AI by industry · Therapy practices
AI receptionist for therapy practices
An AI receptionist for a therapy practice can answer calls while you are in session, share your openings and approach, and book a consultation call. It must not respond to a crisis. If a caller sounds in danger, it should give crisis resources, such as 988 in the US, and alert you or your on-call plan.
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.
You cannot answer in session
Therapists are unavailable by design. An inquiry that reaches voicemail is easy to lose.
A gentle automated answer that collects a name, a number and a best time to call gets the thread started.
Crisis is not a booking
Callers sometimes reach out in distress. The assistant should recognize that, avoid trying to counsel, give crisis resources and notify you. Plan this carefully with your own on-call arrangements.
The way the phone is answered sets the tone. The assistant’s wording should be calm and plain, like a good front desk person, without trying to sound clinical. You write the script, and it follows it.
Picture this
Examples of what it can look like. Illustrations, not clients.
A caller asks whether you work with adolescents. The assistant explains your age range and offers a consultation time.
An existing client calls to cancel. The assistant records it, applies your cancellation policy wording, and tells you.
A caller says they are thinking of hurting themselves. The assistant gives crisis resources and alerts you immediately.
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”
“other than a call made for emergency purposes or made with the prior express consent of the called party”
Sources
- 47 U.S.C. § 227 (TCPA): Consent rules for automated calls, prerecorded voices and texts.
- 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
Should I tell callers it is AI?
Yes. Clients value honesty, and it fits therapy’s spirit.
Does it hold client information?
Only what it needs, such as a name and contact. Review the storage and privacy setup before launch.
Can it answer questions about my fees?
It can share the fees and policies you wrote, and pass anything unusual to you.
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