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by Ernest Wayde
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.
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In this episode of Beyond the Couch: AI in Psychology, Dr. Ernest Wayde sits down with Dr. David Luxton, a licensed clinical psychologist and affiliate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, to explore how artificial intelligence is changing psychological practice and what clinicians must preserve as these technologies advance. Drawing on his experience in behavioral health technology and AI research, Dr. Luxton discusses the potential benefits of AI-assisted clinical documentation, the importance of understanding how patients independently use AI for mental health support, and the risk of professional deskilling when clinicians rely too heavily on automated tools. He also emphasizes the growing need for AI literacy, clinical training, and informed decision-making as generative AI becomes more accessible. The conversation extends beyond clinical applications to examine human-AI relationships, including why people form emotional attachments to conversational AI and how these interactions may create opportunities for psychological manipulation, misplaced trust, and other harms. Dr. Luxton raises concerns about patient privacy, AI safety, and the need for meaningful oversight while advocating for psychologists to play a greater role in developing and evaluating these technologies. Throughout the discussion, he emphasizes the importance of balancing innovation with ethical responsibility, preserving clinical judgment, and ensuring that AI supports rather than diminishes genuine human connection and compassionate care. Takeaways -Clinicians should ask how patients use AI for mental health support. -Overreliance on AI may weaken clinical judgment and critical thinking. -AI literacy means understanding benefits, limitations, and safety risks. -Emotional bonds with AI can lead to misplaced trust and manipulation.-Psychologists should help shape AI development through clinical and ethical expertise. -Responsible AI requires human oversight, patient safeguards, and balanced innovation. Connect with Dr. David Luxton Website: https://davidluxton.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-d-luxton/ Substack: https://daviddluxton.substack.com/ Connect With Us https://www.waydeai.com/ https://www.facebook.com/waydeaillc https://www.linkedin.com/company/wayde-ai/ info@waydeai.com Free 20-minute AI call: https://calendly.com/waydeai/1-on-1-with-ernest Subscribe https://the-waydeai-brief.beehiiv.com/ Chapters 00:00 - Opening: The Risks of Trusting AI 00:22 - Introduction to Dr. David Luxton 01:37 - Dr. Luxton's Journey from Technology to Psychology 02:37 - The Rapid Evolution of Generative AI 03:46 - AI in Clinical Practice and Patient Use 05:54 - AI Deskilling and the Risk to Clinical Judgment 07:26 - Ethical AI Use and Clinical Competencies 10:00 - AI Literacy and Training for Psychologists 12:17 - Research on Human-AI Relationships 14:13 - Emotional Attachment, Trust, and AI Manipulation 16:27 - Why Psychologists Must Help Shape AI Development 17:38 - Human Oversight and Professional Guidelines 19:07 - AI Regulation, Patient Privacy, and Safety 21:11 - The Future of Human-AI Relationships 25:22 - Final Advice: Preserving Human Connection
In this episode of Beyond the Couch: AI in Psychology, Dr. Ernest Wayde sits down with Dr. Eric Lin, a psychiatrist and clinical informatician at Stanford University School of Medicine and VA Palo Alto, to explore the growing role of artificial intelligence in mental health care and the challenges of evaluating its safety. Drawing on his clinical experience and research into AI-associated psychosis concerns, Dr. Lin discusses how interactions with AI chatbots may intersect with psychological vulnerabilities, the possible relevance of shared delusional beliefs, and why seemingly appropriate chatbot responses may fail to account for individual patient needs. He also considers the difficulty of determining whether reported AI-associated delusional experiences reflect existing psychiatric conditions or a distinct emerging phenomenon.The conversation examines the limitations of current AI safety evaluations, including synthetic patient simulations, short-term benchmarks, and the lack of longitudinal evidence about sustained chatbot use. Dr. Lin also discusses AI's potential to support clinical work through medical record review and, eventually, carefully bounded applications that could extend access to mental health care beyond traditional clinical settings. Throughout the discussion, Dr. Lin and Dr. Wayde explore the tension between rapid technological development and the evidence-based practices of mental health professionals, emphasizing the importance of involving clinicians in AI evaluation, development, and policy decisions as these systems become more deeply embedded in mental health care.Takeaways:AI-associated psychosis raises questions about psychological vulnerabilities and emerging risks.Clinically plausible AI responses may overlook individual patient needs and risks.Short-term AI evaluations cannot capture harms that develop over time.AI can support clinical work, but broader mental health applications need careful evaluation.Clinicians must help shape AI development, safety standards, and policy.Connect with Dr. Eric Lin:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericlinmd/Email: elinmd@stanford.eduConnect With Us:https://www.waydeai.com/https://www.facebook.com/waydeaillchttps://www.linkedin.com/company/wayde-ai/info@waydeai.comChapters 00:00 - Intro 01:01 - Welcome to Beyond the Couch and Meet Dr. Eric Lin 02:23 - Dr. Lin's Journey into AI and Psychiatry 04:49 - Understanding AI Psychosis and Chatbot-Related Risks 05:54 - Can AI Responses Account for Individual Patient Needs? 