Technology assistance (& more?) in counseling. Drs. Dickson, Moore and Rush-Wilson

June 2023 / #1
Due to unforeseen circumstances, our original speaker was not available. Drs. Dickson, Moore and Rush-Wilson held a discussion about the increasing awareness of mental health during the last few years. From experiences related to the CoViD-19 pandemic and a myriad of socio-political crises to mass violence and concerns about the environment, people experience significant threats to wellness and well-being. In addition to these stressors, the duties of intersecting self-care and being a caretaker can be particularly distressing. We discussed the history of tele-assistance in mental health from prototypes, like the 1960's ELIZA therapy bot to current examples, like the WYSA chatbot , the options for assistance are increasing.
The discussion identified some of the benefits of AI assistance (neurotransmitter regulation checks, interactive apps, increased assistance with self- and client- health management) to ethical questions (transparency with authorship in scientific journals, discussion about human or automated therapists) and how we will move forward as a profession. There was further discussion about the reach of AI in human interaction in popular culture, its believability and how people can be easily misled to believing what is not real (When you realize your favorite new song was written and performed by ... AI ). Further, the extension of such concepts into mental health present a great host of factors for mental health practitioners, instructors, researchers and advocates to consider ( Therapy by chatbot? The promise and challenges in using AI for mental health ). Additionally, client vulnerability, susceptibility when unwell and the possibility to AI-created relationships with the likeness of an actual, existing person was discussed (Character.ai). Finally, we ended with ways in which students can develop more knowledge and skills related to the development of this technology