Compliance and documentation

6 of the best AI tools for therapy notes

Here’s what actually matters when taking stock of AI-notes software, plus a comparison of the leading tools.

August 21, 2026

By Kat Boogaard • Clinically reviewed by Alyssa Peechatka, Ph.D.

6 min read

By Kat Boogaard • Clinically reviewed by Alyssa Peechatka, Ph.D.

Do a quick search for “best AI for therapy notes” and you’ll find dozens of tools that claim to save you headaches, hassles, and hours on documentation.

It’s not all marketing fluff. AI-assisted notes really can save you a lot of stress and time — provided you find the right fit. But that’s where things get tricky. It’s tough to sort through all of the noise and options, particularly when you’re already feeling short on time.

This guide breaks down what actually matters when evaluating AI note-taking software and compares the leading tools so you can choose one that fits your practice (not the other way around).

Key insights

Not all AI note-taking tools are built the same. Weigh clinical accuracy, HIPAA compliance, EHR integration, cost, and caseload fit before choosing one.

Integrated platforms like Headway bundle AI-assisted notes with billing, credentialing, and scheduling at no extra cost, unlike most standalone tools.

What to look for in AI therapy note software

AI note assistants are all focused on the same task: automatically generating a note. But while they might do the same thing, they’re not all built the same. It’s worth evaluating a few important criteria before making your choice:

Note quality and clinical accuracy: Research and evaluate how well a tool handles your specific modality, whether it’s CBT, EMDR, or something else. Keep an eye out for imagined details or vague language that doesn’t reflect what actually happened in the session, and consider asking the vendor directly what clinical guardrails are in place and how they ensure the notes are high quality.
HIPAA compliance and data security: Confirm that the vendor is able to meet HIPAA compliance standards. Ask directly about audio retention, how long transcripts are stored, and where that data lives.
EHR and practice integration: Standalone tools often mean copying and pasting notes into your EHR by hand, which adds more manual work to your plate. Look for native integrations to remove that extra step.
Total cost: Standalone AI notetaking tools typically charge a separate monthly fee. Weigh that cost against platforms that bundle AI notes into your existing EHR at no extra charge.
Caseload fit: Some tools are built exclusively for individual talk therapy and don’t yet have the functionality to support couples, group, or family sessions. Make sure a tool currently covers the session types you run.

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The best AI tools for therapy notes

With those criteria in mind, here’s a closer look at how the leading tools compare.

1. Scribe from Headway: AI-assisted therapy notes inside a free, all-in-one practice platform

Headway is a free platform built specifically for insurance-based practices, and Scribe is its built-in AI note assistant. Rather than adding another subscription, Scribe comes bundled with the same free EHR that handles your credentialing, billing, scheduling, and telehealth, so you don’t need to manage or pay for a separate tool.

Scribe works two ways. You can write a brief session summary that Scribe can use to draft a full note, or, with the permission of you and your client, you can use it during a Headway Telehealth session so that Scribe can draft directly from the transcript.

Either option ends with a clawback-protected note so you can trust that your documentation is more consistent, more accurate, and more audit-ready.

Scribe’s highlights:

AI-assisted progress notes: Scribe automatically generates a draft note from a session summary or Headway Telehealth transcript. Currently, Scribe is focused on 1:1 progress notes for talk therapists — not intake or other note types.
Prioritizes the human touch: Providers always exercise their ability to review and edit notes at any point.
Built-in clawback protection: Using Headway's payer-compliant templates, Scribe drafts notes that are structured around what insurers actually look for in documentation.
Security and privacy from day one: Scribe is built with HIPAA- and SOC 2-compliance in mind and end-to-end encrypted, with one-time client consent required before transcription begins.
Free to join: You’ll find Scribe included with Headway's EHR at no extra cost, with no separate subscription required.

2. Freed

Freed is a general AI medical scribe that also supports mental health and psychiatry as two of several specialties it covers, alongside family medicine, internal medicine, and others. It captures live or telehealth audio and drafts notes, with specialty-specific templates and a Chrome extension that can push notes into browser-based EHRs.

Freed's highlights:

Broad specialty coverage: Supports mental health and psychiatry alongside many other specialties, which is useful for providers who work across disciplines.
EHR integration on top-tier plans: Pushes notes directly into your EHR with one click, but be aware this feature is reserved for Freed’s most expensive plan.

Freed's limitations:

Pricing scales with features: Entry-level plans cap the number of notes you can generate each month. You’ll need to move up the tier list to generate unlimited notes and access EHR push.
Not mental health-specific: Templates cover many specialties rather than being built exclusively with therapy documentation in mind.

3. Mentalyc

Mentalyc is built specifically for mental health documentation, generating SOAP, DAP, and other note formats from recordings, dictation, uploads, or typed summaries. It offers several individual tiers plus a team plan, with features like session analytics and treatment plan support layered in as you move up.

Mentalyc's highlights:

Deep format library: Higher tiers unlock 100 or more note formats, including BIRP, GIRP, PIE, and SIRP.
Built-in BAA: A consent form and business associate agreement are included — even on the entry-level plan.

Mentalyc's limitations:

Session-type support is tier-gated: Couples, family, and child therapy aren't available until you move up a couple of tiers. Group therapy requires the top individual plan.
Note volume is capped by plan: Lower tiers limit how many notes you can generate each month, with unlimited notes available only on the per-seat team plan.

4. Upheal

Upheal has a free plan that covers unlimited notes from typed or dictated summaries, plus HIPAA-compliant telehealth. However, it won't generate notes from your actual session audio until you upgrade. The paid plan unlocks that feature, along with more note formats, session analytics, and AI-generated treatment plans.