06:46 - Clinical Judgment and the Limits of AI 08:25 - Psychological Vulnerabilities, Delusions, and Folie à Deux 10:26 - Evaluating Long-Term Risks of AI Chatbot Interactions 11:06 - The Limitations of Synthetic Data in AI Safety Testing 11:54 - What Makes AI Safety Evaluations Clinically Meaningful? 14:15 - AI Regulation and the Need for Clinician Involvement 15:24 - Practical Applications of AI in Mental Health Care 17:50 - Bridging Clinical Standards and Rapid AI Development 20:47 - Working with AI Companies and Developers 22:30 - Balancing Clinical Evidence with AI Innovation 24:55 - Dr. Lin's Advice: Get Involved in Shaping AI's Future
In this episode of Beyond the Couch: AI in Psychology, Dr. Ernest Wayde sits down with Dr. Erika Penney, principal clinical psychologist at Schema Therapy & Supervision Australia, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping psychological practice, clinical education, and mental health care. She explains why psychologists and educators need to rethink traditional approaches to AI, including how clinical training can prepare future psychologists to use these tools responsibly while maintaining independent clinical competence.The conversation examines AI’s potential to support psychologists through administrative tasks, AI scribes, research, literature reviews, and between-session therapeutic work, while emphasizing the importance of clinical judgment, critical thinking, and human connection. Dr. Penney also discusses how clients are already using AI for emotional support, companionship, and advice. She highlights the importance of approaching clients' AI use without judgment and helping them critically evaluate AI-generated guidance. She encourages psychologists to strengthen their digital literacy, pursue ongoing professional development, and preserve the relational skills essential to effective psychological care.Takeaways: -AI Is Changing Psychological Practice and Education.-AI Should Support, Not Replace, Clinical Judgment.-Privacy, Security, and Ethics Are Essential in AI Use.-Psychologists Need Ongoing AI Education and Training.-Clinicians Must Understand How Clients Use AI for Mental Health Support.-Human Connection Remains Essential to Effective Therapy.Connect with Dr. Erika PenneyWebsite:https://drerikapenney.com.au/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-erika-penney-5b862b108/Connect With Us https://www.waydeai.com/https://www.facebook.com/waydeaillchttps://www.linkedin.com/company/wayde-ai/info@waydeai.comSubscribe https://the-waydeai-brief.beehiiv.com/Chapters: 00:00 - Intro01:22 - Meet Dr. Erika Penney02:21 - From Complex Trauma to Digital Mental Health05:05 - Preparing Psychologists for AI07:05 - AI, Learning, and Clinical Competence10:22 - Learning From AI Failures11:45 - AI Adoption Among Psychologists in Australia13:57 - AI in Australia's Healthcare Systems15:12 - Privacy, Data Security, and Client Confidentiality17:58 - Discussing AI Use in Therapy22:39 - AI Scribes and Clinical Workflows25:02 - AI for Between-Session Therapeutic Practice28:27 - AI and the Future of Preventive Mental Health Care33:15 - Preparing for the Future Through AI Professional Development
In this episode of Beyond the Couch: AI in Psychology, Dr. Ernest Wayde sits down with Dr. Sherry Turkle, MIT professor, clinical psychologist, and author of Artificial Intimacy, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping human connection, empathy, and relationships. Drawing on decades of research into the emotional impact of technology, Dr. Turkle explains how AI chatbots can create the feeling of being understood without the lived experience or mutual engagement that defines human empathy. She examines how emotionally responsive AI companions may change our expectations of relationships, making human interactions seem increasingly difficult by comparison.The conversation explores the psychological risks of AI companionship, particularly for children, adolescents, and people experiencing loneliness, as well as Dr. Turkle's concerns about chatbots being used for therapy or emotional support between sessions. She questions whether AI's reassuring responses can substitute for the challenge, accountability, and genuine understanding found in human relationships. Dr. Turkle also calls attention to the importance of investing in social infrastructure rather than relying on technology to address isolation, emphasizing why preserving human connection matters for psychological well-being and society.Takeaways -AI can simulate empathy without sharing the human experience behind it.