Earn 3 CEUs!
Heather Hessel, Ph.D., LMFT, is a faculty member in the Counseling, Rehabilitation, and Human Services department at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, teaching in the Marriage & Family Therapy (MFT) and Human Development & Family Studies (HDFS) programs. Her research interests include the young adult life stage, extended family relationships, and the role of technology in family relationships and in clinical practice. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and an AAMFT-Approved Supervisor. Dr. Hessel's clinical interests include the use of technology in clinical practice, mindfulness, and Buddhist psychology.
Description
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly woven into the lives of our clients and, in the process of providing mental health care, whether therapists are in agreement with these trends or not. Clients are already using AI tools to understand diagnoses, prepare for sessions, draft communication, and explore self-help strategies. Agencies and EHR systems are implementing AI-driven documentation and scheduling systems, which will continue to evolve. And therapists themselves are increasingly using AI for note drafting, psychoeducation, research, and administrative support. While these tools offer tremendous potential for improving efficiency and accessibility, they also create new ethical challenges that MFTs must be prepared to navigate.
This workshop offers a grounded, systemic, and practice-oriented exploration of the ethical issues that arise from the use of AI in clinical practice. This workshop begins with a brief description of AI, sharing examples of AI tools that therapists and clients are likely to encounter. We will then shift to a framework for the integration of AI and mental health, connecting each layer of integration with the associated ethical principles. Participants will examine the ethical risks, including confidentiality breaches, inaccurate or biased outputs, boundary complications, documentation errors, environmental concerns, and the potential erosion of clinical judgment. We will connect these risks to the AAMFT Code of Ethics and emphasize areas where AI raises unique concerns not fully addressed by traditional guidelines.
The workshop then shifts toward responsible integration. Through case examples and group discussions, participants will grapple with real-world examples of AI showing up in the therapy room - whether the clients are individuals, couples, or families. We will examine and discuss when, how, under what conditions, and to what extent AI can be ethically used for documentation, assessment, client engagement, case conceptualization, etc.
By the end of the workshop, MFTs will recognize the ways AI is already influencing our clinical practice and understand how our ethical code can help provide guidelines for responsible use.
Objectives:
1. Identify at least three key ethical risks associated with using AI in clinical practice, including confidentiality, competence, and social justice concerns.
2. Evaluate how AI tools can be incorporated responsibly into both administrative and clinical work while maintaining professional ethical standards.
3. Use the principles of the AAMFT Code of Ethics to guide ethical decision-making when faced with real-world situations involving AI and clinical practice.
