AI Receptionist & Answering Service for Therapists
Frontivo.io is a 24/7 AI receptionist and answering service for therapists, counselors and group practices. It answers calls, website chats and texts while you're in session, answers questions about availability, specialties, fees, sliding scale and insurance from your own information, books free consultation calls and first sessions — in person or online — and handles reschedules. It asks only for what you need to get back to someone, never counsels, and if anyone mentions a crisis it gives them the local emergency number or a crisis line right away (988 in the US) and alerts you. It does not sign a HIPAA business associate agreement (BAA) today, so check with your compliance advisor before you start. All-in-one plans start at $299/month (Phone Only $199/month, Website Chat Only $149/month), and every plan starts with a 14-day free trial and no credit card.
14-day free trial · No credit card · 14-day money-back on your first payment · Keep your number by forwarding it
Hi... I've never done therapy before. I'm not really sure how this works.
Thank you for reaching out — there's no wrong way to start. I'm the practice's AI assistant, and I can book you a free 15-minute consultation call with a therapist. Would you prefer to meet in person or online?
Online, probably. How much are sessions?
Sessions are $140 for 50 minutes, and the practice keeps a few sliding-scale spots — the therapist can talk that through with you. The next consultation openings are Tuesday at 12:00 PM or Wednesday at 6:00 PM Eastern. Which works?
What can an AI receptionist do for a therapy practice?
A warm first contact
Answers every call, chat and text in a calm, unhurried way, says it's an AI assistant, and helps the person take the next step without asking them to explain why they're reaching out.
Fit and availability questions
Answers who you work with, your specialties and approaches, whether you're taking new clients, and in-person or online options, only from what you enter.
Fees and insurance
Shares your session fees, sliding-scale policy and which insurance you accept, or whether you provide receipts for out-of-network claims, and says you'll confirm anything it doesn't know.
Consultation booking
Books free consultation calls and first sessions on your calendar. Online sessions get their own Google Meet or Microsoft Teams link when your calendar is connected, or the fixed meeting link you always use.
Crisis response
If someone mentions suicide, self-harm or not being safe, it gives the local emergency number or a crisis line right away (988 in the US) and alerts you immediately. It never tries to counsel.
Minimum information
Asks only for a name, contact details and preferred times, never for symptoms or history, and never keeps clinical notes. Therapy stays between you and your client.
Reschedules and reminders
Moves sessions within your cancellation policy and sends appointment reminders by text on every phone plan.
Why therapy practices miss new clients, and who Frontivo.io is right for
Reaching out to a therapist takes courage, and many people contact several practices at once. You're in session most of the hour, so calls go to voicemail and messages wait until the evening — by then the person may have booked elsewhere or lost the nerve to try again. Returning every question about fees, availability and insurance also takes hours each week that could go to clients. One thing to know before you start: Frontivo.io does not sign a HIPAA business associate agreement (BAA) today. Privacy rules for health information differ by country (HIPAA in the US), so check with your compliance advisor; if your practice needs a vendor BAA for the enquiries it hands off, choose a HIPAA answering service instead.
How does Frontivo.io answer someone reaching out for therapy for the first time?
A sample conversation. Prices and names are examples — Frontivo.io only quotes the prices and details you give it.
Caller
Hi... I've never done therapy before. I'm not really sure how this works.
Frontivo.io AI
Thank you for reaching out — there's no wrong way to start. I'm the practice's AI assistant, and I can book you a free 15-minute consultation call with a therapist. Would you prefer to meet in person or online?
Caller
Online, probably. How much are sessions?
Frontivo.io AI
Sessions are $140 for 50 minutes, and the practice keeps a few sliding-scale spots — the therapist can talk that through with you. The next consultation openings are Tuesday at 12:00 PM or Wednesday at 6:00 PM Eastern. Which works?
Caller
Wednesday. It's Chris Morgan, 555-730-2416.
Frontivo.io AI
Thanks, Chris. You're booked for a consultation call on Wednesday at 6:00 PM Eastern, and your confirmation has the video link. If things ever feel overwhelming before then, you can call or text 988 any time, or your local emergency number.
How do you set up an AI receptionist for a therapy practice?
- 1
Tell Frontivo.io about your practice: therapists, specialties, who you see (adults, couples, families, teens), session types and lengths, fees, sliding scale, insurance and whether sessions are in person or online — type them in or import a page from your website.
- 2
Set your rules — the crisis lines and after-hours instructions it gives, which sessions can be booked, when to transfer a call to you — then test every channel in the Channel Tester.
- 3
Forward your practice line (or get a new Frontivo.io number: in seconds in the US and Canada, after a documents check in most other countries) and paste one line of code to add the chat and voice widget to your website.
What to add to your knowledge base
- Free consultation calls
- Individual therapy
- Couples and family therapy
- Teen and child therapy
- Online and in-person sessions
- Fees, sliding scale and insurance
- Cancellation and late policy
- Crisis lines and after-hours instructions
Works with the tools you already use
- Your business phone number. Forward your existing line, or get a new number.
- Google & Outlook Calendar. Checks live availability before it books, so slots aren't double-booked.
