JotPsych vs. Nabla - side by side comparison for behavioral health [2025]

In recent years, AI-powered medical scribes have emerged as a powerful way to save clinicians time, reduce administrative burden, and improve the quality of documentation. These tools listen to clinician-patient conversations (or sessions), then generate structured, clinically relevant notes automatically—freeing providers to focus on care rather than keyboards. Two notable solutions in this space are Nabla and JotPsych. While both offer AI-based scribing, they take very different approaches. This blog post will compare their features, strengths, and weaknesses, with a particular emphasis on why JotPsych stands out for behavioral health professionals.

Understanding AI Scribes

AI scribes use natural language processing (NLP) and large language models to transform speech into coherent, clinically oriented notes. The process typically involves:

1. Recording audio from the patient encounter.

2. Transcribing the conversation into text.

3. Summarizing or structuring the information into a standardized note template.

4. Suggesting relevant codes (ICD-10, CPT) or key actions based on context.

5. Allowing edits before finalizing the document in an EHR.

   
   

For most specialties, a general-purpose AI scribe can do a decent job capturing important information. However, behavioral health poses unique challenges: sessions are longer, revolve heavily around psychosocial factors, may involve multiple therapy modalities, and require detailed documentation for compliance and billing. Providers often need to track subtle nuances, from a patient’s affect to risk factors that may not be explicitly stated. That’s where a specialized tool can shine.

Quick Glance at Nabla

Nabla is a broad-spectrum AI scribe originally designed to handle a variety of medical specialties in real time. It emphasizes:

• Speed: Nabla generates note drafts almost instantly after a session (in as little as 20 seconds).

• Wide Applicability: Its AI is trained on dozens of specialties, making it suitable for clinics with diverse service lines.

• Privacy-by-Design: Nabla does not store patient data on its own servers; transcripts and notes reside only in the user’s browser, reducing risk of data exposure.

• Integration Options: Nabla can embed in an EHR via APIs, letting providers view and sign off on the note in a familiar environment.

Because it’s a generalist, Nabla can be a handy one-stop solution for organizations that offer many types of care. If you practice in, say, family medicine or a mix of cardiology and endocrinology, it’s a versatile tool that easily adapts to different clinical settings. However, some clinicians have found that ultra-specialized documentation (like mental health progress notes) may require more manual editing to capture the depth and nuance expected in behavioral health.

Quick Glance at JotPsych

By contrast, JotPsych is laser-focused on behavioral health documentation. Created by SmartScribe Corp, it addresses the specific needs of therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health providers. Notable highlights:

1. Built for Behavioral Health:

   • Special dictionaries for psycho-social-behavioral factors, BH medications, and therapy modalities.

   • Identifies relevant ICD-10, DSM-5-TR, and CPT codes specifically used in mental health.

   • Offers 70+ behavioral-health note sections out of the box (e.g., mental status exam, psychosocial context, risk assessment).

2. Customization & Personalization:

   • Fully customizable templates for different session types, sub-specialties, or personal note preferences.

   • Users can teach the AI to write in their style, adjusting language, formatting, and sensitivity for each practice’s needs.

3. Patient Tracking & Context:

   • JotPsych follows patients across their care journey, referencing previous sessions to add context to new notes.

   • Summaries automatically include relevant historical details (when needed) for continuity.

4. Billing & Prescription Support:

   • Continually improving identification of ICD-10 and CPT codes to streamline reimbursement.

   • Flags medication changes so prescribers can quickly update e-prescriptions.

5. Data Privacy & Security:

   • HIPAA-compliant, with transcripts and personal identifiers removed from stored data.

   • Audio is deleted after note generation, and final notes remain only as long as you choose.

     
     

Because it specializes in behavioral health, JotPsych is especially adept at identifying the nuances of therapy conversations. It not only transcribes what was said but also captures psychosocial indicators, next steps, and risk factors. In short, if you’re in mental health, JotPsych “speaks your language” far more intuitively than a generalist solution.

Feature Comparison Table

Below is a side-by-side comparison of Nabla and JotPsych on critical criteria for mental health professionals:

Feature	JotPsych	Nabla
Domain Focus	Exclusively behavioral health (therapy, psychiatry, counseling, etc.)	General medicine (multi-specialty)
Behavioral Health Templates	70+ BH-specific note sections out of the box; easily modifiable	Limited templates (must customize for BH)
Customization	Extensive customization & template building; AI learns your style and preferences	Customizable to a degree (general templates, real-time adjustments)
Speed of Note Generation	Rapid post-session processing (typically 20–40 seconds), with thorough BH context	Real-time or near-instant (within ~20 seconds)
Coding & Billing Support	Identifies and justifies BH codes (ICD-10, DSM-5-TR, CPT) with special attention to therapy & psych E/M services	Suggests ICD/CPT codes for any specialty
Data Handling	De-identified transcripts and notes stored securely; audio deleted after transcription	No server storage; data remains local (strong privacy stance)
Patient Context	Longitudinal view of patient notes; references past sessions for greater clarity	Encounter-focused; notes do not persist in Nabla’s servers
Pricing	$150/month for individuals (discounts for groups); includes dedicated BH features out of the box	~$119/month per clinician; free trial available
Ideal Use Case	Mental health professionals seeking specialized, context-rich, and deeply customizable documentation solutions	Multi-specialty clinics or providers wanting a broad solution

