What are the best AI tools for therapists?
Quick Answer
Reframe Practice drafts worksheets and notes from typed descriptions. Mentalyc and Upheal support both recording and typed-input workflows. Quill and Supanote also support text-based note drafting. Review each tool’s current privacy and access details before choosing. For an AI assistant that pairs notes with outcome measures, Blueprint covers both. Match the tool to your biggest workflow bottleneck: documentation, session prep, or outcome tracking.
Why Trust This Guide
This comparison is organized by workflow problem, not AI hype
Every AI tool for therapists claims to save time and protect privacy. The useful question is more specific: what part of your week does it actually improve, what does it need from you (audio, text, or a clinical description), and can you verify its privacy claims? This page uses that framework.
Documentation Time
10+ min saved per session
A 2024 study in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found AI-assisted documentation reduced clinician note-writing time by 50% or more, saving 10 to 15 minutes per session across behavioral health settings.
Clinician Attitudes
72% open to AI documentation
The APA 2024 Practitioner Survey reported that 72% of psychologists expressed openness to AI-assisted administrative tools, while maintaining strong boundaries around clinical decision-making.
Privacy Architecture
Separate data paths
Clinical generation passes through Reframe and Google Vertex AI without saving clinical text in the main Reframe database. Browser saving, account and usage records, and optional encrypted shares are separate. Provider retention depends on terms and settings; see /security. Browser inspection cannot prove server retention or deletion.
Sources And Method
Recording, dictation and typed-summary options checked September 15, 2026.
The no-recording note workflow, checked September 15, 2026.
Peer-reviewed research on AI-assisted clinical documentation and time savings in mental health settings.
Annual survey data on psychologist attitudes toward AI tools in clinical practice.
HHS guidance on Business Associate Agreement requirements when AI vendors process PHI.
Vendor features and pricing change. Treat this page as a selection framework, then confirm current details directly with each vendor.
AI Tools Cluster
Use this page as the starting point for choosing AI tools
Start here for the full landscape. Then use the supporting pages below for specific comparisons, tool deep dives, and worksheet-specific generators.
Full Landscape
Best Therapy Aid Tools
All therapy tools compared, not just AI-powered ones.
Worksheets
Best Worksheet Generators
Worksheet-specific tools compared for personalization and clinical depth.
Privacy
Security and Zero Retention
How zero-retention architecture works and why it matters for therapists.
The AI tools landscape for therapists has expanded quickly. Two years ago, you had a handful of note generators. Now there are dedicated tools for worksheets, session recording, outcome tracking, and client-facing support. The problem is no longer finding an AI tool. The problem is finding the right one for how you actually practice.
This guide compares 8 tools across the categories therapists actually shop in 2026: AI scribes that record and transcribe sessions (Mentalyc, Freed, Heidi Health), text-based note workflows (Reframe, Quill, Supanote, Mentalyc and Upheal), an AI worksheet generator (Reframe Practice), and platforms that fold notes into telehealth or outcome measurement (Upheal, Blueprint). All eight are clinician-facing tools that handle PHI, which means every one of them needs the same scrutiny: a BAA, a clear retention policy, and privacy claims you can verify.
Pricing, compliance language, and features change. Use this page to narrow down by workflow problem first, then verify current details on each vendor's site before purchasing.
Reframe Practice
AI Worksheet Generator, Progress Notes, Session Prep, and Thinking Partner
Built by a Registered Psychotherapist who got tired of spending 30 minutes creating worksheets that clients used for 5 minutes. Reframe Practice generates personalized therapeutic materials from clinical descriptions. Describe your client the way you would in supervision, and the tool builds a custom worksheet in about 30 seconds. Not a template you download. A worksheet built from your client's language, presenting concerns, and therapeutic goals.
The platform includes six progress note formats (SOAP, DAP, BIRP, GIRP, PIRP, Narrative), a session prep tool, and a clinical thinking partner for when you need to talk through a case. Clinical generation passes through Reframe servers and Google Vertex AI without saving clinical text in the main Reframe database. Browser-saved work, account and usage records, and optional encrypted worksheet shares have separate storage rules. Provider retention depends on service terms and configuration. See security and sharing details.
Why it's first on this list
Most AI tools for therapists focus on one job: notes. Reframe Practice is the only tool here that generates personalized worksheets using your client's actual words and metaphors. A worksheet for a teenager processing family conflict looks different from one for a veteran working through moral injury. Templates cannot make that distinction. Review the generation, storage and sharing details at /security before choosing a workflow.
