Beyond the Couch: AI in Psychology

Ernest Wayde
  • 4.4 (5)
  • Social Sciences
  • Updated Biweekly

Beyond the Couch: AI in Psychology bridges the gap between psychology and artificial intelligence, offering psychologists across all specialties clear, actionable insights into how AI is transforming the field. Whether you're a clinician, researcher, educator, organizational psychologist, or working in any psychological specialty, this podcast delivers expert perspectives on ethical integration, practical applications, and future developments to help you confidently navigate the digital transformation of our profession. Presented by ABPP and Wayde AI, with sponsorship from the National Register of Health Service Psychologist, this collaboration brings together psychological expertise and technological innovation to explore how AI can enhance psychological work while maintaining professional standards and human connection. Subscribe now to join a growing community of forward-thinking psychologists who are shaping the future of our profession.

  1. 8h ago

    AI Beyond the Therapy Session: Human Connection, Family Care, and AI with Dr. Shiri Sharvit

    In this episode of Beyond the Couch: AI in Psychology, Dr. Ernest Wayde sits down with Dr. Shiri Sharvit, a clinical psychologist, researcher, technology entrepreneur, CEO and cofounder of Resolve Together, and Distinguished Professor of Research at Palo Alto University. Drawing on more than two decades in clinical psychology and years of work integrating technology into behavioral healthcare, Dr. Sharvit explores what makes generative AI different from earlier digital interventions and how it can support clinicians with documentation, assessments, continuous support, and care between sessions. She argues that human connection, clinical judgment, and understanding people in context must remain central even as more routine work is delegated to AI. The conversation also explores family-based care and Resolve Together’s model of combining human health coaches with an AI companion to support patients and families outside traditional clinical encounters. Dr. Sharvit discusses why AI companions should not be treated as substitutes for human relationships, including their limitations around lived experience, empathy, accountability, and their tendency to reinforce users rather than always challenge them therapeutically. She also calls on psychologists to become more involved in AI education, design, evaluation, advocacy, and regulation so behavioral science, clinical ethics, and real-world workflows help shape how these systems are developed and used. Takeaways -Human connection and clinical judgment must remain central as AI enters psychological care. -AI can extend support beyond the traditional therapy session. -Routine clinical tasks can be delegated so clinicians can focus more on relationships. -AI companions can mimic emotion, but they cannot replicate human lived experience or accountability. -Psychologists should help design and evaluate AI, not wait until the technology is already built. -Responsible AI requires clear use cases, guardrails, education, and appropriate regulation. Connect with Dr. Shiri Sharvit Website: http://www.resolvetogether.ai/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirisharvitphd/ AI Integration in Behavioral Healthcare: A Practical Framework for Clinicians: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41347-025-00532-z Connect With Us https://www.waydeai.com/ https://www.facebook.com/waydeaillc https://www.linkedin.com/company/wayde-ai/ info@waydeai.com Chapters 00:00 - Intro 01:36 - Meet Dr. Shiri Sharvit 02:28 - From Clinical Psychology to Digital Health and AI 07:51 - What Makes Generative AI Different? 11:14 - Why AI Still Feels Foreign to Many Clinicians 14:22 - Extending Care Beyond the Therapy Session 16:48 - Bringing Families Into AI-Supported Care 21:07 - How Resolve Together Uses Human and AI Coaches 24:15 - Handing Care Between Humans and AI 25:16 - What Families and Providers Are Experiencing 27:37 - Will AI Replace Therapists? 31:11 - How Clinicians Can Prepare for AI 34:56 - Why Psychologists Need a Role in AI Development 37:09 - Connect with Dr. Shiri Sharvit 37:41 - Final Advice: Protect Human Relationships

    AI Beyond the Therapy Session: Human Connection, Family Care, and AI with Dr. Shiri Sharvit

  2. Sep 22

    AI and Mental Health: The Promise, Risks, and Future of AI Therapy with Dr. Hiba Arnaout

