AI scribe for trauma therapists

Facts checked on 16 October 2026.

MentalNote is an AI scribe for trauma therapists: record the session in your browser, then get a draft in DAP, BIRP, GIRP, SOAP or Progress format, or in your own custom format for EMDR, TF-CBT, CPT or prolonged exposure, on a free plan or Premium at $99 a month, with a BAA on every plan. It is instructed to write only what was said and to add no risk statement you did not discuss.

Trauma sessions are hard to write up: the phase of treatment, what was processed, how the client left the room and what you will check next time all need to be clear, without retelling the trauma in graphic detail. MentalNote listens to the session (with your client's consent) and drafts the note in your structure. You review it, edit it and paste it into your EHR.

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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 trauma-focused work

Your modality, your headings: MentalNote has no built-in EMDR or CPT template. Instead, save one custom format (up to 500 characters) with the headings you use, such as phase, target, SUD and VOC, processing, closure and plan.
Numbers only when stated: SUD, VOC, PCL-5 or other scores appear only if they were said in the session. The app tells the AI never to invent scores, dates or events.
Risk only when discussed: safety content goes in the note only if it came up, and the AI is told never to write that a client "denied" something you did not ask.
Trauma history at intake is drafted briefly, without added detail, in the intake / biopsychosocial format.
Consent first: the web app asks you to confirm consent before every recording.

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 trauma work: progress notes for EMDR, SOAP notes for EMDR, DAP notes for trauma and PTSD, BIRP notes for PTSD, PTSD treatment plan examples.

What an EMDR custom-format 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: EMDR session 8, car accident memory (custom format)

Custom format used

"Headings: Phase; Target (one line, no graphic detail); SUD and VOC as reported; Processing; Closure; Plan."

Phase

Phase 4, desensitization, continued from last session.

Target

Memory of the 2024 car accident at the intersection near the client's home.

SUD and VOC as reported

SUD 7 at the start, 3 at the end. VOC for "I am safe now" 4 at the start; not re-rated at the end.

Processing

Several sets of bilateral stimulation. Client noticed tightness in her chest that eased, then a memory of her sister arriving at the scene.

Closure

Container exercise and calm place used. Client reported feeling "tired but okay" and left the session calm.

Plan

Continue the target next session and re-rate VOC. Client to use calm place and keep a brief log of disturbances.

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.

Writing a custom format for your modality

Your custom format controls the structure, headings and style of the note. The app's documentation rules still come first: only what was said, "Not documented in session" for gaps, no invented scores and no diagnosis you did not state. A few starting points:

EMDR: phase, target, SUD and VOC as reported, processing, closure, plan.
TF-CBT: PRACTICE component worked on, child and caregiver portions, skills practiced, narrative progress (brief), plan.
CPT: session number, stuck points named, worksheet reviewed, practice assignment, plan.
Prolonged exposure: imaginal or in vivo exposure, SUDs as reported, processing themes, homework.

Prefer a standard format? DAP, BIRP, GIRP and SOAP all work for trauma sessions, and GIRP ties each session to the goals in your treatment plan.

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

Does MentalNote have an EMDR template?

Not a built-in one. Save your own custom format with EMDR headings, such as phase, target, SUD and VOC, processing, closure and plan, and MentalNote drafts the note in that structure.

Can I document TF-CBT, CPT or prolonged exposure?

Yes. Use a standard format such as DAP or BIRP, or save a custom format with the headings your model uses. The same no-invention instructions apply.

Will it add SUD or VOC numbers?

Only numbers that were said in the session. The app tells the AI never to invent scores. Say ratings aloud, or add them when you review the draft.

Is there a free AI scribe for trauma 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.