The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide with Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy

Choosing Yourself as a Therapist: Strategies to address burnout, compassion fatigue and vicarious traumaCurt and Katie interview Laura Reagan, LCSW-C, of the Trauma Therapist Network. We engage in real talk about burnout and compassion fatigue. We look at why therapists are especially susceptible to burnout, what therapists can do to take care of themselves, and what systems we can set up to try to avoid burnout and compassion fatigue. Laura also shared some ideas for group practice owners who want to support their clinicians. Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!An Interview with Laura Reagan, LCSW-C, Trauma Therapist NetworkLaura Reagan, LCSW-C is an integrative trauma therapist who owns a group psychotherapy practice in the greater Baltimore area. Laura also hosts Therapy Chat and Trauma Chat Podcasts, and she founded Trauma Therapist Network in 2021. Laura trains trauma therapists around the world in using bottom-up therapy methods and accessing their highest selves while doing meaningful psychotherapy work for sustainable careers.In this podcast episode, we take a deeper look at therapist burnout workWe’ve spoken many times about burnout and compassion fatigue. We decided to revisit this important topic with our friend, Laura Reagan.What do therapists need to know about “burnout” and “compassion fatigue?”·      Burnout isn’t necessarily us not wanting to work, but feeling that the world will fall apart if we aren’t there for our clients·      Not paying attention and ending up losing our clients’ trust·      You forget you have agencyWhy are therapists at particular risk for burnout?·      Our stuff coming up and not being there for ourselves·      Not metabolizing our own trauma triggers·      Getting dissociated and numb due to our compassion fatigue and moral injury·      There are different levels of risk based on developmental stagesWhat can therapists do to take care of themselves?·      Identify whether there is space for experiencing emotions as well as being present for clients·      Step away when needed, even when that could mean stopping see clients·      Exploring other options to take care of yourself financially·      Learning to choose yourselfWhat can therapists do to prevent deep burnout and compassion fatigue?·      Being in tune with yourself and your body·      Paying attention to your responses to a client session, day, week·      Understanding what is happening inside yourself to identify what you need to be well·      Making sure to move in between sessions to recalibrate your nervous system·      Being in community while also working to stay in connection with yourself·      Specific suggestions for group practice ownersStay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimaginedPatreonBuy Me A CoffeeModern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

Building Your Treatment Team in Private Practice: Essential Networking Skills for TherapistsCurt and Katie chat about treatment teaming, especially for clinicians in private practice. We look at the benefits of a treatment team, how to effectively create an interdisciplinary treatment team (including some networking skills), the qualities of a strong team, and the practicalities for therapists to collaborate effectively in treatment teams. This is a continuing education podcourse.Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!In this podcast episode we talk about how therapists can best work within treatment teamsClients are often best served by a robust treatment team. Specific diagnoses (like Eating Disorders or Serious Mental Illness) require treatment teaming as a best practice and many others are best served when you are collaborating with the other health and wellness professionals in your clients’ lives. Creating and working within treatment teams in private practice creates a unique challenge. How do you find these professionals and how do you best work with them? The meetings in the hall in treatment centers and agencies can’t happen when you’re at your own office or working virtually. What can modern therapists do? This episode will explore the importance of treatment teams, how to identify who belongs on your treatment teams, and the essential networking skills to create these important relationships.We answer the following questions:What do treatment teams look like in private practice?What are the benefits of treatment teams, especially for lower acuity cases?How can therapists create treatment teams when they are in private practice?How do therapists vet the people they are meeting with?What are the qualities of strong treatment teams?How can therapists collaborate effectively with other professionals in private practice?Receive Continuing Education for this Episode of the Modern Therapist’s Survival GuideYou can find this full course (including handouts and resources) here: https://learn.moderntherapistcommunity.com/pages/podcourseContinuing Education Approvals:When we are airing this podcast episode, we have the following CE approval. Please check back as we add other approval bodies: Continuing Education Information including grievance and refund policies.CAMFT CEPA: Therapy Reimagined is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LPCCs, LCSWs, and LEPs (CAMFT CEPA provider #132270). Therapy Reimagined maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Courses meet the qualifications for the listed hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. We are working on additional provider approvals, but solely are able to provide CAMFT CEs at this time. Please check with your licensing body to ensure that they will accept this as an equivalent learning credit.Resources for Modern Therapists mentioned in this Podcast Episode:*The full reference list can be found in the course on our learning platform.Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:PatreonBuy Me A CoffeeModern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/ 

Revisiting SEO and AI – Ethics and best practices: An Interview with Danica WolfCurt and Katie interview Danica Wolf, COO of Simplified SEO Consulting, on the basics of SEO and how AI is being used in marketing. We look at best practices and ethics for both SEO and AI. We also talk through the potential pitfalls and cautions in the current state of AI for marketing.  Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!An Interview with Danica Wolf, MSW, Simplified SEO ConsultingDanica is a not-so-secret strategy nerd who loves coffee and conversations about all things entrepreneurial. Especially when helping professionals are ready to dive into the world of ethical marketing strategies that actually work. As COO of Simplified SEO Consulting, Danica gets to spend most of her time helping therapists and other mental health professionals build the business of their dreams with dream clients who are already searching for them. As a birth business owner, former trauma advocate, University instructor, and single mom, Danica knows how important it is for busy practice owners to get the info they need quickly with action steps to implement right away.In this podcast episode, we return to our discussions about SEO and AIWe’ve talked with caution about AI for your therapy practice but thought it would be helpful to talk to a marketing pro about effective ways to consider AI for your practice marketing. We also look at SEO best practices.What is SEO? What are best practices for on-page optimization?·      Search Engine Optimization·      Using keywords and content to get better ranked on Google·      Content needs to be specific and aligned to ideal client·      It is important to use ethical practices in your SEOWhat are the best practices for making marketing activities more efficient?·      We talk about ways that AI is being used for marketing, including cautions and best practices·      Google wants to see original content and wants folks to identify that AI has been used·      There may be a google penalty for using AI generated content·      When using AI for writing, make sure it actually sounds like you, you are editing it, and is accurate information·      A better strategy with AI is using thoughtful prompts, your own examples, etc. as well as re-prompting and iterating on the content·      Always check and read through things before putting anything on your website·      Accessibility and simpler language (e.g., 3 am trauma brain)What are some good resources for writing content?·      Jasper.ai·      Copy.ai·      Previous recommendation was originality.ai (which has had problems recently)·      https://hemingwayapp.com/What are concerns with using AI for your business at this point?·      There is a shift in how AI content is being viewed, so initial dopamine hits may be leading you down the wrong path·      You will need to be able to keep up with the evolution of AI, not just use it as a shortcut·      It needs to be done strategically, intentionally, and ethicallyStay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimaginedPatreonBuy Me A CoffeeModern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

How Can You Create an Ethical Faith-Based Practice? An Interview with Whitney Owens, LPCCurt and Katie interview Whitney Owens, LPC of Wise Practice, about faith-based practice. We look at what therapists can get wrong when considering incorporating faith into therapy. We also talk about what to do (and NOT do) when creating a faith-based therapy practice, specifically talking about ethics, using faith as a tool when requested, and the harm caused when therapists have a religious agenda in session. Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!In this podcast episode, we talk about faith-based therapy practicesFaith is a big part of many people’s lives. It is important for therapists to understand how to use faith as a resource in therapy. Further, there are Christian, faith-based therapists who can identify how best to remain within their ethics as a therapist when incorporating faith into therapy.What can therapists get wrong when creating a faith-based therapy practice?