Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to our FAQ. Here you can find the most commonly asked questions. If you are unable to find your answer, please contact us.
General
What does CounSol mean?
CounSol is short for Counseling Solutions.
Do I need my own website to use CounSol.com?
Is CounSol.com safe and secure?
Yes. We have designed our state of the art service to protect the privacy of all counselors and clients.
We have implemented all the required components to make this site HIPAA compliant.
Our number one priority is making sure our counselors’ information is safe and secure.
- Servers housed in Tier-IV data center with SSAE16, HITRUST, ISO 27001 & PCI 2.0 compliance
- PCI (Payment Card Industry) standards applied to our internal systems and software
- All traffic is required to use SSL (Secure Socket Layer) with 256-bit encryption
- Unique login for all users
- Logging of all user activity
- 256-bit encryption of all sensitive data
- No sensitive information is sent via email, only notifications to login will be sent
- Data backed up hourly using 256-bit encryption
Does CounSol.com have access to my clients’ records?
No. Only you and/or your client(s) have access to this information.
We utilize a high level of encryption that ensures the safety and security of your records.
How does CounSol.com reduce no-shows?
No-shows not only waste your time, they also cost you money. One great feature about
CounSol.com is our appointment reminder system which is designed to reduce your no-shows.
You can have appointment reminders automatically sent out to your clients 24 hours before appointment
via email, text message, and phone call. With appointment reminders there is no excuse for a client to be a no-show.
Can I see clients who reside outside the state I am licensed in?
This depends on your profession and type of license. In general, mental health counselors may
only see clients who reside in the state(s) for which they are licensed. We recommend you review
your state's license requirements, as this may not apply to all counseling professions.
Please contact us regarding your case if you need further assistance.
Does CounSol.com offer services outside USA and Canada?
No. At this time our practice management service is only available to US and Canadian professionals.
What happens to notes and records if my membership is cancelled?
We recommend exporting any records prior to the request for cancellation.
Client records are easily exported using the export feature. Members must notify CounSol.com of
completed export and request account to be canceled.
* For members who wish to cancel their account but do not wish to export their records,
CounSol.com offers a secure data storage and maintenance plan for only $4.95 per month.
Note: Data Ownership - Member (Covered Entity) is the owner of the
PHI and must determine how they wish to store their data.
Does CounSol.com offer support services?
We value all of our clients and take great pride in offering outstanding customer service.
We have found that we can offer the highest level of customer service by having one account
manager assigned to your account. Your account manager will be there to assist you from the very
start and will continue to be your main contact at CounSol.com. We offer online chat support,
but we strongly believe in creating open communication with you by email and phone.
Does CounSol.com solicit feedback and suggestions?
Yes. CounSol.com is always looking to add new features and improve our service, and your
feedback is critical to this task. We know our clients are the only ones who truly know what
is needed for their practices, and we do our best to meet those needs by implementing
improvements suggested by our members as often as possible.
Will using CounSol.com increase client bookings?
Every counselor and practice is different, but the vast majority of our counselors have reported
an increase in clients scheduled due to the ease and accessibility of clients
being able to schedule sessions online.
Does CounSol.com have a referral program?
Yes. We value all of our counselors and understand that referrals are an integral part of any
business. For more information on our counselor referral program please contact our sales and marketing department.
Sign Up
Is there a setup fee?
No. Initial setup and ongoing assistance from your personal account manager are
included with your membership.
Is there a minimum contract term for CounSol.com?
No. We are very confident that you will find our services and features beneficial to your
practice’s success. Your payments are month to month and you may cancel at anytime.
Why does CounSol.com verify my license?
To protect clients and counselors, we verify each counselor’s license prior to the
account being activated. If you plan to use CounSol.com for a profession that does not require a
state license, please contact us to arrange an exemption.
How long does it take for CounSol.com to verify the counselor license for approval after sign-up?
During normal business hours (Monday through Friday 9AM-5PM EST), we are typically able
to verify the counselor license within the same day.
Does CounSol.com have a Business Associate Agreement (BAA)?
Yes. We have our own Business Associate Agreement (BAA) that will be signed by both the member and CounSol.com.
Features
Can I use CounSol.com to manage all my clients, including those I see in my office?
Yes. We have designed our site for complete practice management. You can keep records for
all clients you see online, over the phone, and in your office.
Can I import my existing client list into CounSol.com?
Yes. We'll help you create an import template, then just copy and paste your clients’ names and information
to the template. Upload the template file with one click of a button, and all your clients
will be entered into the system and ready for booking.
Can I upload existing files and documents to my electronic records?
Yes. Existing documents can be uploaded and saved to each client’s profile.
Will CounSol.com allow me to create my own forms?
Yes. You will be able to create as many forms as needed for you and your clients.
Along with forms for the client, you will also be able to create any internal
forms and save client notes.