What works well
Describe your client like you're in supervision. Get a personalized worksheet in 30 seconds. CBT, DBT, ACT, IFS, psychodynamic, and more.
Progress-note drafts in 6 formats. A free account includes 20 notes per rolling 30 days.
Session prep and thinking partner for complex cases when you need a sounding board.
Browser-saved work stays on your device. Review separate provider and encrypted-sharing details at /security.
What to know
Not an EHR. Works alongside SimplePractice, TherapyNotes, or whatever you use for billing and scheduling.
AI generates a starting point. You review, edit, and apply clinical judgment before sharing anything with clients.
No session recording. Input is text-based clinical descriptions, not audio. If you want a scribe that listens, look at Mentalyc, Freed, or Heidi below.
Free notes are metered: 20 a month with a free account, 10 without one. Unlimited requires Pro.
Related Pages
See how Reframe Practice compares to specific alternatives: vs. Mentalyc, vs. Upheal, vs. Quill. Or explore specific tools: Progress Notes, SOAP Note Generator.
Mentalyc
mentalyc.comMentalyc generates note drafts from session recordings, uploaded audio, dictated recaps or typed summaries. Recording is optional. Review the output and the settings for your chosen workflow.
What works well
Record a session, dictate a recap or type a summary, then review the generated draft.
BAA available. Published compliance policies for HIPAA-covered practices.
Multiple note formats (SOAP, DAP, and others) tailored to behavioral health.
Designed specifically for therapists, not adapted from a medical scribe product.
What to know
Recording sessions requires explicit informed consent from clients. Have a clear consent process.
Audio quality matters. Background noise or poor microphone placement affects transcription accuracy.
Review storage and deletion settings for your chosen input method before entering PHI.
Upheal
upheal.ioUpheal offers integrated telehealth and AI note drafting. It also generates full notes from written observations or dictated summaries, so recording a session or using its video platform is not required for that workflow.
What works well
Integrated telehealth and AI documentation in one platform. No separate recording tools.
Session insights and outcome tracking provide longitudinal data across sessions.
Built for therapy workflows, including couple and group session support.
Provides analytics on session patterns that can inform treatment planning.
What to know
Input methods have different setup and review requirements; choose the workflow before comparing plans.
Check retention and consent requirements for the input method you choose.
Feature depth means a steeper learning curve compared to simpler note-only tools.
Quill takes a text-input approach to AI note generation. Instead of recording sessions, you type or paste your session notes and Quill structures them into clinical formats. The interface is clean, the output is well-organized, and the tool stays focused on one thing: turning your unstructured notes into properly formatted clinical documentation. If you do not want to record sessions but still want AI-assisted documentation, Quill is the most straightforward option.
What works well
Text-based input means no recording, no consent forms for audio, no storage of session recordings.
Multiple note formats: SOAP, DAP, BIRP, and custom templates.
BAA available. Published HIPAA compliance documentation.
Clean, focused interface. Does one thing and does it well.
What to know
The free trial is capped at five notes, five treatment plans, and five templates. Enough to evaluate, not to run on.
Text input means you are still writing something after the session. Faster than a full note, but not hands-free.
Notes, treatment plans, and documentation templates only. No worksheet generation or session prep.
Supanote
supanote.aiSupanote is an AI scribe and documentation assistant that produces first-draft therapy notes from your input: record the session, dictate afterward, or type a summary. Supanote generates a structured note you review and finalize. The focus is speed: get a usable draft in minutes rather than writing from scratch. It integrates with common EHRs like SimplePractice and TherapyNotes, and for therapists who dread the post-session note pile, it delivers on the time-saver promise.
What works well
Fast first-draft notes that cut documentation time significantly.
Flexible input: record, dictate, or type. Straightforward review-and-finalize workflow.
BAA included from the Starter tier. HIPAA and PHIPA compliance published.
What to know
Note quality depends on the detail of your input. Sparse descriptions produce generic notes.
Recording modes carry the same client consent and audio storage questions as any AI scribe.
Focused on notes. Does not offer worksheets, session prep, or other clinical tools.
Freed
getfreed.aiFreed started as an AI medical scribe for physicians and has built out behavioral health documentation, with psychiatry and mental health listed among its supported specialties and specialty-specific templates for each. The tool uses audio-based note generation: it listens to your session (or you dictate after), then produces structured notes. Because it originated in medical settings, Freed is familiar to clinicians who have used physician-oriented scribe tools, and it states that it does not store patient recordings.
What works well
Audio-based workflow is familiar to clinicians who have used medical scribes.
