Important: SimplePractice will begin retaining de-identified and de-coupled Note Taker session transcripts on June 16, 2026. This guide provides an overview of what's changing and how you can manage your preferences.
Transcript retention allows SimplePractice to retain a de-identified and de-coupled version of a Note Taker session transcript to help us continue improving Note Taker and other AI-powered features, such as those included in Care Aide.
Transcript retention is optional. You can choose whether transcripts are retained by managing your retention preferences at the clinician, client, or session level.
If you used Note Taker before June 16, 2026, you'll be opted out of transcript retention by default. No action is required from you, and no transcripts will be retained unless you choose to opt in.
If you enable Note Taker on or after June 16, 2026, you'll be opted in to transcript retention by default and can opt out at any time.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- Understanding transcript retention
- Privacy, de-identification, and access
- Managing your retention preferences
- Client conversations and consent
- Additional resources
Note: The transcript retention process was developed in collaboration with licensed mental health professionals and informed by our AI Governance, Legal, and Compliance teams, as well as experts in law, ethics, technology, and clinical care. For more information, see our Addendum to SimplePractice Terms of Service for Add-On AI Products.
Understanding transcript retention
What is transcript retention?
Note: Transcript retention is a term we use at SimplePractice to describe when our customers allow SimplePractice to retain de-identified transcripts to help improve its features.
When you use Note Taker, your session audio is converted into a transcript that’s used to generate a draft progress note. The audio is deleted immediately after the transcript is generated.
The transcript remains available to you for up to 7 days, or until the note is signed and locked, whichever comes first. If your note isn't signed and locked within 7 days, the transcript and draft note are deleted and you’ll need to write the progress note manually.
Beginning June 16, 2026, if you’re opted into transcript retention, SimplePractice will securely retain a de-identified and de-coupled version of the session transcript after the 7-day review window ends or a note is signed and locked, rather than fully deleting it.
Transcript retention includes only the text transcript of the session. The audio is still deleted immediately after the transcript is generated.
Transcript retention does not include:
- Draft notes or other summary content generated from the transcript
- Finalized notes that have been signed and locked
- Pre-session summaries
- Assessments, forms, or other clinical documents
- Information from other parts of the client chart
- Psychotherapy notes
Retained transcripts are:
- De-identified using a multi-step process that's been validated with privacy experts to meet the Safe Harbor standard under HIPAA
- Encrypted and stored securely within SimplePractice's HIPAA-compliant environment
- De-coupled from the client, clinician, and practice
- Accessible only to a limited number of authorized team members for product improvement purposes
How can retaining transcripts improve Note Taker?
Retaining transcripts will help Note Taker:
- Understand clinical nuance and context
- Improve note accuracy and clinical language
- Reduce biased or inaccurate interpretations
- Recognize therapeutic progress and client sentiment
For example, a word like “pain” might initially appear negative to Note Taker. In a clinical context, however, discussing pain can represent real progress in emotional connection and awareness. Retaining additional transcript data helps improve Note Taker’s ability to recognize these nuances and generate more accurate draft notes.
Starting June 16, 2026, you'll be able to update your retention preferences at any time, regardless of your default setting.
- Existing Note Taker users before June 16, 2026: You’ll be opted out of transcript retention by default.
- Customers who aren’t current Note Taker users on June 16, 2026: You’ll be opted in to transcript retention by default if you enable Note Taker in the future.
If you’re opted in to transcript retention, retained transcripts help us continue to improve the tools you use over time. Throughout this process, your privacy and your clients' privacy are protected by our de-identification, de-coupling, and access controls.
Important: SimplePractice will never sell transcript content. All retained transcripts will be used only to improve our AI features and will never be shared with third parties for their commercial purposes.
Will this affect me if I don’t have Note Taker or Care Aide enabled in my account?
No. If you don’t use Note Taker or Care Aide (which includes Note Taker) and don’t have either feature enabled in your account, this update doesn’t affect you.
If you enable Note Taker or Care Aide in the future, you’ll be opted into transcript retention by default and can opt out at any time.
Privacy, de-identification, and access
What is de-identification?
Our de-identification process follows HIPAA’s Safe Harbor method, ensuring all 18 identifiers of PHI are removed. This includes identifiers such as names, dates of birth, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. For a full list of the 18 identifiers, see How SimplePractice protects your privacy through de-identification.
Here's an example of what de-identification looks like in practice:
- Original transcript: Jane Doe came in on March 12, 2026 reporting persistent anxiety that began after she moved to her new apartment at 123 Fake Street, Anytown, ZZ 00000. She mentioned that her psychiatrist, Dr. Smith, prescribed Prozac last year but wants to revisit the dosage. I asked her to follow up by phone at (555) 555-0100 or by email at not.a.real.email@example.test so we can coordinate care.
- De-identified transcript: [REDACTED_PERSON_1] came in on [REDACTED_DATE_TIME_1] reporting persistent anxiety that began after she moved to her new apartment at [REDACTED_LOCATION_1]. She mentioned that her psychiatrist, Dr. [REDACTED_PERSON_2], prescribed Prozac [REDACTED_DATE_TIME_2] but wants to revisit the dosage. I asked her to follow up by phone at [REDACTED_PHONE_NUMBER_1] or by email at [REDACTED_EMAIL_1] so we can coordinate care.
