Professional Will for Therapists: An Ethical Responsibility You Can’t Ignore
Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby is a licensed psychologist, licensed marriage and family therapist, board-certified coach, AAMFT clinical supervisor, host of the Love, Happiness, and Success Podcast and founder of Growing Self.
What would happen to your clients if you died tomorrow?
That might sound dramatic—but if you’re a practicing clinician without a professional will for therapists, it’s a real and pressing question. And if your answer is “I don’t know,” then we have work to do.
In this episode of Love, Happiness, and Success For Therapists, I sat down with psychologist Dr. Robyn Miller, founder of TheraClosure, the first professional executor service for psychotherapists. We had a deeply moving and eye-opening conversation about something most therapists avoid thinking about: what happens to our clients, records, and practices when we’re suddenly unable to continue the work.
It’s a conversation every therapist needs to hear. Because not having a professional will isn’t just an oversight—it’s an ethical failure. And this isn’t just theory. The urgency of the issue was recently highlighted in the New York Times, which reported how devastating it can be for clients when a therapist falls ill or dies without a plan in place.
The Real-Life Story That Started It All
Dr. Robyn Miller didn’t set out to become a pioneer in professional will planning for therapists. She was doing what so many of us do—quietly running a deeply meaningful private practice, building long-term relationships with her clients, and showing up with care and integrity.
Then everything changed.
Her closest colleague and best friend—someone she’d shared peer supervision with for 17 years—received a terminal diagnosis and passed away just six weeks later. With no professional will for therapists in place, Robyn stepped in as her practice executor: calling clients, handling records, finding referrals, and carrying the emotional and logistical weight of it all while grieving the loss of her friend.
That experience changed her life. And it changed her view of what it means to be an ethical clinician.
“It was gut-wrenching and overwhelming,” she shared. “And I would do it again. But no one should have to.”
Why Every Therapist Needs a Professional Will for Therapists
If you’re like most therapists, you’ve probably never really mapped out what would happen to your practice if something happened to you. Maybe you’ve named a colleague as your backup. Maybe you’ve assumed your spouse or adult child could step in.
However, the reality is this: a professional will for therapists requires a very specific skill set. Managing a therapist’s unexpected absence means handling sensitive client communication, protecting confidential records, navigating ethical and legal guidelines, finding appropriate referrals, and managing backend logistics—all during a time of crisis.
“We would never leave our clinical documentation unfinished. We wouldn’t skip consultation. So why would we treat our professional will like an afterthought?”
A professional will for therapists is not just a courtesy. It’s part of the job.
The Problem With Traditional Backup Plans
Historically, therapists have approached end-of-life planning with informal, handshake agreements. Maybe you and a colleague agreed years ago to “cover for each other” if something ever happened. Or maybe you’ve penciled in someone’s name on a template you downloaded online.
The problem? That’s not a plan.
- Informal agreements aren’t legally binding.
- Most colleagues have no idea what they’re really agreeing to.
- Friends and family are often emotionally overwhelmed or logistically unprepared.
- Without a clear system, clients may never receive closure, referrals, or even a phone call.
When that happens, clients suffer. They feel abandoned, traumatized, or even betrayed.
“Our clients shouldn’t be left wondering if it was something they said.”
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What a Professional Will for Therapists Should Include
In our conversation, Dr. Miller walked through what an ethical, comprehensive professional will for therapists should look like—and why it’s so much more than just a name on a form.
A real plan includes:
- A legally binding contract with someone equipped to act on your behalf
- Clear instructions for client communication, triage, and referrals
- A system for accessing and handling clinical records in line with HIPAA
- Plans for continuity of care, especially for high-risk or long-term clients
- Documentation of your practice structure and boundaries
- Support for your grieving loved ones, so they don’t shoulder the weight alone
And perhaps most importantly, it names someone who can actually do the job well.
“This isn’t just paperwork. It’s a final act of care.”
Introducing TheraClosure: A Professional Will for Therapists in Action
After being called to step in again and again—for colleagues, friends, and eventually while facing her own health scare—Dr. Miller realized therapists need a better system.
That’s why she created TheraClosure: a professional executor service built specifically for psychotherapists.
Through TheraClosure, Robyn and her team work with you to develop a comprehensive, customized professional will for therapists. They act as your legal practice executor, handle client outreach, manage referrals, protect records, and ensure your clients are cared for with dignity and clarity—even if you can’t be there yourself.
It’s the kind of resource that should have always existed. And now, it does.
Reflective Questions for Clinicians
If you’re reading this, I want to leave you with a few questions:
- Do you have a professional will for therapists in place if something were to happen to you?
- Have you asked someone to step in—without giving them the full picture of what they’d be taking on?
- How would it feel to know your clients, your records, and your legacy are truly protected?
This is tender work, I know. But this is what it means to practice ethically.
We’re therapists. We walk toward discomfort. We hold space for loss. And we do hard things—not just for our clients, but because it’s the right thing to do.
Let’s not leave this one undone.
Additional Support for Thoughtful Clinicians
If this conversation resonated with you, I’d love for you to check out my
👉 Free CEU Trainings for Licensed Therapists
These on-demand trainings are designed to support you—clinically, ethically, and personally.
And if we’re not connected yet, come say hi on LinkedIn. It’s my favorite place to continue these conversations and stay in community with therapists like you.
Lastly, I’d also love to hear what’s working for you, what could be better, and what’s on your wishlist for future episodes. Share your thoughts—let’s talk!
xoxo,
Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby
Resources:
Rabin, R. C. (2025, July 24). What happens when your therapist falls ill or dies unexpectedly? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/health/therapist-sick-death.html
Hackett, M. (2019). Planning for our death/incapacitation as therapists: Ethics, client-care and posthumous attending: Preparing for therapist incapacitation or death in service, a practice-based issue. Irish Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 19(3), 23–27. https://iacp.ie/files/UserFiles/IJCP-Articles/Spring2019/Planning-for-our-death-incapacitation-by-Mike-Hackett.pdf
Beder, J. (2003). Picking up the pieces after the sudden death of a therapist: Issues for the client and the “inheriting therapist.” Clinical Social Work Journal, 31(1), 25–36. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1021410501036 (DOI: 10.1023/A:1021410501036) 
Vasquez, M. J. T., Bingham, R. P., & Barnett, J. E. (2008). Psychotherapy termination: Clinical and ethical responsibilities. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 64(5), 653–665. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18415948/ (DOI: 10.1002/jclp.20478) 
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