Is there a monthly limit of hours or clients I can see via live online video conferencing?
No. The number of clients and video sessions you schedule per month is entirely up to you.
Can I use CounSol.com for scheduling if I have two or more office locations?
Yes. Our scheduling system is designed to handle multiple office locations.
You are able set availability based on your location throughout the week.
Does scheduling allow for group sessions?
Yes. Group session clients can view the calendar and join online for in-office and online chat sessions. We currently do not offer online video group sessions.
Does scheduling allow for different increment lengths of sessions?
Yes. The length of sessions varies according to practice and client, therefore you can set the length of sessions as appropriate.
Does CounSol.com offer services for group practices?
Yes. CounSol.com offers a Small Group Practice platform. One account will act as the primary,
and as many secondary accounts can be added (for a discounted rate) as necessary. Counselors
on the group platform can set permissions within the group to allow sharing of calendars,
forms, clients, as well billing and booking duties. For more information about group
pricing please view our
pricing page.
Can I process credit cards through CounSol.com?
Yes. We have partnered with third party payment processors, so you can easily accept credit card payments
through our system. Simply setup an account with one of the approved processors and enter
account credentials into CounSol.com. Credit/debit cards will be stored securely within payment
processors vault, which will allow members to charge clients cards for appointments and no shows.
Does CounSol.com offer Electronic Insurance Claim Submission?
Yes. We coordinate with a third party clearinghouse so you can submit your 837 EDI claims electronically
through our system. Simply setup an account with the clearinghouse and enter account credentials
into CounSol.com. Pre-populated information allows you to complete the 1500 form with ease.
You are able to easily create claims, submit claims, and view claim submission status all through CounSol.com.
Does CounSol.com charge a fee for insurance submissions?
No. Our only fees are your monthly membership fee and an optional fee for data storage service for closed accounts.
Our clearinghouse associate is essentially a free service. Their only exception is a charge for users who
file primarily with governmental or "non-participating" payers (i.e. Medicare, Medicaid/Medi-Cal, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of some states).
If more than 50% of your monthly claim volume is made up of those payers (indicated by a "NP" in the
Type column of our Payer List), the clearinghouse service charges a flat fee of $44.95 per month.
Can I print my claims to CMS-1500 forms for offline claim submission?
Yes. You can complete the CMS-1500 form in our system and print it onto an OCR-scannable red ink paper form.
Can you create Superbills?
Yes, the required information can be pre-populated to create client superbills. Superbills can be printed on either counselor side or client portal.
Does CounSol.com offer Wiley Treatment Planners?
Yes. We have partnered with Wiley to incorporate their licensed Treatment Planners into our system.
Adding Wiley Planners is only an additional $20/Month Per Clinician.
Does CounSol.com offer e-Prescribing?
Yes. With just a few clicks, e-Prescriptions can be sent off to a
patient’s pharmacy. We give doctors access to useful drug-drug and drug-allergy
interactions that are automatically checked against a patient’s current medication and
allergy list. Potential interactions are identified by pop-up alerts describing the
problem and its potential seriousness. If a doctor wants to know more,
we have you covered-each alert is clickable and detailed information can be accessed here.
Pricing Per User: EPCS $70/Mo, NON-EPCS $60/Mo, AGENT $35/Mo.
Does CounSol.com offer user supervision options for group practices?
Yes. Our user supervision feature allows supervisors to view, comment on, and sign off on notes, forms, or other actions.
Technical
Is CounSol.com compatible with WordPress or other blogs?
Yes. CounSol is compatible with all websites, including blogs like WordPress.
We provide you with the HTML code (link) and you simply paste the HTML code (link) on your website.
Is it difficult to configure the counselor account?
No. The majority of our counselors are able to set everything up without difficulty, and our
personal account managers are available to help as soon as any question arises. Our
goal is the make the setup as stress-free as possible. We are here to help.
Can I use CounSol.com on my smart phone/tablet?
All CounSol.com features are available to use on smartphones
and tablets.
Is CounSol.com compatible with dictation software?
Yes. We currently have members who are using Dragon Dictation software with our service.
As long as your dictation software is designed to work with standard (HTML) websites, it should work with our service.
What internet connection is recommended for live online video conferencing?
Cable, DSL or Fiber with minimum download speed of 2Mbps, minimum upload speed of 512Kbps and less than 120 milliseconds
of latency. If the minimum requirements are not met, then you may experience poor quality or the
inability to conduct video sessions.
Does CounSol.com require a specific webcam?
No. We do not require you to use any specific brand or model. If your computer or
laptop does not have one built in, we recommend you look at webcams from Logitech, Creative Labs, and Microsoft.
Do my clients need to download software to do live online video counseling with me?
No. Your clients only need the latest browser version, webcam, microphone, and high speed internet connection.
Your question not answered here? Please contact us and we would be glad to answer it for you.
