Over the past few months, I’ve done the slow work of transitioning away from SimplePractice, the electronic health record (EHR) system that so many of us rely on. It was daunting to move years of records and to step away from the ease of the tools it provides. My reasoning was simple: how can I trust a system run by a venture capital group in a climate where authority has no ethical compass? The law is no safeguard in these times, and I no longer want to tie my work to something that feels like another deep lie.
As I took on the tedious administrative chores of creating a local system, something shifted. I felt more at ease. I realized how much platforms like SimplePractice play upon my feelings of inferiority — as if I need their dashboards to be “organized” or “professional.” Building my own system feels less bloated, more human. I can choose the tools I actually need (with a little help from AI) instead of being locked into a bundle I never asked for.
That’s the thing: the endless “helpers” end up feeling more like a prison than an assistant. The more I prune the ways I work, especially on the administrative side, the better I feel. And more than that — the less afraid I feel. I’d rather save my fear for fascism and a burning planet.
Leaving SimplePractice hasn’t just been about technology; it’s been about reclaiming my own ground. These systems promise ease and compliance, but stepping outside of them has given me something better: freedom. I’ve built something simpler, more secure, and more in line with my values. Instead of bending myself to fit the software’s idea of “organization,” I get to define what organization means for me.
That choice has made me feel more alive and more present. It reminds me that autonomy matters, and that sometimes the most life-giving thing we can do is choose our own way.