Written by Anna · Chief of Therapy, Pleso Therapy
You want somewhere to keep the moments you might bring to your next session. An app promises helpful questions and summaries, but the first question is simpler: what happens to the words you put into it?
What is an AI journaling app?
An AI journal lets you record a reflection and may generate questions, responses or summaries. Privacy depends on the service and its settings; “journal” does not itself mean that only you can read the content. You can also keep notes on paper or in a non-AI tool.
How could it fit alongside therapy?
Start with the job you want the tool to do: capture one event, keep a question for your session or organise notes you choose to share. If your therapist has suggested a specific exercise, follow that agreement. You do not need an AI interpretation of every entry.
Review generated text against your own words. If a reply invents a motive, a diagnosis or a certainty you do not recognise, you can reject it. An app response is not evidence about what you or someone else truly feels.
What to look for: a 7-point checklist
1. Privacy: who can read your entries?
This matters more than any feature. Ask: is your content encrypted? Can the company’s staff read it? Are storing your entries and sending them to AI separate choices you can make? Is your writing used to train AI models? Can you export everything and delete it whenever you want? If the answers are hard to find, that tells you something.
2. Honesty about AI
The app should say clearly that you’re talking to AI, not a person or a therapist. Be cautious of anything that claims to diagnose, to replace therapy or to know you better than you know yourself. Notice whether replies stay close to what you actually wrote, or add interpretations you didn’t ask for.
3. Therapy-ready notes you control
If you want to bring your reflections to therapy, check whether you can turn them into a summary or notes, whether you review them before sharing, and whether the app ever contacts your therapist on its own. You should always be the one who decides.
4. No streaks, scores or guilt
Streaks and scores can turn reflection into a performance. Look at how many reminders the app sends, whether you can switch them off, and how it treats you when you come back after a break.
5. Crisis signposting
No journaling app is a crisis service. A responsible one says so plainly and makes it easy to find emergency numbers and helplines when you need them.
6. Languages and region
You’ll reflect more naturally in the language you think in. Check which languages the app supports, whether it’s available where you live and what its age requirements are.
7. Price, trials and refunds
Look for a clear price, clear renewal terms and a clear refund policy. Check how to cancel before you subscribe. Some apps offer free trials and some don’t; either way, you should know exactly what you’ll pay and when.
Compare evidence, not just feature names
- “Private journal”
Find the policy explaining storage, staff access, AI providers, retention and deletion. Distinguish encryption on a server from end-to-end encryption.
- “Useful for therapy”
Check whether you can read and edit notes before exporting. Find out whether anything is shared automatically.
- “Cancel anytime”
Find the renewal date, cancellation route and refund terms for the payment channel you will use.
- My one use for this app
“Keep three lines about moments I want to discuss.” Name a need you actually have.
- What I have verified
Record where you found the answers about data, exports and payment. Use a made-up entry to explore the interface if a preview is available.
- What remains unclear
List unanswered questions. You can wait, ask the provider or choose a simpler tool.
This is a selection aid, not a ranking of products or a clinical endorsement.
Where Gary fits
Gary is Pleso Therapy’s AI reflection companion for adults. This is our own product, so the same questions above apply to it. Review how Gary works, the current privacy policy and pricing before deciding.
The privacy policy explains separate choices for storing reflections and AI replies, and states that storage encryption is not end-to-end encryption. Check the full policy for processing, access and deletion details. For notes to bring to a session, you can also start with our before-and-after therapy templates.
Questions before choosing an AI journal
Do I need AI to keep a therapy journal?
No. Paper or an ordinary note can hold a situation, a feeling and a question. Choose AI only if the extra interaction is useful to you and you are comfortable with the service’s data practices.
Should I trust an AI summary of my entry?
Check it line by line. Keep your own wording when a summary changes the meaning, and do not treat an inferred label as a diagnosis.
What should I check about cost?
Use the current checkout for your country and payment channel. Read the total, renewal interval, cancellation route and refund conditions; a price copied into an article can become outdated.
Can this replace therapy or urgent support?
No. Gary supports everyday reflection and is not therapy or an emergency service. If you need professional help, contact an appropriate professional; the site’s support page provides urgent-support options.
Further reading
Prepared with AI assistance. This article supports everyday reflection and does not replace individual advice or therapy.
Want the next guide?
We write a new one about once a month: gentle reads about overthinking, relationships, work and the time between therapy sessions.