HIPAA-compliant AI assistant for therapists: what to use in 2026

Short answer: If you want AI to actually do the admin work of a private practice (send the emails, reschedule the sessions, fill out the forms, chase the invoices), Brea is a HIPAA-compliant AI agent with a BAA at signup. It isn't a chatbot that drafts text for you to copy and paste. It does the task and asks you before anything goes out. If you want AI to write your session notes, use a dedicated scribe like Upheal, Mentalyc, Blueprint or Freed, which all include a BAA. Most solo therapists end up with one of each. Regular ChatGPT is not an option for client information: OpenAI doesn't offer a BAA on its consumer plans or ChatGPT Business.

We're the founders of Brea, so read our part with that in mind. Everything we say about other tools comes from their own websites, checked November 4, 2026, with links so you can verify.

Why HIPAA matters for AI tools

The moment a tool touches client names, appointment times, diagnoses or session content, it's handling protected health information. Under HIPAA, the company behind that tool is a business associate, and you need a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with it. A "secure" badge or "we take privacy seriously" doesn't replace a BAA.

Before you type a client detail into any AI tool, check three things:

• Does it sign a BAA? And is it automatic at signup, or only on request or on an enterprise plan?
• Is your data used to train AI models? Some tools train on de-identified data unless you opt out. Others never train.
• Where does the conversation happen? A tool can be HIPAA compliant while the channel you reach it through isn't. Apple's iCloud terms, for example, say covered entities must not use iCloud services to store or send protected health information (Apple).

Is ChatGPT HIPAA compliant for therapists?

Not the version most people use. OpenAI's help center says plainly: "We do not offer a BAA for ChatGPT Business" (OpenAI). The free, Plus and Pro plans aren't on its list of HIPAA-eligible products either.

OpenAI does offer BAAs for sales-managed Enterprise accounts, ChatGPT for Healthcare and the API. There's also a free ChatGPT for Clinicians with an in-product BAA, but eligibility is limited to physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and pharmacists (OpenAI). Therapists, counselors, social workers and psychologists aren't on that list today.

So if you've been pasting session summaries into ChatGPT to tidy them up, stop and switch to a tool that signs a BAA.

Chatbot, scribe or agent?

AI tools for clinicians fall into three groups, and the differences matter.

• HIPAA chatbots (ChatGPT Enterprise, BastionGPT, CompliantChatGPT) answer questions and draft text under a BAA. You still copy the result, open your inbox or EHR, and do the work yourself.
• AI scribes write clinical notes from your sessions.
• AI agents like Brea do the work for you. Brea sends the email, books the slot, fills out the payer's form and sets the reminder.

Admin agent or note-taker?

These are two different jobs, and the tools are built differently.

• AI scribes and note-takers listen to or summarize sessions and draft progress notes, treatment plans and SOAP or DAP notes. This is where Upheal, Mentalyc, Blueprint, Freed and the EHR add-ons live.
• AI admin agents do the work around sessions: answering client emails, rescheduling, sending intake forms, reminding you to follow up on an unpaid invoice, booking your CE course, filling out a payer's web form. This is what Brea does.

A scribe won't chase a no-show or book your supervision call. An admin agent shouldn't be writing your clinical notes. Pick based on where your hours go.

The tools, compared

1. Brea (admin work)

Brea is the AI agent we build. It doesn't stop at a draft; it carries the task through. You ask for things the way you'd ask an assistant: "Move Thursday's 3pm to next week and send the new time," "Email my new client the intake packet," "Every Monday, list who hasn't paid from last week."

• HIPAA / BAA: HIPAA compliant, with a BAA at signup. Healthcare users work with Brea in the Brea app, not over iMessage.
• What it does: Connects to more than 2,000 apps, including Gmail, Outlook and Google Calendar. When a site has no integration, it uses its own browser to fill forms and get things done.
• Control: It asks before it sends, deletes, shares or pays. Logins live in an encrypted vault the AI never sees, and Brea never trains on your data (security).
• Limits: It doesn't write clinical notes, and it doesn't make phone calls yet, though that's coming soon. SOC 2 Type 2 is in progress, not finished.
• Best for: Solo therapists who spend evenings on email, scheduling and paperwork.

