From spreadsheets to therapy practice software: a migration plan for Ireland

Many therapists in Ireland start with a diary, an Excel sheet and a folder of Word files. It works until it doesn't: a missed session, a lost file, a client asking for their records. This is a practical plan to move to proper practice software without losing data or breaking GDPR on the way.

A note on this guide: it is general information for practitioners, not legal advice. Where a point depends on your professional body or your own circumstances, we say so rather than guess.

Signs it's time to move

• You re-type the same client details in the diary, a spreadsheet and your invoicing.
• You are not sure which version of a client file is the latest.
• Reminders depend on you remembering to send them.
• Your records sit on a personal laptop or in an email account that is also used for everything else.
• A client asks for a copy of their records and it would take you hours to assemble.

Step 1: decide what you are moving

Not everything needs to move. List what you hold: client contact details, appointment history, session notes, consent forms, reports, payment records. For each, decide whether it is live (clients you still see), archived (closed cases you must keep for a period), or to be destroyed. Retention periods for clinical records are a matter for your professional body and your own written policy; we do not give a figure here. If you do not have a retention policy, write one before the move, because moving data you should have deleted only carries the problem into a new system.

Step 2: clean the source

Fix duplicate clients, standardise names and phone formats, and mark who is active. One afternoon of cleaning saves weeks of confusion later. Keep the original files untouched in a safe, encrypted location until the move is verified.

Step 3: choose the destination with GDPR in mind

Your new system will be your processor. Article 28 GDPR says the processing must be governed by a binding written contract, and lists what it must contain, including that the processor acts only on your documented instructions, that it deletes or returns all personal data at your choice when the service ends, and that it may not use another processor without your authorisation. Article 32 names measures such as encryption and the ability to restore data after an incident. Our GDPR checklist for practice software turns these into questions you can put to any vendor.

Step 4: a pilot with five clients

Do not move everyone at once. Choose five current clients, or fictional ones if you prefer, and enter them completely: contact details, an appointment series, a session note, a consent record. Check:

1. Does the diary behave as you expect for recurring sessions and cancellations?
2. Can clients book or confirm in the way you want?
3. Is the session note structure one you can live with?
4. Can you export a client's record in a readable format?
5. Who else can see what, if you work with colleagues?

Nerela offers a 14-day free trial without a card, which is a reasonable period to run a pilot like this. For a view of the options, see best software for psychologists in Ireland.

Step 5: move the rest in batches

Import or enter active clients first, then the archive if you need it online. Tell clients what is changing: where their data is kept, and that they can ask you questions about it. If your privacy notice mentions the tools you use, update it.

Step 6: switch off the old way, safely

When you are satisfied, stop using the spreadsheet for live work. Archive the originals in an encrypted location for the retention period you decided, then delete them securely. A copy of client files left forever on an old laptop is exactly the kind of risk this move is meant to remove.

What not to expect

Software will not write your clinical notes for you or decide your policies. It will keep your diary, records and payment receipts in one place and cut repeated typing. Be clear, too, about what a tool does not do: Nerela provides payment receipts for clients, not tax invoices, so keep your accountant's bookkeeping process for your own accounts.

Sources

All pages below were consulted on 7 November 2026.

• GDPR Article 28: processor
• GDPR Article 32: security of processing
• GDPR Article 9: processing of special categories of personal data