Online booking for counsellors and therapists
Let clients request an available counselling appointment without making a phone call. Set clear session lengths, prices and cancellation terms.
A 50-minute session event type, paid online, twenty-four hours’ notice, a ten-minute buffer for notes, and a cancellation policy of full refund outside forty-eight hours.
Three things that cost you clients#
- Having to make contact first. An email asking about availability is a step many people will not take. A calendar they can book from is not.
- The late cancellation. Nobody books therapy at two hours’ notice, so a cancelled Tuesday at 15:00 is simply gone.
- Enforcing your own policy. Charging a client who cancelled because they were unwell is a conversation no therapist wants, which is exactly why it should be automatic and stated in advance.
Suggested booking settings#
The same client at the same hour every week, a free or reduced first consultation, and a late cancellation that cannot be filled because nobody books therapy at two hours’ notice.
| Duration | 50 minutes, the standard therapeutic hour |
|---|---|
| Booking notice required | 24 hours |
| Time between appointments | 10 minutes after, to write notes |
| Max bookings per day | Consider a daily limit of four or five sessions |
| Location | In person or video |
| Payment | Paid online — it settles the cancellation question before it arises |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 48 hours before, none inside 24 |
Suggested booking questions: Have you had therapy before? · What would you like to work on? · In person or online?
English-speaking therapy is one of the hardest things to find in Japan, and clients often search in English and book from a phone at night. Fill in both languages so the page reads naturally either way.
The therapeutic hour, with the notes in it#
Fifty minutes as the session, with a ten-minute Buffer after for writing up. The buffer is invisible to the client and cannot be booked into, so back-to-back clients stop eating the notes time.
A policy that applies itself#
Full refund outside forty-eight hours, none inside twenty-four. It is shown on the booking page before they book, and the exact refund is shown before they confirm a cancellation. You never have to send the message. Cancellation policies
In person, online, or both#
A second event type with the location set to Google Meet gives online clients a link created with the calendar entry. Many practices run both and let the client choose, which is worth more than it sounds to somebody who cannot easily travel.
Say that you work in English#
English-speaking therapy is one of the genuinely hard things to find in Japan. Put the languages you work in at the front of the description, and fill in both languages so the page reads naturally either way.
Getting started#
- Sign in at app.marubox.jp with Google or Microsoft. There is no credit card required and no time limit on the free plan.
- Create an event type with the settings above. Event types explained
- Connect your calendar so your practice never gets double booked. Google · Outlook
- Set your working hours, and close Japanese public holidays in one setting. Availability
- Put the link in your bio, or the widget on your site. Adding it to your website
Common questions
Can clients book without emailing me first?
Yes, and that is most of the value. They pick a time from your available times, fill in a short form and are confirmed, without having to introduce themselves to a stranger first.
How do I handle late cancellations fairly?
Set a cancellation policy on the event type — a full refund outside 48 hours and none inside 24 is common. The client agrees to it before booking and sees the exact refund before cancelling, so it applies without you raising it.
Is the booking information private?
Answers to your booking form questions and the client’s details are visible only to you in your account. What you write in an event description is public; what a client writes on the form is not.
Can I offer both in-person and online sessions?
Yes — two event types, one in person and one with a Google Meet or Teams location. The video link is created with the calendar entry and sent to the client automatically.
Start taking bookings online
The Free plan includes booking pages, Google Calendar and Outlook connections, working hours, Japanese holiday settings and booking on your website. No credit card is required, and there is no time limit. The Paid plan is ¥1,200 per month including tax and adds online card payments, team bookings and LINE integration. Business Box charges no booking commission; Stripe processing fees apply separately.
Last reviewed 16 October 2026.