When you work with families, you often need to track individual sessions, documents, and resources for each person while keeping everything connected through one shared email address. Practice Better's family records feature handles this seamlessly, allowing you to create linked profiles that the primary account holder can access from a single Client Portal login. This feature is available on all Practice Better subscription plans.
Family records let you organize multiple client profiles — such as children or spouses — under a single login, making it easier to manage families you serve within your practice.
In this article:
- Understanding Family Record Terminology
- Identifying Family Records in Your Client List
- Adding a Family Record to an Existing Client
- Linking an Existing Client to a Primary Record
- Switching the Primary Record
- Unlinking Family Records
- How Family Records Handle Data and Privacy
- Booking Sessions for Sub-Records
- Billing and Payments for Family Records
- Sharing Documents with Family Records
- Managing Forms for Family Members
- Switching Between Records in the Client Portal
- Merging Client Records
- Managing Email Address Changes
- Frequently Asked Questions
Understanding Family Record Terminology
Before setting up family accounts, it helps to understand how these records work together:
Family records refer to a group of client records linked by one common email address.
Primary record is the main client record that owns the shared email address and serves as the primary communication point for the entire family.
Sub-record (also called a child record) is any additional client record — such as a child or spouse — associated with the primary record.
📍 Note: Each sub-record counts toward your client limit for subscription purposes, just like any individual client record.
Identifying Family Records in Your Client List
Once you've set up family records, you'll want to know how to spot them and navigate between family members within your practice.
Recognizing Sub-Records in My Clients
In your My Clients list, family members appear alphabetically according to your portal settings — they won't be grouped together automatically. To identify which clients are part of a family record, look for the family icon next to their name. This icon indicates the client is a sub-record linked to a primary account.
Viewing All Family Members from a Client Record
When you open a client's record who is part of a family, you can quickly see and access other family members from the same view.
- Open the client record for any family member.
- Look at the left side of the Recent Activity page — you'll see profile thumbnails for other clients in the family grouped together.
- Click on any family member's thumbnail to switch to their record.
💡 Tip: If you don't see the family member thumbnails on the left side of the Recent Activity page, try zooming out your browser window and refreshing the page. This view requires enough screen width to display properly.
This grouped view makes it easy to move between family members during a session or when reviewing records, without needing to navigate back to your full client list each time.
Adding a Family Record to an Existing Client
Let's say you've set up a client record for Mary Smith. Mary is a mother of two children, Steven and Susan, who you also see as part of your practice. You'll want to create separate records for each child so you can track their individual profiles and resources independently.
To set up a family client record:
- Go to My Clients to view all.
- Click the More Options menu (3 dots) beside the existing client (e.g., Mary Smith).
- Select Add a family record.
- Complete the form for the sub-record (e.g., Steven Smith). The email field is pre-filled and read-only since it inherits from the primary.
- Click Add to create the new family record.
📍 Note: A primary client record needs to be created and saved first before you can add family members to it. You cannot set up family records during the initial client intake process.
When Clients Create Their Own Family Records
Clients can also create family records themselves when booking through your public Bookings Page. When they select I'm booking for a family member during the booking process, Practice Better automatically creates the new sub-record and links it to their primary account. This is a convenient option when family members need appointments but haven't been added to your system yet.
Linking an Existing Client to a Primary Record
If you've already created a client record — for example, Steven — with a secondary email and now want to connect it to a family account:
- Go to My Clients to view all.
- Click the More Options menu (3 dots) beside the sub-record.
- Select Link to primary.
- Choose the primary client (e.g., Mary Smith) in the pop-up.
- Click Confirm.
Steven will now appear as a sub-record, indicated by the family icon beside his name.
💡 Tip: Practice Better won't allow two clients to be saved with the same email address unless they are part of a family record. If you need to link clients who currently have different email addresses, you'll use this linking feature to connect them properly.
Switching the Primary Record
You can promote a sub-record to become the new primary account holder whenever needed.
- Go to My Clients to view all.
- Locate the sub-record and click the More Options menu (3 dots).
- Select Make primary.
The selected record will now own the shared email address and serve as the main communication point for the family.
✅ Good to know: Session notes and history are specific to each individual client record. Switching which record is primary doesn't affect anyone's client data — it simply changes who "owns" the shared email address and serves as the main contact.
Unlinking Family Records
When a sub-record — such as a spouse or a child who has turned 18 — needs their own separate login credentials and Client Portal access:
- Go to My Clients to view all.
- Locate the sub-record and click the More Options menu (3 dots).
- Select Unlink record.
- Enter a new email address for the unlinked client.
- Invite the client to Practice Better so they can activate the Client Portal and log in with their new credentials.
📍 Note: When you unlink a sub-record, the client will need to create a new password and activate their own Client Portal. All their existing session notes, forms, documents, and resources will be retained — only their login access changes.
When to Consider Unlinking Records
Unlinking is the right choice when a family member needs privacy and independent communications. For example, if an older teen wants their own separate communications for HIPAA/privacy reasons, keeping them in a family record isn't ideal. Unlinking allows them to have their own Client Portal with private access to their information.
How Family Records Handle Data and Privacy
Understanding how information flows within family records helps you set appropriate expectations with your clients.
