Still Sharing Therapy Documents Through Google Drive or Email? Here’s Why That’s Risky (and Outdated).

In today’s digital-first therapy landscape, many clinicians still rely on email and Google Drive to share client documents, assuming these platforms are both convenient and secure. But here’s the uncomfortable truth — they’re not built for mental health confidentiality. Whether you’re sending intake forms, progress notes, or therapy reports, using everyday tools like Gmail or Drive can expose sensitive client information to privacy risks and potential HIPAA compliance issues.

As therapists, you spend hours ensuring your clients feel safe during sessions. Yet, when it comes to document sharing, that same sense of safety often gets lost in convenience. The result? Unencrypted email attachments, shared links with the wrong access settings, and client records stored on non-secure servers.

This post explores how therapists are currently sharing client files, why email and Google Drive fall short of true security, and what modern, HIPAA-compliant document sharing tools for therapists can do to protect both your reputation and your clients’ trust.

Problems with Email

Email feels convenient. You just attach a file, hit send, and move on with your day. But when it comes to sharing therapy documents, email is quietly one of the biggest security risks in your workflow.

• Limited security
  Most email services don’t use full end-to-end encryption. Even trusted names like Gmail or Outlook leave gaps where sensitive client information could be exposed in transit.

• No control after sending
  Once an email leaves your outbox, it’s gone. Clients can forward it, save it to shared devices, or leave it sitting in an unprotected inbox. You can’t revoke access or see who’s opened it.

• Human error
  Mistyping an address or attaching the wrong file happens more often than anyone admits. When the file contains therapy notes or assessment results, that mistake becomes a major privacy issue.

• HIPAA compliance issues
  Unless you use a fully HIPAA-compliant provider and have a Business Associate Agreement in place, your email setup likely doesn’t meet privacy standards. And even if yours does, your client’s email almost certainly doesn’t.

Problems with Cloud Storage (Google Drive)

Google Drive feels like the grown-up version of email — faster, cleaner, and easier to organize. But for therapists handling private client data, it’s still not the safe haven it appears to be.

• Not designed for therapy privacy
  Google Drive wasn’t built for mental health or healthcare use. Without a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) from Google Workspace, storing or sharing therapy documents there can violate HIPAA compliance.

• Shared links are unpredictable
  It’s easy to copy a link with “anyone with the link can view” access, but that convenience also means anyone with that link — intentionally or not — can open your client’s file. Once a document spreads, you can’t reel it back in.

• Limited control over downloads
  Clients can download, screenshot, or re-upload files anywhere they want. Even if you delete a file from your Drive, you can’t delete the copies that already exist elsewhere.

• False sense of security
  Google Drive feels “safe” because it’s popular and password protected. But passwords get shared, accounts get hacked, and devices stay logged in. What feels secure in theory often isn’t in practice.

• No easy audit trail
  Therapists need to know when and by whom client records were accessed. Google Drive’s basic activity log doesn’t offer the level of tracking or control required for compliance or accountability.

So What Are the Alternatives?

If email and Google Drive are digital landmines, what’s left? Thankfully, quite a bit — especially now that most EHR (Electronic Health Record) platforms for therapists come with secure, built-in document sharing.

These systems are designed from the ground up with privacy and compliance in mind. Instead of juggling separate tools for forms, progress notes, and client uploads, an EHR keeps everything inside one protected ecosystem. When you share a treatment plan or consent form through these platforms, the file never leaves the secure environment — no public links, no attachments floating around inboxes, no accidental oversharing.

Most modern therapy EHRs like Serene, TheraNest, and SimplePractice include features such as:

• Encrypted file storage that meets HIPAA standards

• Client portals where patients can log in, view, and sign documents safely

• Role-based access control so only authorized users can see sensitive data

• Automatic backups and version tracking, protecting against accidental loss

Beyond compliance, there’s a practical benefit too: time. When everything from intake to billing to file sharing happens in one system, therapists spend less time hunting through emails and more time focusing on clients.

Serene makes the entire process simpler

Therapists shouldn’t have to choose between convenience and confidentiality. With Serene’s Client Portal, you finally get both.

With Serene, therapists can upload, share, and request documents directly from a client’s profile. Clients receive an instant notification, log in to their secure portal, and can view, sign, or upload files without downloading anything or searching their inbox. Every action is automatically encrypted, tracked, and stored — no guessing who accessed what or when.

The result is a system that feels effortless for both sides. Therapists save time, clients feel confident their information stays private, and no one has to worry about lost attachments or broken links.

And guess what? Serene doesn’t nickel-and-dime you for doing your job. You get unlimited documents and unlimited storage so you can share as many forms, reports, or therapy notes as you need. The portal is secured with multi-factor authentication (MFA) ensuring that only verified clients and clinicians can access sensitive information.

Interested in learning more about how you can take full control over your documements and explore other features that Serene offers?