Why therapists need a personal CRM
Directory listings help, but many therapists say their steadiest referrals come from people: colleagues with full caseloads, physicians, psychiatrists, school counselors, clergy and former supervisors. Those relationships fade when you’re seeing clients all day. A personal CRM keeps the follow-ups and thank-yous from depending on memory.
What therapists keep in BlackBook
- Referral sources and the kinds of clients each one tends to send, so you can match your specialty to theirs
- A reminder to thank a colleague or physician after a referral (without client details)
- Colleagues from trainings, conferences and consultation groups you meant to keep in touch with
- Schools, clinics and community groups you’d like to build a referral relationship with, and when to follow up
- Personal details colleagues mention, like a new practice, a move or a birthday
- Pulse, which suggests who to reach out to next from your notes, history and reminders
Keep it to your network
BlackBook is not built for clinical work. Don’t store client names, session notes or other health information in it; keep those in your EHR or practice management system. Use BlackBook for the professional relationships around your practice.
Private by design
There’s no account or login. Your notes stay on your iPhone and private iCloud, there are no ad SDKs, and your data is never sold. Start free with the 25 referral sources and colleagues you most want to keep up with.
More on this: how to remember details about people, how to keep in touch with people, and a personal CRM for coaches.
BlackBook facts
- Platform: iPhone, iOS 17.6 or later
- Price: free download; optional BlackBook Pro subscription (prices shown in the app)
- Free plan: 25 people, 2 notes per person, 30 days of interaction history
- Pro: unlimited people and full history, VIP reminders and insights, relationship notes with tags, duplicate detection, BlackBook AI
- AI: on-device via Apple Intelligence (Pro, iOS 26, compatible iPhone)
- Privacy: data on your device and private iCloud, no account, no ad SDKs, data never sold
- Developer: Preston Earnest / Earnestly Studios LLC
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep client notes in BlackBook?
No, please don’t. BlackBook is not an EHR or practice management system and isn’t designed for protected health information. Keep clinical notes, client contact details and anything covered by HIPAA or your licensing rules in the tools your practice uses for that. BlackBook is for your professional network: referral sources, colleagues, supervisors and community partners.
What do therapists use a personal CRM for?
Mostly building and keeping a referral network: remembering who refers what kinds of clients, thanking referral sources, checking in with colleagues you met at trainings and consultation groups, and following up with physicians, schools and community organizations you’d like to work with.
Is my data private?
BlackBook needs no account. Your people and notes stay on your iPhone and in your private iCloud. There are no ad SDKs, and your data is never sold.
Is BlackBook free?
BlackBook is free to download with a free plan of 25 people, two notes per person and 30 days of interaction history. BlackBook Pro is an optional subscription for unlimited people and full history: in the US it’s $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year, and the annual plan includes a 1-week free trial. Prices are shown in the app.
What iPhones does it run on?
BlackBook requires iOS 17.6 or later. On iOS 26 with a compatible iPhone, BlackBook Pro adds on-device Apple Intelligence features.
Keep your referral network warm.
BlackBook is free to download for iPhone (iOS 17.6+). Start with 25 people, no account needed.
Get BlackBook – Personal CRM