How to use the Therapy Invoice Generator
- Enter your business name and address, and add your company logo if you have one.
- Add your client's details, an invoice number, and the date.
- Edit the pre-filled sessions: adjust descriptions, quantities, and prices, and add or remove rows to match the job.
- Set any tax or discount, choose your currency, then click Download to save a professional PDF.
Who it's for
Therapists, counsellors, and private-practice health practitioners billing private-pay clients, including those who need to provide an itemized invoice a client can submit to an insurer.
What a therapy invoice is
A therapy invoice is a simple document a therapist or counselor gives a client to request or record payment for sessions. In a private-pay practice it is often all the paperwork a client needs. It typically shows your practice details, the client, the dates and type of sessions, your fee, and the balance due. It is not a claim submitted to an insurer: it is a bill or a record of payment between you and your client.
What a therapy invoice typically includes
Exactly what you show depends on your practice and your client's situation, but a clear therapy invoice usually includes:
- Your practice or provider name and contact details, and your credentials if you list them
- The client's name, and the name of whoever is responsible for payment if that is different
- A unique invoice number and the invoice date
- Each session on its own line, with the date, the type of session, and the fee
- The subtotal, any amount already paid, and the balance due
- Your payment terms and how to pay
Keep session descriptions clear but appropriate. Many therapists list only the service type, for example "Individual therapy session, 50 minutes," and add clinical or coding detail only when a client specifically needs it for a reimbursement request.
Common line items on a therapy invoice
The exact services and wording should reflect what you actually provide and how you bill. Common examples that may appear on a therapy invoice include:
- Initial consultation or intake session
- Individual therapy session (for example, 45 or 50 minutes)
- Couples therapy session
- Family therapy session
- Group therapy session
- Telehealth or online session
- Assessment or evaluation
- Treatment planning
- Report writing or letters, where you charge separately for these
- A late-cancellation or missed-appointment fee, if your policy includes one
List each service as a separate line with its own date and fee so the total is easy to follow. This generator comes pre-set with a session line and an initial-assessment line that you can rename, duplicate, or remove to match your own services.
What is a therapy superbill?
A superbill is a detailed, itemized receipt that a client can submit to their insurance company when they want to seek reimbursement for out-of-network care. It is not a claim that you file on the client's behalf: you give the superbill to the client, and they decide whether to submit it to their insurer.
A superbill generally contains more detail than a standard invoice. Depending on the insurer and your location, it may include your provider details and identifiers, the client's details, the dates of service, and the service and diagnosis codes the client's plan requires, alongside the fee and the amount paid. Requirements vary by insurer, plan, and country, so the specific fields a client needs can differ from one case to the next.
If a client intends to seek reimbursement, the simplest approach is to ask what their insurer requires before you prepare the document, then add those details as line items. Whether any amount is reimbursed is decided entirely by the client's insurance provider. A superbill does not guarantee payment, and clients should check their own plan's out-of-network rules.
Therapy invoice vs. superbill
The two documents do different jobs:
- A therapy invoice is generally used to request or confirm payment directly from your client. It is what most private-pay practices send.
- A therapy superbill is a more detailed document a client may submit to their own insurer when seeking out-of-network reimbursement, depending on their plan.
Many therapists use both: an invoice for everyday billing, and a superbill only when a client asks for one to support a reimbursement request. You can prepare either here by adjusting the line items and the level of detail you include.
Keeping your billing records organized
Whatever you send, keep a copy. Saving a dated PDF of every invoice and superbill, organized by client and by year, makes your own bookkeeping and tax return far easier, and it means you can reissue a document if a client loses theirs. A simple folder per client, or per year, is usually enough.
Create a professional therapy invoice →
Frequently asked questions
What should a therapy invoice include?
A private-practice invoice should show the session type and length, the number of sessions and the date range, your fee per session, and your practice details. Clients who intend to claim reimbursement from an insurer will usually need extra information from you, so ask what their plan requires before issuing the invoice.
What is a superbill and do I need one?
A superbill is an itemized receipt a client submits to their insurer to seek out-of-network reimbursement. It generally needs more detail than a standard invoice, including diagnosis and procedure codes and your provider identifiers. This tool creates a clean itemized invoice, and you can add the codes your client's insurer asks for as line items.
