AI scribe for play therapists
Facts checked on 17 October 2026.
MentalNote is an AI scribe for play therapists: record a child session or caregiver check-in in your browser, say aloud what you observe in play, and get a DAP, BIRP, GIRP, SOAP or Progress draft to review, on a free plan or Premium at $99 a month, with a BAA on every plan. It works from audio only, so the note contains only what was said.
Much of a play therapy session happens without words: the sand tray a child builds, the figure that keeps getting buried, the game that changes halfway through. MentalNote works from the audio of the session (with consent), so you can say what you notice as it happens or in a short recap at the end, and it drafts the note from that. You review it, edit it and paste it into your EHR.
5 free scribe sessions a month. No credit card. BAA on every plan.
The short answer
- Record the session in your browser, in the room or on a telehealth call in a browser tab, and get a draft note when the session ends.
- Pick the format you chart in: DAP, BIRP, GIRP, SOAP, PIRP, Progress, Intake / Biopsychosocial or Treatment Plan, or your own structure with custom instructions.
- It is told not to fill gaps. The app instructs the AI to write "Not documented in session" for anything the session did not cover, and not to add a denial, a diagnosis or a risk rating you did not state. Check every draft.
- Start free: 5 scribe sessions a month, no time limit, no credit card. Premium is $99 a month or $990 a year.
- MentalNote is HIPAA-compliant, with a BAA included on every plan, the free plan too. Many AI scribes offer only a time-limited trial.
Who it is for
Solo clinicians and small practices that want to sign up today, pay a published price and start without a sales call or an IT project. Premium is for solo clinicians. Practices can apply for the Practice Pilot.
Built for play therapy sessions
- Audio only: MentalNote does not see the playroom. It drafts from what is said, so describe themes, play sequences and affect aloud, during the session or in a one-minute recap before you stop recording.
- Caregiver check-ins: record the parent or caregiver portion too. Speaker labels keep the caregiver's report apart from the child's words.
- Your own structure: save one custom format (up to 500 characters) with headings such as play themes, child's affect, caregiver update and plan. It controls structure only.
- No guessing: the app tells the AI to write only what was said, to add no diagnosis you did not state and to write "Not documented in session" for gaps.
- Consent: the app asks you to confirm consent before every recording. For minors, follow your state's rules on parent or guardian consent.
Note formats you can generate
| Format | Sections | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| DAP | Data, Assessment, Plan | Fast, compact progress notes |
| BIRP | Behavior, Intervention, Response, Plan | Showing what you did and how the client responded |
| GIRP | Goals, Intervention, Response, Plan | Tying each session to treatment plan goals |
| SOAP | Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan | Insurance-friendly notes and scores such as the PHQ-9 |
| PIRP | Problem, Intervention, Response, Plan | Problem-focused sessions |
| Progress note | Session overview, client report, interventions, response, risk and safety, plan | A fuller narrative note |
| Intake / Biopsychosocial | History, mental status observations, risk and safety, impressions, plan | First sessions and assessments |
Also available: SIRP, PIE and Treatment Plan, plus custom instructions for your own structure. Format guides for play therapy: DAP notes for play therapy, BIRP notes for play therapy, progress notes for play therapy, SOAP notes for children.
What a play session DAP draft looks like
A human-written, shortened illustration based on a fictional session (no real client). It is not verbatim app output, and your drafts will vary with what is said.
Fictional example: Session 7 with a 6-year-old, adjustment after a family move, caregiver joined for the last 10 minutes (DAP)
Data
Clinician recap: child chose the sand tray and built a house with a fence, then moved all the animal figures inside it. Played a rescue game with the dollhouse family for most of the session. Child was calmer at the end than at the start.
Caregiver reports two bedtime meltdowns this week, down from five, and that the child asked to bring a stuffed animal to the new school.
Assessment
Play themes of safety and rescue continue. Bedtime distress is decreasing as the routine settles.
Plan
Continue weekly child-centered sessions with a caregiver check-in at the end. Caregiver to keep the bedtime routine and the transition object for school mornings.
Risk content is not in this draft because it was not discussed in this fictional session. MentalNote is instructed never to write "denies SI" for a question you did not ask.
Getting play observations into the note
Because MentalNote works from audio, what you observe needs to be said to reach the draft. Two simple habits help:
- Narrate lightly in session: a few tracking statements, such as "the tiger is hiding behind the house again", give the draft the play sequence without breaking the child's focus.
- Record a short recap: after the child leaves, spend a minute describing themes, affect and any change from last session before you stop recording.
- Word add-in: prefer typing? The optional Word add-in drafts a therapy note from a short typed summary, with no recording.
Whatever you say or type, review the draft before you sign it. Do not record anything in a session that you would not want in a transcript.
What it will not do
These are instructions the app gives the AI for every therapy note. They are meant to reduce errors, but they are not a guarantee. Review every line.
| What can go wrong | What MentalNote instructs the AI to do |
|---|---|
| A risk statement that was never asked ("denies SI") | Include risk and safety content only if it was explicitly discussed, and never write that the client denied something the session did not ask about. |
| A diagnosis the AI guessed | Give no diagnosis, diagnostic impression or code unless you stated it in the session. |
| An intervention you did not use | Use only what the session contains: no invented interventions, scores, dates or homework. |
| A gap filled with typical content | Write "Not documented in session" for anything the session did not cover. |
How it works
- Confirm you have your client's consent. The web app asks you to confirm it before every recording.
- Record in the browser, in the room or on a telehealth call in another tab.
- When the session ends, choose a format and get the draft, with the speaker-labeled transcript beside it.
- Review and edit every line, then copy or export it into your EHR.
Prefer Microsoft Word? The optional Word add-in drafts a therapy note from a short typed summary, with no recording.
What it costs
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, no time limit | 5 web-app scribe sessions a month. No credit card. |
| Premium | $99 a month, or $990 a year ($82.50 a month) | Unlimited note generation, browser app and Word add-in. |
| Practice Pilot | Apply | A guided evaluation for practices. |
No sales call needed: sign up and choose a plan yourself. MentalNote is HIPAA-compliant, with a BAA included on every plan. You accept the BAA in the app before your first session.
Frequently asked questions
Can MentalNote see what happens in play?
No. It works from the audio of the session only. Say your observations aloud, or record a short recap at the end, and they can appear in the draft.
Can I record the caregiver check-in too?
Yes. Record the caregiver portion in the same session. The transcript is labeled by speaker, so you can check the caregiver's report apart from the child's words.
Who consents to recording a child's session?
Follow your state's rules on parent or guardian consent for minors, and your licensing board's rules. The web app asks you to confirm consent before every recording.
Is there a free AI scribe for play therapists?
Yes. MentalNote's free plan includes 5 scribe sessions a month, with no time limit and no credit card. The BAA covers the free plan too. Premium is $99 a month or $990 a year.
Will it add a diagnosis I did not give?
The app instructs the AI to give no diagnosis, diagnostic impression or code unless you stated it in the session. Review every draft before you sign it.
Is MentalNote HIPAA compliant?
MentalNote is HIPAA-compliant, with a BAA included on every plan. You accept it in the app before your first session.
Write tonight's notes in minutes
Start free: 5 scribe sessions a month, no credit card, BAA included.
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A clinician must review every AI draft. MentalNote does not give medical advice or make diagnoses. Spotted something out of date? Email support@mentalnote.ai and we will fix it.