What the Primary Client Can Access
The primary client has visibility into all documents shared with themselves and their sub-records through the Client Portal. This makes it easy for parents to view resources for their children, but it also means there's no way to hide certain sub-records' information from the primary's view.
What Stays Separate
Even though family members share a login, each client record maintains its own separate data:
- Session history and clinical notes remain specific to each individual
- Forms can be assigned to specific clients and sub-records independently
- Tags, programs, and protocols can be assigned differently to each family member
- Payment methods can be set up individually for sub-records if needed
Communication Considerations
All messages and communications go to the shared email address — you cannot send messages to a specific sub-record separately. You can add a secondary contact in the Basic Information section of the primary record. Appointment reminders, telehealth links, and other notifications for any family member will be sent to both the secondary contact’s and the primary's email.
If family members need private communications, consider unlinking their records.
Booking Sessions for Sub-Records
Practice Better offers several ways to book sessions for family members, depending on how you and your clients prefer to work.
Booking from the Public Bookings Page
When a primary client books from your public Bookings Page:
- The primary client begins the booking process as usual.
- On the Contact Information step, they check I'm booking for a family member.
- Enter the sub-record's First Name and Last Name in the new fields that appear.
Family Record Dependency
Depending on existing records, Practice Better handles the setup automatically:
- If neither client record exists yet, both the primary and sub-record will be created.
- If the primary already exists, only the sub-record is created.
- If the name matches an existing primary record, a new sub-record will be created for the person booking.
Booking from the Client Portal
The primary client can switch to a child's profile and request a session directly from their Client Portal. See the section below on switching between profiles.
Using the Invite to Book Option
Primary clients without Client Portal access can still request sessions for sub-records from your public Bookings Page — as long as you've sent the child an invitation to book. The invitation will be emailed to the primary client since they share the same email address, but the appointment request will automatically link to the correct child record once submitted.
Learn more about sending invitations to book sessions →
Booking Group Sessions for Multiple Family Members
If you conduct group sessions with multiple family members present, each family member can be registered in the same group session. This logs the session to each of their individual records. For family therapy sessions where multiple linked records are present, how you document the session is up to your professional judgment and practice protocols.
Billing and Payments for Family Records
Family record billing is flexible and can be tailored to your agreements with each family.
You can invoice the primary client for all family members' sessions, or invoice individual family members separately — whichever arrangement works best for your practice. If a sub-record has their own payment method on file, charges can go to their card instead of the primary's.
📍 Note: Family packages or bundle pricing that automatically applies across multiple sub-records isn't currently available. Each service or package needs to be purchased individually.
Sharing Documents with Family Records
When sharing documents through My Documents, keep these access rules in mind:
- Documents shared through My Documents are only accessible to clients who have activated their account.
- The primary client has access to all documents shared with themselves and their sub-records, making it easy for parents to view resources for their children.
- Access is managed entirely through the Client Portal.
Learn more about sharing documents between practitioners and clients →
Managing Forms for Family Members
Each sub-record can receive their own forms, just like any other client in your practice. When you send forms to specific family members, those forms are housed in that client's individual record — making it clear which family member each form belongs to.
Family members can complete their own forms by switching to their profile within the shared Client Portal login. For example, a teenage client can switch to their profile and fill out their own intake forms, even though they're accessing the portal through the family's shared credentials.
Whether consent forms need to be signed separately for each sub-record depends on your practice requirements and professional guidelines.
Switching Between Records in the Client Portal
Primary clients can easily move between family member profiles to manage forms, view resources, or complete intake paperwork for different individuals.
- In the top right corner of the toolbar, click or tap on the profile image.
- Click Switch Profile.
- Choose the desired sub-record (e.g., Susan Smith) from the list.
You can now view and manage forms and resources for that specific family member's profile.
📍 Note: All clients in a family record share the same login credentials. There's no way to give a sub-record (like a spouse or older teen) their own separate login while keeping them linked to the family. If someone needs their own credentials, you'll need to unlink their record.
Merging Client Records
If you accidentally created two separate client records before realizing they belong to the same family, you can merge them — but there's an important step to know:
To merge client records, neither record can currently be part of a family record. If either client is associated with a family record, you'll need to unlink them first.
Once both records are independent, you can merge them together. After merging, you can link the combined record back to the family if desired.
Learn more about merging clients →
Managing Email Address Changes
If the primary client updates their email address, this becomes the new login email for all members in the family record. Make sure to communicate this change to family members who access the Client Portal so they know to use the updated credentials.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can divorced parents both have primary access to a child's record if they have different email addresses?
A: No — family records require a shared email address and login. Both parents would need to share one login, with one designated as the primary, to access the child's record through the same Client Portal. If each parent needs separate access, you would need to maintain the child as a separate client in each parent's family record or as an individual record.
Q: How do I handle a situation where a child turns 18 and needs their own independent account?
A: You can unlink them from the family record as long as they have their own email address. Their session history, forms, and documents will stay with their record — they'll just need to activate their own Client Portal access with new login credentials.
Q: Can I view a consolidated family history showing all appointments across family members?
A: Currently, there isn't a consolidated family timeline view. Each family member's history is maintained in their individual record, and you would view them separately.
✅ All set! Family records help you serve families efficiently while maintaining organized, individual profiles for each person you work with. If you have questions about setting up or managing family records, our support team is here to help.