Key points
- US law treats psychotherapy notes as their own category, kept separate from the rest of the record.1 Keep private process notes apart from progress notes, with narrower access.
- BACP's framework asks for records limited to what the service needs, and for clients to know who is inside the circle of confidentiality.2
- A US self-pay client booking at least 3 business days ahead should receive an itemised good faith estimate.3
- wai drafts the session note for the therapist to sign, and takes bookings without storing the reason for the visit.56
Summary
Choose practice software that keeps private process notes apart from progress notes, and books and reminds clients without saying what the appointment is for. Check that the client list is private to the therapist and that the full record exports cleanly.
The day ends with every note signed and next week's sessions booked and paid. Clients hear from the practice in neutral words, and the therapist's private notes stay private by default.
See it in your clinicThirty minutes on your own patients and doctors.
Request a demoSee a session drafted into a note for you to sign, and a client book and pay for their weekly slot, in fifteen minutes.
| Need | What good looks like | Question to ask in the demo |
|---|---|---|
| Progress notes | Drafted from the session, reviewed and signed by the therapist | Show a note going from draft to signed |
| Private process notes | Held apart from the record, open to the treating therapist only | Sign in as admin and show these notes are hidden |
| Booking | Recurring weekly series, single sessions moved online | Book ten weekly sessions and move one |
| Reminders | Time and place only, no clinical detail | Show the exact reminder text a client receives |
| Intake | The service booked, with the reason kept out of the booking | Which fields does the booking form store |
| Payments | Card at booking, cancellation terms in the confirmation | Whose merchant account does the money land in |
| US self-pay estimates | Good faith estimate itemised and sent on time | Can the estimate be generated from the booking |
| Access and audit | Roles for therapists and admin, with an access log | Who opened this record last week |
| Exit | Full export of notes, letters and history | Export one client record now |
Private notes kept apart from the record
US federal rules define psychotherapy notes as a mental health professional's notes analysing the contents of a counselling session, kept separate from the rest of the client's record.1 Medication monitoring, session times, the type and frequency of treatment, test results and summaries of diagnosis, plan and progress belong in the progress note.1
Progress notes sit on the record that billing and colleagues may need, and private process notes sit in a separate area only the treating therapist can open. Consent and recording in therapy are covered in AI scribes for therapy and mental health.
Confidentiality starts at the booking
BACP's Ethical Framework commits members to records that are adequate, relevant and limited to what the service needs, to telling clients who is within the circle of confidentiality, and to explaining foreseeable limits such as supervision or safeguarding in advance.2
Carry that into admin. The booking form asks for the service, reminders name a time and a place, and admin staff see the diary while the notes stay with the therapist. Ask to see each of these working in the demo.
A standing weekly slot that holds
Book a recurring series in one step, and let clients move a single session online.
A BMJ Open meta-analysis of 21 randomised studies found patients sent text notifications were 23% more likely to attend.4 Wording and timing are in how to reduce no-shows.
Payments, estimates and receipts
Take payment at booking, with the cancellation terms in the confirmation, and the session closes on the work itself.
In the United States, a provider usually gives a client who is not using insurance an itemised good faith estimate when the client asks or books at least 3 business days ahead. It is due within 1 business day for care booked 3 to 9 business days ahead and within 3 business days for care booked 10 or more days ahead.3 Generating the estimate from the booking saves a form for every new self-pay client.
A therapy practice on wai
wai Clinicians drafts the session note from the conversation, in the room or on video, in a template shaped to the therapist's way of writing, and the therapist reviews, edits and signs it.5 Only the clinician can see their client list, plans are billed monthly and cancelled in settings, and notes and records can be exported.5
wai Checkout puts booking and payment on the practice's own website, with the earliest time offered first and payment through the practice's own Stripe account.6 It records the service booked and leaves the reason for the visit out, and each client receives a confirmation and an intake questionnaire.6 Prices are on the pricing page.
Where to start
Write down where your private notes, progress notes, diary and payments live today, and who can open each. Test any shortlisted system against the table below with one real week of sessions, including a cancellation and a new self-pay client.
Before switching, export a sample client record and check it opens complete. Move one day of the week first, and the rest once that day runs cleanly.
Bring a week of your own diary. We show you the drafted notes, the weekly bookings and the confirmations on your own practice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between psychotherapy notes and progress notes?
Under US federal rules, psychotherapy notes analyse the contents of a session and are kept separate from the rest of the record.1 Session times, treatment type, test results and summaries of diagnosis, plan and progress belong in the progress note.
How do appointment reminders protect client confidentiality?
Keep reminders to a time and a place, and tell clients in advance how the practice will contact them, in line with BACP's commitment to informing clients about the circle of confidentiality.2
Do US therapists need to give good faith estimates?
Usually, for clients not using insurance who ask or who book at least 3 business days ahead. The estimate must be itemised and sent within the timeframes CMS sets out.3
Can an AI scribe be used in therapy sessions?
Yes, with the client's informed consent and with the therapist reviewing and signing every note. The rules are set out in AI scribes for therapy and mental health, and a consent form is in the AI scribe consent template.
Does wai store why a client booked?
wai Checkout records the service booked and leaves the reason for the visit out.6
Can a therapist try wai before paying?
Yes. There is a seven-day trial for one clinician with limited use, and paid plans are billed monthly and cancelled in settings.5
Sources
- 1Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 202645 CFR 164.501, definition of psychotherapy notesRead 14 October 2026Read source
- 2British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, 2018Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions (2018 text)Read 14 October 2026Read source
- 3Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2026What is a good faith estimateRead 14 October 2026Read source
- 4BMJ Open, 2016Using digital notifications to improve attendance in clinic, systematic review and meta-analysisRead 14 October 2026Read source
- 5wai, 2026AI medical scribe for independent cliniciansRead 14 October 2026Read source
- 6wai, 2026wai CheckoutRead 14 October 2026Read source
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