Why JotPsych is the Clear Choice for Behavioral Health

1. Stronger Clinical Depth: While Nabla can handle the basics of a mental health session, JotPsych is designed from the ground up around therapy, counseling, and psychiatry. That means it “gets” the subtle details you’d normally have to type or dictate explicitly, such as mental status exam findings, psychosocial stressors, or therapy techniques used (CBT, DBT, EMDR, etc.). JotPsych even suggests relevant ICD or DSM codes if the AI recognizes symptoms of depression, anxiety, trauma, or other behavioral health conditions.

2. Faster, More Accurate Editing: A broad AI scribe might give you a decent draft, but you might spend time reformatting or adding BH-specific details. Because JotPsych is already trained on the structure of behavioral health notes, the raw output is closer to what you need—leading to minimal editing. Over time, JotPsych can adapt to your style, further reducing friction.

3. Rich Patient Context: In mental health, continuity of care matters a great deal. JotPsych stores prior (de-identified) notes and references them for future sessions. So if a client’s last session discussed potential medication changes, JotPsych can recall that context and automatically incorporate relevant follow-up details. You don’t have to rummage through old files; the AI has them at its fingertips—without exposing personal data.

4. Elevated Patient Experience: Because JotPsych handles note-taking, clinicians are free to give undivided attention to the patient, without burying their face in a keyboard. Patients feel truly heard and validated—critical factors in therapy engagement and positive outcomes. In mental health, the therapeutic alliance is everything.

5. Streamlined Billing & Reduced Denials: Behavioral health reimbursement often hinges on correct CPT codes and thorough documentation to substantiate the chosen diagnosis. JotPsych captures the necessary details upfront, helping you justify coding choices and reduce audit risks. If you’ve ever faced a denied mental health claim, you know how frustrating it can be. JotPsych’s robust notes significantly lower that risk.

6. Continuous Improvement with Clinician Input: JotPsych actively involves its user community through a Clinical Advisory Board of over 20 mental health professionals. The product roadmap, monthly reviews, and beta feature feedback loops ensure the platform keeps pace with clinical standards and emerging norms. You won’t have to worry about the AI missing new therapeutic modalities or novel psychiatric medications; JotPsych evolves as mental health practice does.

   
   

Beyond the Note: The Bigger Picture

Beyond documentation, JotPsych has ambitious plans to further ease the administrative burden for mental health practices—everything from e-prescriptions to advanced analytics. For instance, if medication changes come up during a session, JotPsych notes it and populates a suggested update for your e-prescribing system. This can close gaps and reduce medication errors. Meanwhile, on the billing front, the AI is continually learning to be more precise in mapping session data to ICD/CPT codes.

For providers frustrated by the endless “paperwork” side of mental health care, these expansions promise even bigger time savings—and more importantly, less risk of claim denials. JotPsych’s end-goal is to become a comprehensive administrative ally, so practitioners can focus on therapy instead of admin tasks.

Nabla, while an excellent general scribe, simply can’t match that level of domain-specific nuance. If your practice is mostly therapy or psychiatry, you may find you’re doing extra work to adapt Nabla to your BH environment, rather than letting a specialized platform handle the intricacies for you.

Conclusion

Whether you choose a generalist AI scribe like Nabla or a behavioral health specialist like JotPsych ultimately depends on your clinical setting. For multi-specialty clinics needing a universal solution, Nabla’s wide scope and immediate note generation may be appealing. But for those who live and breathe mental health, JotPsych offers a profound advantage: it’s built around the unique demands of therapy, counseling, and psychiatry.

From capturing psychosocial details and mental status exams, to automatically suggesting behavioral-health-specific codes, to providing a centralized, context-rich dashboard for each client, JotPsych is tailor-made for your world. Add in the ability to customize extensively and teach the AI your own style, and it becomes clear that JotPsych isn’t just another scribe—it’s a dedicated partner in your practice.

If you’re a mental health professional seeking a seamless, comprehensive documentation solution, JotPsych is undoubtedly the best choice. By reducing the note-taking burden, it can help you reclaim time, lower burnout, and deliver more focused, human-centric care. In the end, that’s what truly matters—giving patients the empathy and attention they deserve, and trusting that your documentation is handled with expert precision.