How Therapists (Including Us) Are Using AI—And What It Means for Your Care

In our last blog, we explored how clients are increasingly turning to AI tools like ChatGPT for reflection and emotional support between sessions. But AI isn’t just showing up in the client experience—it’s also becoming a tool for therapists.

At our clinic, we’ve begun using AI in intentional, limited ways—not to replace human care, but to preserve and enhance it. And we’ve taken a clear stance: AI will never replace the relational, attuned, human-centered work that defines therapy. But it can help behind the scenes—not by doing the therapy, but by giving your therapist more presence and capacity within it.

🛠️ How We’re Using AI at Our Clinic

We use one AI tool, and one only: Jane’s AI Scribe, an integrated feature within the secure Jane App platform we already use.

AI Scribe is used strictly for clinical documentation, in one of two ways:

1. Session transcription (with client consent): The session is recorded within your chart, and Jane’s AI Scribe converts that recording into a draft of clinical notes (not a transcript of the session). The recording is automatically and permanently deleted from Jane’s servers after the draft is complete.

2. Post-session dictation: Therapists may dictate their notes after a session, and AI Scribe helps convert it into a draft. In this case, no recordings are taken during the therapy session.

   
   

In both cases:

• It doesn’t analyze, diagnose, or interpret—it simply helps organize what happened in a session into bullet point notes required for clinical documentation.

• The therapist is always in control. Every note is reviewed, edited, and finalized by the clinician—not by a machine.

• It is not used for clinical decision-making, symptom tracking or treatment planning - that's something only you and your therapist can do together.

We do not use AI for any part of the therapy process itself—and we have no plans to expand its use without thoughtful review and full transparency.

💡 Why We are Choosing to use AI

For therapists, documentation is a required and essential part of ethical practice—but it can be time-consuming, especially with full caseloads. By supporting the logistical side of our work, AI Scribe allows us to:

• Be more present in session. Without needing to jot down every detail, we can stay grounded, attuned, and focused on you.

• Reduce after-hours work. Less time spent writing notes late at night helps prevent burnout and sustains our capacity to offer quality care.

• Improve clarity and continuity. A quick first draft of a session note supports consistency in long-term work—especially when revisiting important themes.

Used this way, AI isn’t part of the therapy—it simply helps clear some of the administrative noise around it.

🔐 A Note on Privacy and Security

Jane’s AI Scribe is HIPAA, PIPEDA, and PHIPA compliant. Your personal information is:

• Never shared without your explicit consent

• Never used to train Jane’s AI models

• Always private to our practice

Jane's AI processing involves a trusted, compliant third-party vendor, and the data is processed in the U.S. to enable this functionality. That said, your clinical chart is saved on Jane's servers which are located in Canada, and no session recordings are ever stored in your chart or on the servers.

We take your privacy seriously, and this feature was chosen precisely because of its strong alignment with Canadian privacy laws and clinical ethics.

🧠 What Other Clinics Are Exploring

While our clinic is keeping things minimal and client-led, other clinics and tech platforms are experimenting with more integrative uses of AI. These include:

• Session analysis tools: Designed to identify emotional patterns or themes across sessions (under therapist oversight).

• Training simulations: AI is being used to support therapist development by simulating client interactions.

• AI-guided journaling and skill-building: Some programs offer between-session CBT prompts or reflection tools for clients.

• Creative interventions: In experimental use, AI is being used to suggest art or writing prompts for trauma processing.

These tools are still emerging, and while some may show promise, they must be used cautiously. AI cannot—and should not—replace the depth, nuance, or ethical responsibility of the therapist-client relationship.

⚖️ What the BCACC Says

In 2025, the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) became the first regulatory body in Canada to release ethical guidelines on AI in clinical practice. Their recommendations closely reflect our clinic’s approach:

• Informed consent: Clients must fully understand when and how AI is being used.

• Human-led care: AI may support administrative tasks but must never replace the therapist’s judgment or role.

• Privacy and security: Only encrypted, compliant tools should be used.

• Bias and equity awareness: Clinicians must be mindful of how AI systems may reflect systemic biases.

We’re proud that our use of AI already aligns with these best practices—and we’re committed to continued learning as this technology evolves.

🚫 What AI Can’t—and Shouldn’t—Do

Even as AI tools become more sophisticated, there are fundamental aspects of therapy they can’t replicate:

• They can’t co-regulate your nervous system.

• They can’t notice subtle shifts in tone, posture, or energy.

• They can’t help reprocess trauma with care, containment, and pacing.

• They can’t offer attuned presence or a healing relationship.

Therapy is not just about the words exchanged—it’s about being witnessed, felt, and supported by another human being.

💬 A Grounded, Human-Centered Approach

We see AI as a quiet support tool—not a therapist. If it helps us be more present and reduces paperwork, that’s a meaningful improvement. But we will never let it come between the attunement, safety, and relational depth that your healing deserves.

If you ever have questions or concerns about how AI is used in your care, we encourage you to ask. Transparency, consent, and collaboration are foundational to how we work.

Technology may evolve—but the heart of healing will always be found in human connection.

Written by ChatGPT & Shivani Wells-Shaw, MA, RCC, Clinical Director of Shivani Wells Therapy Group