This free CE offering is available to all current ABPP specialists. It will be recorded and available on demand within two business days after the live event concludes.
Presenters: Adriana S. Miu, PhD, ABPP, and Vaile Wright, PhD
Title of Presentation: The Third Party in the Room: Ethical Considerations when Your Patients Use AI for Mental Health Support
Scheduled: Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm ET
CE Credits: 1.5 hours
How to Earn CE Credits
This webinar offers 1.5 CE credits. You can earn them in one of two ways:
Option 1: Live Attendees
For those who registered for and attended the entire live webinar.
1. Click the CE Form for Live Attendees button below.
2. Submit the CE evaluation form by January 28, 2027.
You will receive a CE certificate for a live online presentation.
Option 2: Complete the Home Study
For those who were unable to attend the live webinar.
1. Watch the entire recorded webinar.
2. Pass the quiz.
3. Submit the CE evaluation form.
You will receive a CE certificate for home study.
The webinar recording and presentation slides are available to all current ABPP specialists. Live attendees have three months after the webinar to submit the CE evaluation form. After that, CE credit is available through the home study option only.*
*Each licensee should consult their state/provincial licensing board’s criteria for CE. Some limit the number of credits for in-person vs. online or live vs. home study offerings.
Presentation Summary:
Patients are increasingly turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI) for mental health information, guidance, and emotional support, creating new opportunities as well as ethical challenges for psychologists. Yet many psychologists may feel unprepared when patients disclose using AI in ways that intersect with treatment, relationships, or safety. How should psychologists respond when patients rely on an AI chatbot for reassurance, relationship, or therapy? This webinar will examine potential benefits and risks associated with patients’ use of AI for mental health support and explore the ethical principles that can guide psychologists’ responses. Using an ethical decision-making framework (Knapp & Fingerhut, 2024), participants will analyze ethical dilemmas involving patient AI use and consider ethically informed responses that balance respect for patient autonomy with psychologists’ professional and ethical responsibilities.
This program is presented as part of a collaborative educational effort between ABPP and APA to advance ethical and competent practice in the emerging area of AI and mental health.
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify at least two risks and benefits associated with patients’ use of AI for mental health support.
2. Apply an ethical decision-making framework (Knapp & Fingerhut, 2024) to an ethical dilemma involving a patient’s use of AI for mental health support.
3. Formulate ethically appropriate clinical responses to patients’ use of AI that balance patient autonomy with relevant ethical principles.
About Presenters:
Adriana S. Miu, PhD, ABPP is a board-certified clinical psychologist and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine. She specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. She is a part of a psychedelic assisted therapy research team for PTSD. She earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Emory University. Previously, she was on faculty at Stanford, UT Southwestern Medical Center, and a psychologist at the Atlanta VA. She serves on the Board of Trustees for American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), APA Task Force for Serious Mental Illness/ Severe Emotional Disturbance, and APA Healthcare Financing Advisory Group. She has also served on the ABPP Artificial Intelligence (AI) Task Force, VA VISN 7 AI Committee, and Emory Psychiatry’s AI Advisory Council.
Vaile Wright, PhD is the inaugural Senior Director for Health Care Innovation at the American Psychological Association, where she leads national efforts to advance the responsible use of technology and data in mental health care. A licensed psychologist and nationally recognized expert, Dr. Wright develops strategies to expand access to care, strengthen quality measurement, and modernize mental health service delivery. She is a trusted voice in federal health policy, with research published in leading peer reviewed journals, and is a frequent contributor to national media. Dr. Wright earned her PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and is licensed to practice psychology in the District of Columbia.
The American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The American Board of Professional Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content. The American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s Board of Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0198.