·      Therapists become unethical when they try to convert clients to Christianity in therapy·      When therapists mismatch how much clients want to include faith and belief·      Therapists are not supposed to have an agenda for how their clients grow and change·      Conversion Therapy (e.g., Sexual Orientation Change Efforts, Anti-trans therapy) are illegal and wrong, regardless of your beliefs or faith·      Telling clients what to do about “moral” issues·      Refusing to work with people based on “morals”What can therapists do to create an ethical faith-based practice?·      Using faith as a tool in therapy·      Letting clients dictate how faith is incorporated in therapy·      Providing clients space to interpret the bible or create the lives that they want to create·      Addressing our own bias·      Helping clients to make their own decisions·      Getting supervision and even joining secular consultation groups·      Doing the work to overcome bias and increase inclusion and affirmative practicesWhat are the benefits of incorporating faith into therapy and therapy practices?·      When therapists and clients share faith and beliefs, there can be an alignment of lived experience·      Therapists can extend their faith into the work to be more aligned (as long as they remain ethical in how they incorporate it into practice)·      Making business decisions that are both faith-based and ethicalResources for Modern Therapists mentioned in this Podcast Episode:We’ve pulled together resources mentioned in this episode and put together some handy-dandy links. Please note that some of the links below may be affiliate links, so if you purchase after clicking below, we may get a little bit of cash in our pockets. We thank you in advance!Wise Practice SummitWise Practice PodcastRelevant Episodes of MTSG Podcast:Am I Honoring My Personal Values OR Am I Discriminating? An exploration of ethics for modern therapistsWhat Therapists Need to Know About Abortion and Termination for Medical Reasons: An Interview with Jane Armstrong, LCSWThe Practicalities of Mental Health and Gender Affirming Care for Trans Youth: An Interview with Jordan Held, LCSWWhat Goes in Your Notes? Interstate therapy practice and documentation for clients considering abortion or gender affirming careHas Therapy Become the New Religion?Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimaginedModern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

What Can Therapists Do When Clients Don’t Getting Better?Curt and Katie chat about what modern therapists can do when their clients don’t (or can’t) get better. We explore what “getting better" looks like in therapy, what can get in the way of clients improving, how we can support clients who are unable to reach traditional treatment goals, and how clinicians can take care of ourselves while doing this longer-term work.Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!In this podcast episode we talk about how therapists can happen when clients aren’t improvingAt a recent talk, we got the question – what if my clients aren’t getting better? We decided it was time to look at how goals are set, what “getting better” actually looks like, and how therapists can cope with clients whose treatment goals are "not getting worse."What does “getting better” look like in therapy?·      Treatment goals are often set based on functionality, independence, and productivity·      Outcome measures can be used to track improvement on mood, anxiety, etc.·      Goals of “not getting worse” or prevention of future concerns are often hard to quantify or are unsatisfying for therapists (and potentially for their clients)What can get in the way of clients improving in therapy?·      Situational concerns that are not changed·      Longer-standing diagnoses that don’t go away, but can be stabilized·      When improvement is defined as reaching goals, rather than avoiding relapseHow can therapists support clients who are unable to reach traditional treatment goals?·      Collaborative treatment goal setting·      Identifying appropriate expectations·      Quality of Life goals·      Showing ongoing medical necessity and documenting appropriate need for ongoing care·      Higher acuity and relevant diagnoses documentedHow can clinicians take care of ourselves when we have longer term clients who don’t show dramatic improvement?·      Getting clear on client’s capacity for growth·      Be clear on your own skills and capacity as a therapist·      On-going conversations with the client to determine whether other help is needed·      Exploring quality of life goals·      Identifying incremental gains and reframing to build hope·      Deepening the therapeutic relationship, focusing on the attachment·      Redefining success and understanding the pieces that are still uncomfortable·      Making sure that therapists do not define their own success based on client outcomes·      Destigmatizing long-term weekly therapy as a coping strategyStay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimaginedPatreonBuy Me A CoffeePodcast HomepageModern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

