562. AI and the Ethics of Efficiency

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. I’m diving back into a topic that I feel more strongly about every day, which is the intersection of professional burnout and the way we handle our documentation. Honestly, the research on clerical burden as a driver of exhaustion is pretty staggering, and in our field of assessment, it’s compounded by the fact that we’re writing these massive integrated narratives rather than simple chart notes. In this episode, I’m making a bit of an ethical plea for automation—not as a way to cut corners, but as a clinical safety measure to preserve our executive functioning for the high-level synthesis our clients actually need. I walk through the APA ethics code, the “skeleton versus soul” model of report writing, and the non-negotiables of data sovereignty in 2026. I also share a four-point protocol for integrating these tools responsibly, from the “blind edit” to clear disclosure, because at the end of the day, I’d much rather we use our brain power for conceptualization than for transcribing scores into tables. Main Topics 00:38: The documentation crisis and the burnout loop in psychological assessment 01:25: Why documentation efficiency is a clinical safety and practice issue 02:44: Navigating APA Ethics Standard 9.09 regarding automated interpretation 03:35: The skeleton versus soul model of AI-assisted report writing 04:58: Current state of research on AI writing quality and patient outcomes 05:55: Data sovereignty and the dangers of public LLMs in clinical practice 07:45: A four-point ethical efficiency protocol for clinicians 10:28: Transparency and disclosure statements for AI-assisted reports Cool Things Mentioned The Testing Psychologist mastermind groups and business consulting Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists Featured Resources TherapyNotes is the leading EHR system for mental health practitioners. I’ve used TherapyNotes for over 10 years, and it just keeps getting better. Use this link and the promo code “testing” to get two free months and try it for yourself! www.therapynotes.com/testing The Testing Psychologist podcast is approved for CEU’s! I’ve partnered with At Health to offer CE credits for podcast episodes! Visit this link to access current and past episodes available for CE credit. You can use code “TTP10” for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health! About Dr. Jeremy Sharp I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents. As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids. Ready to grow your testing services? Click below to get on the waitlist! Join the Waitlist