Published March 25, 2026 · 7 min read
If you practice as a psychologist or psychotherapist in private practice in Switzerland, your choice of practice management software is crucial. Since July 1, 2022, the prescription model allows psychotherapists to bill directly through basic health insurance (LAMal) — but this requires mastering PsyTarif 581/582, managing medical prescriptions, and protecting particularly sensitive data.
This guide compares the main solutions available in 2026, with a focus on the criteria that truly matter for Swiss psychologists.
Psychotherapy practice in a private setting has requirements that differ significantly from other therapists. Suitable software must address several constraints:
PsyTarif 581/582 billing
Since the prescription model, psychotherapists bill through PsyTarif: Tarif 581 for LAMal and Tarif 582 for LAA/LAI/LAM. The provisional rate for Tarif 581 is set at CHF 2.58/minute by the Federal Council (definitive structure targeted for 01.01.2027). The 28 tariff codes (PA, PB, PE, PK, PL, PN, PW) cover the various services: individual sessions, group sessions, reports, off-site services, etc.
Medical prescription management
Psychotherapy reimbursed by LAMal requires a doctor's prescription (any authorized physician). The software must allow linking the prescribing doctor (with their GLN number) to the patient file, and managing the session counter: 15 initial sessions, extension of 15 additional sessions, then approval from the medical advisor beyond 30 sessions.
Confidential clinical notes
Psychotherapy session notes contain extremely sensitive information. Professional secrecy (art. 321 Swiss Criminal Code) requires a high level of protection. A simple password is not enough — data encryption at rest is essential.
Scheduling and practice management
Online booking, automatic reminders by email or SMS, cancellation management — features that considerably reduce the administrative burden.
Here is an overview of the main software used by psychologists in Switzerland, with their strengths and limitations.
TERAP
General-purpose software for Swiss therapists (complementary medicine, physiotherapy, psychotherapy). Free for small practices with limited invoice volume. Complete but classic interface. No AI features (voice dictation, automated notes). PsyTarif support available.
ePsyo
Specialized solution for psychologists and psychotherapists. Integrated electronic billing, medical prescription management, and session tracking. Good command of the PsyTarif framework. Functional billing-oriented interface.
PsyApp
Management tool oriented toward psychiatry and psychotherapy. Clinical tracking and billing features. Suited for psychiatry practices with specific needs (medication, ICD-10 diagnoses).
psy-tarif.ch
Free online tool focused solely on PsyTarif billing. Convenient for generating compliant invoices at no cost, but offers no scheduling, patient files, or session notes. More of a stopgap solution than a complete management software.
OneDoc
Very popular online booking platform in French-speaking Switzerland. Excellent for patient acquisition and schedule management. However, not specifically designed for psychologists — PsyTarif billing and clinical management are not its core business.
Therago
Swiss software integrating PsyTarif 581/582, AI voice dictation (transcription + automatic structuring of notes), AES-256-GCM encryption per therapist, online scheduling with patient booking, and automatic reminders. Data hosted exclusively in Switzerland (Geneva).
Essential criteria for psychologist software in Switzerland:
| Criterion | TERAP | ePsyo | PsyApp | psy-tarif.ch | OneDoc | Therago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PsyTarif 581/582 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Data encryption | — | — | — | — | — | ✓ |
| AI voice dictation | — | — | — | — | — | ✓ |
| Online scheduling | — | — | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Session notes | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | ✓ |
| Prescriptions | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | ✓ |
| Price | Free* | Paid | Paid | Free | Paid | From 24.95 CHF |
* TERAP is free for practices with low billing volume. Beyond that, a subscription is required.
Psychotherapy data is among the most sensitive that exists. Psychiatric diagnoses, traumas, suicidal ideation, marital problems — a leak of this information can have devastating consequences for the patient.
The new Data Protection Act (nLPD, RS 235.1) classifies health data as sensitive data requiring enhanced protection measures. In psychotherapy, this concretely means:
Important note: the majority of software on the market stores data in plain text in their database. Only end-to-end encryption (such as AES-256) guarantees that even in the event of a server breach, clinical notes remain unreadable.
Since July 1, 2022, psychotherapy is reimbursed by basic health insurance (LAMal) on condition that a prescribing doctor has issued a prescription. This model imposes technical constraints that your software must support:
Sources : FOPH — Psychotherapy, LAMal (RS 832.10).
Here are the questions to ask yourself before choosing:
1. Is PsyTarif 581/582 natively integrated?
The 28 codes must be pre-configured, with the CHF 2.58/min rate (Tarif 581, LAMal) automatically enforced. You should not have to enter these parameters manually.
2. Are my notes encrypted?
Verify that encryption is applied at rest (in the database), not just in transit (HTTPS). Ask about the type of encryption used (AES-256 is the standard).
3. Where is my data hosted?
Prefer hosting in Switzerland to avoid complications related to the nLPD and cross-border transfers.
4. Is voice dictation available?
Writing notes after each session is time-consuming. Voice dictation with AI structuring can reduce this time by a factor of three.
5. Is online scheduling included?
An online booking calendar with automatic reminders reduces missed appointments by 30 to 50% on average.
A psychologist spends on average 15 to 20 minutes per patient on administrative tasks: session notes, invoices, correspondence. Over a day of 6 patients, this represents 1.5 to 2 hours of unbillable work.
AI voice dictation allows you to dictate your notes after the session and have them automatically structured: consultation reason, clinical observations, therapeutic axes, plan for the next session. The therapist only needs to review and validate.
It is also an asset for voice billing: simply dictate «50-minute session with Mrs. Dupont, individual psychotherapy» for the software to generate the corresponding PsyTarif invoice.
Try Therago for free — integrated PsyTarif, AI voice dictation, end-to-end encryption.
Try for freeNo credit card required. Data hosted in Switzerland.