Strong documentation infrastructure built from physician use cases. HIPAA, HITECH, and SOC 2 certified.
Specialty-specific templates for psychiatry and mental and behavioral health.
What to know
Built for medicine first. Defaults and terminology can lean medical rather than behavioral health.
Unlimited notes require the $79/mo Core plan. The $39/mo Starter caps at 40 notes a month.
Audio recording requires client consent and raises the same considerations as Mentalyc and Upheal.
Blueprint
blueprint.aiBlueprint began as a measurement-based care platform and has since repositioned as a broad AI assistant for therapists. It now converts session recordings into progress notes, drafts treatment plans, helps with session prep, and still carries its original strength: outcome tracking with validated assessments. It runs either alongside your existing EHR or as an all-in-one EHR with the AI built throughout. If you want notes and outcome data from the same tool, Blueprint is the one platform on this list that does both natively.
What works well
AI notes plus measurement-based care in one platform: validated assessments, scoring, and outcome visualization.
Works alongside your existing EHR or as a full all-in-one EHR.
Per-session pricing with a monthly cap, so light caseloads pay less.
BAA available. HIPAA, PHIPA, and SOC 2 compliance published, with automatic audio deletion after transcription.
What to know
Recording-first workflow. The same client consent and audio questions as other scribes apply.
The all-in-one EHR path means migrating your practice management, which is a bigger commitment than adding a note tool.
Outcome tracking requires client participation in regular assessments. Some clients find repeated questionnaires burdensome.
Heidi Health
heidihealth.comHeidi Health is one of the most widely adopted AI medical scribes, and it lists mental health among its supported specialties. It transcribes your session or dictation and produces structured notes and clinical documents. What earns it a place on this list is the free tier: Heidi maintains an ongoing free plan, which makes it the lowest-risk way to find out whether an AI scribe workflow fits your practice before you pay any tool a monthly fee.
What works well
Ongoing free tier. Trial the scribe workflow on fictional scenarios without entering a card.
Mental health is a named specialty with tailored templates, alongside medicine and allied health.
HIPAA compliance documentation published, with a public trust center for security details.
What to know
Built for all of healthcare, not therapy specifically. Behavioral health depth trails therapy-native tools like Mentalyc.
Paid Clinician and Teams prices are not published on the pricing page. You see them at signup.
Recording workflow carries the same client consent and audio storage questions as every AI scribe.
You're skeptical about AI in therapy. Good.
You should be skeptical. Therapists are trained to protect client welfare, maintain boundaries, and exercise clinical judgment. When a new technology promises to change your practice, the right response is to interrogate it, not adopt it uncritically.
Here are the concerns worth taking seriously:
Privacy. Where does client data go? How long is it stored? Who can access it? "We take privacy seriously" is marketing. Published data handling policies, BAAs, and verifiable architecture are evidence.
Clinical accuracy. AI generates plausible text, not clinically validated text. Every output requires your review. Any tool that suggests otherwise is misrepresenting the technology.
Dependency. If a tool goes offline, raises prices, or changes policies, can you still practice? AI tools should reduce friction, not create dependency.
Informed consent. Your clients deserve to know if AI is involved in their care, even for administrative tasks like note generation. Build this into your consent process.
The best AI tools for therapists are assistants, not replacements. They draft notes you finalize. They generate worksheets you review. They suggest structures you modify. None of them conduct therapy, form relationships, or replace the clinical judgment you spent years developing. The ones worth using make the administrative parts of practice faster so you can focus on the clinical parts.
Clinician-facing vs. client-facing: why the distinction matters
All eight tools on this list are clinician-facing: you use them to create documentation, generate materials, or track outcomes. Client-facing AI (a chatbot your client uses directly between sessions) is a separate category with a different compliance framework, and it is a category that thinned out sharply in 2025. This distinction affects everything from BAA requirements to how you evaluate a tool.
Clinician-facing tools
Handle PHI directly. Require BAAs. You control the input and review the output. Examples: Reframe Practice, Mentalyc, Quill, Upheal, Supanote, Freed, Blueprint, Heidi Health.
Your responsibility: verify compliance, review all AI output, maintain informed consent about AI use in documentation.
Client-facing tools
Client interacts directly with the AI. Different compliance framework. You may have limited visibility into the interaction.
Your responsibility: vet the tool clinically, recommend appropriately based on client presentation, set expectations about what the tool can and cannot do.
What happened to Woebot?
