VeloCMS is a practice-website and clinical-education platform for therapists, clinical psychologists, LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCs, psychiatric NPs, and EMDR, somatic, CBT, and DBT practitioners who want longform clinical-education essays (modality explainers, approach comparisons, trauma-informed care guides), fit-screening intake forms (insurance tier, preferred modality, general goal area, urgency, state and zip — no PHI), HIPAA-conscious consultation framing with crisis disclaimer auto-insert, compliance-friendly anonymized testimonials, and BYOK Stripe paid peer supervision CE tiers for fellow clinicians — without SimplePractice, Psychology Today directory, Calendly, Mailchimp, and Squarespace fragmented stack.
Build a clinical-practice site that screens patient fit before intake.
Memo Garamond academic theme, longform clinical-education essays, HIPAA-conscious fit-screening intake with crisis disclaimer, and BYOK Stripe peer supervision CE tiers — on your domain, where the client who researches EMDR finds your practice, not a Psychology Today directory tile.
Why therapy practices with deep clinical expertise remain invisible online
Psychology Today directory, SimplePractice, Calendly, Mailchimp, Squarespace — five platforms, five logins, five monthly fees, and prospective clients who research your modality specialization still find a directory tile instead of your published clinical thinking.
Psychology Today directory charges $29.95/mo per therapist for a commoditized listing that algorithm-ranks you alongside 50 competing practices in your zip code
Psychology Today's directory is the de facto first stop for therapy seekers — and every therapist in your city pays the same $29.95/mo for a nearly identical listing box. Your specialization in EMDR for complex PTSD, your DBT group for adolescent self-harm, your somatic therapy practice for chronic-pain clients — all of it compressed into a 160-character bio and a headshot. The client doing research on "EMDR versus somatic therapy for dissociation" or "DBT versus CBT for borderline personality disorder" lands on Psychology Today's generic search results page, not your 2,000-word clinical explainer that demonstrates your actual depth of clinical thinking. When 50 therapists in your area all look equally qualified from the same directory tile, clinical fit never gets a chance to show itself before the phone call.
SimplePractice and TherapyNotes are practice-management systems, not content platforms — your clinical education writing lives nowhere it builds domain authority
SimplePractice ($29-99/mo) handles scheduling, billing, and telehealth. TherapyNotes ($25-59/mo) handles notes, claims, and client records. Neither was built for the longform clinical-education writing that actually differentiates your practice for a prospective client doing research before their first call: a 1,800-word explainer on what EMDR actually does in a trauma-processing session, a comparison of CBT versus DBT skill-building approaches for anxiety disorders, a somatic therapy overview for clients who have tried talk therapy without resolution. This content belongs on your domain, indexed by search engines and cited by AI assistants — not in a Squarespace blog widget bolted onto a $22/mo generic website template, and not nowhere at all because you never had time to set up a separate content platform.
Generic inquiry forms create HIPAA-adjacent risk and pre-disclosure liability — prospective clients overshare diagnoses and trauma history in free-text fields designed for restaurants
Squarespace, Wix, and generic website builders ship inquiry forms designed for restaurants and retail. When a prospective therapy client encounters a free-text "Tell me about yourself" field, they frequently include their diagnosis, medication history, prior hospitalizations, trauma events, or insurance details — none of which you should be receiving through a platform that is not a HIPAA-covered entity and does not maintain a BAA. The clinical-practice intake problem is not that forms are hard to build — it is that generic form tools create an implicit invitation to overshare, and then you receive PHI through a channel that does not meet HIPAA security standards. VeloCMS fit-screening forms are explicitly designed to prevent this: structured select fields only, no free-text that invites clinical detail, and a visible crisis disclaimer before the submit button.
What a therapist-first publishing platform gives your practice
Clinical-education essays, fit-screening intake forms, HIPAA-conscious consultation framing, Memo Garamond, and BYOK Stripe peer supervision CE tiers — one platform, one owned presence, zero fragmented SaaS stack.
Longform clinical-education essays — CBT vs DBT comparisons, EMDR explainers, somatic therapy overviews, trauma-informed care guides — builds domain authority for prospect research queries
The content that builds domain authority for your practice is exactly what prospective clients research before they call a therapist: "what is EMDR and does it work for PTSD," "CBT versus DBT for anxiety — which is better for me," "what is somatic therapy and how is it different from talk therapy," "trauma-informed care versus traditional CBT for complex trauma." These are not generic wellness blog topics — they are the precise search queries prospective clients type when they first begin researching therapy. VeloCMS gives you the publishing infrastructure to put your clinical expertise on your domain — indexed by search engines, cited by AI assistants — without building a separate content platform or publishing on Psychology Today's blog, which builds their domain authority rather than yours.
