What is an AI scribe?

An AI scribe is a secure digital tool that listens to live speech during your session and turns it into a draft clinical note for your psychologist to review. They reduce admin time and help us capture your story accurately, not to make diagnoses or treatment decisions. At Headstrong Psychology, we only use AI scribes that meet Australian privacy requirements and support our existing systems for secure health records.

Why we use AI scribes

We use AI scribes for one simple reason: they help us give you better, more focused care while still meeting our professional and legal responsibilities. AI scribes can reduce the pressure for your psychologist to take notes during and after the sessions. This helps your psychologist to be more present, thoughtful, and responsive in the time you have together.

More present, less distracted

AI scribes mean your psychologist’s attention is no longer divided between you and a keyboard or notepad. Instead, they help your psychologist to stay focussed on you. We feel better able to listen carefully to what you are saying, notice your non-verbal cues, and respond in real time when not also writing notes. This can help sessions feel more connected, contained, and effective.

Your words, your story

AI scribes turn natural conversation into structured clinical notes. They capture key themes, timelines, and your own words with far more detail than is usually possible when notes are written manually in session. This detailed record helps your psychologist to remember what matters most to you, and plan future sessions in a way that feels more coherent and tailored to you.

Better continuity between sessions

Because AI-generated notes are often more thorough and consistent, they can support treatment planning and progress tracking. We’ve found the detailed notes mean we can quickly re-orient to what you’ve been working on, notice subtle shifts in your symptoms or patterns, and link sessions back to your longer-term goals.

More time and energy for thoughtful care

Psychologists often spend hours outside of appointments on paperwork. They write session notes, liaise with GPs and other healthcare providers, and keep track of business admin. A review of the researchshows AI scribes can save healthcare professionals several hours per day and reduce the mental load of documentation. This means your psychologist can have greater energy for your sessions and space to reflect on your progress. Moreover, your psychologist can also invest more time into staying up-to-date with evidence-based approaches and planning sessions.

What stays the same

Even with AI scribes, your psychologist is responsible for your care and for what is written in your file, even when using AI scribes. We use AI scribes in ways that protect your privacy, maintain your informed consent, and uphold our professional standards. Their use supports (rather than replaces) the human relationship which is at the heart of therapy and central to best outcomes.

Your consent and your choices

You remain in control of whether we use an AI scribe in your sessions.

• We ask for your consent each time before using an AI scribe. We explain how AI scribes work and how they handle your information.
• You can decline, or change your mind at any point. You do not need to justify your decision.
• Saying no will not affect your access to care, the quality of your treatment, or how we work with you in any way.

These steps are part of our responsibility to ensure informed consent and transparency when using AI in healthcare.

Human first, always

AI scribes are a tool, not a replacement for the therapeutic relationship and our clinical training and judgment.

• Your psychologist’s professional judgement guides every aspect of your care, including if and how AI scribes are used.
• We follow guidance from our registration body and regulators, including the Australian Health Practitioner Registration Agency (AHPRA)’s guidelines on the use of AI in healthcare.
• We regularly review how our AI scribes fit with our values of curiosity, collaboration, consistency, integrity, and excellence. We also adjust our processes as standards evolve.

If you have questions, concerns, or simply want to understand more about how AI scribes work, you are welcome to ask the team at Headstrong Psychology at any stage in your care. Your comfort, safety, and trust are at the centre of every decision we make about our use of technology in your care.

Image credit: @brittjamesstudio