Today, counseling stands out as a service that offers customized solutions to the needs of individuals. The key to this process is gathering relevant information and communicating effectively with prospective clients. This is where the counseling intake form comes into play. Counseling intake forms you can design to help you make an effective start will also guide your clients.
In this article, you will learn about the intake form, the types of intake forms, what questions to ask, and how to prepare an intake form. You can also look at how to make your intake form more professional with the help of expert tips.
The definition of intake form
An intake form is a preliminary information form used by an organization, department, or certain professions. It helps streamline the customer onboarding process and easily collect information from new customers during preparation. Intake form is a way to get to know your potential clients early in your relationship. Its primary purpose is to understand the expectations and goals of potential customers.
The intake form understands the client’s needs, helps you ask the right questions, and works best when tailored to your business. This approach helps the advisor increase client satisfaction and build long-term relationships. So, with that in mind, let’s explore the following intake form types to see how different industries create them.
After learning all these, if you say how to create a counseling intake form, there are a few different ways. Decide if you want to start from scratch or if you prefer to use a free template. If you wish to, there are ready-made intake forms for counseling samples specially designed for you.
Introducing you to hassle-free forms builder, forms.app. Thanks to its user-friendly features. You can save time and create your intake form in the fastest way. In just 5 simple steps, you can create your own free online form. Here are a few steps you should follow while creating a form:
1. Create forms.app an account or log in
Creating a forms.app account
The first step to create your form is to create a forms.app account or log in if you already have one. Creating an account only takes a few seconds, especially if you use your Google, Apple, or Facebook accounts.
2. Choose a template and use forms.app AI, or start from scratch
Choosing a beginning option
forms.app gives you multiple options to get started; any option will save you from spending time on form design. Also, with forms.app AI, you can quickly form a design with great potential. Additionally, you can choose one of the ready-to-use forms that forms.app offers and moves on. As another option, you can start from a blank form and decide on every detail.
3. Add your counseling intake questions
Adding questions and fields to your counseling intake form
You can choose from many types in your form, such as checkboxes, explanation fields, terms and conditions, and signature fields. forms.app offers more than +30 fields to help you choose your questions correctly. Add the questions you require answers to and create them.
4. Change how your form looks
Customizing the design of your counseling intake form
The look of the form will be improved by using a suitable theme. For example, you may use the colors and logo of your brand to invoke your company. You can modify the background, the question’s font, and the arrangement. Browse the design field and unleash your creativity!
5. Share your form with your audience
Choosing a sharing option for your counseling intake form
After completing the four steps above, it’s time to share! There are three sharing options: you can use the direct link, and you can share the form on any social media. You can also embed your form into your website thanks to embedding options.
In addition to including all the fields of the intake form, the counseling intake form word includes some additional fields where questions may be useful. The therapist or counselor is free to design their own form to use with their client intake process. Still, usually, the counseling intake form will include the following details:
💡 You can also ask these questions.
Have you received counseling or therapy before?
Why do you want to receive counseling?
What is the desired outcome of counseling?
Is there any additional information you want to share with the counselor?
In a counselor intake session, talking is a mistake. As much as possible, speak to them on the phone to get an idea of their situation before they meet you. Fill them in their counseling intake form before your meeting is also helpful. This helps you prepare for the intake session and makes them feel more comfortable with the therapy. Like this, take a look below for some helpful expert tips.
Now you know how to create and using intake forms before counseling and what to look out for. Of course, it is also possible to start from scratch, but having a ready-to-go template would be a good start.
From a website intake form template to a therapy intake form, form.app offers you countless templates to get started. Follow the steps above and choose one of the templates below to make an easier start. Follow the steps and choose one of the templates below to start quickly and professionally.
These are some frequently asked questions you may want to think about when preparing your counseling intake form. These questions may not be applicable in every situation. Still, they can provide more perspective and suggestions when creating your form, making it more effective. Here, we have asked and answered 3 of the most frequently asked questions about counseling intake forms.
Yes, you should ask for consent in your form. Getting consent from the client establishes a clear understanding of confidentiality and boundaries in the consulting process. It makes sure the client comprehends and approves the consulting policies. This step is crucial for fostering trust and maintaining clear communication between both parties.
Of course, you can embed your intake form on your website quickly and easily. After you have created your form, here are the steps to embed it on your website.
Creating a pre-consultation form for therapy sessions in advance is a great idea. This allows you to gather the necessary information from clients before the session so that you can focus on their exact needs in the session.
You can include questions about their background, goals, and specific concerns. This speeds up the process and helps you better tailor your approach to better respond to their needs. You can look at the therapy intake form that may be useful for you.
In brief, intake forms have many advantages and conveniences that benefit the business owner and the customer. Most importantly, with intake information, you can predict what kind of person will come and prepare accordingly. It can also help you capture leads and save time.
In this article, we have explained the counseling intake form process and where and how to use it. Now log in to forms.app and use the ready-made templates to create counseling intake forms and provide a better experience for your customers.