Woebot, the best-known client-facing CBT chatbot and a former entry on this list, retired its consumer app on June 30, 2025. The company shifted to enterprise partnerships with payers and health systems, so it is no longer something you can recommend an individual client download. If you are considering any client-facing AI tool, vet the research, the crisis protocols, and the data practices yourself before recommending it. The bar should be high.
How to pick the right AI tool for your therapy practice
The best AI tools for therapists are not the ones with the longest feature list. They are the ones that fix your specific bottleneck. Start with the problem, not the tool. What is eating your time right now?
You spend too long creating session materials
Reframe Practice. Generates personalized worksheets and session prep from your clinical descriptions. The only tool here that creates client-facing therapeutic content, not just notes.
You want AI-generated notes from session recordings
Mentalyc or Upheal. Both record, transcribe, and generate structured notes. Upheal adds integrated telehealth. Mentalyc is more focused on documentation only.
You want AI notes without recording sessions
Reframe, Quill, Supanote, Mentalyc and Upheal all offer typed-input workflows. Compare review effort and data handling. Reframe includes 20 notes per rolling 30 days with a free account.
You need outcome tracking and measurement-based care
Blueprint. It pairs AI-generated notes with validated outcome measures, so practices that want longitudinal data on treatment effectiveness do not need a second tool for it.
You want to try an AI scribe before paying for one
Heidi Health. The ongoing free tier lets you test the record-and-transcribe workflow on fictional scenarios without entering a card.
You are coming from a medical scribe background
Freed. Audio-based documentation with a workflow familiar to clinicians who have used physician scribes, plus behavioral health templates.
Before committing to any AI tool:
Verify the BAA. If the tool handles PHI and does not offer a Business Associate Agreement, stop there.
Understand data retention. How long does the tool keep your inputs? Can you delete data? Is deletion verifiable?
Test with non-clinical data first. Use fictional scenarios to evaluate output quality before entering real client information.
Update your informed consent. Clients should know if AI is involved in their documentation or care, even indirectly.
Check the real monthly cost. Some tools charge per session, per clinician, or per feature. Calculate your actual cost based on your caseload.
Best AI tools for therapists: feature comparison table
| Tool | Input Method | Note Formats | Privacy/BAA | Pricing | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reframe Practice | Text (clinical description) | SOAP, DAP, BIRP, GIRP, PIRP, Narrative | See security and sharing details | Free account: 20 notes/30 days. Pro USD 29/mo | Worksheets + notes |
| Mentalyc | Recording, dictation or typed summary | SOAP, DAP, custom | BAA available | From $19.99/mo | Recorded session notes |
| Upheal | Recording, dictation or written observations | Multiple formats | Published policies | Free plan. $1/session, $69/mo cap | Telehealth + notes |
| Quill | Text (typed notes) | SOAP, DAP, BIRP, custom | BAA available | $20/mo unlimited | Text-based notes |
| Supanote | Audio or text | Multiple formats | BAA included | From $19.99/mo | Fast first drafts |
| Freed | Audio (dictation/recording) | Medical + behavioral health | BAA (org-wide on groups) | From $39/mo | Medical scribe workflow |
| Blueprint | Audio + assessments | AI notes + outcome reports | BAA available | $0.99/session, $69/seat cap | Notes + outcome tracking |
| Heidi Health | Audio (dictation/recording) | Medical + mental health | HIPAA published | Free tier. Paid at signup | Free scribe trial |
Beyond the session
AI helps with the business side of practice too
Every tool above works on clinical documentation. Three free tools we built cover the parts of practice that happen outside the session. Notes and billing are connected: whatever tool drafts your note, the note still has to support the CPT code you bill.
Free Tool
Therapist Website Grader
Letter-grades your practice website across 9 checks in about a minute.
Free Tool
Psychology Today Profile Checker
Checks your profile against the fields and character limits that matter.
Reference
CPT Codes for Therapists
Plain-English lookup for the codes your AI-drafted notes need to support.
Tired of comparing? Try the one we built.
Reframe is the AI worksheet and progress notes platform built for therapists. Review the data paths at /security. Twenty free progress notes per rolling 30 days with an account.
Try Reframe FreeFrequently asked questions about AI tools for therapists
What are the best AI tools for therapists?
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Reframe Practice drafts worksheets and notes from typed descriptions. Mentalyc and Upheal support both recording and typed-input workflows. Quill and Supanote also support text-based note drafting. Review each tool’s current privacy and access details before choosing. For an AI assistant that pairs notes with outcome measures, Blueprint covers both. Match the tool to your biggest workflow bottleneck: documentation, session prep, or outcome tracking.
