Why You Need an OpenAI API Key
The Therapy Assistant uses OpenAI's language models to power its AI features:
- Session note generation — automatically summarise therapy sessions
- Treatment suggestions — AI-assisted treatment plan recommendations
- Progress reports — generate client progress summaries
- Smart search — natural language search across client records
These features are optional — the Therapy Assistant works without an API key, but the AI-powered features will be disabled.
Privacy & Data Handling
Because Organism apps run on your own hardware, you have full control over what data leaves your machine. Here's how it works with OpenAI:
What Gets Sent to OpenAI
When you use an AI feature (e.g. generate session notes), only the specific text for that request is sent to the OpenAI API. For example:
- A session transcript you ask to be summarised
- A prompt asking for treatment suggestions based on notes you provide
What Never Leaves Your Machine
- Client records, contact details, and personal information — stored locally in your PostgreSQL database
- Historical session data — remains in your local database and is never sent in bulk
- Your API key — stored encrypted in your local installation, never shared with WiseJNRS
OpenAI's API Data Policy
According to OpenAI's own documentation, data sent via the API is not used to train their models by default. This is a key distinction from using ChatGPT directly:
"OpenAI does not use data submitted via the API to train OpenAI models or improve OpenAI's service offering." — OpenAI API Data Usage Policy
For full details, see:
- OpenAI API Data Usage Policies — how API data is handled
- OpenAI Enterprise Privacy — enterprise-grade privacy commitments
- OpenAI Security Portal — compliance certifications and security practices
The Organism Advantage
Because Organism is self-hosted, you get an additional layer of privacy that cloud-hosted solutions cannot offer:
| Aspect | Cloud-Hosted Apps | Organism (Self-Hosted) |
|---|---|---|
| Data storage | Provider's servers | Your hardware |
| Database access | Provider controls | You control |
| AI API calls | Provider sends on your behalf | You send directly from your machine |
| API key management | Shared infrastructure | Your key, your machine |
| Data retention | Provider's policy | Your policy |
| Compliance | Dependent on provider | You manage directly |
This means you can use AI features while maintaining full custody of your data — the AI requests go directly from your Organism instance to OpenAI, with no intermediary.
Step 1: Create an OpenAI Account
- Go to platform.openai.com — this is OpenAI's developer platform, separate from ChatGPT
- Click Sign up (or Log in if you already have an account)
- You can sign up with your email, Google, Microsoft, or Apple account
For detailed instructions, see OpenAI's official guide: Getting Started with the OpenAI API
Step 2: Add a Payment Method
OpenAI API usage is billed separately from ChatGPT subscriptions. You'll need to add a payment method before you can use the API.
- Navigate to platform.openai.com/settings/organization/billing
- Click Add payment method
- Enter your credit or debit card details
- Set a monthly usage limit to control costs (recommended: start with $10–$20/month)
Cost guidance: Typical Therapy Assistant usage (session notes, treatment suggestions) costs approximately $1–$5 per month for a small practice. Costs scale with the number of AI-generated summaries and reports.
For current pricing, see: OpenAI API Pricing
Step 3: Generate an API Key
- Navigate to platform.openai.com/api-keys
- Click Create new secret key
- Give your key a name (e.g. "Therapy Assistant")
- Optionally select a project to scope the key to
- Click Create secret key
- Copy the key immediately — it starts with
sk-and won't be shown again
Important: Store your API key securely. Anyone with access to this key can make API calls billed to your account. Never share it publicly or commit it to source control.
For more details, see: OpenAI API Key Best Practices
Step 4: Add the Key to Therapy Assistant
There are two ways to add your API key:
Option A: During Installation (Recommended)
When installing Therapy Assistant through Organism, the install wizard includes a field for your OpenAI API key in the Configure step. Simply paste your key there.
Option B: After Installation
If you skipped the API key during installation, you can add it later:
- Open the Therapy Assistant at
http://localhost:8085 - Go to Settings from the sidebar
- Navigate to the Services or AI Configuration section
- Paste your API key in the OpenAI API Key field
- Click Save
The AI features will activate immediately after saving a valid key.
API Key Best Practices
| Practice | Why |
|---|---|
| Set a monthly spending limit | Prevents unexpected charges if usage spikes |
| Use a dedicated key | Create a separate key for Therapy Assistant so you can revoke it without affecting other services |
| Rotate keys periodically | Generate a new key every few months and update your configuration |
| Monitor usage | Check your usage dashboard at platform.openai.com/usage |
| Use project-scoped keys | Scope your key to a specific project for better access control — see OpenAI Projects |
Supported Models
The Therapy Assistant uses the following OpenAI models:
| Model | Used For |
|---|---|
| GPT-4o | Session summaries, treatment suggestions, progress reports |
| GPT-4o mini | Quick completions, search, and lightweight tasks |
The model selection is handled automatically — you don't need to configure which model to use. The Therapy Assistant picks the most appropriate model for each task to balance quality and cost.
For the latest model information, see: OpenAI Models Documentation
Troubleshooting
AI features not working after adding key
Check that:
- The key starts with
sk- - Your OpenAI account has a valid payment method
- You haven't exceeded your monthly spending limit
- The key hasn't been revoked
You can test your key by checking the AI service status in Therapy Assistant Settings.
See also: OpenAI Error Codes Reference
"Insufficient quota" error
This means your OpenAI account has run out of credits or hit its spending limit.
- Go to platform.openai.com/settings/organization/billing
- Check your current balance and usage
- Add credits or increase your monthly limit
"Invalid API key" error
- Make sure you copied the full key (including the
sk-prefix) - Check for extra spaces before or after the key
- Try generating a new key — the old one may have been revoked
Concerned about sending patient data to OpenAI?
Remember:
- OpenAI does not use API data to train models by default — see their API Data Usage Policy
- Only the specific text you request AI processing for is sent — never your full database
- All data is transmitted over encrypted HTTPS connections
- You can disable AI features entirely and still use all other Therapy Assistant functionality
- Your Organism instance sends requests directly to OpenAI — WiseJNRS never sees your API traffic
If your compliance requirements prohibit any external API calls, simply don't add an API key — all core functionality works without it.
What's Next?
- Getting Started with Therapy Assistant — Set up your practice
- Organism Overview — Learn about the platform