Human Connection Will Always Matter: AI From A Counselling Perspective

Someone asked me why at my age I am so interested in AI. There are so many reasons, but it is mainly because I care about humanity. I want to learn so that I have a better understanding for my children, your children and my future grandchildren. Besides we are never too old to learn and now is the opportune time to do so.

As a Psychologist and former School Counsellor, I hope that you will explore resources and information that will guide you on a journey to understanding the complex world of AI. More importantly, I hope that you will bring humanity into all your conversations when it comes to AI.

I believe that the therapeutic alliance will be more essential than ever before. AI won’t be able to connect the way a counsellor or therapist can. AI won’t be able to help in crisis situations. AI is not human although some may begin to treat it so. The counselling relationship is key and will always matter when it comes to being a helping professional. AI will most likely be used to augment and enhance counselling processes, so understanding how to utilize it will be of the utmost importance.

AI has the potential to impact an individual’s well-being, privacy, and autonomy. As counsellors, it is crucial to address the ethical implications of AI and ensure that its development, implementation, and use align with ethical standards. make sure to check out anything written by Dr. Sarah Eaton at the University of Calgary on ethics and AI.

As counsellors and therapists our ethical standards will need to be revised.

Discussing AI from a counselling perspective will allow for a critical examination of its potential benefits and risks, fostering informed decision-making and responsible use now and in the future.

Throughout these months in ETMOOC2 for which I am extremely grateful, I have been doing a lot of reading, discussing and thinking about AI. I hope that you too will begin exploring and learning. We are just at the beginning stages of paying attention and learning how AI will impact all of us. 

AI technology will most likely have psychological effects on individuals. For example, chatbots or virtual assistants designed to provide emotional support may impact the therapeutic relationship between clients and human counsellors. There is no way to predict how and what impact this will have. Time will tell, but we will need to assist clients who develop a trusting relationship with an AI instead of a human and the impacts that could potentially have on their therapeutic outcomes.

Addressing AI from a counselling perspective will allow for the exploration of the potential benefits and drawbacks of incorporating AI into therapeutic settings and school settings . We will need to consider the psychological impact on clients and students in the near future. How will you address these issues?

How will AI gather personal data, analyze emotional expressions, or even provide mental health assessments accurately?  It is important to discuss the potential impact of AI on emotional well-being and mental health, ensuring that AI systems are designed and used in ways that promote individuals’ psychological well-being.

There is much to consider when it comes to AI.

How will AI enhance your counselling process?

Will AI help, harm or heal?

What part will you play in making a difference when it comes to AI?

How will you keep up and pay attention to the ethical considerations?

Will AI ever be able to show empathy, compassion, intuition, or cultural nuances?

I really like what Sherry Turkle asks, “Are we really ready to become a machine’s companion even if they are willing to become ours?”

As AI technology becomes more prevalent, individuals will continue to increasingly interact with AI systems in various domains of life. As Counsellors we can play a significant role in helping individuals navigate these interactions, offering support in establishing healthy boundaries, managing expectations, and coping with potential challenges that may arise in human-AI interactions. Knowing what resources are helpful will make a difference in you assisting your clients.

Ensuring that all voices are included in the training of AI systems so that biases will appear less frequently is essential. AI algorithms already perpetuate and amplify these biases. Let’s work together for positive change that is more inclusive for all.

Understanding AI from a counselling perspective will allow for discussions of the potential preferences in AI systems and their implications. We need to ensure that our, and our client’s privacy rights are respected and protected now and in the future.

By addressing AI from a counselling perspective, you as a helping professional can help raise awareness, promote responsible and ethical AI practices, and support individuals in navigating the impact of AI on their well-being and mental health. My suggestion for learning how AI will impact what you do is to start slow and learn as much as you can whenever you can. 

AI does matter when it comes from a counselling perspective. My hope is that you take a look at some of the resources below and share your resources, thoughts and ideas. Some articles could be used as a starting dialogue for professional development sessions, others may pique your personal interest in this topic.

My suggestion is to put down or better yet put away your phones whenever you are face-to-face with another person. Have a real conversation making them the most important person in the room whether discussing AI or not. I look forward to staying connected with others who will commit to keeping AI and humanity at the forefront of their growth knowing that human connection will always matter.

AI References and Resources

• A Chatbot is No Good In A Crisis

• AI and the Future of Mental Health – CENGN

• Artificial Intelligence in Psychology: 9 Examples & Apps

• Can Artificial Intelligence Map Our Moods?