Are AI therapy tools HIPAA compliant?
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HIPAA compliance depends on applicable agreements, provider configuration and practice safeguards. A retention claim alone is insufficient. Review how each vendor handles clinical text, provider processing, account records and optional sharing. See /security for Reframe’s data paths and agreement requirements.
Can AI replace therapists?
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No. AI tools for therapists handle administrative and documentation tasks. They do not conduct therapy, form therapeutic relationships, or exercise clinical judgment. The best AI tools reduce time spent on notes, worksheets, and session prep so you can spend more time on the actual clinical work. Any tool claiming to replace a therapist is misrepresenting what the technology can do.
Are AI note generators better than writing notes manually?
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AI note generators produce first drafts faster than writing from scratch. Most therapists report saving 5 to 15 minutes per session on documentation. The key is that AI generates a starting point you review, edit, and finalize. You still apply clinical judgment to every note. The time savings compound across a full caseload.
What are the privacy concerns with AI therapy tools?
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The main concerns are data retention, third-party access, and model training. Some AI tools store session data on servers for days or weeks. Others use your inputs to train their models. Look for tools that publish clear data handling policies, offer BAAs, and explain their retention architecture. Retention claims need a defined scope, including provider processing, logs and optional sharing. Tools that record sessions raise additional consent and storage questions you need to address with clients.
What is zero-retention architecture?
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Clinical generation passes through Reframe servers and Google Vertex AI without saving clinical text in the main Reframe database. Browser-saved work, account and usage records, and optional encrypted worksheet shares have separate storage rules. Provider retention depends on service terms and configuration. See /security for details.
Should I use AI to record therapy sessions?
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Recording sessions for AI note generation requires informed client consent, secure storage, and a clear retention policy. Some therapists find it valuable for accurate documentation. Others prefer text-based input to avoid the consent and storage complexity. Consider your practice setting, client population, and comfort level. If you record, confirm the tool's BAA covers audio data and understand exactly where recordings are stored and for how long.
Do AI tools work for different therapy modalities?
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Most AI note generators produce structured formats (SOAP, DAP, BIRP) that work across modalities. For modality-specific materials, Reframe Practice generates worksheets tailored to CBT, DBT, ACT, IFS, psychodynamic, and other approaches based on your clinical description. The key is whether the tool understands your modality's language and framework or just produces generic output.
How are therapists actually using AI in their practice?
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The best AI tools for therapists each target one bottleneck rather than trying to do everything. The most common uses are progress note drafting, worksheet creation, session prep, and AI scribes that transcribe sessions. Therapists spend an average of 10 to 15 minutes per session on documentation. AI tools target that bottleneck. Clinicians use note generators after sessions and worksheet tools before sessions. Client-facing chatbots thinned out after Woebot retired its consumer app in June 2025, so vet any client-facing tool carefully before recommending it.
Which AI tools work best for group practices versus solo practitioners?
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Solo practitioners benefit most from tools that save time on individual tasks: note drafting, worksheet creation, session prep. Group practices need to consider team management, consistent documentation standards, and shared access. Blueprint offers practice-wide outcome tracking. Upheal includes integrated telehealth for multi-clinician practices. For solo therapists, Reframe Practice and Quill provide fast, individual-focused workflows without enterprise overhead.
The bottom line
There is no single best AI tool for therapists. There is the right one for your specific bottleneck.
If you spend too long building session materials and want personalized content, Reframe Practice generates worksheets from your clinical descriptions with browser-based saving and optional encrypted sharing. If your evenings disappear into progress notes, Mentalyc, Quill, or Supanote draft documentation you finalize. If you want notes and outcome data from one platform, Blueprint pairs AI documentation with validated outcome measures.
The best AI tools for therapists earn their place by changing your week, not by having the longest feature list. Pick the tool that solves your biggest time problem. Test it with fictional scenarios first. Verify the privacy claims. Then see if it actually changes your week.
Related guides
Guide
Best Therapy Aid Tools for 2026
All therapy tools compared, including non-AI options
Guide
Best Worksheet Generators for Therapists
Worksheet-specific tools compared for personalization and clinical depth
Guide
Therapist Documentation Time
Where the hours go and how to reclaim them
Guide
AI for Therapists: A Clinician's Guide
Liability, privacy, and choosing tools that understand clinical work
References & Further Reading
Government health agencies, professional associations, and peer-reviewed sources supporting the guidance on this page.
- APA Practice Central, professional association practice management resources.
- NASW practice management, professional association practice management standards.
- NIMH on psychotherapies, government clinical guidance.