatref to handle new-client inquiries without hiring staff.
I used to spend an hour a day returning calls and answering the same questions about my fees and availability. Chatref handles all of that now. I follow up with warm leads after my last session of the day.
The pay-as-you-go plan was perfect for starting out. No commitment, and I could see the ROI in the first month.
It answers in my voice, from my content. Clients can't tell they're not talking to me – and that's exactly what I wanted.
of solo-practice inquiries answered without the therapist picking up the phone
Setup took me forty minutes with no help. I'm not technical. If I can do it, anyone can.
What is the monthly cost of a chatbot for a solo therapist versus an answering service?
Chatref's pay-as-you-go plan starts at a fraction of the cost of a traditional answering service, with no annual contract. You pay for what you use.
How does a solo practitioner set up Chatref with no IT support?
Paste one script tag on your website, load your practice FAQs into the knowledge base, and configure the distress routing action. Most solo practitioners are live in under an hour with no technical
What if I change my fees or availability?
Update your knowledge base content and Chatref reflects the change immediately.
Does it handle distress messages if I'm not available?
Yes. The crisis routing action fires immediately and surfaces the 988 Lifeline, regardless of whether you are available.
Can I try it before committing to a subscription?
Yes. Chatref's pay-as-you-go plan lets you start with no long-term commitment so you can validate the value for your practice first.
What happens to the leads it captures?
Every lead lands in your shared inbox with the full conversation. You can follow up by phone, email, or through the inbox directly.
Run your practice without missing a single new client.
Load your FAQ content, drop in one script tag, and Chatref handles your front desk while you focus on clients – free to start.
Part of Chatref for Mental Health Services · Healthcare hub · pricing.