With names, locations, dates, and contact details removed and replaced by generic placeholders, the de-identified transcript retains the clinical meaning of the session while removing information that could be tied to a specific individual.
What is de-coupling?
De-coupling is the practice of separating a transcript from the specific client, clinician, or practice it originated from so it can’t be traced back to its source.
While de-identification removes identifiers from the content itself, de-coupling removes the relationship between that content and the clinician, client, practice, or appointment it came from.
Once a transcript is de-identified and de-coupled, it becomes part of a general pool of clinical language data with no link to any individual client, clinician, or practice.
Who will have access to retained transcripts?
If you do not opt out of transcript retention, your session transcripts will be:
- Fully de-identified
- De-coupled from the practice, clinician, and client
- Encrypted and stored securely within SimplePractice’s HIPAA compliant platform
Access to retained transcripts is limited and controlled:
- Only a small number of authorized team members may access retained transcript data after completing required training
- Access is strictly for the purpose of improving Note Taker and related AI tools, meaning authorized team members accessing the data must have a legitimate purpose to do so
- Authorized team members with access to data are trained on strict privacy and security policies
- We maintain audit logs of access to the data
Because all identifiers are removed before retention, retained transcripts can’t be re-identified or linked back to you or your clients. Retained transcripts are never sold, shared externally outside of our controlled environment, or used to generate outputs that include portions of past sessions. This process is designed to comply with HIPAA’s Safe Harbor de-identification requirements.
Can retained transcripts be subpoenaed?
No. Because retained transcripts are fully de-identified and de-coupled, SimplePractice has no way to identify, locate, or produce a transcript associated with a specific individual. If a subpoena were issued seeking session content, the de-identification and de-coupling process means there would be no responsive records to produce. We recommend consulting with your own legal counsel if you have questions about your obligations in response to the legal process.
Once a transcript is de-identified and de-coupled, it becomes part of a general pool of clinical language data with no link to any individual client, clinician, or practice. Our data engineering team can access this pool to improve Note Taker, but no one can search for, locate, or retrieve a specific person's transcript. For this reason, we can’t fulfill deletion requests for transcripts that have been de-identified and de-coupled.
Is SimplePractice using transcripts to train an AI model?
No. SimplePractice is not training an AI model with any retained transcript data.
Is SimplePractice using transcripts to build an AI therapist?
No. Mental health care is fundamentally human, and clinicians remain core to client care.
De-identified transcripts are used only to improve Note Taker and related AI features. This includes making draft notes clearer and more accurate, reducing irrelevant or repetitive language, and better reflecting how clinicians document care.
Managing your retention preferences
How can I manage my retention preferences?
Important: Transcript retention preference settings aren't available yet in customer accounts. You'll be able to adjust these settings starting June 16, 2026. If you already use Note Taker, you'll be opted out of transcript retention by default.
You can manage your transcript retention preferences at the clinician, client, or session level:
-
Clinician level: Manage your retention setting for all of your clients and sessions. When you opt out at the clinician level, no transcripts will be retained for any of your clients or sessions. In a group practice, each clinician manages their own retention setting independently.
- Opting out at the clinician level overrides client- and session-level settings.
- Client level: Opt out for a specific client from their profile. This applies to all future sessions with that client.
- Session level: Opt out for an individual session before or during the session.
Note: There is no practice-wide transcript retention setting. In group practices, each clinician can manage their own transcript retention preferences independently at the clinician, client, and session levels. Account Owners and practice managers can't manage retention preferences on behalf of clinicians.
Will opting out of transcript retention affect my ability to use Note Taker?
No, opting out of transcript retention won’t affect your ability to use Note Taker, and won’t affect how Note Taker works before, during, or after your sessions.
Whether you’re opted in or opted out, you’ll still be able to:
- Record audio from a Telehealth and in-person session
- Receive a draft progress note
- Access the transcript for up to 7 days or until the note is signed and locked
- Complete and finalize your documentation as usual
The only difference is what happens after the 7-day review period ends, or earlier if the note is signed and locked:
- If you’re opted out, the transcript will be permanently deleted and won’t be used to improve Note Taker or related AI features
- If you’re opted in, a fully de-identified and de-coupled version of the transcript will be securely retained to help improve Note Taker and related AI features
Client conversations and consent
How can I talk to my clients about transcript retention?
We've created a resource you can share with clients to explain how transcript retention works and how their privacy is protected: Transcript Retention Client Guide.
This guide is designed to support transparent conversations with your clients on transcript retention by explaining what Note Taker is, how de-identification works, and how you maintain control over retention settings at every level.
Will I need to update my client consent forms for transcript retention?
We recommend consulting with your licensing board and/or legal counsel for specific guidance on any changes to your clinical obligations, including but not limited to client consent forms.
If your state requires consent for the use of AI in client care, or if your state requires all parties to consent to being recorded, you can use our soon-to-be updated Consent for Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools in Therapy Services form that includes disclosures on SimplePractice’s retention of transcripts. If your state or specialty requires more specific disclosures or consent, you can update that consent form to include the relevant information.