• Counseling with artificial intelligence

• Eliza, a chatbot therapist

• Esther Perel on The Other Ai: Artificial Intimacy | SXSW 2023

• Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker: The idea that A.I. will lead to the end of humanity is like the Y2K bug

• Johannes Eichstaedt: Exploring the Intersection of Psychology and AI

• Machines can do most of a psychologist’s job. The industry must prepare for disruption

• Multichannel Connectors – Onlim

• NIMH Cognitive psychology-based artificial intelligence review – PMC

• Psychology Today Basics of AI

• Psybertronic

• The Promise and Challenges of AI

• The therapists using AI to make therapy better | MIT Technology Review

• Thoughts on AI from a Psychological Perspective: Defining Intelligence | by T. Panova | Becoming Human  T Panova. 

• Unlocking AI for Psychology

• What Can AI Learn from Human Intelligence?

• People are using AI for therapy, whether the tech is ready for it or not

As the Washington Post suggests , I hope it never comes down to these bots replacing School Counsellors as schools respond to shortages within their districts . Let's work together to continue to put the face of humanity into places where counselling occurs and continues to meet the needs of our young people who we care about deeply.

Exploring the Impact of Counsellors Cultivating Seeds of Possibility and Hope

Hope is the quiet voice that keeps us moving forward. In challenging times, it’s more important than ever to focus on what truly matters—family, friends, and kindness. Share encouragement, show compassion, and create ripples of hope in someone's life today. How will you spread hope?

Hope is a Choice. It is saying Yes to Life Ronna Jevne

Tom Bodett says a person needs three things to be truly happy in life. 1. Someone to love. 2. Something to do and 3. Something to HOPE for .

Here are a few ways to spread hope in the lives of youth:

Remember that hope is a social gift that happens in relationship … we as counsellors are cultivators of possibility, who have a pivotal role in helping youth find a pathway to hope and resilience.

• Be a model of HOPE.

• Use hopeful language. You will get through this. I believe in you and i know you will be able to figure this out. You have faced challenges before and i know you will be able to get through this.

• Encourage gratitude practices.

• Validate their experiences and stories.

• Help youth understand their own sense of agency- the belief that they have control over their own actions and can influence the future. You could use Circles of Control worksheets and encourage students to take action , so they don't feel stuck.

• Teach self advocacy skills. Asking for help, expressing their needs and boundaries in a healthy way.

• Teach youth that having a voice matters.

• Help them see the parts of their own story that can lead to hope.

• Highlight their unique perspectives and strengths in their storytelling.

• Help them to articulate their story to be able to move forward. You can use prompts and journaling activities from the book Counsellor Talk.

• Help them shift their consciousness by reframing negative thoughts, setting small goals and visualizing a hopeful future.

• Find strategies to help them to see what is possible and that they matter.

• Help them have compassion for things we will never know … purpose.

• Help youth Identify things they are good at and assist them in capturing the enthusiasm to pursue those things.

• Help youth find others that will be friends to their mind.

• Ask youth how have they have managed to have hope given what has happened to them?

• Help youth see all the positive possibilities that could come into their future.

• Have guests who have overcome adversity speak to youth.

• Find out what they are excited and passionate about and help youth do more of those things.

• Help them see their growth over time. help them see that each chapter of their story will bring new insights and learning.

As Counsellors we need to be ...

• The ones that lets hope beget hope.

• Present and patient.

• Reminded that hope can be cultivated and we have a huge role to play.

• The one who sees the pain and does something about it by small actions or words that instil hope.

• The thermometer in the room that helps youth see it can be better than this.

• The facilitators of wrap around systems of support like mentors, teachers. counsellors, therapists, and positive adult role models.

• The one who creates a safe space where youth feel understood and supported.

• The person who thinks about things that will STICK with youth. " Your story isn't over yet", "You are stronger than you think", "Small steps forward matter'. No challenge is too big when you take ONE MOMENT , ONE MINUTE, ONE HOUR, ONE DAY AT A TIME.

As educators you can:

Have students create hope posters.

Create Bags of Hope to give to those less hopeful.

Create vision boards of hope

Create or find photos that represent hope and share with the class.

Here are a few ideas to inspire you. Pass it On is also a great resource.

Encourage students to : 

• Make videos of HOPE 

• Create Art pieces around the theme of HOPE 

• Make slide decks on HOPE 

• Design hopeful songs or music 

• Find people who inspire HOPE and write about them. 

• Brainstorm ways to inspire hope in others. 

• Make trading cards the size of hockey cards and design cards of HOPE that they can trade with others .

• Have students write letters of hope.

• Perform Random Acts of kindness that will inspire hope.

• Create hope bookmarks.

Shane Lopez  from the University of Kansas @hopemonger in his book Making Hope Happen: Create the Future You Want For Yourself and Others discusses the 4 core beliefs that hopeful people share : 

1. The future will be better than the present 

2. I have the power to make it so 

3. There are many paths to my goals 

4. None of them is free of obstacles 

I discuss this with youth and let them know they matter. I hope you do too! We need to help youth find the many pathways to reaching their goals and having hope. 

