Talking to Clients About AI: Therapy in the Age of ChatGPT
This two-hour clinical course prepares licensed mental health professionals to assess, understand, and therapeutically address the ways clients use conversational and companion artificial intelligence, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Replika, and Character.ai. Drawing on Turkle's scholarship on technology and relationships, Pew Research data, APA guidance, and emerging research on parasocial interaction and loneliness, the course equips clinicians to ask about AI use without judgment, distinguish benefit from risk, and integrate this material into treatment with diverse populations. (Approximately 13,000 words.)
2
CE Hours
What you'll learn
- Describe at least four common patterns of client artificial intelligence use, including advice-seeking with general chatbots, companion-bot relationships, symptom searching, and AI-assisted journaling, and identify their estimated prevalence.
- Conduct a non-judgmental clinical assessment of a client's artificial intelligence use using functional analysis to identify the underlying need the tool meets and to distinguish benefits from clinical red flags.
- Apply at least three therapeutic strategies for integrating a client's artificial intelligence use into treatment, including using the material clinically, providing psychoeducation, and applying harm-reduction principles.
- Differentiate appropriate guidance for special populations, including adolescents using companion artificial intelligence, isolated or lonely adults, and clients with psychosis or reality-testing vulnerabilities.
- Formulate three concrete behavioral commitments for assessing and addressing client artificial intelligence use, and locate at least six reputable resources for clients and families.
Who it's for
Licensed mental health professionals (LPCs, LCSWs, LMFTs, NCCs, psychologists) whose clients use ChatGPT, companion AI, and other conversational tools.
Approval & credit
CounselorReady is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP #7760). This course awards 2 NBCC-approved CE hours; a certificate is issued on completion. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CounselorReady is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.