A few years ago, I found myself facing major surgery ~ immediately. In the midst of fear, uncertainty, and the logistical chaos of preparing for an extended absence, one thought stopped me cold: I do not have a professional will.

 

I had been meaning to write one. I even had a fluorescent pink Post It on my bulletin board reminding me to get it done. But like so many clinicians, I had been avoiding it ~ because who wants to spend their limited time between clients thinking about what happens to their practice when they die or become incapacitated? I certainly did not.

 

But suddenly I did not have a choice.

 

What followed was one of the most tedious, anxiety-producing, and eye-opening professional experiences of my career. I pulled together every resource I could find ~ and there was not much out there. What existed was either too basic to be useful, too generic to be applicable, or too expensive to be accessible. I spent days documenting passwords, accounts, contracts, client records, and executor instructions ~ realizing with every item I completed that I had not yet covered something else. All of this while preparing for surgery. During a pandemic.

 

That experience changed me professionally. It clarified what was missing in our field — and it lit a fire that has not gone out since.

 

The result is this: a comprehensive, clinically informed, and practically complete Professional Will Template developed specifically for mental health professionals in solo private practice ~ by someone who has lived the alternative and is determined to make sure you do not have to. 

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The Professional Will Template is not a single document. It is a complete three-document system designed to work together ~ giving your Professional Executor everything they need to manage your practice with clarity, confidence, and care in the event of your death, incapacitation, or retirement.

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Document 1: The Professional Will
The formal declaration and directive that forms the heart of your professional will. Organized into five clearly delineated sections, this document addresses every aspect of your practice ~ from the people who will carry out your wishes, to the business and financial details they will need to act on your behalf, to the clinical and ethical obligations that do not end when you do. Accompanied by a signature and witness page and three supporting appendices.

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Document 2: The Practice Information Addendum
A secure companion document stored separately from the main will ~ housing the sensitive access information your executor will need to carry out your directives. Includes built-in security guidance and an update log to keep the document current as your practice evolves.

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Document 3: The Executor Action Checklist
A comprehensive working tool for your Professional Executor ~ organizing every required action into a clear, phased checklist that transforms your Professional Will from a reference document into an actively managed process. Because having a plan is only as valuable as the ability to execute it.​​​​