We as counsellors can help youth imagine the way things could be … then HOPE will be born. Let's be the cultivators of hope planting seeds of possibility into the hearts of those we serve.

“Be passionate, fall madly in love with life. Be passionate about some part of the natural and/or human worlds and take risks on its behalf, no matter how vulnerable they make you.” … “Offer yourself to the world — your energies, your gifts, your visions, your heart — with open-hearted generosity.” – Parker Palmer 

How to Identify and Overcome Cognitive Distortions in Your Daily Life

by: Susan Spellman Cann and Helen MacKinnon

During stressful times it is not uncommon for us to be impacted by psychosocial factors such as excessive worry or sadness. For those who have a diagnosed mental illness, additional stresses further exacerbate the condition. As a result of excessive worry we may develop habitual, exaggerated, or irrational thought patterns called cognitive distortions.

We all have these distortions. They are normal. However, they can cause us to perceive reality inaccurately. In other words, our brain is tricking us. Instead of seeing ourselves as calm and capable, we see ourselves as just the opposite. Our beliefs become negatively distorted and we process all thoughts through a negative filter.

However, if we learn to challenge and ultimately change these negative thoughts, we cannot only change how we think , but also how we feel.

How do we change these cognitive distortions? First, we need to understand what these distortions are and if any of these distortions apply specifically to you. Are you tending to view things more negatively than they really are?

View the following 10 most common distortions and decide which ones you may be using most frequently.

All or Nothing Thinking (Black and white thinking) You might say to yourself : “This day is awful. I can’t do anything fun anymore. I feel like life is so difficult. What’s the point of getting out of bed? Nothing ever works out the way I want it to.”

Overgeneralization: (Attributing a negative outcome based on one single event or incident) “I tried to practice music on my own, but I just could not focus. Everyone else seems to be able to do it. It must just be me who can’t. I failed when I tried to do my Biology or (whatever subject ) . So what’s the use of trying? I will fail every time I try.

Discounting The Positive (Believing the positive attributes you possess have no value) “ My teacher told me I did really well in the last practice, but I know he’s just saying this to make me feel better because I have been feeling sad lately.”

Mind Reading : (Assuming that you know what other people are thinking without having any evidence) “My dad seemed really quiet today. He didn’t even say good morning. I think he’s angry with me.” Think about the ways you try mind reading.

Fortune Telling; (Jumping to conclusions and predicting future events based on a past events) “I messed up on the last practice. I’m never going to get this music piece correct.”

Magnification (Catastrophizing) or Minimizing: (Binocular Trick: When viewing through binoculars, it allows us only to focus on what we are looking for. We either magnify or zero in on a specific feature, not allowing for a true perspective or view. ) “I only got a 60% on my last quiz. I’m probably going to fail this course. I got 90% on all my tests .but I am really unsure whether I will have the marks needed to get into my university program of choice.” 

Emotional Reasoning; (Allowing our feelings to interpret our reality. I feel it, therefore it must be true.) “I feel my life is totally out of control because of x .”  “I feel worried, therefore I must have anxiety. I feel sad, therefore I must be depressed.”

Should Statements;  (Stop Shoulding on Yourself!) “I should be helping out more at home during this difficult time.”  Or: “ My parents tell me every day I should feel lucky because others have it a lot worse than I do. ”I should be doing better in school even though life is very difficult right now.  “I should get 90”s and if I don’t I am a failure.”

Labeling and Mislabeling; (Attributing one error or decision as a specific trait) “I messed up on the last question on the test. It was so easy. I am such an idiot.” 

Personalization. (Blaming yourself for everything that may go wrong. It’s not all about you. Others may own a part or all of the situation) “My parents seem to be arguing a lot more. Maybe I’m irritating them. I need to be better so they don’t argue so much.” Or “My relationship ended because I was not exciting enough, loving enough etc. etc.

You may have recognized yourself in some of these distortions. By now you will probably have identified the ones that ring true for you. So in order to remain calm and capable, you must remind yourself of how counter productive these distortions can be. Instead, take time to reframe your thoughts so they more clearly reflect the true picture. Take each cognitive distortion find an example that you presently do and find ways to reframe each one.

Enlist friends, family members, coaches, teachers or anyone you trust to help you better challenge these distortions. Take a wider view, as opposed to a narrow lens approach. You can now see yourself from a whole new perspective, as a calm, capable, young person, better able to manage the ever-changing world around you and cope much more effectively when it comes to being more aware of the cognitive distortions you use.