Therapists Test AI Tools for Session Notes and Recordkeeping

New companies are selling artificial intelligence assistance to mental health therapists. The tools record sessions, generate transcripts and draft clinical notes. Therapists can edit or discard the drafts before saving them to medical records. Molly Quinn, a 31-year-old librarian in Fayetteville, Arkansas, said her therapist used an AI tool during a session without prior discussion.

Quinn stated she had previously told the therapist she was not comfortable with the technology. She said the experience left her feeling her privacy had been disregarded.

Berries markets its platform as a way to reduce paperwork.

U.S. servers that meet HIPAA standards. He added that therapy content is not used to train AI models. SimplePractice and Blueprint offer similar services. Monthly fees range from $19 to $99. The companies target solo practitioners who handle large administrative loads.

A YouGov survey found 11 percent of Americans open to using AI for mental health care and 8 percent who trust it. A KFF survey found 77 percent of Americans concerned about how AI systems store and use health information. Kellie Owens, assistant professor of medical ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said HIPAA compliance does not prevent data breaches.

She stated that consent forms alone may not ensure informed agreement and recommended verbal discussion before any recording.

Tolson, who practices remotely while traveling, said the AI system reduced her documentation time from 15-20 minutes per client to about two minutes. She reported spending roughly 10 hours per week on administrative tasks before adopting the tool. Marisa Cohen, a couples and sex therapist in New York, said the presence of AI can alter client disclosure even when the technology is not visible.

She noted that any stored record could later be subpoenaed.