A virtual assistant for a therapist handles the non-clinical work around your sessions: answering new client inquiries, scheduling in SimplePractice, sending intake paperwork, verifying insurance, issuing monthly superbills, preparing insurance claims and following up on cancellations. Assist World matches you with at least two vetted candidates and you choose, at $1,800 to $2,500 a month full time (or $1,200 a month part time), depending on experience and location. Clinical triage, crisis response and anything in the therapy room stay with you.
Most therapists did not go into private practice to answer phones and reconcile superbills. But every new client is a string of small tasks: a call back, a scheduling round trip, a benefits check, a form, a reminder, and later a bill. Those tasks pile up in the hours between sessions, or on the weekend.
This guide covers what a virtual assistant does for a therapy practice, where the clinical line sits, and what it costs against a US admin hire. Wage data comes from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Disclosure: this is Assist World’s site, so we list our own service. A full-time VA fits a busy or growing practice, and a part-time VA at $1,200 a month fits a lighter caseload; if you see only a handful of clients, you may not need either yet, and we say so below.
Six admin loops that eat a therapist’s week
These come up in almost every private practice. Each is a task a non-clinical assistant can own.
New client inquiries sit for days
An inquiry arrives on Tuesday and you answer on Friday, when the person has already booked with someone else.
The VA: answers each inquiry the same day, shares your approved information and books the intake or consultation call.
Scheduling takes five emails
Finding a time, confirming it and handling the reschedule can mean a long thread for one appointment.
The VA: handles scheduling in SimplePractice, including reschedules and recurring sessions.
Insurance benefits are unclear until later
A client starts care before anyone knows their copay, deductible or whether the practice is in network.
The VA: verifies benefits before the first session and records the result in the client record.
Superbills wait until month end
Out-of-network clients need documentation to be reimbursed, and creating it by hand is a Sunday job.
The VA: prepares superbills on a schedule for your review.
Claims and denials fall behind
Claims are submitted late, and a denied claim can sit for weeks without a follow-up.
The VA: prepares claims, checks status and follows up on denials for your review.
No-shows and late cancellations cost income
Reminders are inconsistent and the policy gets applied unevenly.
The VA: sends reminders and applies your cancellation policy as you have written it.
What a VA does in SimplePractice
Many solo practices and small groups run on SimplePractice. A virtual assistant matched by Assist World works in your account, inside the permissions you set, so you are not changing systems to hire. Here is what the work looks like day to day.
Intake and inquiries
- Reply to new client inquiries with your approved message
- Share fees, availability and your process
- Send intake forms and consent documents before the first session
- Remind clients to finish paperwork
Scheduling
- Book, move and cancel appointments
- Set recurring sessions
- Send reminders and confirmations
- Fill open slots from your waitlist
Insurance verification
- Check eligibility and benefits before the first session
- Record copay, deductible and session limits
- Tell you which clients are in or out of network
- Flag when authorization may be needed
Superbills and billing
- Prepare monthly superbills for your review
- Send them to clients on your schedule
- Track unpaid balances and send reminders
- Reconcile payments with sessions
Claims and follow-up
- Prepare insurance claims for your review
- Check claim status on a set cycle
- Follow up on denials and resubmissions
- Keep a simple log of what is outstanding
What stays clinical, and what a VA should never do
The line is clear in a therapy practice: administration can be delegated, and anything that involves clinical judgment cannot.
A VA can handle
- Answering inquiries with your approved information
- Scheduling, reminders and cancellations
- Sending forms and tracking completion
- Insurance benefit checks
- Superbill and claim preparation for your review
- Billing follow-up and balance reminders
Stays with your team
- Clinical screening, triage or any assessment of need
- Crisis calls and safety decisions
- Treatment questions and advice
- Clinical notes and diagnoses
- Final review of claims and codes
- Policy exceptions and fee decisions
Every inquiry you answer the same day is a client who stayed. Every superbill that goes out on time is a client who got reimbursed.
What a therapy practice VA costs
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports median pay of $45,930 a year for medical secretaries and administrative assistants (May 2025), about $3,828 a month before payroll taxes, benefits and paid time off.