Are You Actually Neurodivergent Affirming? An Interview with Sonny Jane WiseCurt and Katie interview Sonny Jane Wise, the Lived Experience Educator. We chat about therapists getting stuck in neuro-normative expectations and norms or refusing to accept medication or accommodations as neurodivergent affirming. We look at how you can get more creative and individualized to support neurodivergent individuals more effectively. We also look specifically at neurodivergent friendly DBT and whether skills-deficit models are inherently ableist.Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!In this podcast episode, we talk about creating neurodivergent affirmative therapy practicesToo often, therapists create goals and engage in practices that are neuro-normative. When working with neurodivergent clients and their families, these practices can be harmful. We asked Sonny Jane Wise, the Lived Experience Educator, to talk with us about how to best incorporate neurodivergent affirming practices for therapy.What do therapists get wrong when moving toward neurodiversity affirming practice?·      Removing medication or accommodations as an acceptable option·      Failing to allow for individual differences and preferences·      Neuro-normativity shows up in goals, especially looking at independence and productivity·      Setting expectations inappropriatelyHow can therapists become more neurodivergent affirming?·      Understanding the impacts of intersectionality on how someone chooses how they navigate their neurodivergence·      Moving away from independence as the goal of therapy·      Understanding that a neurodivergent person’s needs are more important than neuro-normative norms·      Getting creative with problem-solving and communication·      Recognizing differences, learning to work with them and not try to change them or work against themAre skills-deficit based models (like Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) inherently ableist?·      When the model states that the problem lies with the individual, then it is ableist·      Adjusting the environment and the external factors is more appropriate·      DBT skills can be helpful to learn emotions regulation that wasn’t learned when growing up·      It is important to recognize differences and giving opportunities to work with differences·      Letting go of the one size fits all and moving toward optionsWhat is an ideal for neurodiversity affirming spaces?·      Viewing differences as differences and not something to be fixed or changed·      Needs based system (not diagnosis-based system)·      Understanding that everyone needs different things and accommodations, not just those with·      Removing neuro-normative standards and expectationsStay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimaginedPatreonBuy Me A CoffeePodcast HomepageModern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

Liability Hot Potato: Defensive Therapy practices that give clients inadequate careCurt and Katie chat about defensive therapy practices. We talk about how therapists avoid liability by practicing defensively, which can harm our clients. We look at common defensive therapy practices, like refusing to see clients with certain types of risk or too quickly hospitalizing someone. We explore the risks to our clients when we practice this way and how we can navigate risk to avoid practicing defensively. This is a continuing education podcourse.Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!In this podcast episode we talk about therapists minimizing their own liability without benefitting their clientsTherapists facing difficult decisions in therapeutic treatment are presented with the competing tasks of providing quality care to clients while also trying to minimize their legal risks. This can lead to therapists who may choose courses of action that do not benefit clients while doing things to protect the therapist. This podcourse explores the types of defensive practices that therapists take, how to recognize them, what steps can be done to protect therapists, and how to maximize client outcomes.What are defensive therapy practices?·       Actions taken by a therapist that don’t benefit the client, but are done to protect the legal liability of the therapist·       Avoidant versus Assurant defensive therapy practices·       Responding to very scary law and ethics classes·       Avoiding lawyers and subpoenasWhat are examples of Defensive Therapy practices?·       Avoidant: Avoiding talking about anything that is even related to things outside of our scope of practice (e.g., medical or legal advice); refusing to see clients with specific types of risk·       Assurant: Sending clients to the hospital quickly based on risk rather than on treatment efficacy, over-reporting abuse and engaging clients with systems·       Therapists are employing defensive therapy practices when making sure to shift liability elsewhereHow do I navigate the risk that often leads to defensive therapy practices?·       Make clear the limitations on your knowledge, but respond to questions and needs in the best way you can, referring to experts as appropriate·       Prescriptive Assurant practices (taking action based on laws, rules, and/or ethical decision-making)·       Documentation of ethical decision-making process and the decision and actions made·       Documentation of the conversations with the client related to the action or inaction·       Also, documentation of the ongoing evaluation procedure for the action takenReceive Continuing Education for this Episode of the Modern Therapist’s Survival GuideYou can find this full course (including handouts and resources) here: https://learn.moderntherapistcommunity.com/pages/podcourseContinuing Education Approvals:When we are airing this podcast episode, we have the following CE approval. Please check back as we add other approval bodies: Continuing Education Information including grievance and refund policies.Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:PatreonBuy Me A CoffeeModern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/ 

