Why I Don’t Use AI to Write My Therapy Notes

Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries everywhere, and mental health care is no exception. Some therapists are beginning to experiment with using AI to draft or summarize their therapy notes, hoping to save time and reduce the burden of documentation. With promises of faster charting and more efficient record-keeping, it can be tempting to adopt this new technology. But when it comes to something as sensitive as your personal story and mental health journey, it’s important to pause and look closely at what AI note-taking really means—and why not every clinician is embracing it.

What Exactly Are AI Notes?

When therapists use AI for note-taking, they usually enter a summary or bullet points from their session into an AI platform. The software then generates a polished note, often in SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) or DAP (Data, Assessment, Plan) format. Some programs are even marketed as “listening” tools that transcribe live sessions and automatically draft notes in real time.

Behind the scenes, AI is essentially a pattern-recognition engine. It doesn’t understand your experiences, your emotions, or your history—it predicts the most likely words to string together based on its training. While it can mimic professional phrasing and formatting, it doesn’t have the discernment, clinical judgment, or personal awareness that comes from sitting with you in the room. The output may look official, but it’s not the therapist’s authentic voice, nor does it carry the nuance of their lived understanding of the therapeutic process.

Why I Don’t Use AI to Write My Therapy Notes

While I respect colleagues who find value in AI tools, I have chosen not to use them in my own practice. Below are five key reasons why:

1. Confidentiality and HIPAA Compliance Risks - Therapy notes contain some of the most private information a person can share—details about their trauma, their grief, their relationships, and their inner world. If those notes are entered into an AI system that isn’t explicitly HIPAA-compliant, there’s a risk of data being stored, accessed, or even shared in ways you never intended. Even “de-identified” notes can sometimes contain enough context to make someone identifiable. Protecting your privacy is not just a legal requirement for me, it’s a sacred trust. I never want to put that at risk by introducing outside systems that may not fully safeguard your information.

2. Loss of Clinical Nuance and Professional Voice - My therapy notes don’t just record what was said in session—they also reflect my clinical impressions, my therapeutic reasoning, and the progress I observe over time. AI-generated notes often use generic or standardized phrasing. While that may look tidy on paper, it risks flattening the rich nuance of what actually happened in the room. For example, AI might record that you were “anxious” without capturing the subtleties of your body language, your history, or the breakthroughs you experienced that day. My notes are written in my voice and with my professional insight, which ensures they accurately represent your unique journey.

3. Liability and Ethical Concerns - As your therapist, I am ethically and legally responsible for the accuracy of my documentation. If AI introduces an error, misinterprets information, or frames something in a way I wouldn’t have chosen, I am still the one held accountable. Relying on a machine to generate clinical documents raises questions about diligence, integrity, and accuracy. I believe that if I’m signing my name to a note, it should be 100% my work and my judgment, not an algorithm’s best guess.

4. Potential for Reduced Clinical Engagement - Note-writing is not just a chore—it’s part of my reflective process as a therapist. When I write notes by hand, I consolidate the session in my mind, notice patterns, and sometimes even gain insight into the next steps for treatment. If I outsourced that process to AI, I’d lose an important opportunity to engage with your progress more deeply. Writing my own notes helps me remain present, thoughtful, and connected to your growth. I never want to cut corners on something that directly impacts the quality of your care.

5. Risk of Overdependence and Skill Erosion

Finally, I believe that over-relying on AI for documentation risks weakening the skills that therapists need to maintain. Writing thorough, accurate notes is part of being a competent clinician. If I allow software to do that work for me, I risk losing sharpness in my own observation and recording skills. If AI tools malfunction or regulations change, I want to be confident that I can still provide excellent documentation without hesitation.

What This Means for My Clients

By choosing not to use AI in my documentation, I am making a clear statement: your sessions are private, your story is yours, and your notes reflect my direct and careful attention. I want my clients to know that when I sit down to write, I’m not delegating your experiences to an algorithm. I’m honoring them myself, with the care they deserve.

I also believe that therapy is about authenticity. Just as I invite my clients to be real and present in the room, I commit to being real and present in the way I record and reflect on our sessions. Technology can be useful, but I never want it to come between me and the depth of human connection that makes therapy effective.

Let’s Take the Next Step Together

If you are looking for a therapist who values privacy, authenticity, and personal engagement over automation, I invite you to reach out. I would be honored to walk alongside you on your healing journey.

You can schedule a free consultation today by calling 614-647-HELP.

Together, we can create a therapeutic space where your story is heard, protected, and respected—without shortcuts, without algorithms, and with the full presence of a therapist who believes your life deserves her direct attention.