A full-time VA is a meaningful commitment. It makes sense when your inquiries, scheduling and billing already take most of a week, or when you are about to add clinicians. If your caseload is lighter, Assist World also offers a part-time VA at $1,200 a month. If you see only a handful of clients, a billing tool and a clear intake process may be enough until the practice grows.
Ways to get admin help in a therapy practice
Here is how the common options compare in general. This is not a rating of any vendor.
| Assist World VA | In-house admin | Therapy billing service | Freelance marketplace | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $1,800 to $2,500 a month full time ($1,200 part time), no lock-in contract | About $3,828 a month at the US median wage, before taxes and benefits | Varies; often a percentage of collections | Per project or hourly, set by each seller |
| Who vets the person | Assist World hand-picks; you meet at least two and choose | You recruit and interview | You judge the company | You read profiles and reviews yourself |
| Dedicated to your practice | Yes, one person who learns your workflow | Yes | Usually serves many practices | Usually serves many clients |
| Scope | Intake, scheduling, benefits, superbills and claim prep | Everything in the building | Billing and claims | As scoped |
| Works in SimplePractice | Yes, matched to your platform | Yes | Varies | Varies |
General comparison of common models, not a rating of any company. Wage figure from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025; Assist World pricing from our rate card.
Tell us the role
Share the work you want off your plate, the software you use and your hours.
We hand-pick
We screen and match candidates to your role and industry, with first introductions typically in 24 to 48 hours.
You choose
Meet at least two matched candidates and pick the one you want.
Start working
Your VA joins your systems and your team, and an account manager checks in.
Frequently asked questions
What does a virtual assistant do for a therapist?
A virtual assistant for a therapist handles administration: answering inquiries, scheduling, sending intake forms, verifying insurance benefits, preparing superbills and claims, and following up on cancellations and unpaid balances. They do not do clinical work.
Can a VA work in SimplePractice?
Yes. Tell us which platform you use and we match candidates who already work in it. A VA works inside the account permissions you set.
What is a superbill?
A superbill is a detailed receipt a practice gives a client after the full fee is paid, usually monthly. The client submits it to their insurer for out-of-network reimbursement. It lists client and clinician details, dates of service, CPT and ICD-10 codes and the amount paid (SimplePractice).
Can a VA answer intake calls?
Yes, for logistics: sharing your fees and availability, collecting basic details and booking the consultation. A VA should not screen clinically or handle crisis calls, so write a clear protocol for those and have the VA route them to you or to the right resource.
Does a therapy VA need to be HIPAA trained?
Whether HIPAA applies depends on how your practice operates, which your compliance advisor can confirm. If it does, a business associate agreement is required for anyone handling client information, and Assist World can sign one when your practice needs it.
How much does a virtual assistant for a therapist cost?
Assist World virtual assistants run $1,800 to $2,500 a month for a full-time VA, depending on experience and location, with no lock-in contract. A part-time VA is $1,200 a month. The pricing page gives an instant quote.
Is a full-time VA worth it for a solo practice?
It depends on your volume. If inquiries, scheduling and billing already take a large share of your week, or you plan to add clinicians, it usually pays off. For a lighter caseload, a part-time VA at $1,200 a month is the better fit, and a full-time VA may be more than you need.
How does Assist World choose a VA for a therapy practice?
We match candidates by role and industry, so someone familiar with therapy practice workflows is introduced to you. You meet at least two matched candidates and choose who you work with.
Keep reading
Spend your hours with clients, not in your inbox.
Tell us your platform and your workload, and meet at least two hand-picked candidates, typically within 24 to 48 hours. No lock-in contract.
Free ConsultationHow we checked. Wage data comes from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (medical secretaries and administrative assistants, May 2025). The superbill definition comes from SimplePractice, opened in October 2026. Assist World pricing is from our own rate card. Monthly figures are our own arithmetic.
Not legal or compliance advice. Ask your compliance advisor whether HIPAA applies to your practice.
Disclosure. Assist World is our company, so we list it as the option.