2. Upheal

Upheal is an AI note-taker plus a full mental health EHR with scheduling, billing and telehealth. It says it provides a BAA for every account and is SOC 2 Type II audited. De-identified data is used for model training unless you opt out.

• Price: Free plan; AI Notes $39/mo; AI Assistant Pro +$39/mo; EHR Pro $99/mo (pricing).
• Best for: Therapists who want notes and the EHR in one place.

3. Mentalyc

Mentalyc is an AI scribe that works alongside whatever EHR you use. A BAA is created when you sign up, and it says session data is never used to train AI models.

• Price: $19.99 to $119.99/mo depending on note volume, less when billed annually; 14-day free trial (pricing).
• Best for: Therapists happy with their EHR who just want faster notes.

4. Blueprint

Blueprint combines an AI scribe with an AI chat for clinical, billing and admin questions, plus an optional EHR. Its BAA applies when you create an account, and it reports SOC 2 Type 2 audits.

• Price: From $0.99 per session alongside your EHR, or $1.49 per session all-in-one (pricing).
• Best for: Lower caseloads, where paying per session is cheaper than a flat fee.

5. Freed

Freed is an AI medical scribe with a mental health setup. The BAA is part of its Terms of Use, so you accept it at signup. It says it doesn't store recordings and trains only on de-identified notes.

• Price: Starter $39/mo, Core $79/mo, Premier $104 to $119/mo; 7-day free trial (pricing).
• Best for: Clinicians who see a mix of therapy and medical patients.

6. SimplePractice Note Taker

SimplePractice is a widely used practice-management EHR with AI add-ons. It holds HITRUST certification and has a BAA.

• Price: Plans from $49/mo; Note Taker is an add-on at $35/mo per clinician after a free trial (pricing).
• Best for: Practices already on SimplePractice.

7. Jane AI Scribe

Jane is practice management for many disciplines, with an AI Scribe add-on. Jane enters into a BAA on request and says AI Scribe data isn't used to train models.

• Price: Plans from $54/mo; AI Scribe free for 5 notes a month, then $15/mo per practitioner (pricing).
• Best for: Multi-discipline clinics already on Jane.

How to pick

• Notes eat your evenings: start with a scribe (Mentalyc if you like your EHR, Upheal if you want everything in one place).
• Email, scheduling and paperwork eat your evenings: try Brea.
• Both: a scribe for notes plus Brea for admin. They do different jobs, so you're not paying twice.
• Whatever you choose: get the BAA before entering client information, and turn off model training if the tool allows it.

FAQ

Is there a HIPAA-compliant ChatGPT for therapists? Not from OpenAI's self-serve plans today. ChatGPT Business has no BAA, and ChatGPT for Clinicians is limited to MDs, DOs, NPs, PAs and pharmacists. Therapists need a tool that signs a BAA directly.

Can I use AI for therapy admin work under HIPAA? Yes, as long as the vendor signs a BAA, protects the data and you use it through a compliant channel. Admin work like scheduling and client emails still involves protected health information.

Does Brea replace my EHR or scribe? No. Brea handles admin and works next to the tools you already use.

Can Brea make phone calls? Not yet. Phone calls are coming soon.

Who makes Brea? Brea AI LLC. We're not Brea AI Receptionist (talkbrea.ai), the call-answering app with a similar name.

Try Brea for your practice

Start at brea.ai and hand it the first thing on your list. A few things therapists ask for in week one:

• "Send Friday's clients a reminder with the telehealth link."
• "Find a 50-minute slot next week for a new intake and email them options."
• "Every Monday at 8, tell me which invoices are still open."