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ViewAttendees 4

Symposia

Technology/Digital Health

Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a means of supporting evidence-based practices in psychological treatments

1 - (SYM 66) An Artificial-intelligence-based Multicultural Practice Training Program for Therapists: Development and Preliminary Findings

Sunday, November 23, 2025
2:04 PM - 2:18 PM CST
Location: Imperial 11, Level 4
Keywords: Technology / Mobile Health, Training / Training Directors, Competence
Recommended Readings: Stade, E., Stirman, S. W., Ungar, L. H., Yaden, D. B., Schwartz, H. A., Sedoc, J., ... & DeRubeis, R. (2023). Artificial intelligence will change the future of psychotherapy: A proposal for responsible, psychologist-led development.,   Olawade, D. B., Wada, O. Z., Odetayo, A., David-Olawade, A. C., Asaolu, F., & Eberhardt, J. (2024). Enhancing mental health with Artificial Intelligence: Current trends and future prospects. Journal of medicine, surgery, and public health, 100099.,   Kopelovich, S. L., Slevin, R., Brian, R. M., Shepard, V., Baldwin, S. A., Ben-Zeev, D., ... & Imel, Z. (2025). Preliminary investigation of an artificial intelligence-based cognitive behavioral therapy training tool. Psychotherapy.,   Imel, Z. E., Pace, B., Pendergraft, B., Pruett, J., Tanana, M., Soma, C. S., ... & Atkins, D. C. (2024). Machine Learning–Based Evaluation of Suicide Risk Assessment in Crisis Counseling Calls. Psychiatric services, 75(11), 1068-1074.,   NARAYANAN, A., & KAPOOR, S. (2024). AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference. Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.14736606
Abstract Body

Disparities in outcomes of psychological treatments based on clients’ racial, ethnic, sexual, cultural, and other identities have been extensively reported in the literature. Additionally, most research in this line of inquiry have found that these disparities are more clearly marked at the within-therapist level. Ultimately, this suggests that some therapists are unable to fulfill their professional potential with clients who identify with minority and minoritized groups. A potential solution to this observed phenomenon could be to provide therapists displaying outcomes disparities in their caseloads with multicultural practice training. However, the widespread dissemination and implementation of traditional (i.e., in-person and/or supported by a live trainer) training programs is unfeasible due to their inefficient nature that requires extensive time, monetary, and logistical resources. Nonetheless, recent technological advances have been harnessed by the field of clinical training to create artificial intelligence-based therapist training programs that offer several advantages over traditional training formats. These include providing the framework for therapist to extensively engage in deliberate practice, an aspect of training that is necessary for the development of expertise, as well as overcoming most time, monetary, and logistical shortcomings associated with traditional training formats. The study described in this talk focuses on the development and initial acceptability, feasibility, and usability testing of an artificial intelligence-based therapist training program in evidence-based multicultural practice (Multicultural Orientation Framework; MCO). This will include a conversation regarding the use expert coding to support machine learning underlying the artificial intelligence training program, as well as considerations regarding user experience (UX) and other design and interface aspects of the training program. Initial acceptability, feasibility, and usability data are currently being collected in a sample of therapists in private practice who have joined a practice-research group supported by a digital mental health platform. This talk will also include a presentation of these preliminary findings.