AI Does Not Need to Be in the Therapy Room
Protecting client privacy, trust, and the human connection at the heart of therapy
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly common in healthcare and mental health settings, there is growing pressure to use AI in therapy, AI tools to document sessions, generate progress notes, and reduce administrative work. While these tools may offer convenience, I believe we need to ask a more important question: At what cost to client privacy and trust?
For me, the answer is simple. AI does not need to be listening in on our therapy sessions.
Therapy is one of the few spaces where people are invited to be completely vulnerable. Clients share their fears, trauma, relationship struggles, private thoughts, and experiences they may never have shared with another person. They do so with the expectation that the therapeutic relationship is a safe, confidential space. Trust and rapport are not extras in therapy; they are foundational to the work we do.
Introducing AI into that space, particularly tools that record, transcribe, or analyze conversations, raises concerns that go far beyond convenience.
Privacy Is Not a Convenience Issue
I understand the appeal of AI-generated session notes. Documentation takes time, and clinicians are often overwhelmed by administrative responsibilities. Saving a few minutes here and there may sound helpful.
But I am not willing to trade my clients’ privacy for convenience.
When an AI tool listens to a session, important questions arise. Where is that information stored? Who has access to the recordings, transcripts, or generated notes? Is the information retained, used to improve a product, shared with other service providers, or stored on third-party servers? What happens if there is a data breach? How long does sensitive information remain accessible, and can it ever truly be deleted?
The answers may vary depending on the platform, its policies, its security practices, and the agreements in place. Even when a company advertises strong security measures, clinicians must understand exactly what those protections mean in practice.
We should not assume that sensitive client information is safe simply because a technology is marketed as secure, HIPAA-compliant, or designed for healthcare. Compliance and security depend on the specific circumstances, safeguards, contracts, and actual use of the technology.
Our clients deserve more than vague assurances.
Consent Does Not Eliminate Every Concern
Some may argue that clients can simply consent to having AI in therapy sessions. But consent alone does not resolve every ethical concern, nor does it mean every clinician must be comfortable using these tools.
Clients may feel pressure to agree because they do not want to disappoint their therapist, disrupt treatment, or appear resistant to technology. Others may not fully understand where their information goes or how it is processed. And some may choose not to disclose deeply personal information if they know a recording or transcription tool is present.
Even with informed consent, I believe clinicians have a responsibility to consider whether introducing a third-party technology is necessary in the first place.
For me, it is not.
I do not want a recording or transcription system capturing the most vulnerable moments of my clients’ lives. I do not want sensitive conversations entrusted to an outside platform when there is another option: being present, listening carefully, and writing my own notes after the therapy session.
The Human Connection Matters More Than Automation
Therapy is not simply a conversation that needs to be summarized. It is a relationship built through presence, attunement, trust, and understanding.
Our work involves noticing what is said and what remains unspoken, recognizing emotional shifts, and understanding the context behind a client’s words. Documentation is important, but it is only one part of a much more complex therapeutic process.
I would rather spend a few minutes writing a note myself than introduce technology into a space where my clients should feel safe speaking freely.
The administrative burden on clinicians is real, and I do not dismiss it. We need better systems, reasonable documentation expectations, and meaningful support for mental health professionals. But reducing administrative workload should not automatically mean bringing more technology into confidential therapeutic encounters.
There is a difference between using technology to support our work and allowing technology to enter spaces where it may compromise the privacy and openness that make our work possible.
We Need to Ask Whether AI in Therapy Is Necessary at All
The conversation around AI often focuses on what it can do rather than whether it should be used in a particular setting.
Yes, AI can generate summaries. Yes, it can save time. Yes, it may help some clinicians manage their workload.
But capability does not equal necessity.
We should be asking whether the benefits truly outweigh the risks, whether clients understand the implications, whether less intrusive alternatives exist, and whether the same goal can be accomplished without exposing confidential conversations to an additional system.
For clinicians who choose to use AI in therapy, transparency, informed consent, appropriate safeguards, and a clear understanding of data handling are essential. For clinicians who choose not to use it, that decision should also be respected.
We should not have to justify protecting the privacy of the people who trust us with their most personal experiences.
My Position Is Simple
I will continue to prioritize my clients’ confidentiality, trust, and therapeutic relationship over the convenience of automated session notes.
I recognize that other clinicians may make different choices based on their circumstances, the tools they use, and the safeguards available to them. But for me, I do not want a third party—human or technological—listening in on my therapy sessions.
My clients come to therapy to be heard, not to become data.
They deserve a space where they can speak openly without wondering who or what else may be listening, where their words might be stored, or how their information might be used in the future.
Not every problem needs an AI solution. Not every conversation needs to be recorded. And not every efficiency is worth the potential cost to privacy and trust.
Sometimes, the most responsible thing we can do as clinicians is to keep the technology out of the room, remain fully present with our clients, and take the five minutes afterward to write the note ourselves.
Because the therapeutic relationship is worth protecting—and convenience should never be the default priority over confidentiality.
💙 Ready to begin your confidential healing journey?
At Sobair Mental Health, we believe therapy should be built on trust, confidentiality, and a safe space where you feel heard, respected, and supported.
Whether you’re looking for ongoing individual therapy or interested in the deeper, focused work of EMDR Intensives, your healing deserves a thoughtful, personalized approach that puts your needs first.
You deserve a space where you can show up authentically, explore difficult experiences, and work toward healing with confidence and support.
✨ Your healing matters. Your privacy matters. You matter.
Ready to take the next step? Contact Sobair Mental Health to schedule an appointment or inquire about EMDR Intensives.
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