    In this episode of Beyond the Couch: AI and Psychology, Dr. Ernest Wayde sits down with Dr. Hiba Arnaout, a postdoctoral researcher at the Ubiquitous Knowledge Processing (UKP) Lab at TU Darmstadt. Dr. Arnaout’s research focuses on natural language processing, knowledge graphs, digital mental health, scholarly AI, and responsible AI. She discusses how AI is already being used for mental health support, particularly when people face barriers to traditional therapy, and explores how AI could help improve access and support therapists with tasks such as therapy session summaries and clinical insights. The conversation also examines the risks of AI in mental health, including hallucinations, unreliable information, and challenges in evaluating AI-generated outputs. Dr. Arnaout discusses the growing use of AI as a therapist or companion and emphasizes the importance of systematic evaluation, human oversight, and collaboration between psychologists and computer scientists to develop safer, clinically grounded AI tools. Takeaways: AI can expand access to mental health support when therapy is hard to reach. People are already using AI for therapy, coaching, companionship, and emotional support. Hallucinations create real risks in mental health and clinical use. AI should be systematically evaluated before being trusted for specific tasks. LLMs can help scale evaluation, but human oversight still matters. AI should be judged by the task it performs, not simply as “good” or “bad” for mental health. Connect with Dr. Hiba Arnaout Website: https://hibaarnaout.com/ Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/hiba-arnaout-a93996147 Connect With Us https://www.waydeai.com/ https://www.facebook.com/waydeaillc https://www.linkedin.com/company/wayde-ai/ info@waydeai.com Subscribe https://the-waydeai-brief.beehiiv.com/ Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 02:35 - From Computer Science to Mental Health AI Research 04:47 - The Rise of ChatGPT in Mental Health 06:40 - Four Directions of AI for Psychology 09:17 - What Does AI Safety in Mental Health Actually Look Like? 13:50 - Can AI Improve Access to Mental Health Support? 16:50 - Hallucinations: A Major Risk in AI Mental Health Tools 18:43 - Can AI Find Insights Therapists Might Miss? 19:22 - The Challenge of Evaluating Subjective Clinical Decisions 21:48 - AI Explainability: Why Did the Model Reach That Conclusion? 24:15 - Why Psychologists Must Be Part of AI Development 26:10 - Where AI Shows the Most Promise in Mental Health 28:34 - Why AI Should Support Therapists, Not Replace Them 30:05 - Dr. Hiba’s Advice: Evaluate AI Before You Trust It

    AI and Mental Health: The Promise, Risks, and Future of AI Therapy with Dr. Hiba Arnaout

  3. Sep 15

    AI Is Moving Faster Than Governance. What Should Healthcare Do?

    In this episode of Beyond the Couch: AI in Psychology, Dr. Ernest Wayde examines what happens when AI capabilities and adoption move faster than the systems designed to govern them. Drawing connections between recent AI cybersecurity testing, rapid AI adoption in healthcare, shadow AI, and evolving clinical workflows, he argues that responsible AI governance must extend beyond vendor approval, security reviews, and initial validation. Organizations also need to understand what AI systems can access, what actions they can take, how their capabilities change, and how unexpected behaviors will be identified after deployment. Dr. Wayde also explores a less visible dimension of AI risk: how repeated reliance on artificial intelligence may change human judgment, skills, and professional practice over time. For psychologists and other healthcare professionals, this raises important questions about clinical reasoning, interviewing, risk assessment, training, and the expertise needed to recognize when an AI-generated recommendation does not fit the situation. The goal is not to stop AI adoption, but to build ongoing governance that captures its benefits while continuously monitoring risks to patients, professionals, workflows, and the capabilities humans still need to preserve. Takeaways: AI adoption is moving faster than governance.AI governance must extend beyond initial approval and security reviews.Responsible AI governance must account for human behavior and professional skills.The goal is not to stop AI adoption, but to manage its evolving risks responsibly.AI risk is not limited to malicious behavior.Shadow AI is already part of the governance challenge. Connect With Us https://www.waydeai.com/ https://www.facebook.com/waydeaillc https://www.linkedin.com/company/wayde-ai/ info@waydeai.com Subscribe https://the-waydeai-brief.beehiiv.com/ Chapters: 00:05 - When AI breaks expected boundaries 01:24 - Why AI governance matters now 03:00 - What happened in OpenAI's sandbox testing 06:00 - Anthropic and unintended access to real systems 07:02 - How AI can cause harm without malicious intent 08:20 - Why these AI failures matter for healthcare 09:54 - AI adoption is outpacing governance 11:12 - The governance gap and shadow AI 13:13 - Why initial security reviews are not enough 14:10 - Expanding the definition of AI governance 14:55 - How AI may change human performance 16:55 - Clinical judgment, skill preservation, and AI reliance 18:55 - Human performance as a governance issue 19:35 - Why AI governance must be ongoing 20:28 - Monitoring unintended consequences after implementation 21:36 - Getting AI's benefits without becoming casual about risk 21:57 - Closing

    AI Is Moving Faster Than Governance. What Should Healthcare Do?