Special Episode: Modern Therapist’s Consumer Guide on ThrizerCurt and Katie talk with Raunak Sharma, owner of Thrizer, a modern payment processing app for private pay therapists. Thrizer is a modern payments solution built for therapists. You can charge clients securely, receive payments seamlessly, and enable insurance reimbursements automatically. We chat with Raunak about Thrizer as well as his perspective on the finances of therapy, specifically out of network billing. We explore the challenges (and ineffectiveness) of super bills as well as a new solution (ThrizerPlus) that will help clients only pay what they owe.This is the Modern Therapist Consumer Guide, a series of special episodes to help modern therapists navigate products and services specifically designed for therapists and their clients. We dig deeply into the companies, the people, and the products and services so you can make smart decisions in building your practice and serving your clients.Transcripts will be available on mtsgpodcast.com.Interview with Raunak Sharma, Founder and CEO of ThrizerRaunak is the Founder and CEO of Thrizer, a payments app for private pay therapists. A therapy-goer himself, he got tired of the struggle to leverage his out-of-network benefits and get reimbursed for his sessions, and wanted to build a solution to help both therapists and their clients. Thousands of therapists now use Thrizer daily to securely charge for appointments and upgrade their client experience.In this podcast episode we talk about out of network billing and payment processing with ThrizerInterview with Raunak Sharma, Thrizer2:04 How did you decide to create Thrizer? How did you put together the business?3:08 What are the values that guide your business and business decisions?4:51 When therapists are putting together their private pay practice, what should they consider when designing their financial systems? (i.e., Private pay, Insurance-based, Out of network billing)8:14 What does out of network billing involve?10:34 What does out of network billing look like when using Thrizer?12:59 What kind of out of network rates are people getting?15:33 How often are clients wanting and able to use their out of network benefits?18:49 How does Thrizer work?21:22 How do you actually have enough information to create a claim?24:22 How can you make a profit if you are only charging the 3% processing fee?26:40 What is ThrizerPlus?31:21 What makes Thrizer different than other payment processors and/or other out of network billers?32:40 What’s still a work in progress at Thrizer?34:04 Special offer from Thrizer for our Modern Therapist audienceCurt and Katie Chat – Our review of Thrizer36:19 What do you see as the deciding factors when deciding whether to use Thrizer for payment processing and out of network billing (or not)?A Special Offer for the listeners of Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide podcast from ThrizerGo to bit.ly/moderntherapists and use the code MODERNTHERAPISTS for free payment processing on your first $2,500 of payments.Relevant Links:Thrizer WebsiteEmail: Raunak at thrizer.comSocial Media:Thrizer on InstagramThrizer on FacebookThrizer on LinkedInStay in Touch:www.mtsgpodcast.comwww.therapyreimagined.comOur Facebook Group – The Modern Therapist’s Grouphttps://www.facebook.com/therapyreimagined/https://twitter.com/therapymovementhttps://www.instagram.com/therapyreimagined/Credits:Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano http://www.crystalmangano.com/

How to Provide Culturally Appropriate Care for African American Families, An Interview with Mercedes Samudio, LCSWCurt and Katie interview Mercedes Samudio, LCSW, about working with African American Families. We talk about what therapists typically get wrong when working with these families, what therapists need to know about working with African American families, how to work cross culturally, and how both conscious and unconscious bias impact therapy.Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!In this podcast episode, we talk about how therapists can work with African American families more effectivelyOur friend, Mercedes Samudio, LCSW, is researching how therapists can best support African American families. She is looking at how these clients are treated and how they traverse the mental health system to get healing.What do therapists get wrong when working with African American Families?