AI and Psychotherapy: What Every Therapist Needs To Know Now

In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence (AI), its impact on mental health practice is both groundbreaking and uncertain. This symposium serves as your portal into the unfolding landscape of possibilities and challenges within the intersection of AI and psychotherapy.

We begin this intellectual journey with Dr. Amelia Fiske from the University of Munich, Germany, the esteemed author of “Your Robot Therapist Will See You Now.” Discussing the increasing clinical relevance of embodied AI for therapeutic applications in mental health services, Dr. Fiske explores innovations from ‘virtual psychotherapists’ to social robots in dementia care and autism disorder.

Following this insightful exploration, we delve into the presentations of two pioneers in the integration of AI into clinical practice: Dr. Jessica Stone and Dr. Albert “Skip” Rizzo.

Dr. Stone, based in Colorado and the editor of “Integrating Technology into Modern Therapies: A Clinician’s Guide to Developments and Interventions,” who introduced the groundbreaking Virtual SandTray App that revolutionizes sand therapies in the digital realm. Her insights extend to the use of AI in youth mental health, encompassing therapeutic settings, and image generation.

Meanwhile, Dr. Rizzo from the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies in Los Angeles, whose work spans PTSD, TBI, Autism, ADHD, and Alzheimer’s disease, explores the evolution of AI in mental health. He highlights both the positive and negative impacts of AI in psychotherapy and its ongoing role in clinical settings. He also shares insights from creating “Ellie”, a computer-assisted therapy program, and developing SIMCOACH, a PTSD screening tool for military personnel.

Concluding our symposium is Dr. Simon D’Alfonso, an Australian professor and expert in Cyberpsychology, offering a comprehensive view of the current landscape of AI programs and apps. He enlightens us on their functionalities, workings, and what lies on the horizon.

Join us for an engaging and captivating exploration into the world where AI and psychotherapy meet, as we navigate the intersection of innovation and ethical considerations, uncover new possibilities and potential, and witness the future of mental health care unfolding before us.

View the full session descriptions

SESSION 1: DR. AMELIA FISKE – “ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF AI IN PSYCHOTHERAPY”

• Identify potential risks and benefits of AI.
• Critically reflect on the use of AI in relation to their own professional practice.
• Identify tools for addressing concerns with AI in mental health.

SESSION 2: DR. JESSICA STONE – “AI IN YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT”

• Acquire the ability to identify and implement at least one type of AI technology in therapeutic settings for treating youth mental health issues.

SESSION 3: DR. ALBERT “SKIP” RIZZO – “MENTAL HEALTH AI AND VIRTUAL REALITY IN THERAPEUTIC SETTINGS”

• Describe the definition of Virtual Reality (VR) and Virtual Human (VH) conversational agents and the different ways that people can engage and interact with such digital content for clinical purposes.
• Explain the specific rationales for the use of VR/VH in the assessment and rehabilitation of a wide range of clinical disorders (i.e., ADHD, PTSD, Alzheimer’s, Phobias, Stroke, addictions, etc.).
• Understand the relevant issues involved in the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of these emotionally evocative interactive technologies.
• Explain and describe how recent advances in AI and the creation of virtual humans that can be used in clinical applications for training healthcare providers and for various patient-facing applications.
• Explain and describe the ethical and professional considerations for the safe and effective use of VR and VH’s in clinical practice moving into the future.

SESSION 4: DR. SIMON D’ALFONSO – “AI TECHNOLOGIES, APPLICATIONS & ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY”

• Understand what digital phenotyping is, how it is being researched to detect mental ill-health, and how it could be used in clinical mental health practice.
• Understand what natural language processing (NLP) is, how it is being researched to detect mental ill-health, and how existing NLP tools could be used in clinical practice.
• Understand what chatbots are and how they can be used in the service of mental health.
• Understand various ethical issues raised by artificial intelligence, both those that apply to AI in general and those particular to the intersection of AI and mental health care.

This training offers 6 hours of direct contact (not counting breaks or lunch). It is the participant’s responsibility to check with their individual state boards/regulatory body to verify CE requirements for their license to practice.

Attendees of the live broadcast will receive instructions on how to obtain their Certificate of Participation after the course is finished.

Attendees of the on-demand recorded version will need to complete a Post-Webinar Quiz with a pass of at least 80% in order to verify attendance and then receive their Certificate of Participation. On-demand attendees will receive instructions on how to obtain their Certificate of Participation once they have successfully passed the Post-Webinar Quiz at the completion of the webinar.

The Certificate of Participation includes:

• Name of participant.
• Title of training.
• Name of presenter plus their credentials.
• Number of hours of training.
• Date of training.
• Confirmation that showed 100% attendance at the live broadcast or passed a quiz with at least an 80% grade to verify attendance of the on-demand recording.

Get details about CE credits for Canadian and non-US international participants.

Get details about CE credits for US participants.

Please check with your regulatory body/organization to ensure that this certificate is sufficient proof for you to claim CE credits.