AI Certification for Therapists
Expert-led training for clinicians, supervisors, and educators ready to use AI safely and ethically in therapy, clinical training, and client care.
Therapists across the country are already encountering AI in their work, whether through clients who use ChatGPT for emotional support between sessions or trainees who experiment with large language models to sharpen their clinical thinking. Sentio University's AI Certification for Therapists is the first hands-on AI training program built by a graduate institution that conducts original, peer-reviewed research on AI safety in mental health. This is a structured, skills-based course where you practice using AI tools under the guidance of faculty who are actively publishing the science on how these tools work, where they fall short, and how clinicians can use them responsibly.
The certification is offered at two levels. The Introductory Certification gives clinicians, supervisors, researchers, and mental health educators a foundation in how AI tools like ChatGPT function, what the research says about how people use them for mental health support, and how to evaluate AI outputs with clinical rigor. You will learn frameworks for safe AI integration in client work, strategies for discussing AI use with clients, and practical methods for using AI to support clinical reasoning without replacing human judgment. The Advanced Certification builds on that foundation with live guided practice, real-world case work, and deeper ethical discussion around integrating AI into supervision, training, and between-session therapeutic work. Advanced participants get early access to exercises from two forthcoming APA books by Sentio faculty: The AI Homework Partner for Clinicians and The AI Practice Partner for Therapists by Dr. Alexandre Vaz and Dr. Tony Rousmaniere. Learn more about Sentio's AI research and read our Statement on AI to understand the values that guide this work.
What sets this program apart from other AI continuing education courses is the research behind it. The Sentio AI Research Team has published peer-review AI research, conducted one of the largest qualitative studies on how people experience AI for mental health support, and completed a clinical safety evaluation comparing how leading large language models handle crisis scenarios. Through a collaboration with the Digital Safety Research Institute at UL Research Institutes and as an affiliate of the International Association for Safe and Ethical AI, Sentio is helping ensure that the needs of the mental health field are represented in global AI governance discussions. Explore the full body of published research and free recorded webinars on AI in mental health to see this work in action.
Each course runs as four weekly live Zoom sessions, one hour per session, with limited enrollment for direct feedback and interaction. Licensed MFTs, LCSWs, and LPCCs in California earn continuing education credits upon completion. The course is taught by Dr. Alexandre Vaz, Co-Founder and Chief Academic Officer of Sentio University and director of Sentio's AI Research Initiatives. Sentio's AI training grows from the same commitment to radical transparency and evidence-based skill building that defines everything Sentio does. The Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy program is the first graduate program in mental health to formally embed safe and ethical AI training into the curriculum, and the certification courses give licensed professionals access to that same training. Visit the certifications page to see upcoming session dates, request information about Sentio's programs, or explore the full range of professional development offerings. To stay informed about new research and upcoming AI courses, join our mailing list.
AI in Mental Health: Introductory Certification
Build a critical foundation in AI literacy for mental health. Understand how AI is reshaping the field, learn to identify risks and ethical concerns, practice prompt engineering for clinical use, and get introduced to using AI as a deliberate practice tool. Ideal for clinicians with no prior AI training.
4 weeks · Live online · CE credits available for California-licensed LMFTs, LCSWs, and LPCCs
AI & Mental Health: Advanced Certification
Move beyond foundational knowledge into structured, repeatable frameworks for using AI as a deliberate practice partner and as a between-session homework partner for clients. Includes templates, guardrails, and live guided practice, plus early-access content from two forthcoming APA books.
4 weeks · Live online · CE credits available for California-licensed LMFTs, LCSWs, and LPCCs
Introductory Course Curriculum
Week 1
What Is Actually Happening With AI in Mental Health
Explore how AI is already functioning as a major source of mental health support. Review research comparing human and AI support, examine real-world use cases among clients and clinicians, and understand what AI tools store, how memory features work, and the privacy implications for clinical practice.
Week 2
AI Risks, Safety, and Ethical Use
Identify common risks including AI hallucinations, overreliance, data leakage, and stigma. Practice safely de-identifying client material in a HIPAA-style exercise, spot fabricated studies in an interactive activity, and review ethical guidelines from APA, Sentio, and other professional organizations.
Week 3
AI for Clinical Brainstorming and Between-Session Integration
Learn a practical framework for using AI as task support while keeping the therapeutic relationship central. Develop prompt engineering skills using the Role, Context, Command, and Format structure. Practice a repeatable three-step client prompt format for between-session AI support that stays aligned with therapeutic goals.
Week 4
Introduction to AI for Deliberate Practice Skill Building
Review research on AI companions and their mental health implications. Use AI as a structured deliberate practice partner through a roleplay loop targeting one micro-skill at a time with reps, feedback, and progressively harder scenarios. Learn safe and ethical guidelines for AI-assisted clinical brainstorming and skill building.
