Dictation for therapists on a Mac: progress notes and SOAP notes, kept on your computer
By Ryleigh Newman · Published
To dictate therapy notes on a Mac without the recording leaving your computer, use a dictation app that transcribes on the Mac and talk straight into your notes. For a SOAP or progress note, say each heading as you go, or give a custom mode the structure once and let it lay out every note the same way. YapToText is free and works like that.
I built YapToText because my hands make typing difficult, so I dictate everything. I am not a clinician, and nothing here is clinical, legal or compliance advice. Your practice decides what is allowed.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
This guide in other languages: العربية, Čeština, Dansk, Deutsch, Ελληνικά, Español, Suomi, Français, עברית, हिन्दी, Magyar, Bahasa Indonesia, Italiano, 日本語, 한국어, Norsk, Nederlands, Polski, Português, Română, Русский, Slovenčina, Svenska, ไทย, Türkçe, Українська, Tiếng Việt, 简体中文, 繁體中文
On this page: 9 sections
Steps
- Click into the note and tap Right Command.
- Say Subjective and what the client reported, then new paragraph.
- Do the same for Objective, Assessment and Plan.
- Tap Right Command again and read the note before saving it.
Why the transcription should stay on the Mac
Most dictation services send your voice to a server, transcribe it there, and send the text back. For a session note, that means a recording of you describing a client goes to another company first.
When the speech model runs on your own Mac, there is no recording on anyone else's server to worry about. YapToText's speech model and cleanup model both run on the Mac, there is no account, and I receive nothing you say. The App Store build works with Wi-Fi off.
That is one piece, not the whole answer. Your notes system, the Mac's own security, the History the app keeps on your disk, and your practice's policies all still matter. The page on Wispr Flow and HIPAA shows what a cloud service asks of you instead.
Dictating a SOAP note by voice
The simplest way needs no setup. Click into the note, tap Right Command, and say the note in order, with the headings spoken.
- Say the headings. Say Subjective, then what the client reported, then new paragraph, then Objective, and so on. New paragraph ends a section with a blank line.
- Say the punctuation you need. Most sentences need none, because the speech model punctuates ordinary speech. Two-word names like question mark and new line work at the end of a clause.
- Ask for a list when you want one. Ending with as a bullet list turns what you said into a list. Auto mode never makes a list on its own.
Tap Right Command again and the text lands at your cursor. The spoken punctuation guide lists every mark you can say.
A custom mode that lays out the note for you
Every mode in YapToText is editable, and you can make your own with instructions in plain language. A SOAP mode is a good first one.
- You: On the Modes page, create a custom mode and name it SOAP note. Under AI cleanup, leave Rewrite the transcript with AI on, and write instructions such as: format this as a SOAP note with the headings Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan, and keep my wording.
- YapToText: Uses the cleanup model on your Mac to arrange each dictation under those headings, following your instructions.
- Check: Use Try it out in the mode editor with a made-up note before you use it on a real one, and read what it changed.
Read every note before you save it, because a cleanup model can move or soften a clinical detail. If you want your words exactly as spoken, use Raw Transcription, which skips the cleanup step entirely. The modes guide covers the editor.
Names, medications and clinical terms
A speech model has never heard most client names or the terms your field uses every day. Dictionaries fix that.
- Add a word once. Select a term spelled the way you want it, tap Right Option, say add this to my dictionary, and tap again.
- It changes what is heard. Dictionary words are handed to the speech model before it decodes, so the right spelling is more likely the first time.
- Keep client names out of it if you would rather. The dictionary is a file on your Mac, but you can add only terms, not names, if that is your practice's rule.
The Dictionaries guide explains the rest.
The settings I would change first
These are in Settings, Advanced, History & audio. Each one is about what stays on your own disk.
- Also save the audio recording. It is on by default, so each History entry keeps its recording. Turn it off and the file is deleted once the dictation is done.
- Save dictation history. It is on by default and keeps the last 500 dictations for 30 days. Turn it off if you want no record at all.
- Clear history when I quit. It is off by default. Turn it on if you want History kept only for the working session.
That is caution about your own records, not a rule I can give you. Your practice's policy on local copies is the one to follow.
What it does not do
- No notes system of its own. It types into whatever app has your cursor, including a notes system in a browser, and it keeps no client records.
- No templates for your system. It does not know your notes system's fields. A custom mode gives the structure, and you place it.
- No compliance claim. I do not say YapToText is HIPAA compliant, and there is no agreement to sign because I receive nothing.
- Not tested with every notes system. I have not tested it with specific therapy notes systems, so try it on a made-up note first.
- Mac only. It needs an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 14 or later.
The short version
- Keep the recording local. An app that transcribes on the Mac sends no session audio anywhere.
- Say the headings. Speak Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan as you go, with new paragraph between them.
- Or make a SOAP mode. Give a custom mode the structure once, and read every result.
- Trim the local copies. Turn off saved audio, or History, in Settings, Advanced.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
If you are a therapist and something here does not fit how notes really get written, open an issue on GitHub. I would rather hear it from you than guess.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
Related
Sources
- https://github.com/ryleighnewman/YapToText (checked 2026-10-09)
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yaptotext/id6786382289 (checked 2026-10-09)
Questions
What is the best dictation software for therapists?
One that transcribes on your own computer, so session details never go to another company's server, and that types into your notes system. YapToText does that on an Apple silicon Mac, free.
Can I dictate SOAP notes on a Mac?
Yes. Say each heading as you go with new paragraph between them, or make a custom mode in YapToText whose instructions lay out Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan.
Is it safe to dictate therapy notes?
That depends on where the audio goes and what your practice allows. An app that transcribes on the Mac keeps the recording on your computer, and you can turn off saved audio and history.
Does YapToText keep recordings of my notes?
By default each History entry keeps its audio on your Mac. Turn off Also save the audio recording in Settings, Advanced, History and audio, and the file is deleted once the dictation is done.
Is YapToText HIPAA compliant?
I do not make that claim. YapToText transcribes on your Mac and sends me nothing, so there is no outside processor. Your practice decides whether the full setup meets its rules.
Will the AI change what I said in a note?
The cleanup step can reword or rearrange, so read every note before saving it. Raw Transcription skips cleanup and types exactly what the speech model heard.