  4. Sep 1

    The Future of AI in Mental Health: Safety, Therapy, and Human Judgment with Dr. Alyssa Dietz

    In this episode of Beyond the Couch, Dr. Ernest Wayde sits down with Dr. Alyssa Dietz, a clinical psychologist whose career spans academia, clinical practice, digital therapeutics, and technology-enabled mental health care. Dr. Dietz shares how her work evolved from researching digital interventions and training future therapists to developing and evaluating AI-supported mental health tools. She discusses how AI can help expand access to evidence-based care, where it performs well in areas such as skills training and pattern matching, and why human clinical judgment, context, and nuance remain essential. The conversation also explores what responsible AI looks like in mental health care, including continuous safety testing, monitoring for model drift, and identifying both obvious and subtle risks such as self-harm, reinforcing delusions, avoidance behaviors, and overly sensitive safety responses. Dr. Dietz explains how psychologists can contribute to designing, evaluating, and supervising AI systems through their expertise in research, assessment, psychometrics, human behavior, and clinical care. She also reflects on how psychologists' roles may evolve as AI takes on more skills training and support functions and encourages psychologists to keep learning and remain open to technology, business, and new professional opportunities. Takeaways: -AI Can Expand Access to Mental Health Care, But It Cannot Replace Human Understanding. -Safety in Mental Health AI Requires Continuous Monitoring, Testing, and Calibration. -AI Can Support Skills Training While Humans Provide Clinical Judgment and Nuance. -Psychologists Are Uniquely Positioned to Help Design, Evaluate, and Govern AI Tools. -The Future Role of Psychologists May Include More AI Supervision and Strategic Clinical Oversight. -AI and Business Literacy Can Help Psychologists Shape the Future of Mental Health Technology. Connect with Dr. Alyssa Dietz LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alyssa-dietz-phd-8a99bbaa Website: https://www.ieso.ai/ Connect With Us https://www.waydeai.com/ https://www.facebook.com/waydeaillc https://www.linkedin.com/company/wayde-ai/ info@waydeai.com Subscribe https://the-waydeai-brief.beehiiv.com/ Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 02:00 - Meet Dr. Alyssa Dietz: From Clinical Psychology to AI 03:29 - Lessons From Digital Therapeutics 06:44 - Why Safety Matters in AI Mental Health Tools 08:54 - When AI Safety Systems Overreact 11:15 - How Psychologists Can Use AI in Their Workflow 15:05 - AI, Human Oversight, and Escalation to Care 18:48 - Psychologists and AI Safety, Evaluation, and Research 21:18 - What Psychologists Need to Know About Business 24:49 - Behavioral Health Tech and Therapists in Tech 26:18 - Dr. Dietz’s Transition From Psychology to Tech 29:41 - The Value of Psychologists in AI Development 32:18 - AI Insights for Clinicians: Dropout and Symptom Prediction 33:41 - Dr. Dietz’s Advice: Never Stop Learning

    The Future of AI in Mental Health: Safety, Therapy, and Human Judgment with Dr. Alyssa Dietz

  5. Aug 25

    AI in Mental Health: Why Human Connection Still Matters with Prof. Munmun De Choudhury

    In this episode of Beyond the Couch: AI in Psychology, Dr. Ernest Wayde sits down with Prof. Munmun De Choudhury, J. Z. Liang Professor of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech and a leading researcher in computational social science, human-computer interaction, and digital mental health. Her work focuses on understanding how digital technologies and online interactions shape mental health and well-being. The conversation explores one of the biggest questions facing psychology today: How can we embrace AI in mental health without losing the human connection at the center of care? Prof. De Choudhury explains why mental health is fundamentally a human experience and why AI should be viewed as a tool that enhances, not replaces, the work of psychologists. She discusses practical ways AI can support clinicians, from summarizing information and identifying insights to helping psychologists better understand aspects of a client's digital life. The discussion also examines the rise of AI companions and "AI buddies," particularly among young people, and what these new forms of relationships could mean for human connection. Prof. De Choudhury highlights both the potential benefits and risks, including emotional overreliance and the possibility of developing unrealistic expectations about relationships. The episode also explores her research into AI safety, cultural competency, language barriers, emotional overreliance, and using AI to encourage young people to seek appropriate mental health support. The conversation ultimately emphasizes the importance of AI literacy, responsible oversight, and ensuring that psychologists have a meaningful seat at the table when AI systems are designed and developed. Takeaways: -AI Should Enhance Human Connection, Not Replace It. -Mental Health Is Fundamentally a Human Experience. -AI Can Support Psychologists Without Replacing Their Clinical Expertise. -AI Literacy Is Becoming Essential for Psychologists, Educators, and the Next Generation. -Responsibility for AI Safety Must Be Shared Across Developers, Clinicians, Users, and Other Stakeholders. -Psychologists Need a Seat at the Table When AI Systems Are Designed and Developed. Connect with Prof. Munmun De Choudhury Website: http://www.munmund.net/ Georgia Tech Profile: https://ic.gatech.edu/people/munmun-de-choudhury Social Dynamics and Well-Being Lab: https://socweb.cc.gatech.edu/ Connect With Us https://www.waydeai.com/ https://www.facebook.com/waydeaillc https://www.linkedin.com/company/wayde-ai/ info@waydeai.com Subscribe https://the-waydeai-brief.beehiiv.com/ Chapters: 00:00 - Intro: AI, Mental Health & Human Connection 02:14 - From Computer Science to AI During an AI Winter 05:01 - Why Human Connection Matters in Mental Health 09:40 - The Future of Psychologists Working With AI 13:18 - How AI Relationships May Affect Human Relationships 16:18 - AI, Cultural Competency & Language Barriers 19:45 - Why AI Literacy Needs to Be Part of Education 22:13 - Who Is Responsible When AI Causes Harm? 23:40 - Why Psychologists Need a Seat at the AI Development Table 26:08 - How AI Can Complement a Psychologist’s Expertise 29:57 - Final Advice: Take a Deep Breath, AI Is Here

