About the Webinar:

Clients are already using AI tools like ChatGPT 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 (Heinz et al., 2025), 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 conversations about their use of AI. Dr. Georgiadou 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 learn evidence-based strategies to identify common AI mental health tools, understand client motivations for AI adoption, and respond with clinically sound approaches that support their clients' informed decision-making while maintaining therapeutic safety and alliance.