From 30 years of note-taking fatigue to clinical freedom: Dr. Olga Lavalle's story
Dr. Olga Lavalle x Heidi at a glance
"Sometimes Heidi is so good, it's almost like having someone sitting in my office. Everything's coming out, and the outputs are really good." – Dr. Olga Lavalle
Key outcomes:
Saves approximately 2 hours per day on documentation
Eliminates end-of-day documentation pressure
Provides a more objective clinical perspective for treatment planning
Improved team efficiency and supervision capabilities
Enhanced therapeutic relationships, with clients appreciating reduced in-session note-taking
Read on if you might also be experiencing:
Feeling worn down by the burden of clinical documentation
Dr. Olga Lavalle leads a well-established private group practice with over 30 years of experience in clinical psychology. Dedicated to delivering high-quality care and supervision, her practice supports diverse patients, including university students and training psychologists.
Challenge
After three decades in clinical psychology, Dr. Olga Lavalle had reached a breaking point with clinical documentation. Despite her extensive experience and successful practice, the constant pressure of note-taking was taking its toll.
"When it comes down to it, I'm tired of notes as you would be," Dr. Lavalle reflects. "It wears you down. You get sick of it."
As a practice leader supervising multiple clinicians and hosting university students, she needed a solution that would not only address her documentation challenges but also set a new standard for modern psychological practice.
Solution
When evaluating AI solutions, Dr. Lavalle discovered Heidi during its early development stages. Her technical assessment was thorough and practical:
"When I looked at other AI systems, they just didn't gel with me," she explains. "Heidi was evolving to be something not just for doctors but for clinical psychologists. When I was giving feedback, they were listening - that's why I've stuck with Heidi."
Key factors in choosing Heidi:
Superior voice recognition without specialized equipment
Psychological practice-specific capabilities
Responsive development team incorporating feedback
Seamless integration with Australian privacy principles
Multi-voice recognition for team meetings
Dr. Lavalle's implementation strategy
From there, Dr. Lavalle developed a comprehensive implementation strategy that spans the entire practice workflow:
Clinical assessments and case formulations
Regular session documentation
Team meeting minutes
Clinical supervision sessions
Letters to referring doctors
Treatment planning and review
"I actually teach students from the university who are clinical master students about how to use AI note-taking with Heidi," she shares. “The university fully supports this innovation, recognizing it as part of real-world clinical experience.”
Pro tip from Dr. Lavalle: "For team meetings, I have everyone go round and say their name. That's how Heidi picks up who said what really clearly."
Impact
In the time since adoption, Dr. Lavalle's practice has transformed in multiple ways.
Time and energy recovery
Saves approximately 2 hours per day on documentation
Eliminates end-of-day documentation pressure
Enables flexible note completion without compromising accuracy
Enhanced clinical quality
"It actually allows you to look at the session more objectively," Dr. Lavalle notes. "You can get a good feel and work out a treatment plan by looking at it from a distance, rather than being too connected to your notes."
Improvements include:
More objective clinical perspective
Enhanced treatment planning
Better capture of session nuances
Ability to review transcripts for missed details
The relationship revolution
"The clients have all agreed to allow me to use it," Dr. Lavalle reports. "They're giving feedback about how good it is that I don't have to take notes in session. It's changed the therapeutic relationship."
Team efficiency boost
Streamlined team meeting documentation
Enhanced collaboration with administrative staff
Improved supervision capabilities
Better training environment for students
What’s next
Dr. Lavalle continues to explore new applications for Heidi in her practice. She's particularly interested in expanding its use for:
"Sometimes Heidi is so good, it's almost like having someone sitting in my office. Everything's coming out, and the outputs are really good."
Dr. Olga Lavalle
As both a pioneering user and template creator, Dr. Lavalle sees AI as the future of clinical documentation in behavioral health. Her templates are now among the most used in the Heidi community, helping shape the future of psychological practice documentation.
Want to transform your practice like Dr. Lavalle? Discover how Heidi Health can revolutionize your clinical documentation while strengthening therapeutic relationships.
