Best EHR Systems for Therapy Practices

Selecting the right EHR for a therapy or behavioral health practice means more than charting or billing. You want a system that accommodates mental health workflows, supports compliance, engages patients, and can integrate with external tools where needed. Below are five systems commonly used in therapy settings. Each offers strengths, and each leaves room for a secure communications layer that can enrich your patient outreach.

Valant

Valant is purpose-built for behavioral health professionals, offering documentation, scheduling, billing, and outcomes tracking in one platform. Its therapy-specific forms, group session tools, and measurement-based care support make it a strong fit for clinicians focused on mental health. Users often highlight its organized workflow and telehealth capabilities. For practices wanting a system aligned with therapy processes rather than a general medical model, Valant provides an efficient, specialty-oriented foundation.

athenahealth (Behavioral Health / athenaOne)

Athenahealth brings enterprise-level structure to behavioral health. The platform offers integrated billing, scheduling, e-prescribing, and patient portals within a cloud environment. Its interoperability allows secure data sharing with other providers, supporting continuity of care. Many clinicians value its scalability and reporting tools, while smaller practices sometimes find setup more involved. With its marketplace integrations and open APIs, athenahealth can serve as a robust base for expanding therapy practices.

nTreatment

nTreatment focuses on simplicity and usability for therapists and psychiatrists. The system integrates documentation, billing, scheduling, and patient management in an easy-to-navigate interface that reduces administrative work. Reviews frequently mention its affordability and straightforward learning curve. While not the most complex platform, it meets the needs of individual or small-group therapy practices that prioritize speed and clarity over extensive customization or large-scale analytics.

TherapyNotes

TherapyNotes enjoys a strong reputation, particularly among solo therapists and small groups. It delivers scheduling, documentation, billing, telehealth, and client portals in a streamlined package. Common praise: its user interface, reliability, and support quality. In reviews, a few users ask for deeper integrations or more flexible APIs to connect third-party tools more seamlessly.

SimplePractice

SimplePractice is well known for its clean, modern interface, rapid onboarding, and integrated telehealth and client messaging. It is a favorite for individual therapists and small practices. While reviewers commend usability and client engagement tools, some also note that it may lack some enterprise-level reporting or customization features that larger practices will eventually seek.

Why External Phone & SMS Capabilities Add Value for Therapists

Even when an EHR includes built-in messaging or telehealth features, there remains a practical need: reaching patients outside the portal or video session via voice or SMS. Think appointment reminders, urgent follow-ups, or simple check-ins.

When done thoughtfully, a dedicated external communication layer:

• Enables patient contact without exposing clinician personal lines
  
  
• Keeps clinical and outreach communication separate
  
  
• Provides a secure, archivable record of calls and texts
  
  
• Helps maintain patient trust by ensuring messages meet privacy standards
  

In short, the EHR handles the charting, billing, and internal communications, while a secure external layer ensures that patient outreach is safe, documented, and professional.

The five systems outlined here each serve therapy practices in meaningful ways. Choose an EHR that fits your team and processes, and view the communication layer not as a competing product, but as a complement that helps maintain privacy and clinician efficiency.

How iPlum Extends EHR Security to Client Conversations

EHRs manage records securely, but many therapists still communicate outside those platforms — through calls, texts, or voicemails. iPlum helps bridge this compliance gap by giving every clinician a dedicated, HIPAA-compliant phone line. Messages, voicemails, and call records are encrypted, archived, and easily auditable, ensuring that even off-platform communication stays compliant.

Unlike standard messaging or carrier calls, iPlum separates personal and patient communication, reducing risk while maintaining professionalism. Staff can call clients or send reminders directly from mobile or desktop without exposing personal contact details.

By pairing an EHR with iPlum, therapy practices extend HIPAA protection from the digital record to every point of contact. It’s a simple, practical way to ensure client confidentiality while improving operational efficiency and maintaining compliance across all communication channels.

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