Record Keeping · · 2 min
Confidentiality in therapy notes: records, sharing and AI
Separate clinical records from shared summaries and explore privacy questions about access, retention, attachments and transfer to AI tools.
Author: SüpervizAI · Updated: 2026-10-05
Confidentiality requires more than removing a client's name. Consider the record's purpose, access, storage and transfer to other services together. A clinical file and a limited supervision summary need not be the same document.
Separate clinical records and shared summaries
Information required in your own clinical records may be unnecessary in an externally shared example. A blanket rule that records never contain identifying information may fail institutional or professional requirements.
State the sharing purpose first: “I am preparing this text to explore one question about the therapeutic relationship.” Remove unrelated personal, institutional, date and history details. Prepare a separate shared text rather than casually changing the original record.
Why might an alias be insufficient?
KVKK describes anonymization as preventing identification even when combined with other data. An alias that can still be linked to a real identity does not meet that condition alone.
Fictional example: A rare occupation, small community and date of a public event may together identify someone whose name was removed. Consider all identifying details.
Questions to ask about a digital tool
Who processes the data? Which providers receive it? Where and for how long is it stored? Is it used for model training or other purposes? What does deletion cover? How are access permissions managed?
These questions apply to every tool, including SüpervizAI. A service aimed at psychologists is not automatically suitable for your obligations. Ask providers about gaps and review answers before uploading real cases.
Attachments also share information
A PDF or image can retain headers, signatures, filenames, visible contact details and earlier notes. Editing chat text while attaching the original report can undo your data minimization.
Use fully fictional data for a first trial. This guide does not assess individual legal compliance. Review current requirements applicable to your retention periods and legal basis for transfers separately.
Frequently asked questions
Does removing a name anonymize data?
Not by itself. Consider whether other details identify the person and whether a link to the real identity remains.
SüpervizAI prepared this content for education and product information. Fictional examples are not clinical assessments or treatment protocols. Clinical decisions and professional responsibility remain with the therapist.
Sources
Product descriptions were prepared by SüpervizAI. Citing these organizations does not imply that they endorse SüpervizAI.