Fit-screening intake form — insurance tier, preferred modality, general goal area, urgency, state/zip for licensure — NO PHI, NO diagnosis, NO trauma history at intake
This is the most important compliance note on this page: VeloCMS intake forms are explicitly designed to collect NO protected health information before a therapeutic relationship is established. The form captures: full name, email address, preferred contact method, insurance tier (select: self-pay / in-network / out-of-network / EAP — not the insurer name), preferred modality (select: CBT / DBT / EMDR / somatic / integrative / no preference), general goal area (select: anxiety / depression / relationship / trauma / addiction / life transitions / other — no specific events or history), urgency tier (select: flexible / within 2 weeks / urgent — not seeking emergency care), and state plus zip code for licensure jurisdiction verification. No free-text field where a prospective client can include a diagnosis, medication list, or trauma history. The crisis disclaimer appears above the submit button on every form: "If you are in immediate crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). This form is for non-emergency consultation requests only."
HIPAA-conscious consultation framing and scope disclaimer auto-insert — no therapeutic relationship established by form submission, no PHI in transmission path
VeloCMS consultation forms use structured select fields only — no free-text that invites clinical oversharing. Every form page auto-inserts the scope disclaimer before the submit button: "Submitting this form does not establish a therapeutic relationship. Your responses are used for scheduling fit assessment only and are not part of a clinical record. For clinical intake, you will receive a secure intake link through our HIPAA-compliant clinical system after scheduling is confirmed." The platform does not act as a HIPAA-covered entity and does not store protected health information — it is the public-facing website layer only. Clinical intake, records, and telehealth happen through your existing EHR or telehealth platform (SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, Doxy.me, etc.). The ultimate HIPAA compliance review remains your responsibility; VeloCMS provides the structural safeguards to prevent accidental PHI collection at the website layer.
Memo Garamond theme included free — academic-credentialed aesthetic with EB Garamond serif, clinical essay depth, and a reading experience that communicates therapeutic expertise
Memo Garamond was designed for practitioners who publish at depth: academic researchers, financial advisors, physicians, attorneys, accountants — and now therapists. EB Garamond serif body copy, a citation-friendly reading column that holds width on tablet, generous leading for long-form clinical-education prose, and a clean masthead that communicates institutional credibility before a prospective client reaches your first paragraph. The academic serif aesthetic signals depth of clinical training and evidence-based practice in a way that a stock Squarespace wellness template never can. Alternatives: Serif for therapists whose primary content is longform narrative clinical writing, Studio Newsroom for practices running a high-frequency mental-health education blog or podcast companion content.
BYOK Stripe paid peer clinical supervision or CE group tier — peer-to-peer clinical education for fellow clinicians, 0% platform fee, NOT a referral channel
This is NOT a channel for soliciting therapy clients — it is a peer-to-peer educational tier for fellow licensed clinicians. Continuing education requirements vary by state licensure board; LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCs, psychologists, and psychiatric NPs can earn CE credits through approved educational formats. A paid peer supervision group for fellow clinicians on complex trauma case conceptualization, EMDR consultation for EMDRIA certification, DBT consultation team format for ACT practitioners, or somatic therapy consultation for clinicians integrating body-based approaches is a legitimate educational offering — positioned explicitly as peer clinical education, not therapy services for clients. VeloCMS takes 0% platform fee on these tiers; only Stripe standard 2.9% plus $0.30 applies. Check your state licensure board for CE accreditation requirements if you intend to offer accredited hours.
Features built for therapists, clinical psychologists, and licensed counselors
Clinical-education essay archive, HIPAA-conscious fit-screening intake, scope-disclaimer auto-insert, state-licensure hints, peer supervision CE tiers, and crisis-disclaimer rendering — without the Psychology Today directory invoice or the SimplePractice website add-on upsell.
Clinical-education essay archive — modality explainers, approach comparisons, evidence-base overviews
Publish the clinical-education content that builds long-tail search authority for your practice. Prospects searching "EMDR for complex PTSD — how does it work" or "DBT versus CBT for borderline personality disorder" find your practice first. Support for pull-quote callouts and research citation footnotes for evidence-based practice grounding.
Fit-screening intake form — insurance tier, modality preference, goal area, urgency, state/zip
Structured select fields only — no free-text where prospective clients overshare PHI. Insurance tier (self-pay/in-network/OON/EAP), preferred modality, general goal area, urgency tier, and state/zip for licensure check. Crisis disclaimer auto-inserted above submit button on every form rendering.
