Cancellation policy template for a therapy practice in Ireland
A cancellation policy works best when a patient reads it once, at the very start, calmly — not when you're explaining it for the first time in the moment after a missed session. Here's wording you can adapt, and the decisions worth making before you write your own.
Decide these four things first
- How much notice you'll ask for. 24 hours is the most common baseline in private practice; some practices use 48.
- Whether — and how much — you'll charge for late cancellations or no-shows. Views genuinely differ across the profession; what matters is having a clear answer, not necessarily a particular one.
- Whether the first missed session is treated differently. Some practices give a first no-show a pass and a clear conversation, then apply the policy from there.
- How exceptional circumstances are handled. A brief line acknowledging genuine emergencies keeps the policy human without making it optional in practice.
Sample wording
Adapt the bracketed parts to your own numbers and practice — this isn't legal wording, just a clear, fair starting point.
"I ask for at least [24] hours' notice if you need to cancel or reschedule a session. You can do this by [replying to your reminder / using the online booking page / messaging me directly]."
"If a session is cancelled with less than [24] hours' notice, or missed without notice, [the full session fee applies / a fee of €[X] applies]. This reflects that the time was reserved for you and, in most cases, could otherwise have gone to another client."
"If something genuinely unexpected comes up, let me know as soon as you can — we'll talk it through. This policy exists to protect both our time, not to penalise a one-off emergency."
"I'll send you a reminder ahead of each session by [email / WhatsApp], with an easy way to reschedule if your plans change."
Where to put it, and when to say it out loud
Include it in your intake paperwork (see our guide to client intake forms for where it fits alongside the rest of what you collect before a first session), and say it out loud briefly at the first session itself — a policy someone only skimmed in writing lands very differently from one they also heard you explain in your own words.
See what no-shows are actually costing you
Before you decide on a fee, see the real number with the free calculator.
Applying it consistently is what actually makes it work
A policy that changes case by case is harder to hold and, over time, harder to explain to patients who compare notes. As covered in our guide to reducing no-shows in a therapy practice, the policy is one piece of a bigger system — automatic reminders, easy rescheduling and a waitlist do most of the practical work; the written policy is what makes the rare edge case fair and predictable for everyone, including you.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice should a cancellation policy ask for?+
24 hours is the most common baseline in private practice, and it's easy for a patient to understand and plan around. Some practices use 48 hours, particularly where a slot is genuinely hard to refill. What matters more than the exact number is applying it consistently once you've set it, and explaining it clearly at the first session rather than only when it first comes up.
Should I charge for missed sessions?+
That's a decision for each practitioner, and views differ across the profession. What matters most is having a clear policy, put in writing and explained at the first session, and applying it consistently rather than deciding case by case after the fact.
Should the policy be the same for every patient?+
A consistently applied policy is generally easier to hold and easier to explain than one you adapt case by case, which can feel arbitrary to patients and is harder to defend if it's ever questioned. Most practices set one clear policy and apply it evenly, while still using clinical judgement for genuinely exceptional circumstances.
Reminders and easy rescheduling, so the policy rarely has to be used
Automatic email and WhatsApp reminders the day before, with a one-click reschedule link.
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