Managing Your Schedule

Optimize your calendar for maximum efficiency and work-life balance

Effective schedule management is crucial for running a successful therapy practice. Serene's calendar system provides powerful tools to help you stay organized, avoid conflicts, and maintain a healthy balance between client sessions and personal time.

Viewing Your Schedule

Time-Based Filters

Serene offers four time filters to help you focus on what matters most:

Today

• See all sessions scheduled for the current day
• Perfect for morning preparation and daily planning
• Shows exact timing to help you prepare between sessions
• Automatically selected if you have sessions today

This Week

• View your entire week at a glance
• Plan preparation time for upcoming sessions
• Identify scheduling gaps or conflicts
• Useful for weekly planning on Sundays or Mondays

This Month

• Get a broader view of your schedule
• Plan for busier or lighter periods
• Coordinate with vacation or time off
• Helpful for monthly practice management

This Year

• Long-term scheduling overview
• See seasonal patterns in your practice
• Plan major breaks or schedule changes
• Useful for annual planning

Auto-Selection

The calendar automatically selects the filter that shows your nearest upcoming session. If you have a session today, it defaults to "Today". If your next session is next week, it shows "This Week".

Booking Type Filters

If you work with teams or have both individual and team bookings:

All Bookings

• Default view showing every session
• Includes both personal and team appointments
• Best for getting a complete picture of your day

Team Bookings Only

• Shows sessions booked through team pages
• Helps coordinate with other team members
• Useful for managing team responsibilities

Individual Bookings Only

• Displays only your personal appointments
• Focuses on your direct client relationships
• Ideal for tracking your individual practice

Filter Availability

Booking type filters only appear if you have team bookings. If you work independently, you'll only see the "All" option.

Understanding Session Information

Each session card displays comprehensive information to help you prepare:

Client Identification

• Client name appears prominently at the top
• "New Client" badge for first-time appointments
• "Returning Client" badge for established clients
• Client photo (if uploaded)

Timing Information

• Date and time of the appointment
• Countdown timer (e.g., "in 2 hours", "tomorrow at 3 PM")
• Session duration (e.g., "60 minutes", "45 minutes")

Service Details

• Service name (e.g., "Initial Consultation", "Therapy Session")
• Service type (individual vs. team booking)
• Booking source (your page or team page)

Payment Status

Serene displays one of three payment states:

Paid (Green checkmark)

• Payment successfully processed
• Full amount received
• No action needed

Unpaid (Red warning)

• Payment not yet received
• May require follow-up with client
• Consider payment policy enforcement

Pending (Yellow indicator)

• Payment processing in progress
• Usually resolves within 1-2 business days
• Monitor for completion

Self-Managed Payments

If you use a self-managed payment setup (outside of Serene), the system cannot verify payments automatically. You'll need to track payment status manually.

Working with Sessions

Joining Online Sessions

For virtual appointments:

1. Locate the session card in your calendar
2. Click the "Join Session" button (appears 15 minutes before start time)
3. You'll be taken to the telehealth room
4. Wait for your client to join

Early Access

The "Join Session" button becomes available 15 minutes before the scheduled start time. This gives you time to prepare the virtual room and test your connection.

Modifying Appointments

To change a booking:

1. Click on the session card
2. Select "Modify Booking"
3. Update the date, time, or service as needed
4. Client receives automatic notification of changes

Common modifications include:

• Rescheduling to a different date/time
• Changing the service type or duration
• Updating client information
• Adjusting payment details

Accessing Client Records

Click any session to quickly access:

• Client details and contact information
• Previous session notes
• Treatment plans
• Client portal status

Refreshing Your Calendar

The calendar updates automatically, but you can manually refresh to see the latest changes:

1. Click the refresh icon (circular arrow) in the top right
2. Wait for the sync to complete
3. View updated session information

When to refresh:

• After creating a new booking
• When a client books through your public page
• After modifying an appointment
• If you suspect information is outdated

Managing Conflicts

Time-Off Conflicts

When scheduling time off, Serene automatically identifies conflicting sessions:

Conflict Indicators

• Sessions during time-off periods are highlighted
• Warning message shows number of conflicts
• Visual indicator on each affected session

Resolving Conflicts

1. Review all highlighted sessions
2. Contact affected clients
3. Reschedule or cancel appointments as needed
4. Confirm time off once conflicts are resolved

Learn more in Adding Time Off →

Double-Booking Prevention

Serene's booking system prevents double-bookings:

• Unavailable time slots are automatically blocked
• Team bookings respect individual calendars
• Your availability settings are always enforced

Past Sessions

Your calendar maintains a complete history of past appointments:

What You'll See

• All completed sessions in chronological order
• Same information as upcoming sessions
• Quick access to session notes
• Payment history

Using Past Sessions

• Review client attendance patterns
• Access historical session notes
• Track practice activity over time
• Verify billing and payment records

Schedule Optimization Tips

Planning Your Week

1. Review your calendar every Sunday evening or Monday morning
2. Check for any scheduling gaps or unusually busy periods
3. Ensure adequate breaks between sessions
4. Verify all upcoming sessions have complete client information

Daily Preparation

1. Check "Today" filter first thing in the morning
2. Review each client's previous notes
3. Prepare materials for specific sessions
4. Verify all virtual session links are working

Monthly Review

1. Switch to "This Month" view
2. Analyze your busiest and slowest periods
3. Adjust availability for the next month
4. Plan time off around lighter periods

Maintaining Balance

• Block out lunch breaks using time-off features
• Schedule buffer time between challenging sessions
• Plan regular breaks throughout your day
• Use monthly view to prevent burnout

Best Practices

Set Clear Boundaries

• Define your working hours in booking configuration
• Use time-off blocking for personal commitments
• Maintain consistent session spacing

Stay Proactive

• Check your calendar multiple times daily
• Respond promptly to booking requests
• Address payment issues quickly
• Keep client information current

Communicate Clearly

• Confirm appointments 24 hours in advance
• Send reminders for first-time clients
• Notify clients of any schedule changes
• Set expectations about cancellation policies

Leverage Automation

• Enable automatic reminders for clients
• Use recurring bookings for regular clients
• Set up payment automation where possible
• Sync with external calendar apps

Common Scenarios

Busy Day Management

When you have back-to-back sessions:

1. Use "Today" filter to see your full schedule
2. Identify any breaks for meals or rest
3. Pre-load client records in separate tabs
4. Prepare notes templates in advance

Week Planning

Every Sunday or Monday:

1. Switch to "This Week" filter
2. Note your busiest days
3. Prepare for complex or new clients
4. Schedule administrative tasks in gaps

Balancing Team and Individual Work

If you work with teams:

1. Use booking type filters to separate responsibilities
2. Check team calendar for coordinated coverage
3. Ensure personal schedule doesn't conflict with team duties
4. Communicate availability to team administrators

Troubleshooting

Sessions Not Appearing?

• Click the refresh button
• Check your selected time filter
• Verify booking was confirmed
• Review booking type filter settings

Incorrect Session Times?

• Verify your time zone settings in profile
• Check booking configuration
• Confirm with client about scheduled time
• Use "Modify Booking" to correct errors

Payment Status Questions?

• Review payment configuration
• Contact client about payment method
• Check for processing delays
• Verify bank or payment gateway connection

Next Steps

• Adding Time Off → - Learn how to block out vacation and breaks
• Booking Configuration - Set up your availability
• Client Records - Manage client information

Integration Tip

Serene integrates with Google Calendar, automatically syncing your sessions. Changes made in Serene reflect in Google Calendar and vice versa.