In the previous two articles on AI-based therapy, I’ve detailed why AI therapists are poised to transform the mental health care industry and why many clients will prefer AI therapists over human ones. Here, we’ll look at how human therapists can remain indispensable as cheap, AI-based therapy becomes widely available.
Family therapy
Therapy and coaching: Understanding the differences
It’s not unusual for private practice therapists to seek to expand their practices through coaching. Some clients will engage in coaching, but not therapy, because of the stigma they associate with therapy. At the same time, some therapists note that the unregulated nature of coaching means that anyone can call themselves a “coach,” regardless of qualifications. So “coaching” sometimes carries stigma in the world of licensed therapists.
Setting aside stigma, though, what are the actual differences between coaching and therapy? How different do these practices need to be in order for therapists to engage in both?
To solve mental health provider shortage, states propose loans they call “scholarships”
Your state needs more mental health providers. Policymakers and professional organizations know this. But legislators are reluctant to take actions that would get more folks licensed. So what can they do instead? Scholarships! (Yes, you should say it this way.)
Journal article: Clinical exams in mental health do not meet testing industry standards
Regular readers here know that when it comes to clinical exams for mental health licensure, I’m not a fan. A recent article of mine, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Mental Health and Clinical Psychology, tackles a key component of the legal underpinning for these exams. As I explain, despite the claims of exam developers, clinical exams in mental health care do not appear to meet basic testing industry standards.
Why there isn’t an interstate compact for MFTs
Telehealth-based mental health care is now the norm. Many clinicians have sought to expand their telehealth practices by getting licensed in multiple states. Psychology, counseling, and social work have all pursued interstate compacts to expand telehealth opportunities for professionals in participating states. This has led many marriage and family therapists to wonder: Why isn’t there an interstate compact for MFTs?