AI can undoubtedly enhance business operations, but should it play a role in the personal therapy session from a clinical perspective? I would argue “no.” That said, what would using AI look like in therapy practice management?
When I was in business school, working toward my MBA in Management, AI wasn’t really on the radar. I was aware of the concept, but only because I’d seen Spielberg’s Artificial Intelligence. The movie fascinated me, especially its exploration of whether a creation could experience authentic empathy.
What we did focus on in business school, though, was effectiveness and efficiency. And I’ve seen how even small administrative changes can make a big difference. At Clearwater Counseling Services, I had an office manager who handled scheduling, but when she stepped back due to pregnancy, I needed a new solution.
That’s when I started using SimplePractice, a HIPAA-compliant electronic medical record system for scheduling. It offered some HTML options to connect external websites to its scheduling calendar. Initially, this was just for 90 and 55-minute therapy session bookings, but I wondered: what if I added a button on my website allowing people to schedule a free 15-minute intro call?
One of the biggest complaints I’d heard was that potential clients often reached out to 20 therapists, only to hear nothing back. I brought this issue up in a Facebook group with over 700 therapists, and within 48 hours, the discussion exploded. Many therapists expressed feeling burnt out and justified why they couldn’t return every call. But I couldn’t help but think about it from a business perspective as well.
When clients reach out to a therapist, they need help, and making that call is a very brave first step. Calling 20 doctors, lawyers, or plumbers without a response sounds ludicrous and unacceptable. Why had this become so common in mental health care?
Some therapists shared valid reasons, like being exhausted after a day of sessions and not wanting to wade through voicemails among spam calls just to play phone tag. But I kept pressing for solutions, hoping to hear how AI in therapy practice management could assist, yet feeling like a teacher in a classroom met with blank stares and no answers.
That’s okay, I knew there had to be a solution. This is where AI came in to play. I’m no programmer, and most of what I know is self-taught, but I had recently subscribed to ChatGPT out of curiosity and decided to ask for help embedding the HTML code. The SimplePractice link turned my button orange, which didn’t match my website. So, with a few prompts, I got ChatGPT to help me find the right shade of pink, and soon, the button was live across my site. (I very much enjoyed copying and pasting it everywhere!)
Then, I went into SimplePractice’s backend, created a 15-minute intro call option, and set times when I could reliably answer the phone. This turned out to be a win-win as I now regularly receive intro call requests from prospective clients.
To streamline things further, I created a pre-call document for clients to complete, giving me a snapshot of their concerns and payment plan (insurance or private pay). This form serves a dual purpose, as it helps me assess how serious and tech-capable the client is, giving insight into whether they’re ready to engage in therapy.
Some people might find filling out online forms difficult, and without tech support, I know that’s likely a sign we’re not the best fit. But if a client can handle this initial step, they’re probably motivated enough to show up and put in the work needed for therapy.
This is just one example of how AI has helped me streamline processes, improving efficiency and effectiveness. These small steps have already set me apart from (700+??) colleagues who miss client inquiries. I once thought I’d need to pursue a Ph.D. to stand out and provide extra value, but as it turns out, a few hours of focused effort in leveraging AI can yield some pretty meaningful results from business and client care perspectives.
AI could support a therapy practice in countless ways, but perhaps that’s a topic for another blog. Recently, I heard Elon Musk say that companies leveraging AI most effectively will thrive. The potential of AI may be beyond what we can fully grasp at the moment. As for me, I’m excited to see how it can elevate my private practice, which provides telehealth in Montana and Florida.
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