-Constant AI reassurance may reshape expectations of real relationships.-Children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to artificial intimacy.-AI companionship may discourage the interpersonal skills needed for human connection.Connect with Dr. Sherry Turkle Website: https://sherryturkle.com/Connect With Us https://www.waydeai.com/https://www.facebook.com/waydeaillchttps://www.linkedin.com/company/wayde-ai/info@waydeai.comChapters: 00:00 - Intro02:20 - Dr. Sherry Turkle's Journey into AI and Psychology05:27 - Artificial Intimacy and the Shift Toward AI Relationships07:00 - The Psychological Risks of AI Companionship08:12 - Simulated Empathy vs. Human Empathy11:44 - How AI Affects Human Relationships and Social Skills12:49 - Feeling Understood by AI vs. Being Understood15:39 - Emotional Dependence and AI Safety Risks19:22 - Recognizing Vulnerability to AI Companionship20:38 - AI Engagement, Advertising, and Influence22:42 - Can AI Support Therapy and Human Relationships?24:19 - The Risks of AI Reassurance Without Accountability27:34 - Loneliness, Vulnerable Populations, and Social Infrastructure29:14 - Final Thoughts and Connecting with Dr. Turkle29:56 - Closing Advice: Make a Friend
In this episode of Beyond the Couch: AI in Psychology, Dr. Ernest Wayde sits down with Dr. Caitlin Stamatis, a clinical psychologist who has spent more than a decade working across digital mental health, behavioral health research, and technology, and now leads research at Slingshot AI. Dr. Stamatis shares how her skepticism of AI began to shift after seeing purpose-built mental health systems and emerging research such as the Therabot trial. They explore where AI may extend mental health support, from personalized clinical materials and assessment tools to support between traditional appointments, while examining why the vocabulary of therapy is not the same as clinical judgment. The conversation also examines the harder questions surrounding mental health AI: sycophancy, engagement-driven business models, reassurance seeking, clinical risk, privacy, evidence generation, and how to evaluate generative systems that continuously change. Dr. Stamatis argues that psychologists have important roles throughout the AI lifecycle, including defining safety policies, evaluating model responses, measuring real-world outcomes, integrating AI into care systems, and challenging developers when tools fall short. Rather than requiring psychologists to become less skeptical, she sees informed skepticism and clinical expertise as necessary for shaping safer, more useful mental health AI. Takeaways: -Sounding like a therapist is not the same as clinical judgment. -Psychologists can help define safe and effective AI responses. -Engagement-driven business models may conflict with patient outcomes. -Mental health AI needs continuous evidence and safety evaluation. -AI may support people between sessions or when care is unavailable. -Skeptical clinicians can help identify risks and improve AI tools. Connect with Dr. Caitlin Stamatis Website: https://drstamatis.com LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/cstamatis 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 - Cold Open: Clinicians and AI Safety 00:53 - Intro 02:10 - Dr. Caitlin Stamatis’ Journey to Mental Health AI 05:30 - From AI Skepticism to Seeing Its Potential 07:34 - Why Clinical Judgment Still Matters 10:15 - Business Models, Engagement, and Patient Outcomes 12:33 - AI Sycophancy and Responsible Use 15:28 - The Role of Psychologists in AI Safety 18:43 - Evaluating AI as the Technology Changes 20:54 - Setting a High Bar for Mental Health AI 22:39 - AI in Clinical Practice 25:13 - How Psychologists Can Shape AI Development 25:58 - Rethinking Models of Mental Health Care 28:39 - Why AI Skeptics Are Needed 30:37 - Outro
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
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
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 Ushttps://www.waydeai.com/https://www.facebook.com/waydeaillchttps://www.linkedin.com/company/wayde-ai/info@waydeai.comSubscribehttps://the-waydeai-brief.beehiiv.com/Chapters:00:05 - When AI breaks expected boundaries01:24 - Why AI governance matters now03:00 - What happened in OpenAI's sandbox testing06:00 - Anthropic and unintended access to real systems07:02 - How AI can cause harm without malicious intent08:20 - Why these AI failures matter for healthcare09:54 - AI adoption is outpacing governance11:12 - The governance gap and shadow AI13:13 - Why initial security reviews are not enough14:10 - Expanding the definition of AI governance14:55 - How AI may change human performance16:55 - Clinical judgment, skill preservation, and AI reliance18:55 - Human performance as a governance issue19:35 - Why AI governance must be ongoing20:28 - Monitoring unintended consequences after implementation21:36 - Getting AI's benefits without becoming casual about risk21:57 - Closing
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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.
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