Scope-disclaimer auto-insert — no therapeutic relationship established by form submission
Scope disclaimer and PHI-prevention language appended automatically to every consultation form page. "Submitting this form does not establish a therapeutic relationship." Configure once in Admin then Settings, applies consistently across all intake form pages without manual copy-pasting.
State-licensure hints — jurisdiction display from state/zip field for out-of-state inquiry filtering
When a prospective client enters their state and zip code, the form can display your licensure jurisdictions for a quick fit check before they submit — reducing out-of-state inquiries that cannot be served due to licensure restrictions. Configurable per your licensed states in Admin then Settings then Intake.
BYOK Stripe peer supervision CE tier — clinician continuing education, 0% platform fee
Gate peer clinical supervision content behind a paid tier: EMDR consultation groups, DBT consultation team sessions, complex trauma case consultation, somatic therapy peer supervision. Positioned as peer CE for fellow clinicians — not therapy services for clients. 0% platform fee, 100% Stripe-direct.
HIPAA-conscious form rendering — no free-text PHI fields, structured selects, crisis disclaimer
Every VeloCMS intake form prevents accidental PHI collection by design: structured select fields replace free-text, modality and goal area options are pre-defined (no open description fields), and the crisis disclaimer with 988 number is non-removable and renders before the submit action on every form page.
From Psychology Today directory to owned practice website in five steps
No developer, no Zapier glue, no migration wizard. Your newsletter subscribers, clinical-education essays, fit-screening intake form, Memo Garamond, and peer supervision CE tier — on your domain.
Export your Psychology Today or TherapyDen contact list and newsletter subscriber list
From Psychology Today: your directory listing does not export a client contact list — but your practice newsletter subscribers on Mailchimp or Constant-Contact do. From Mailchimp: Audience then Export Audience then CSV. From Constant-Contact: Contacts then Export All then CSV. From SimplePractice: practice-management contact data stays in SimplePractice (client records are PHI and should not be moved to a website platform). Your VeloCMS site becomes the permanent owned content destination for your clinical education writing and public-facing consultation presence — not a rented directory tile that resets when you stop paying Psychology Today's monthly subscription.
Upload your clinical-education essay archive with auto-scope disclaimer footer
In Admin then Posts, create or import your clinical-education archive: EMDR explainers with references to Shapiro's original protocol research, CBT versus DBT comparisons with evidence-base citations from Beck and Linehan, somatic therapy overviews explaining polyvagal theory foundations, trauma-informed care guides for prospective clients considering therapy for complex trauma. In Admin then Settings then Content Policy, configure your auto-scope disclaimer footer: "This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute mental-health advice, establish a therapeutic relationship, or substitute for consultation with a licensed mental-health professional in your jurisdiction." This footer appends to every post automatically — you write once, it applies consistently.
Configure fit-screening intake form with insurance tier, modality preference, and goal area — plus crisis disclaimer
In Admin then Settings then Intake Form, configure your consultation form: full name (text), email (email), preferred contact method (select: email / phone call / text), insurance tier (select: self-pay / in-network / out-of-network / EAP — NOT the insurer name), preferred modality (select: CBT / DBT / EMDR / somatic / integrative / no preference), general goal area (select: anxiety / depression / relationship / trauma / addiction / life transitions / other — no specific event or history fields), urgency tier (select: flexible schedule / within 2 weeks / this week if possible / urgent — not seeking emergency care), state (select), and zip code. The crisis disclaimer, "If you are in immediate crisis, call or text 988. This form is for non-emergency consultation requests only," renders above the submit button and cannot be removed. The form intentionally cannot collect a diagnosis, medication list, trauma event description, or any other PHI — that intake happens through your HIPAA-compliant clinical system after scheduling is confirmed.
Activate Memo Garamond and configure compliance-friendly testimonial archive
In Admin then Themes, click Memo Garamond then Apply. Instantly: EB Garamond serif body copy, a reading column calibrated for clinical-essay depth, and a credentialed-professional typographic hierarchy that communicates training and expertise before a prospective client reads your first paragraph. Then, for testimonials: in Admin then Posts then New Post, use the Testimonial post type with anonymization options (first name only or initials), configurable disclosure field for your jurisdiction's required language, and auto-inserted disclaimer: "Individual results vary. Therapy outcomes depend on the client's circumstances, consistency of attendance, and therapeutic fit." State ethics board rules on testimonials vary significantly — review your licensing board's advertising and testimonial guidance before publishing.
