There’s a quiet irony in our field.
As therapists, we spend our days talking about grief, loss, and mortality. We help clients face endings. We sit with uncertainty. We process fear.
And yet, when it comes to planning for our own death or incapacitation, many of us avoid one of the most important professional tasks we can do: creating a professional will.
I say that with understanding, not criticism.
Part of the hesitation may be deeply human. Even if we talk about death regularly, it feels different when we imagine our own absence. Writing a professional will means picturing our clients being told we won’t be back next week. That’s not an easy exercise.
And then there’s the practical reality. We’re busy. Our caseloads are full. Documentation never quite ends. There’s always something more urgent. On top of that, clear step-by-step guidance on how to create a professional will isn’t always easy to find. So the task drifts to the bottom of the list.
But the impact of not having one can be significant.
I started Dova after a client shared something that stayed with me. His previous therapist had passed away unexpectedly. Weeks went by without any communication. No email. No phone call. No referral. He assumed she had chosen to stop seeing him. He felt confused and abandoned.
Eventually, after searching online, he found her obituary.
No one had reached out to him. No one had helped him understand what had happened. No one had supported him in transitioning his care.
He later gave me permission to share his story because he didn’t want other clients to go through the same experience.
As we processed it together, it became clear that the pain wasn’t only about the loss itself. It was also about the silence. Without information, he filled in the blanks on his own — and those blanks felt personal.
A professional will does something very simple but very important: it prevents that silence.
When a clear plan is in place, clients are properly notified. They are informed in a timely, respectful way. They are offered referrals and guidance on how to access their records. They are not left wondering what they did wrong or why their therapist disappeared.
It allows for clarity at a time that is already difficult.
Many therapists choose a trusted colleague to take on this role, and that can work beautifully. A service like Dova isn’t a necessity. It’s simply an option for those who would prefer not to place that responsibility on someone who may also be grieving or overwhelmed. What matters most is not who you choose — it’s that you have a clear plan in place.
If you haven’t created a professional will yet, there is no shame in that. Most therapists haven’t — often because it feels heavy or unclear. But having a professional will as a therapist is part of ethical practice. It’s simply one more way we care for our clients.