Joerg Hiller
Oct 13, 2024 06:32
Therapyside, a startup based in Madrid, is harnessing AI technology to strengthen connections between therapists and clients, leveraging NVIDIA’s innovations to optimize therapy sessions and boost effectiveness.
In a move to improve mental health care accessibility, Therapyside is equipping therapists with sophisticated AI tools aimed at enhancing the relationship between therapist and client. This initiative arises as the World Health Organization highlights a notable gap in mental health resources, noting that only 13 mental health professionals are available per 100,000 individuals globally.
AI-Enhanced Therapeutic Alliance
A participant in the NVIDIA Inception program, Therapyside is upgrading its online therapy platform with NVIDIA NIM inference microservices. These AI-powered services function as virtual assistants and notetakers, enabling therapists to focus entirely on their clients without the burden of manual note-taking.
Alessandro De Sario, founder and CEO of Therapyside, underscored the significance of establishing a robust therapeutic bond, stating, “When therapists can devote their attention to the session without the distraction of note-taking, they can cultivate trust and rapport much more swiftly.”
Utilizing AI Tools
Currently in beta, Therapyside’s AI tools provide functionalities such as speech recognition for transcribing conversations and large language models for generating clinical notes. This technology not only conserves time but also allows therapists to effectively manage a larger client base. The AI assistant, Maia, employs retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to deliver insightful responses to therapists’ inquiries.
Therapyside aims to broaden its AI capabilities with added language support and offline functionalities for face-to-face sessions. “Our goal is to make the tool significantly more powerful,” De Sario remarked, “so it can assist with administrative tasks like scheduling and patient follow-ups.”
Broader Reach and Features
Established in 2017, Therapyside collaborates with around 1,000 licensed therapists across Europe, providing services in English, Italian, and Spanish. To date, over 500,000 therapy sessions have taken place through its platform.
Therapists involved in the beta program have commended the AI tools for their precision and ability to enhance session involvement. Alejandro A., a therapist in the program, shared, “Having a personalized summary with a transcription that emphasizes key points from each session is incredibly beneficial.”
Maia aids therapists by recalling session-specific details, such as client information, and suggesting exercises aimed at improving client outcomes. This feature is especially useful for therapists overseeing a diverse international clientele.
Technological Framework
Therapyside’s AI framework operates on NVIDIA GPUs within a secure cloud infrastructure, utilizing NVIDIA NIM microservices for optimized AI deployment. The transcription process harnesses NVIDIA Riva NIM microservices alongside the Llama 3.1 AI model family for detailed session summaries.
Upcoming updates intend to customize Maia for various therapeutic approaches and incorporate NVIDIA NeMo Guardrails to bolster security. Kimberly Powell, NVIDIA’s vice president of healthcare, will present Therapyside’s advancements at the forthcoming HLTH conference in Las Vegas.
For further details, visit the NVIDIA Blog.
Image source: Shutterstock