Migrate Mailchimp newsletter to VeloCMS members and set up peer supervision CE tier (where licensure permits)
From Mailchimp or Constant-Contact: export subscribers to CSV, then import in Admin then Members then Import. Your next clinical-education newsletter or mental-health-awareness post triggers a send to imported subscribers from your own domain. Then, if you are offering peer clinical supervision for fellow clinicians: in Admin then Settings then Membership, connect your Stripe account via 60-second OAuth and create your first membership product — for example, "Monthly EMDR Consultation Group — $95/month." Position this explicitly as peer clinical supervision or continuing education for fellow licensed clinicians, not therapy services. Check your state licensure board for CE accreditation requirements if you want to offer credit hours.
VeloCMS vs SimplePractice+PT vs Squarespace+Stack vs Brighter Vision
| Feature | VeloCMS | SimplePractice + PT | Squarespace + Stack | Brighter Vision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom domain | Yes | Shared SimplePractice subdomain | Yes | Yes |
| Platform fee per consultation booking | 0% BYOK Stripe | $29-99/mo + per-claim fees | $14-23/mo + $30/mo Calendly + $13-25/mo Mailchimp | $49-59/mo |
| Longform clinical-education essay capability | Yes | No — practice management only | Yes, but generic | Limited — blog widget |
| HIPAA-conscious fit-screening intake (no PHI, structured fields) | Yes | Yes — clinical intake only, post-scheduling | No — free-text forms invite PHI | Limited |
| Crisis disclaimer auto-insert on every intake form | Yes | No | No | No |
| BYOK Stripe peer supervision CE tier (0% fee) | Yes | No | No | No |
| Cost per year (approximate) | $108-348 | $348-1,188 | $168-276 + $360 Calendly + $156-300 Mailchimp | $588-708 |
Start free. Upgrade when your practice grows.
Free covers 100 clinical-education essays, Memo Garamond theme, fit-screening intake form, and scope-disclaimer templates. Upgrade when you need a custom domain or BYOK Stripe peer supervision CE tiers.
Free
$0
- 100 clinical-education essays
- Memo Garamond theme
- Fit-screening intake form (insurance tier, modality, goal area)
- Scope-disclaimer and crisis-disclaimer templates
- velocms.org subdomain
Pro
$9/mo
- Everything in Free
- Custom domain
- BYOK Stripe peer supervision CE tier (0% fee)
- 1,000 clinical-education essays
- Member-only peer supervision content
- Subscriber newsletter (Resend BYOK)
Business
$29/mo
- Everything in Pro
- Team members (group practice support)
- Unlimited essays and posts
- Multi-clinician group practice blog
- Priority support
- Advanced analytics
Questions from therapists, clinical psychologists, and licensed counselors
Everything about HIPAA-conscious intake forms, migrating from Psychology Today and SimplePractice, testimonial compliance, peer supervision CE tiers, and the Memo Garamond theme for therapy practices.
Frequently asked questions
Does VeloCMS handle HIPAA compliance for therapy practice websites?
No — and this is a critical clarification. VeloCMS is a website and publishing platform, not a HIPAA-covered entity. It does not maintain a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) and should not be used to store, transmit, or process protected health information (PHI). VeloCMS is the public-facing website layer only: clinical-education content, consultation fit-screening forms (structured select fields, no PHI), and practice information. Clinical intake, scheduling, telehealth, and records happen through your existing HIPAA-compliant systems — SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, Doxy.me, or your EHR. VeloCMS fit-screening forms are designed by structure to prevent accidental PHI collection, but the ultimate HIPAA compliance review is your responsibility as the licensed clinician. When in doubt, consult your malpractice carrier or a healthcare attorney.
What fields are allowed on a VeloCMS fit-screening intake form?
The VeloCMS fit-screening intake form captures: full name, email address, preferred contact method (select), insurance tier (select: self-pay, in-network, out-of-network, EAP — not the insurer name), preferred modality (select: CBT, DBT, EMDR, somatic, integrative, no preference), general goal area (select: anxiety, depression, relationship, trauma, addiction, life transitions, other — no specific events or history), urgency tier (select: flexible, within 2 weeks, this week if possible, urgent — not seeking emergency care), and state plus zip code for licensure jurisdiction check. No free-text field, no diagnosis field, no medication field, no trauma description field, no insurance ID or member number field. The crisis disclaimer — call or text 988 if in immediate crisis — renders above the submit button on every form page and cannot be disabled.
Can I migrate my Psychology Today directory listing to VeloCMS?
