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APRIL 6, 13, 20, 27: AI in Mental Health: Introductory Certification Course with Dr. Alex Vaz, PhD
AI is already the world’s most-used mental health support tool. And yet, most clinicians have never been trained to work with it safely or effectively. If you’re wondering how to keep up, this 4-week certification course is for you.
This online course is designed for clinicians, supervisors, researchers and mental health educators ready to responsibly explore the cutting edge of AI in behavioral health, without falling for hype or fear. You’ll leave with critical frameworks, practical skills, and a clear understanding of how to ethically and safely use AI tools like ChatGPT to support your clinical thinking, while avoiding serious pitfalls.
Sentio University is the first graduate program in mental health to formally implement safe and ethical AI training for students, developing step-by-step guidelines in collaboration with leading experts in the field of AI safety. This course draws directly from that pioneering work, giving you access to the same frameworks and practices used to train the next generation of therapists. You’ll also benefit from insights emerging from Sentio’s original research, including one of the first peer-reviewed studies on how people are using large language models for self-guided mental health support (https://sentio.org/ai-blog).
Course & Certification Details
Live Zoom Sessions: 4 weeks, 1 hour/week
Dates: Mondays — Starts April 6th, 2026 (April 6, 13, 20, 27)
Time: 9:00 AM PST / 12:00 PM EST / 18:00 CET
Cost: $300
Spots are limited to ensure live participation and feedback
CEUs: LMFTs, LCSWs, and LPCCs in California will earn 36 Continuing Education Credits for completion of a course. Sentio only offers CE credits to therapists licensed in California.
These training will not be recorded as to make them exclusive, private and safe for group skill building, feedback and reflection.
INCLUDES:
Certification in AI & Mental Health: Introductory Level
Exclusive Sentio prompt library & case de-ID templates
Sentio AI safety & ethics guidelines PDF
Live demos and real-time practice with feedback
What You’ll Learn — Week by Week
Week 1: What’s Actually Happening With AI in Mental Health
How large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini actually work
Research insights comparing human vs. AI empathy and support quality
Real-world use cases: how clients, clinicians, and companies are already using AI
What ChatGPT stores, privacy risks, and how “memory” changes user relationships
Clinical implications: how AI is redefining professional expertise and the therapist’s role
Week 2: AI Risks, Safety, and Ethical Use
Common risks: AI “hallucinations,” overreliance, data leakage, and stigma
Hands-on practice: safely de-identifying client material (HIPAA-style exercise)
Interactive “hallucination spotting” activity to identify fabricated studies and red flags
Review of APA, Sentio, and other professional ethical guidelines
Live group practice: applying de-identification and output-checking for safe clinical brainstorming
Week 3: Using AI for Case Formulation and Clinical Brainstorming
How to structure effective prompts (Role, Context, Command, Format)
Creating a de-identified case and generating a formulation using AI
Reviewing and refining AI outputs: spotting when AI supports vs. misleads clinical reasoning
Practical ways to integrate AI safely into supervision and client work discussions
Week 4: Using AI for Treatment Planning and Skill Building
How to use AI for generating treatment ideas, psychoeducation, and therapist phrasing
Generic vs. personalized skill building: what each means in deliberate practice terms
Prompting AI to produce skill demonstrations and treatment pathways
Reviewing real data on AI companions and their mental health implications
Safe, ethical guidelines for using AI as a “clinical brainstorming partner”
Who This Is For
Clinicians who want to harness AI without losing their clinical compass
Supervisors and faculty training students in safe digital practices
Educators and program leads looking to future-proof their curriculum
Anyone who’s been curious, cautious, or overwhelmed by the AI wave
About the Trainer
Alexandre Vaz, Ph.D. is cofounder and Chief Academic Officer of Sentio University. He provides DP workshops and advanced clinical training and supervision to clinicians around the world. Dr. Vaz is the author/co-editor of over 15 books on deliberate practice and psychotherapy training and a series of clinical training books: “The Essentials of Deliberate Practice” (APA Press). 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.
