Should a therapy practice tell clients it does not use AI?

Some already do, and it is working as a selling point. The founder of a psychology group put a zero-AI policy at the front of the practice's client FAQ: no AI scribes, no session summaries, no recording. The reason given was trust, not fear of technology. For most practices the better question is not whether to refuse AI, but whether you can promise clients that nothing leaves the room.

Why would no AI attract clients?

Because clients have read the same stories you have. NPR reported this year on a patient who discovered afterwards that her sessions had been recorded by an AI note tool without her consent, and on therapists who worry that the mere presence of the tool changes what people say.

A practice that answers that worry before the client asks looks like it takes privacy seriously. Because it does.

What exactly are clients worried about?

Being recorded. Data breaches. Technology companies moving into mental health quickly. And one worry the founder named directly: people at the client's insurance company reading private session notes.

Is there a middle ground?

Yes, and it is narrower than it looks. The promise clients want is about where their words go. A practice can use a note tool and still honestly say nothing leaves the room, but only if the tool actually works that way. If it sends audio to a server, do not make the promise.

What should I put in my client FAQ?

Say what you use, whether it records, where the recording or note is kept, for how long, and how a client opts out. Be exact. Vague reassurance reads worse than a plain yes, we use one, and here is how it works.

The short version

A no-AI policy can win clients because it answers the question they are already asking: where do my words go. You can answer it without banning the tools, if the tool keeps the note on the device. Solanto's Private Mode is being built to do that for therapy practices, alongside a Cloud mode for practices that want one.

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

Read your own client FAQ tonight. Could a client tell from it whether anyone is listening?