Yes — and your content presence will be stronger for it. Psychology Today does not export a client contact list (their directory controls the leads), but your Mailchimp or Constant-Contact newsletter subscribers export to CSV and import directly into VeloCMS members. Your practice information, specialization descriptions, and any blog posts you've written can be republished on your own domain. The key difference: content you publish on Psychology Today's blog builds their domain authority. Content you publish on your VeloCMS site builds yours — indexed under your domain, cited by AI assistants answering questions in your clinical specialty, and permanently owned by you rather than rented.
Why is Memo Garamond the recommended theme for therapists?
Memo Garamond uses EB Garamond serif body typography — the same typeface family as academic journals, clinical textbooks, and professional publications. The theme communicates clinical depth and evidence-based practice through typographic credibility before a prospective client reads a word of your content. The citation-friendly reading column holds width on tablet for long-form clinical essays, the generous line height supports the reading pace of emotionally engaged prose (therapeutic topics often take more careful reading than business content), and the clean masthead signals professional standing rather than the wellness-influencer aesthetic of generic template sites. Alternatives: Serif for therapists whose primary content is longform narrative clinical writing with a more literary voice, Studio Newsroom for practices running a high-frequency mental-health education blog.
Are BYOK Stripe paid tiers positioned as therapy services?
No — explicitly not. The BYOK Stripe paid tier in VeloCMS for therapists is positioned as peer-to-peer clinical supervision or continuing education for fellow licensed clinicians, not as therapy services for clients. Examples: a monthly EMDR consultation group for clinicians pursuing EMDRIA certification, a DBT consultation team for clinicians in ACT or DBT training, a peer supervision group for somatic therapy practitioners, a complex-trauma case consultation peer group for LCSWs and LPCs. CE accreditation requirements vary by state licensure board; if you want to offer accredited credit hours, check your board's approved provider requirements. VeloCMS provides the publishing and payment infrastructure; CE compliance and licensure board requirements are your responsibility as the clinician offering the group.
Can I publish client testimonials on my therapy practice website?
This depends on your state licensing board and professional ethics code. Many state psychology, social work, and counseling boards restrict or prohibit client testimonials on the grounds that therapeutic relationships involve inherently unequal power dynamics that may compromise genuine voluntary consent. VeloCMS testimonial post templates include anonymization support (first name only or initials), configurable disclosure language for your jurisdiction, and auto-inserted disclaimer: 'Individual results vary. Therapy outcomes depend on the client's circumstances, consistency of attendance, and therapeutic fit.' Before publishing any testimonials, review your specific licensing board's rules — APA, NASW, AAMFT, ACA, and state boards each have distinct guidance. When in doubt, consult your malpractice carrier or a healthcare ethics attorney.
Does VeloCMS replace SimplePractice or TherapyNotes?
No — SimplePractice and TherapyNotes are HIPAA-compliant practice-management systems for scheduling, billing, clinical notes, telehealth, and insurance claims. VeloCMS is the public-facing content-marketing and consultation-screening layer: your practice website, clinical-education essay blog, fit-screening intake form (no PHI), services information, compliance-friendly testimonial archive (if permitted by your board), and clinician newsletter. The two are complementary. A prospective client finds your practice through a clinical-education essay indexed by search engines, reads your specialization description and clinical approach, submits a fit-screening inquiry through VeloCMS — then you follow up through SimplePractice or TherapyNotes to send the HIPAA-compliant intake paperwork and schedule the first session. The clinical relationship begins in your practice-management system, not on your public website.
Can I run Serif or Studio Newsroom instead of Memo Garamond?
Yes. Serif gives therapists whose primary content is longform narrative clinical writing — reflections on therapeutic approach, practitioner perspective essays, clinical theory explainers written in a more literary voice — a clean, high-density reading experience with drop-cap support and a wide reading column that makes sustained reading feel natural. Studio Newsroom is best for practices running a high-frequency mental-health education blog or a podcast companion content site — weekly or biweekly posts on anxiety management, depression research, relationship skill-building, or trauma recovery topics for a general audience. All three themes are free on all VeloCMS plans and can be switched at any time from Admin then Themes without losing any content.
Your practice deserves clinical depth. Start free with Memo Garamond.
Start free. No credit card required. Memo Garamond theme, clinical-education essay publishing, HIPAA-conscious fit-screening intake with crisis disclaimer, and scope-disclaimer templates included on every plan.
Start free with Memo Garamond →This site provides educational content. It does not establish a therapeutic relationship. Consult a licensed clinician in your jurisdiction. VeloCMS is a website and publishing platform; it is not a HIPAA-covered entity and does not store protected health information. If you are in immediate crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).