How should a therapist ask a client for consent to use an AI scribe?

Ask before the first session, not in it, and make no an easy answer. One psychologist sends the consent form ahead, never records the first session, frames declining as their own preference so the client does not feel they are letting the therapist down, and lets clients switch it off at any time. About a third decline. In Colorado, written consent before AI records a session is now the law.

When should I ask?

Before you meet. Sending the form ahead gives the client time to think without you watching them decide. The same psychologist does not record the first session at all, so there is no pressure in the room. The cost is that the intake note gets no help from the tool, a trade they accept.

What should I say?

Go through the main points of the form in person and leave real time for questions. If you cannot answer one, say you will follow up, and treat consent as not given until you have. Then name the trade-off as your own: your first priority is that the client feels safe to talk, and you would rather not record if it gets in the way.

How do I know if a client is unsure?

Watch for hesitation, and when you see it, close the door yourself: "It sounds like you're not sure, so let's just not do it." Tell every client they can change their mind later, including halfway through a session.

Is consent required by law?

In some states, yes. Colorado's HB26-1195, signed on 3 June 2026 and in effect from 12 August 2026, requires a licensed mental health professional to disclose in advance and obtain written, informed consent when a session will be recorded or transcribed by AI. Arizona's behavioral health board requires informed consent to name any AI used to provide, record or document clinical services from 1 January 2027. Check your own board's rules. This is not legal advice.

The short version

Ask ahead, make declining easy, and let clients change their mind mid-session. In Colorado written consent before AI records a session is already required, and Arizona follows in January 2027. Solanto is being built for therapy practices to work recorded in the room or dictated after it, so a client who says no still gets a note.

Solanto has not shipped yet. The price is on the page rather than behind a call, and early access is open: solanto.ai/pricing

Send this to the colleague who says every one of their clients consents.