- Website chat, text, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger & email. One AI receptionist answers on every channel with the same knowledge (WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and email are on Growth, or each on its own single-channel plan). WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger open soon, once Meta's approval is through: reserve WhatsApp Only, Instagram Only, Messenger Only or Growth at no charge.
- Zapier, webhooks and API. Send every new lead and booking to the other software your therapy practice runs on through Zapier, Make, signed webhooks or the API (on Growth; opens soon, reserve it at no charge). Google Sheets and Slack or Teams alerts work on every plan.
What are missed calls costing your therapy practice?
Adjust the sliders to your own numbers.
Estimated extra revenue if those callers book
$9,353/month
- Phone Only plan
- -$199
- Net per month
- $9,154
Pays for itself after 1 job a month.
An estimate from your own numbers, not a promise. Prices in US dollars.
Start free trialFrontivo.io vs voicemail vs an answering service for therapists & counselors
Voicemail
- Cost
- Free
- Hours
- 24/7
- Books on your calendar
- No
- Knows your urgent calls
- No
- Channels
- Phone only
Human answering service (Ruby, Smith.ai)
- Cost
- Ruby from $250/mo for 50 minutes; Smith.ai from $300/mo for 30 calls
- Hours
- 24/7
- Books on your calendar
- Often (Calendly or Google Calendar)
- Knows your urgent calls
- Follows your script
- Channels
- Phone; live chat or texts with some providers
In-house receptionist
- Cost
- About $4,500/mo in the US (median pay $38,010/yr plus benefits)
- Hours
- Business hours
- Books on your calendar
- Yes
- Knows your urgent calls
- Yes
- Channels
- One call at a time
Frontivo.io
- Cost
- From $199/mo for phone; $299/mo for phone, chat and text; usage included
- Hours
- 24/7
- Books on your calendar
- Yes
- Knows your urgent calls
- Yes
- Channels
- Phone, chat, text, email (WhatsApp, Instagram & Messenger open soon)
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
| Option | Cost | Hours | Books on your calendar | Knows your urgent calls | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voicemail | Free | 24/7 | Phone only | ||
| Human answering service (Ruby, Smith.ai) | Ruby from $250/mo for 50 minutes; Smith.ai from $300/mo for 30 calls | 24/7 | Often (Calendly or Google Calendar) | Follows your script | Phone; live chat or texts with some providers |
| In-house receptionist | About $4,500/mo in the US (median pay $38,010/yr plus benefits) | Business hours | One call at a time | ||
| Frontivo.io | From $199/mo for phone; $299/mo for phone, chat and text; usage included | 24/7 | Phone, chat, text, email (WhatsApp, Instagram & Messenger open soon) |
Sources: Ruby and Smith.ai pricing pages (checked September 28, 2026); US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Receptionists (2025 median pay) and Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (June 2026, benefits 30% of compensation). US prices from the sources above; other providers and countries vary. Frontivo.io prices are in US dollars.
For therapists the difference that matters most is a warm, prompt first reply: Frontivo.io answers while you're in session, books the consultation, and gives crisis lines right away — without ever trying to counsel.
How much does an AI receptionist for a therapist cost?
Therapy practices can start on Starter ($299/month): phone, website chat and text, with 300 AI voice minutes (about 100 calls), 300 website chats and 300 AI text replies, plus live call transfer to your number, appointment reminders and the Leads and Customers pages. Group practices that also want WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and email choose Growth ($549/month; opens soon, reserve it at no charge) for all 7 channels, with 450 minutes (about 150 calls), 600 conversations and 500 text replies, plus analytics. Calls and website chat work from day one; texting switches on after carrier approval for your number. Annual plans save 15%, extra usage is billed per unit or can be set to pause at your allowance, and every plan starts with a 14-day free trial with no card and no setup fee (your phone number is connected when you subscribe, and WhatsApp comes with WhatsApp Only or Growth, which open soon). Solo practitioners who mainly need calls answered can choose Phone Only at $199/month, and single-channel plans start at $99/month. Several locations or 1,500+ minutes a month? Talk to us about a custom plan. Prices in US dollars.
Compare all plansFAQ
Therapists & Counselors: FAQ
Straight answers about how Frontivo.io works for therapists & counselors.
- It never tries to counsel or assess risk. If someone mentions suicide, self-harm, harming someone else or not being safe, it gives them the local emergency number or the crisis line you enter (988 in the US) right away, then flags the conversation and alerts you. Frontivo.io is not a crisis service, so your after-hours instructions should say who to contact in an emergency.
Still have questions?
Pick whatever's easiest. We're happy to help.
Keep exploring
Related industries
- Medical answering service
- Physical therapy answering service
- Chiropractic answering service
- Legal answering service for law firms
The features behind it
- AI phone receptionist
- AI appointment booking
- Human handoff and live call transfer
- Text messaging (SMS)
Guides for therapists & counselors
- How to choose a medical answering service: operators, nurse triage or AI, HIPAA and cost
- How to stop missing calls at a small business
- After-hours answering service: your options compared (and what each costs)
- AI receptionist vs answering service: what actually changes?
- Compare Frontivo.io with other options
Answer calls 24/7.
Website chat can be live in about 15 minutes, and your phone number is connected when you subscribe. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
- 14-day free trial
- No credit card
- Cancel anytime
Several locations, a team, or a custom setup? Talk to sales