Clients are already using AI tools like ChatGPT, Woebot, Wysa, and Character.AI for mental health support (Rousmaniere et al., 2025), often without discussing this with their therapists. While research shows promising outcomes including symptom reduction (Mehta et al., 2021), concerning safety gaps remain, including inappropriate responses to suicidal ideation and inconsistent crisis handling (Moore et al., 2025; Santos et al., 2025).

This session presents a practical ethical framework for engaging clients in explicit conversations about their AI use. We will address four critical areas: crisis safety and privacy concerns, emotional attachment and relationship formation with AI companions, AI hallucinations and misinformation, and patterns of overuse or dependence. Participants will gain evidence-based strategies to identify common AI mental health tools, understand client motivations for AI adoption, and respond with clinically sound approaches that support informed decision-making while maintaining therapeutic safety and alliance.

CE offered: 1 credit hour

Pricing

Telehealth Members: 0

Telehealth Student Members: 0

AAMFT Members: 25

AAMFT Student Members: 20

AAMFT Non-Members: 35