    AI in Mental Health: Why Human Connection Still Matters with Prof. Munmun De Choudhury

  6. Aug 18

    Think First, AI Second: Why Human Judgment Still Matters in Psychology with Dr. John Gavazzi

    In this episode of Beyond the Couch, Dr. Ernest Wayde sits down with Dr. John Gavazzi, board-certified clinical psychologist, ethics educator, and former President of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association, to explore how psychologists can responsibly integrate artificial intelligence into clinical practice without compromising professional judgment or quality of care. Drawing decades of experience in ethics, mental health law, and clinical decision-making, Dr. Gavazzi explains why AI should enhance, not replace, the thinking process of psychologists. He introduces the concept of "Think First, AI Second," arguing that clinicians must remain the originators of thought, using AI only after applying their own expertise and clinical reasoning. The conversation explores the growing use of AI by both clinicians and clients, examining why people are turning to AI for emotional support, how psychologists can adapt when clients bring ChatGPT into therapy, and what must be preserved as AI becomes increasingly embedded in mental health care. Dr. Gavazzi also discusses cognitive offloading, automation bias, ethical accountability, AI literacy, and practical ways clinicians can redesign their workflows while maintaining professional competence. Ultimately, this episode reinforces that while AI is becoming an invaluable tool for psychology, human connection, ethical responsibility, and clinical judgment remain irreplaceable. Takeaways Psychologists Should Think First and Use AI Second.AI Can Support Clinical Work, But It Cannot Replace Human Judgment.Cognitive Offloading Can Weaken Clinical Skills Over Time.AI's Fluency Should Never Be Mistaken for Accuracy.Clients Are Already Bringing AI Into Therapy Sessions. Connect with Dr. John Gavazzi Website: ethicalpsychology.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johngavazzi Email Address: john.gavazzi@gmail.com Connect With Us https://www.waydeai.com/ https://www.facebook.com/waydeaillc https://www.linkedin.com/company/wayde-ai/ info@waydeai.com Subscribe https://the-waydeai-brief.beehiiv.com/ Chapters 00:00 - Intro 02:00 - Meet Dr. Gavazzi and His Background in Ethics & AI 03:36 - The "Think First, AI Second" Framework 07:10 - What Psychology Must Preserve in the Age of AI 09:12 - Simulated Empathy vs. Human Connection 12:00 - Can AI Really Show Empathy? 13:46 - The Risk of Cognitive Offloading 17:50 - Fluency Doesn't Mean Accuracy 20:00 - How Therapists Should Respond to Clients Using AI 22:57 - When Clients Bring ChatGPT into Therapy 24:50 - Teaching Future Psychologists to Work With AI 27:16 - How Much AI Knowledge Do Psychologists Need? 30:16 - Applying Ethics to AI in Clinical Practice 32:55 - Final Advice: Think First, AI Second

    Think First, AI Second: Why Human Judgment Still Matters in Psychology with Dr. John Gavazzi

  7. Aug 11

    Building AI for Mental Health: A Computer Scientist’s Perspective with Zainab Iftikhar