Advanced Course Curriculum
Week 1
AI as a Deliberate Practice Partner: Core Workflow
Learn a structured framework for AI-assisted deliberate practice. Use plug-and-play templates for practicing common psychotherapy skills. Keep practice concrete using behavioral checklists and focused skill targets.
Week 2
Personalized Deliberate Practice: Client-Specific Skill Building
Work with templates for entering de-identified client context and clinical challenges. Practice AI-guided deliberate practice roleplays tailored to specific cases and skill targets. Build a personalized deliberate practice plan and routine you can use ongoing.
Week 3
AI as a Between-Session Homework Partner
Review the evidence on why psychotherapy homework matters for outcomes and what makes it more likely to work. Learn how to discuss AI use with clients and set clear boundaries and guardrails. Use client-facing prompt templates for common therapeutic targets including emotion regulation, exposure, and assertiveness.
Week 4
Personalized Between-Session AI Support: Task Fit and Monitoring
Personalize prompts to align with a client's goals while keeping AI anchored in the therapeutic work. Use AI to help therapist and client agree on a realistic between-session task. Practice a "bring it back to session" debriefing process and learn to recognize warning signs that boundaries should tighten.
What Is Included
Sentio Certificate upon completion
36 CE credits for California-licensed LMFTs, LCSWs, and LPCCs
Live training with interactive practice and feedback
Post-course access to recordings, slides, and handouts
Sentio prompt library and case de-identification templates
Sentio AI safety and ethics guidelines
Clinical scripts and structured prompt templates
Early-access content from forthcoming APA books (Advanced course)
Who These Courses Are For
Licensed clinicians who want to use AI in practice without losing their clinical compass
Clinical supervisors and faculty training students in safe digital practices
Educators and program directors looking to embed AI competencies in their curriculum
Therapists and trainees ready to integrate AI into deliberate practice skill building
Researchers exploring AI applications in behavioral health
Anyone who has been curious, cautious, or overwhelmed by the AI wave in mental health
Sentio AI webinar education training for therapists
Grounded in Original Research
These courses draw directly from Sentio University's AI Research Program, which conducts original peer-reviewed research on how people use large language models for mental health support. Our research team has published one of the first empirical studies on self-guided mental health use of AI, with findings published in leading academic journals. The research reveals that a significant portion of people with mental health conditions are already turning to AI tools like ChatGPT for emotional support, and our courses translate those findings into practical, ethical frameworks for clinicians.
The Advanced course also features early-access content from two forthcoming APA books by Dr. Alexandre Vaz and Dr. Tony Rousmaniere: The AI Homework Partner for Clinicians and The AI Practice Partner for Therapists.
About the Instructor
Alexandre Vaz, Ph.D.
Dr. Vaz is cofounder and Chief Academic Officer of Sentio University. He provides deliberate practice workshops and advanced clinical training and supervision to clinicians around the world. Dr. Vaz is the author and co-editor of over 15 books on deliberate practice and psychotherapy training, including the Essentials of Deliberate Practice series published by the American Psychological Association. He has held multiple committee roles for the Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration (SEPI) and the Society for Psychotherapy Research (SPR). Dr. Vaz is also founder and host of Psychotherapy Expert Talks, an acclaimed interview series with distinguished psychotherapists and therapy researchers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need technical AI experience to enroll?
No. The Introductory course requires no prior AI experience and is built for clinicians who are just starting to explore these tools. The Advanced course is best suited for those with some familiarity with AI tools like ChatGPT, or those who have completed the Introductory course.
What is the difference between the Introductory and Advanced courses?
The Introductory course covers foundational AI literacy for mental health professionals: how AI is being used, safety and ethical concerns, prompt engineering basics, and an introduction to deliberate practice with AI. The Advanced course goes deeper into structured, repeatable frameworks for using AI as a deliberate practice partner and as a between-session homework partner for clients, with templates, guardrails, and live practice.
Do I earn continuing education credits?
Yes. LMFTs, LCSWs, and LPCCs licensed in California earn 36 Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) upon completion of each course. Sentio University currently offers CE credits to therapists licensed in California only.
Are sessions recorded?
Post-course access to recordings and materials is included. However, live participation is strongly encouraged to benefit from interactive exercises, practice, and feedback. Spots are limited to preserve the quality of the live experience.
What makes Sentio's AI training different from other offerings?
Sentio University is the first graduate program in mental health to formally build safe and ethical AI training into its curriculum. These certification courses are grounded in Sentio's original peer-reviewed research on real-world AI use in mental health, not speculation or hype. The Advanced course also provides early access to structured frameworks from two forthcoming APA books by the course developers.