·      Therapists will apply therapy universally to diverse groups that require nuance and different interventions·      Therapists don't understand enough about African American families to understand the differencesWhat do therapists need to know about African American families?·      There are differences between “Black” and “African American”·      The impacts of the transatlantic slave trade·      Cultural differences based on which country one is living in as well as how one travels as a human in their country of residenceHow can therapists work cross-culturally with African American families?·      Specialized training like Mercedes’ training: Engaging African American Families·      Work with people who have expertise·      Google alerts for·      Understanding how you show up in the world, create an identity statement for all of the identities you have that are relevant to you, your social location·      Talking about conscious and unconscious bias and identities throughout the therapy process·      Understanding generational differencesHow do conscious and unconscious bias impact therapy?·      What we know we don’t like about people (conscious)·      What may influence us from before we understand labels and differences·      Prejudices that influence how we show up in the therapy room can cause conflict·      Explore the conflict, explore the potential biases·      Use tentative language (I wonder if this is showing up here or impacting our relationship)·      Understanding how your identity often shows up socially can provide the therapist with fodder for exploring what bias may be present in the roomWhat are best practices for working with African American families?·      Genograms are helpful to explore how everything impacts the family members and who they say are included in their families·      Understanding how these families fit within their communities and who is involved with each of these familiesResources for Modern Therapists mentioned in this Podcast Episode:We’ve pulled together resources mentioned in this episode and put together some handy-dandy links. Please note that some of the links below may be affiliate links, so if you purchase after clicking below, we may get a little bit of cash in our pockets. We thank you in advance!https://shameproofparenting.com/Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimaginedPatreonBuy Me A CoffeeModern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/ 

The Future Is Now: Chatbots are Replacing Mental Health WorkersCurt and Katie chat about what happened with the National Eating Disorder Association and their chatbot, Tessa, as well as new prompts to make ChatGPT act like a CBT therapist. We also look at the risks related to chatbots taking over mental health and crisis services. We also discuss what therapists can do to safeguard their practices in the wake of the robot revolution.Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!In this podcast episode we talk about Tessa, the chatbot replacing NEDA hotline workersAfter their hotline workers unionized, National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) fired all of their hotline workers and replaced that service with Tessa, an AI chatbot. This chatbot quickly started telling folks seeking eating disorder assistance that dieting could be a good idea. There are already prompts folks are using to have ChatGPT act as your therapist. We decided we needed to talk about how the chatbots are coming for our jobs.What happened with National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) and Tessa?·      The hotline workers unionized and were fired by the association and replaced with Tessa·      Tessa is a prevention chatbot that was created to provide support to folk waiting for resources·      Tessa was launched and when tried, provided harmful advice, and then was taken down·      Now there is no crisis hotline or back up chat support offered by NEDAWhat is the Tessa Chatbot?·      An evidence-based practice was redesigned as conversations·      Writing prompts and infographics to break up the text·      Studies were done to see how it works and to fix some of the errorsWhat are the risks related to chatbots taking over mental health services?·      There are now instructions for prompts to have ChatGPT act as a CBT therapist·      As people interact with chatbots, they will add to the dataset, theoretically improving it·      The concerns about the iterations, if unchecked, will become more and more harmful as it adopts human disordered thinking and language·      Evidence-based practices are prime to be put into chatbots·      The utility of the resources that chatbots can provide (including coping strategies and writing prompts)What can therapists do to address the concerns of the robot revolution?·      Understand the technology and pay attention to the innovation process·      Look at where AI may not be able to replace immediately, focus your attention there in developing your skills·      Intuitive leaps that humans make that AI may find too risky·      Higher level risk assessment and more challenging diagnoses may be reserved for humansStay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimaginedPatreonBuy Me A CoffeeModern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/