Mentalyc Review 2026: AI Progress Notes for Therapists

Quick Verdict

Mentalyc occupies a specific niche in the AI therapy scribe market: the widest library of therapy-specific note templates. Where competitors like Upheal offer session analytics and SimplePractice provides full practice management, Mentalyc focuses on documentation flexibility — SOAP, DAP, BIRP, and 17+ additional templates covering CBT, DBT, EMDR, psychodynamic, and virtually every therapy modality.

The Alliance Genie feature is unique and genuinely interesting — it uses AI to analyze recorded sessions and provide insights about the therapeutic alliance, including engagement patterns and communication dynamics. No competitor offers this type of clinical intelligence. However, the G2 rating (3.8/5 with only 12 reviews) is below competitors, and the record-then-process workflow means you don't get real-time streaming transcription like Freed or SimplePractice's Note Taker.

What Makes Mentalyc Different

Three features distinguish Mentalyc from the crowded AI therapy scribe market:

• 20+ therapy-specific templates: The widest template library in the market, covering SOAP, DAP, BIRP, treatment plans, supervision notes, and modality-specific formats for CBT, DBT, ACT, psychodynamic, EMDR, and more. Each template is designed by therapists for therapy documentation standards.
• Alliance Genie: AI analysis of the therapeutic relationship dynamics within recorded sessions. This goes beyond documentation — it provides insights about therapist-client engagement, communication patterns, and alliance quality. UC Berkeley-backed research informs this feature.
• Multiple input modes: Unlike competitors that require live recording, Mentalyc accepts input via live session recording, audio file upload, dictation (speak your notes after session), or typed summary. This flexibility accommodates therapists who aren't comfortable recording client sessions.

Key Features

• AI progress notes from live recording, upload, dictation, or typed summary
• SOAP, DAP, and 20+ note templates for every therapy modality
• AI treatment plans with SMART goal support
• Alliance Genie — therapeutic alliance insights from session analysis
• Session analytics and progress tracking across sessions
• Supervision notes generation
• SOC 2 Type II certified — enterprise-grade security
• 14-day free trial with 15 notes, no credit card required

Pricing

Mentalyc's pricing is competitive. The Mini plan at $19.99/month is in line with Upheal's Plus tier ($19/month) and cheaper than SimplePractice's AI Note Taker add-on ($35/month on top of the $49-$99 base subscription). The 14-day free trial with 15 notes and no credit card requirement is generous and allows genuine evaluation.

For therapists seeing 20-30 clients per week, the Professional plan (100 notes/month) at $39.99 hits the sweet spot. The Premium plan at $69.99/month is for high-volume therapists or group practices needing unlimited documentation.

HIPAA Compliance & Data Security

Mentalyc is designed for use by US-based licensed mental health practitioners, which means HIPAA compliance is non-negotiable. Here's what we verified:

• Business Associate Agreement (BAA): Available. Mentalyc offers a BAA as part of its standard onboarding for paid subscribers.
• Encryption: AES-256 at rest and TLS 1.2+ in transit.
• SOC 2 Certification: Mentalyc states it maintains SOC 2 controls. Verify the current Type II attestation date directly with the vendor.
• Data Residency: US-based cloud infrastructure for US customers.
• Session Recording Handling: Audio recordings are uploaded, processed for transcription and note generation, then retained according to configurable settings. Mentalyc provides manual purge controls allowing therapists to delete individual session recordings and transcripts at any time.
• Key consideration: Mentalyc's record-then-upload workflow means session audio files temporarily reside on the clinician's device before upload. Ensure your device-level security (encryption, passcode, remote wipe) meets your practice's PHI handling requirements.

What clinicians should verify before signing up:

1. Request a current BAA template before sharing any PHI
2. Confirm SOC 2 Type II attestation date (should be within last 12 months)
3. Document data retention and deletion policies in your practice's privacy policy
4. Confirm whether AI training uses your client data (most tools now offer opt-out)

Important disclaimer: This information reflects publicly available compliance posture. Always verify current BAA terms, certifications, and data handling directly with the vendor before processing any PHI through their system.

How It Works

Mentalyc uses a record-then-process workflow. You record your therapy session (with client consent), upload the audio, and Mentalyc's AI generates a structured note in your chosen template format. The process takes 2-5 minutes after upload, compared to the 30-45 minutes therapists typically spend writing progress notes manually.

The typed summary option is notable for therapists who cannot or prefer not to record sessions. You type a brief summary of the session, and Mentalyc expands it into a full, properly formatted progress note. This is less accurate than audio-based generation but provides a useful middle ground for therapists with recording concerns.

Weaknesses and Limitations

• No real-time streaming: Unlike Freed or SimplePractice Note Taker, Mentalyc does not offer real-time transcription during sessions. The record-then-process workflow adds a delay between session end and note availability.
• G2 rating of 3.8/5: Below competitors like Upheal (4.6/5 Trustpilot) and SimplePractice. The low review count (12 reviews) makes this less statistically meaningful, but it's a data point.
• Recording requirement: Audio-based note generation requires session recording with explicit client consent. Some clients are uncomfortable with recording, limiting adoption.
• Edit-heavy notes: Some templates generate notes that require significant manual editing to accurately reflect session content. The AI captures conversation content but sometimes misinterprets clinical significance.
• Newer brand: Founded in 2021, Mentalyc has less track record than SimplePractice (2012) or established EHR platforms.

Mentalyc vs Upheal vs SimplePractice Note Taker

Who Mentalyc Is Best For

• Therapists who use diverse therapy modalities and need modality-specific note templates
• Clinicians interested in AI-powered therapeutic alliance insights (Alliance Genie)
• Therapists who prefer multiple input modes (recording, upload, dictation, typed)
• Solo practitioners and small group practices needing affordable AI documentation
• Therapists requiring SOC 2 Type II certified security for compliance

Who Should Look Elsewhere

• Therapists wanting real-time streaming transcription — use Freed or SimplePractice Note Taker
• Clinicians seeking session analytics (talking ratio, sentiment) — Upheal leads here
• Practices needing integrated EHR + documentation — SimplePractice provides both
• Therapists who cannot record sessions and need more than typed summary input

Bottom Line

Mentalyc fills a genuine gap: the therapist who needs flexible, modality-specific documentation templates with the unique addition of therapeutic alliance AI insights. The 20+ template library is the widest in the market, and the Alliance Genie feature offers clinical intelligence that no competitor provides. The pricing is fair, the security certification is enterprise-grade, and the 14-day trial is generous.

The limitations — no real-time transcription, a G2 rating below competitors, and the inherent challenges of record-then-process workflows — mean Mentalyc isn't the default recommendation for all therapists. But for clinicians who value template diversity and alliance insights, it's a strong specialized choice.