As generative AI continues to evolve, its potential to reshape mental health care is becoming increasingly clear.

This three-part webinar series explores how Gen-AI is transforming the mental health landscape by opening new paths of support for individuals around the world and expanding access to personalized care on a scale never seen before. As AI becomes integrated into therapy, support systems, and the lives of hundreds of millions of people, it’s essential to understand both the exciting opportunities and the challenges that lie ahead.

Part 1 Opens the conversation with a focus on therapists. Lindsey Thomson will speak from a lived experience perspective as a therapist who has actively engaged with AI tools in clinical practice. She will explore how AI can support therapists in navigating clinical tools and knowledge, with a focus on using prompts to surface implicit bias in AI-generated responses. Drawing from her own personal experience of using AI in place of a therapist, Lindsey will also share a cautionary account of the ethical limitations and risks posed by AI, underscoring the irreplaceable value of human connection and clinical judgment in therapy. 

Key Discussion Points:

1. Using Prompts to Surface Implicit Bias in AI Responses: Demonstrating how targeted prompts can reveal bias in AI-generated content; exploring the ethical responsibility of clinicians when working with AI outputs; and discussing the implications of biased AI for marginalized and diverse populations.
2. Lived Experience - Replacing a Therapist with AI: Sharing personal experiences of using AI as a substitute for therapy; examining the emotional and ethical consequences of relying on AI for mental health support; and addressing the slippery slope: convenience vs. clinical complexity.
3. The Ethical Limitations of AI in Therapy: Why AI cannot fully replicate the therapeutic relationship; highlighting the importance of attunement, embodiment, and trauma-informed care in human therapy; and exploring the potential harm when AI is mistaken for relational healing.
4. The Irreplaceable Value of Human Connection in Therapy: Exploring what AI cannot offer: empathy, nuance, and presence; addressing the danger of over-relying on tech in emotionally vulnerable moments; and reaffirming the need for skilled, regulated mental health professionals in an AI-enhanced future.
5. Reflections and Recommendations for Practitioners: Providing guidance for ethically and thoughtfully incorporating AI into practice, encouraging critical engagement and ongoing dialogue around tech use, and offering suggestions for training, supervision, and policy development in a Gen-AI world.