Question 1

Will it ask callers why they want therapy?

Accepted Answer

No. It takes their name and number, asks whether they have been seen here before, and books the first appointment. It does not ask about the reason. If a caller chooses to share something, it is noted briefly for you rather than discussed.

Question 2

Will it counsel or support a caller?

Accepted Answer

Never. Ringmere is a receptionist, not a therapist. It does not offer support, reassurance or advice of any kind, and it does not try to keep someone talking about how they feel. It books, answers your practical questions, and passes everything else to you.

Question 3

What happens if a caller is in crisis?

Accepted Answer

It does not try to help them itself. It tells the caller to call 999 if anyone is in immediate danger and escalates the call to you at once: put through live to the number you choose, or sent by text and email with the caller’s number. If you want a helpline such as Samaritans (116 123) given, add it to your approved answers and test it with a call.

Question 4

How is client confidentiality protected?

Accepted Answer

Call details are stored in the UK and encrypted in transit and at rest, and Ringmere only uses the information you approve. Answering a call needs a few vetted sub-processors (telephony, AI, email), some of which process outside the UK under UK GDPR transfer safeguards. They are all named in our privacy policy, and a DPA is available.

Question 5

Can clients book with a particular therapist?

Accepted Answer

Yes, by name, within each therapist’s hours and the sessions they offer, such as couples work or online sessions. Diaries for more than one therapist are on Growth and Pro.

Question 6

Does it work with our practice software?

Accepted Answer

Not directly. Ringmere books into Google Calendar, Outlook or its own built-in diary, not into a therapy practice system. Practices use it as the booking line for one of those diaries, or as a front desk that takes enquiries as messages, and bookings can be sent to your own system by webhook.

Question 7

What does an AI receptionist cost for a therapy practice?

Accepted Answer

Ringmere is £49 a month on Starter, with 150 call minutes and a UK number included, £99 on Growth and £249 on Pro, each with a 7-day free trial. For scale, a practice that misses three new-client calls a week, one of which would have become six sessions at £60, has about £1,500 a month at stake. Your own numbers will differ.

Question 8

Is Ringmere an answering service for therapy & counselling practices?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and a virtual receptionist too. Like an answering service, it picks up your calls 24/7 under your business name. Like a virtual receptionist, it answers questions, takes messages and books appointments straight into your diary. Because it is an AI receptionist it costs from £49 a month, never puts a caller on hold, and on Growth and Pro replies on WhatsApp and text as well.

The call	What Ringmere does
Someone ringing for the first time, unsure what to say	Keeps it simple: their name, their number, whether they have been seen before, and a time for the first appointment. It does not ask what the appointment is about.
“How much is a session?”, “do you work online?”, “is the first call free?”	Answered from the fees and ways of working you approve. If it is not in what you approved, it says so and takes a message.
“Is there a female counsellor?” or “do you see couples?”	Answered from your team and services as you have set them up, and booked with the right person.
A caller who is distressed, or says they are not safe	Not counselled. It tells the caller to call 999 if anyone is in immediate danger and escalates the call to you at once. If you want a helpline such as Samaritans (116 123) given, add it to your approved answers and test it with a call.
A parent or partner calling on someone else’s behalf	Answers your practical questions and takes a message for you, following the policy you have written about booking for another adult.
Moving or cancelling a session	Handled on the call within your rules, including the notice period you set, so the hour is free for someone else.
Evening calls from people who can only ring after work	Answered calmly and booked, when the practice phone would otherwise go to voicemail.

The AI phone receptionist for therapy & counselling practices.

Sound familiar?

Answer, book, and hand you the rest.

Answers your calls, 24/7

Books into your calendar

Escalates what matters

Every call a therapy practice gets.

An example call

It only ever offers what you approve.

Good to know.

Stop losing therapy bookings.