    In this episode, Dr. Ernest Wayde sits down with Zainab Iftikhar, a PhD candidate in Computer Science at Brown University whose research focuses on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and AI for mental health. As the first computer scientist featured on the podcast, Zainab offers a unique perspective on how mental health AI systems are designed, evaluated, and used in the real world. The conversation explores why people turn to AI for emotional support, the benefits and risks of mental health chatbots, and what happens when users begin to rely on these systems in place of human connection. Zainab shares insights from her research on emotional dependency, therapeutic boundaries, and the challenges of building AI that supports well-being without causing harm. The episode also examines the critical role of clinicians, researchers, and developers in shaping the future of mental health technology. Together, they discuss how AI can serve as a valuable support tool while preserving human relationships and clinical expertise that remain at the heart of effective care. Takeaways: Human connection remains essential in therapy.AI is designed to agree with users.Overreliance on AI can create dependency.Long-term AI use deserves closer evaluation.Psychologists should help shape mental health AI.Safe AI requires clinician-developer collaboration. Connect with Zainab Iftikhar Website: https://zainabiftikhar.com/ Connect With Us https://www.waydeai.com/ https://www.facebook.com/waydeaillc https://www.linkedin.com/company/wayde-ai/ info@waydeai.com Subscribe https://the-waydeai-brief.beehiiv.com/ Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 02:56 - Journey Into AI & Mental Health Research 04:30 - Evaluating AI in Mental Health Contexts 08:05 - How People Actually Use AI for Mental Health 11:30 - Designing Safer AI for Mental Health Use 14:06 - Role of Psychologist Collaboration in AI Design 16:07 - Evaluating Long AI Conversations vs Single Responses 21:30 - Will AI Replace Therapists? 25:47 - Example of AI Helping Emotional Regulation 28:41 - Final Tip: Challenge the AI’s Bias

    Building AI for Mental Health: A Computer Scientist’s Perspective with Zainab Iftikhar

  8. Aug 4

    Psychology in the Age of AI - What Comes Next?

    In the Season 3 premiere of Beyond the Couch: AI in Psychology, Dr. Ernest Wayde explores a question that is becoming increasingly urgent for psychologists, clinicians, educators, researchers, and organizational leaders: now that artificial intelligence is already part of our professional and personal lives, what is psychology responsible for? Reflecting how the AI conversation has evolved over the past year, Dr. Wayde argues that the question is no longer whether AI is coming; it is already here. From clients consulting chatbots before therapy sessions to students using AI in education, clinicians leveraging AI for documentation, and researchers navigating new questions around authorship and integrity, AI is actively shaping the way psychological work is conducted. This episode introduces the central framework that will guide Season 3: Preserve, Redesign, and Guide. Dr. Wayde examines which aspects of psychology must remain firmly rooted in human expertise, such as professional judgment, ethical accountability, and contextual understanding. He also challenges listeners to consider where traditional workflows may need to evolve as AI creates new opportunities for efficiency and innovation. Takeaways: AI Is No Longer a Future Issue; It Is Already Part of Psychological Practice.Clients, Students, Researchers, and Clinicians Are Already Using AI in Meaningful Ways.The Greatest Risk May Be When AI Becomes Invisible in Everyday Workflows.Psychology Must Distinguish Between What Should Be Preserved and What Can Be Redesigned.AI Creates Opportunities to Improve Efficiency, Access, and Workflow Design.Psychologists Have a Responsibility to Guide AI Use Responsibly and Ethically. Connect With Us https://www.waydeai.com/ https://www.facebook.com/waydeaillc https://www.linkedin.com/company/wayde-ai/ info@waydeai.com Subscribe https://the-waydeai-brief.beehiiv.com/ Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 01:50 - Why the Conversation About AI Has Changed 03:25 - Lessons from Season 2: Questions That Still Matter 05:27 - The Season 3 Framework: Preserve • Redesign • Guide 8:09 - Using AI to Improve Effectiveness and Efficiency

    Psychology in the Age of AI - What Comes Next?
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Beyond the Couch: AI in Psychology bridges the gap between psychology and artificial intelligence, offering psychologists across all specialties clear, actionable insights into how AI is transforming the field. Whether you're a clinician, researcher, educator, organizational psychologist, or working in any psychological specialty, this podcast delivers expert perspectives on ethical integration, practical applications, and future developments to help you confidently navigate the digital transformation of our profession. Presented by ABPP and Wayde AI, with sponsorship from the National Register of Health Service Psychologist, this collaboration brings together psychological expertise and technological innovation to explore how AI can enhance psychological work while maintaining professional standards and human connection. Subscribe now to join a growing community of forward-thinking psychologists who are shaping the future of our profession.

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