Should therapists charge for late cancellations?
A 24-hour cancellation policy is standard in private practice because the reserved hour cannot be filled at short notice. Agree it at intake, put it in writing, and repeat it on each invoice so it is understood as routine practice rather than a penalty aimed at one client.
What information do insurers usually need?
Requirements vary by insurer and by country, so ask the client to confirm with their plan rather than guessing. Commonly requested items include the dates of service, the session type and duration, procedure codes, a diagnosis code, your provider identifier or registration number, your practice details, and the amount paid. Missing a single required field is one of the most frequent reasons a reimbursement claim is rejected, which then comes back to you as an administrative problem. Asking at intake what the client's insurer requires takes a few minutes and prevents repeated reissuing of documents later.
How should I handle sliding scale fees?
Set the policy in advance and apply it consistently, rather than negotiating individually in the moment. Decide how many reduced-fee slots you can sustain, what evidence if any you ask for, and how often the arrangement is reviewed. Show the fee actually charged on the invoice rather than the full fee with a discount, unless the client needs the full figure for a reimbursement claim, in which case show both clearly. Consistency matters both ethically and practically, because ad hoc arrangements become difficult to explain if clients compare notes or if a fee needs to be revisited.
Should therapists take payment before or after a session?
At or before the time of service is the norm in private practice, and it avoids accumulating balances that become awkward to raise with someone you are in a therapeutic relationship with. Chasing an unpaid invoice is uncomfortable for both parties and can affect the work itself, which is the strongest argument for keeping payment routine and prompt. Card on file or payment at booking removes the transaction from the session entirely, which many practitioners prefer. Whatever you choose, agree it at intake and keep it consistent so money remains a settled background arrangement.
How do I keep invoices confidential?
Include only what is necessary. An invoice does not usually need clinical detail, and for clients whose post or email may be seen by others, discretion matters. Use a neutral practice name on bank references where possible, ask how the client prefers to receive documents, and avoid putting diagnostic information on anything that is not specifically required for reimbursement. Where codes are needed for an insurance claim, confirm the client understands what is being disclosed and to whom. Store records securely and in line with the data protection rules that apply to health information where you practice.
What is the difference between a therapy invoice and a superbill?
A therapy invoice is generally used to request or record payment directly from your client, and it is what most private-pay practices send. A superbill is a more detailed itemized document a client may submit to their own insurance company when seeking out-of-network reimbursement. The invoice is between you and the client; the superbill is something the client uses with their insurer. Many therapists use an invoice as standard and only prepare a superbill when a client asks for one.
Can a therapist create a superbill for a client?
Yes. A superbill is simply an itemized document you give the client, and they decide whether to submit it to their insurer. It usually needs more detail than a standard invoice, such as your provider information and the service and diagnosis codes the client's plan requires. Because requirements vary by insurer and location, it helps to ask the client what their plan needs before you prepare it.
What information is typically included on a therapy superbill?
It varies by insurer and country, but a superbill often includes your practice and provider details, the client's details, the dates of service, a description of each service with the service and diagnosis codes the client's plan requires, the fee for each, and the amount paid. Confirm the exact fields with the client's insurer, since plans differ in what they accept.
Can a client use a superbill to get insurance reimbursement?
A client may submit a superbill to their insurance company to request reimbursement for out-of-network care, but whether any amount is reimbursed is decided entirely by that insurer and the client's specific plan. A superbill does not guarantee payment, so clients should check their own plan's out-of-network benefits and requirements.
Related tools and guides
Private-practice therapists have a lot in common with the consulting invoice generator and, for session-based billing, the tutor invoice generator; independent practitioners can also use the freelancer invoice generator. For the essentials of a clear invoice, see what to include on an invoice and how to invoice a client.
How your invoice data is handled
Your privacy is built in. The Therapy Invoice Generator works client-side in your browser, which means your invoice details and the PDF you save stay with you and are never uploaded to InvoiceSnap. There is nothing to sign up for. Our Privacy Policy explains exactly how it works.