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Referral-partner letters and one-pagers
Some professionals hand off rather than treat: evaluating psychologists, psychiatric prescribers, and family-law attorneys constantly need someone to send people to. A few well-run relationships with them can be worth more than any directory listing.
Choosing the approach
| Volume mail-out | Named-account relationships | |
|---|---|---|
| Good for | Large, less clinical audiences (e.g. 30+ family-law firms) | Small, sophisticated clinical audiences (e.g. 8 adult ADHD evaluators) |
| Format | Templated letter and one-pager, one batch | Personalized letter and one-pager, then email, then call |
| Hit rate | Low; accepted | Higher; each one matters |
| Watch out for | Online contact forms: many firms have one, so adapt the letter to fit | Clinical peers vet credibility. Your letter must reflect real training and experience in what you're claiming. |
The three-touch sequence (named accounts)
- Letter and one-pager by mail, which stands out among clinicians buried in email.
- Follow-up email 10 to 14 days later: "I sent a letter recently. I'd welcome a 15-minute call."
- Phone call offering a brief intro call or coffee.
Log each touch in your referral tracker, including referrals in both directions.
Letter template: clinical referral partner
Print on letterhead, one per recipient. [personalization] is one true, specific line about them; if you don't have one, delete it.
Dear Dr. [Last Name],
I'm [Your Name], a [Washington / Rhode Island] [credential] in private practice in [City], writing to introduce myself as a therapy referral resource for the [adults you evaluate / patients you treat]. [personalization]
[Two or three sentences describing the specific situation after their work where yours begins, written from their client's point of view. Example for evaluators: "When an evaluation confirms ADHD or autism in an adult, the work that follows is often as much about meaning as management: making sense of a history that suddenly reads differently, rebuilding self-trust, and renegotiating the relationships the diagnosis touches."] That's where I focus. [What you provide, concretely.]
I also know a good referral relationship runs both ways. [When your clients need what they offer.] I'd value having someone I trust to send them to.
A few things that make referrals easy: I'm private pay, so I can usually see someone within [timeframe] without insurance delays; I work [via telehealth across Washington / Rhode Island, or in person in City]; and with the client's written consent, I'm glad to coordinate with you.
I've enclosed a one-page summary of who I work with and how referrals work. If it's useful, I'd welcome a brief call to introduce myself and to hear what you look for in a therapist before you send someone. More at [website].
Thank you for your time. I hope we can be useful to each other's clients.
Sincerely, [Your Name, credentials]
One-pager template
One page on letterhead, enclosed with the letter. A busy clinician reads it in 20 seconds and keeps it after the letter is recycled.
[Your Name, credentials]: [one-line description]
[Washington / Rhode Island] [credential] · [years] in practice · [City] · [telehealth statewide / in person] [website] · [email] · License # [number]
Why I make referring easy
- Fast access: private pay, no insurance gating; usually a first session within [timeframe]
- [Telehealth across WA / RI, or convenient location]
- I close the loop: with written consent, I coordinate with you and keep you in the picture
- Superbills on request for clients using out-of-network benefits
Who I'm a good referral for
[Population] who need ongoing therapy for: - [Focus 1]: [short, concrete description] - [Focus 2]: [short description] - [Focus 3]: [short description]
Who I'm not the right fit for
[e.g. Children/adolescents · acute crisis needing a higher level of care · medication management]. I'll say so quickly rather than hold a poor-fit referral.
The two-way street
I also refer out. When a client of mine needs [their service], I'd value sending them to someone I trust.
Fee
$[fee] / [length]-minute session · private pay · superbill provided
To refer or talk
Email [email] or call [phone]. Happy to do a brief intro call first.
Adapting for attorneys
- Lead with what their client is going through rather than your clinical framework.
- Don't imply you'll take sides or provide evaluations for litigation unless you actually do that work (and know the rules around it).
- For firms with only an online contact form, write a four-to-six-sentence version, colleague to colleague, with no address block or salutation.
- Research the firms first (name, partners, whether they do family law, mailing address, contact-form URL). That list is most of the work.
Producing the letters
Use a word-processor mail merge, or generate one PDF per recipient from a single document. Print the letter and one-pager together and address the envelope to the named person, not "Office Manager."