Privacy & Data
Client consent: best practices
How to inform your client about the bot's presence in the session, verbal and written notice templates, and best practices for informed consent in AI-assisted sessions.
Informed consent is the foundation of any professional relationship. When you introduce an AI assistant into your sessions, ethical standards require that the client understands what that presence implies — before the session begins.
CauceOS fulfills this obligation technically (the bot announces its presence when it joins), but genuine consent is a human conversation, not a chat message. This guide helps you have that conversation well.
Table of contents
- Why consent is your responsibility, not the bot's
- When and how to inform the client
- Verbal notice templates
- Written consent template
- What to do if the client does not consent
- Common client questions and how to answer them
Why consent is your responsibility, not the bot's
The automatic message the bot sends when it joins the meeting reads:
"This session is being assisted by CauceOS. Continuing implies consent."
This notice exists to fulfill the technical notification requirement, but it is not sufficient as genuine informed consent for two reasons:
- A client who did not know about the notice in advance cannot have consented to it beforehand. Informed consent requires understanding, not just notification at the moment.
- "Continuing implies consent" is not equivalent to explicit consent. In many clinical and HR contexts, consent must be affirmative, not implied.
The recommendation is that you inform your client before the session, in a conversation or in writing.
When and how to inform the client
As early as possible, ideally in the first session or when introducing CauceOS into an existing relationship.
The best opportunities for this conversation:
- At the beginning of the therapeutic frame or contract: If you are starting with a new client, include the assistant as part of how you describe your practice.
- When switching to virtual mode: If you are moving from in-person to virtual sessions and introducing the assistant, dedicate a specific moment to it.
- At the start of the session: If you have not mentioned it before, the first time you are going to use CauceOS, explicitly mention what will happen before starting the session.
Verbal notice templates
Adapt these phrases to the tone of your relationship with the client. You do not have to use the exact language.
Short version (30 seconds):
"I work with an AI assistant that transcribes the session in real time. That allows me to focus more on the conversation instead of taking notes. When we finish, the system generates a draft summary that I review and edit. Do you have any questions?"
More detailed version (1–2 minutes):
"Before we start, I want to explain something about how I work. I use an assistance tool that transcribes the session. A digital participant — a bot — joins our video call and processes the audio in real time to generate the transcription and support me with some alerts during the session.
The transcription is for my exclusive use as a professional and as the basis for session notes. It is not shared with third parties. At the start you will see a message in the meeting chat confirming the assistant's presence.
You can ask me not to use the assistant in our session if you prefer, and we will have it without the assistant. Do you have any questions before we begin?"
For couples therapy (addressing both partners):
"Before we begin, I want you both to know that I work with a digital assistant that transcribes the session. It is set up for my use as the therapist. If either of you has concerns or would prefer we not use it today, just let me know and we will turn it off without any issue."
Written consent template
If your practice requires or prefers written consent, you can adapt this text and send it by email or include it in your intake form:
CONSENT FOR AI ASSISTANCE IN VIRTUAL SESSIONS
As part of our professional work together, I use an AI-based professional assistance tool for virtual sessions.
What the assistant does:
- A digital participant joins the video call and transcribes the conversation in real time.
- The transcription is used to generate a structured session summary, which I review and edit as the professional.
- The system may generate alerts and suggestions for me during the session, which only I see.
What the assistant does not do:
- It does not make clinical decisions or diagnoses.
- It does not share the transcription with third parties.
- It does not store video recordings.
Your rights:
- You can revoke this consent at any time and sessions will continue without the assistant.
- You can request that transcriptions from your sessions be deleted.
- You can ask questions about the assistant whenever you feel it is necessary.
By signing or responding affirmatively to this message, you confirm that you have read and understood the above information.
Adjust the text to your practice, country, and the type of clients you work with. Consult your professional association or supervisor if you have questions about the specific consent requirements in your professional context.
What to do if the client does not consent
If a client prefers that you not use the assistant:
- Respect their decision without questioning it.
- In CauceOS, simply do not create the session. You can use your meeting platform directly without the bot.
- If needed, you can take manual notes and generate the report manually (CauceOS has a report editor that does not require an active session).
Consent is the client's right and its exercise should not affect the therapeutic or professional relationship.
Common client questions and how to answer them
"Who has access to what is discussed in the session?"
"Only me as the professional. The transcription stays in my account and is not shared with any third party. I am responsible for it just as I am for any clinical note."
"Is the session being recorded?"
"The assistant processes the audio to generate text, but there is no video or audio recording stored. If you would like, I can explain how it works in more detail."
"What happens to my data if you stop using CauceOS?"
"I can request the deletion of all data at any time, including transcriptions from our sessions. If you ever decide you want me to erase that information, it is possible to do so."
"Can the AI know things about me?"
"The system generates summaries of what happens in the session, which I review. There is no automatic analysis of your profile or clinical history beyond what is explicitly mentioned in the session."
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