Upheal's highlights:

Free tier available: Unlimited notes from text or dictation, plus telehealth, at no cost.
Pay per session (with a ceiling): You're charged per session, but the total is capped at a flat monthly maximum. So, a busier month won't cost more past that designated point.

Upheal's limitations:

AI notes from audio require a paid plan: The free tier doesn't generate notes directly from session recordings.
No native EHR push: Notes are designed to be copied into your practice's EHR rather than synced automatically.

5. Autonotes

Autonotes generates notes from typed summaries, dictation, or uploaded recordings, with live in-person and virtual session capture available on its higher tier. According to Autonotes' own Trust Center, it signs a business associate agreement with every customer using protected health information within the app.

Autonotes' highlights:

Unlimited notes on every paid tier: Both paid plans include unlimited AI-generated notes.
BAA included: One of these is signed for any customer using PHI in the app.

Autonotes' limitations:

Live session recording requires a higher tier: The entry-level plan supports typed summaries, dictation, and uploads only. Live capture requires moving up a plan.
Fewer analytics and admin tools than some competitors: Advanced analytics and team tools are reserved for the enterprise tier.

6. TheraPro

TheraPro offers a free tier with limited ambient session listening, plus paid tiers that expand session length, volume, and features like diagnostic assistance and treatment planning. A HIPAA business associate agreement is included as part of the standard sign-up process, and TheraPro maintains zero-data-retention agreements with its AI model providers.

TheraPro's highlights:

Functional free tier: Includes a handful of full and typed sessions each week, with ambient listening included.
BAA included by default: This is standard for all therapist sign-ups.

TheraPro's limitations:

Session and note caps on lower tiers: Entry-level plans limit weekly session counts. Only the top tier offers unlimited sessions and length.
SOC 2 certification is still pending: As of the date of this publication, TheraPro's site notes that SOC 2 certification is "coming.” It isn't completed yet, unlike some competitors that already hold it.

What is the difference between AI notes in an EHR vs. a standalone tool?

Beyond specific pros and cons, there’s one bigger decision that impacts your choice: whether your AI note assistant lives inside your EHR or is entirely separate from it.

Standalone AI scribes generate a note, then leave you to copy and paste it into your EHR by hand. Integrated platforms skip that step entirely. Headway's EHR, for example, builds Scribe directly into the same system that already handles your scheduling, billing, and credentialing, so notes always land where you need them (without any extra clicks or data entry).

If you’re using Scribe on Headway, a few other things work in your favor, too:

It's powerful. Headway leverages AI for administrative details and functionality. This allows us to evolve our note templates and capabilities while keeping costs down. Those savings are then passed back to you in the form of higher rates, with guaranteed biweekly payment and clawback protection.
It's effective. Scribe also isn't AI-first for its own sake: Headway’s clinical team helped shape this tool to serve real providers' needs, because a note-taking tool without clinical context can only take you so far.
It's free. Where other companies require contracts and subscriptions, Headway is available at no cost to you or your patients.

How to introduce AI note-taking to your clients

Choosing the right tool is important — but you also need to figure out how to address it with your clients. Your clients may need to consent to AI-assisted transcription, and they’re likely more inclined to do so when they understand (and trust) the process.

Explain the benefits to them, not just for you. With an AI note assistant, you’re able to be more present during their session without the distraction of constant typing and documenting. You can also remind your client that the note is always reviewed and finalized by you.

Many written consent forms spell out what’s being recorded or summarized, how long the data is kept, and how a client can revoke consent later. Headway makes this easy with an AI transcription client consent form located in your Form Library.

Frequently asked questions about AI for therapy notes

Is AI for therapy notes HIPAA-compliant?

It depends on the tool — it’s not a given across the board. Headway's EHR is built with compliance in mind, with insurance-ready templates and AI-assisted notes that protect you from clawbacks while still keeping you in full clinical control.

Can AI therapy notes be used for insurance claims?

Yes. Insurers require progress notes as part of a claim, so accuracy and proper formatting really matter. Headway's templates are structured to meet payer documentation standards from the start, which helps notes hold up if a claim gets flagged or audited.

Do I need client consent to use AI note-taking?

It depends. In many cases, yes, especially if a tool records or transcribes live audio. Requirements vary by tool and by state, so check both. With Headway's Scribe, consent only needs to be collected once per client, either through a form sent in advance or live during a telehealth session.

Will Scribe replace me as the note-writer?

No. Scribe drafts a note for your review, not a final version to submit as-is. You still need to check it for accuracy, add your clinical judgment, and sign off before it becomes part of the record. AI supports your human expertise and judgment — it doesn’t replace it.

Can I use AI notes for couples, families, or groups?

Not with every tool, so check before you commit. Scribe, for example, only supports 1:1 progress notes for talk therapists. Other software types support these session types at higher tiers while some are currently built for one-on-one sessions only. If group work is a regular part of your caseload, our group therapy progress note guide covers the documentation standards you need to know.

Headway’s AI session notes streamline care

The right AI note-taking tool should save you time without adding new problems to manage. Scribe handles that by working inside Headway's free EHR. It drafts clawback-protected notes from a session summary or a Headway telehealth transcript. Your clinical review is the final step. There’s no extra subscription, no extra login, and no extra software to learn.

Documentation will never be anyone's favorite part of the job. But with the right tool, it doesn't have to compete with the parts you’re ardently passionate about.

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This content is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute clinical, legal, financial, or professional advice. All decisions should be made at the discretion of the individual or organization, in consultation with qualified clinical, legal, or other appropriate professionals.

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