AI by industry · Health and wellness
AI for therapy practices: what to automate first
A therapy practice should use AI for the business side and keep it away from the therapy itself. Good first uses are answering new inquiries, scheduling, intake paperwork and appointment reminders. Session content, clinical notes and crisis contact need a human and strict confidentiality. Start with the inquiry that goes unanswered for days.
Talk through your practice with the person who builds it
A free 30-minute call. You leave knowing which part of your therapy practice to hand to AI first, what we would build, and roughly how long it takes.
Pick what you want AI to take off your plate
The inquiry is fragile
Someone looking for a therapist has often worked up the nerve for days. If the first message sits unanswered, they try the next name on the list. Many solo therapists see clients all day and reply at night.
A warm, quick first reply is the biggest business gain available.
A firm line around the work
Confidentiality is central to therapy. Be careful about any tool that sees session content, and check your licensing board’s guidance and privacy rules before using one with client information.
Crisis messages should never be answered by AI. They go to a person and to crisis resources such as 988 in the US.
Picture this
Examples of what it can look like. Illustrations, not clients.
A prospective client fills out the contact form at 11 PM. By morning they have a kind reply with your openings and how a first call works.
A client with a standing Tuesday session gets a reminder the day before, with an easy way to reschedule.
New client forms arrive by secure link before the first session, so the hour is spent on the person.
The rules that apply, in their own words
“A covered entity or business associate may not use or disclose protected health information, except as permitted or required by this subpart”
Sources
- 45 CFR § 164.502 (HIPAA Privacy Rule): When patient information may be used or shared, including by vendors.
- NIST AI Risk Management Framework: The U.S. standards body’s framework for using AI responsibly.
- 15 U.S.C. § 45 (FTC Act, Section 5): The federal ban on unfair or deceptive business practices, ads included.
Talk through your practice with the person who builds it
A free 30-minute call. You leave knowing which part of your therapy practice to hand to AI first, what we would build, and roughly how long it takes.
Questions
Can AI write my session notes?
This is a sensitive area. Check your board’s guidance and privacy rules, get client consent where needed, and review everything yourself.
Is it okay to use AI with client information?
Only with tools set up with confidentiality in mind. Ask exactly what is stored and who can see it.
Where does Westward fit?
We build business tools around your practice. We work in person across Los Angeles and Orange County and remote across the US.
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