I feel very anxious when faced with anything technical or mechanical, ie anything to do with my computer or car. My thoughts start to race and I feel myself shut down. The story I tell myself is that I’m not good at understanding anything technical. (stories don’t have to be true to be powerful)

So, it’s no surprise that I experienced a lot of resistance when presented with the opportunity to use an AI notetaker in my psychotherapy practice. Note transcription, note synthesis, after-session summary for charting and post-session client communication…theoretically, it all sounds wonderful! 

For me, Resistance = I’m feeling scared and intimidated. Instinct = Run Away. Hide my head in the sand…At the same time, I see resistance as a challenge because I don’t want to avoid something out of fear. So, I decided to take a leap and try the AI tool. I promised myself that if I didn’t like it or it wasn’t what I needed I could always go back to taking notes the traditional way. Made it more palatable for myself…nothing to lose…

Dialing it forward, I’ve now been using different AI platforms for six months, in both English and Spanish. Being an end-user has been surprisingly easy…no stress or hand wringing. None of what I was scared of…(take note: the pitfall of anticipatory anxiety vs reality)

The tool has improved the quality of my life and that of my clients, something that I hadn’t even considered. I’ve saved time, without relinquishing quality or responsibility. And, I’m not embarrassed to admit that, in many instances, the output is actually better than what I, myself, could have produced (in terms of time savings and content). 

Of course, the output requires my review and intermittent modification but, overall, is impressive. And, periodic down time happens so being able to pivot to manual note is a possibility. What I find fascinating is that the systems are evolving…I can see it in the ever improving quality of the notes.

I want to add this: I don’t feel replaced. My ego hasn’t taken a hit. I say this purposely because it could feel like a machine is doing the job of a human and, to some degree, that is very true. But, for me, this is a Winning Hand, allowing me to focus on clients while technology acts as the interpreter – translator. A win overall…

To sum it up:

-Was I scared? Yes

-Am I glad I challenged my resistance? Yes

-Have I benefited? Yes 

This is not an endorsement of a product but, rather, of the willingness to try something new and outside of our comfort zone. Resistance is a signal not a barrier, unless we allow it to be. It’s an opportunity to listen and learn about what’s making us uncomfortable. That is valuable information. We can’t solve a problem if we don’t know what the problem is.

Is there an opportunity that scares you but could also represent a possible gain for you? What could you do to challenge the resistance that you feel?

Like Wayne Gretzky said, “you miss 100% of the shots you never take.”