AI is already the world’s most-used mental health support tool. And yet, most clinicians have never been trained to work with it safely or effectively. If you’re wondering how to keep up, this 4-week certification course is for you.
This online course is designed for clinicians, supervisors, researchers and mental health educators ready to responsibly explore the cutting edge of AI in behavioral health, without falling for hype or fear. You’ll leave with critical frameworks, practical skills, and a clear understanding of how to ethically and safely use AI tools like ChatGPT to support your clinical thinking, while avoiding serious pitfalls.
Sentio University is the first graduate program in mental health to formally implement safe and ethical AI training for students, developing step-by-step guidelines in collaboration with leading experts in the field of AI safety. This course draws directly from that pioneering work, giving you access to the same frameworks and practices used to train the next generation of therapists. You’ll also benefit from insights emerging from Sentio’s original research, including one of the first peer-reviewed studies on how people are using large language models for self-guided mental health support (https://sentio.org/ai-blog).
Course & Certification Details
Live Zoom Sessions: 4 weeks, 1 hour/week
Dates: Mondays — Starts April 6th, 2026 (April 6, 13, 20, 27)
Time: 9:00 AM PST / 12:00 PM EST / 18:00 CET
Cost: $300
Spots are limited to ensure live participation and feedback
CEUs: LMFTs, LCSWs, and LPCCs in California will earn 36 Continuing Education Credits for completion of a course. Sentio only offers CE credits to therapists licensed in California.
These training will not be recorded as to make them exclusive, private and safe for group skill building, feedback and reflection.
INCLUDES:
Certification in AI & Mental Health: Introductory Level
Exclusive Sentio prompt library & case de-ID templates
Sentio AI safety & ethics guidelines PDF
Live demos and real-time practice with feedback
What You’ll Learn — Week by Week
Week 1: What’s Actually Happening With AI in Mental Health
How large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini actually work
Research insights comparing human vs. AI empathy and support quality
Real-world use cases: how clients, clinicians, and companies are already using AI
What ChatGPT stores, privacy risks, and how “memory” changes user relationships
Clinical implications: how AI is redefining professional expertise and the therapist’s role
Week 2: AI Risks, Safety, and Ethical Use
Common risks: AI “hallucinations,” overreliance, data leakage, and stigma
Hands-on practice: safely de-identifying client material (HIPAA-style exercise)
Interactive “hallucination spotting” activity to identify fabricated studies and red flags
Review of APA, Sentio, and other professional ethical guidelines
Live group practice: applying de-identification and output-checking for safe clinical brainstorming
Week 3: Using AI for Case Formulation and Clinical Brainstorming
How to structure effective prompts (Role, Context, Command, Format)
Creating a de-identified case and generating a formulation using AI
Reviewing and refining AI outputs: spotting when AI supports vs. misleads clinical reasoning
Practical ways to integrate AI safely into supervision and client work discussions
Week 4: Using AI for Treatment Planning and Skill Building
How to use AI for generating treatment ideas, psychoeducation, and therapist phrasing
Generic vs. personalized skill building: what each means in deliberate practice terms
Prompting AI to produce skill demonstrations and treatment pathways
Reviewing real data on AI companions and their mental health implications
Safe, ethical guidelines for using AI as a “clinical brainstorming partner”
Who This Is For
Clinicians who want to harness AI without losing their clinical compass
Supervisors and faculty training students in safe digital practices
Educators and program leads looking to future-proof their curriculum
Anyone who’s been curious, cautious, or overwhelmed by the AI wave
About the Trainer
Alexandre Vaz, Ph.D. is cofounder and Chief Academic Officer of Sentio University. He provides DP workshops and advanced clinical training and supervision to clinicians around the world. Dr. Vaz is the author/co-editor of over 15 books on deliberate practice and psychotherapy training and a series of clinical training books: “The Essentials of Deliberate Practice” (APA Press). 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.