A Note from Our President on the AI Revolution and Its Impact on Becoming a Therapist

March 16, 2025

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." - Martin Luther King Jr.

As President of Sentio University's Marriage and Family Therapy Program, I'm continually inspired by our mission to empower future therapists in navigating the evolving landscape of mental health care. Today, we stand at the forefront of a potentially significant development: the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in mental health support. Recent data, including our own survey, suggests that large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT may already be among the most widely utilized mental health resources in America, offering accessible, around the clock, and affordable support to millions of people in the United States.

At Sentio University, a nonprofit graduate school based in Los Angeles, California, we embrace this revolution with optimism and preparedness. While some worry about AI replacing human therapists, the preliminary data and countless anecdotal reports from our communities indicate something quite different: AI has immense potential to enhance the essential human connection therapists provide, not replace it. Therapists educated to thoughtfully integrate AI into their practice will be uniquely positioned to thrive in this new landscape.

Why AI Training Matters for MFT Students in California: How Sentio Is Preparing the Next Generation of Therapists

The mental health field in California and across the United States is changing rapidly. Millions of Americans are already turning to AI chatbots and large language models for emotional support, therapy homework, coping strategies, and crisis conversations. For prospective MFT students considering where to earn their graduate degree, this reality raises an urgent question: Will my training prepare me for the world my clients are actually living in?

At Sentio University, the answer is yes. Located in Los Angeles, California, Sentio is the first graduate program in mental health to formally implement safe and ethical AI training for its students. Our AI Research Team conducts original, peer-reviewed studies on how people use AI for mental health support, with findings published in high-impact journals including Nature and the APA journal Practice Innovations. These are not theoretical exercises. Our research directly informs our curriculum, ensuring that every Sentio MFT student graduates with practical knowledge of how AI is reshaping mental health care and how to work alongside it safely, ethically, and effectively.

Because AI excels at knowledge retrieval far beyond human capacity, it is increasingly important for therapist education and training to emphasize experiential learning that prioritizes building trainees' skills in delivering empathic, attuned therapy, rather than simply memorizing textbook knowledge or writing about therapy. Sentio's Deliberate Practice approach is ideally suited to this educational shift, offering trainees practical, real-world experiences designed to enhance their therapeutic responsiveness and emotional attunement. Our extensive library of open-source clinical training resources, video library, and comprehensive book series provide rigorous Deliberate Practice exercises, empowering trainees to master these essential skills through repeated practice and targeted feedback.

What sets Sentio apart for prospective students?

Our commitment is to equip Sentio students with the knowledge, skills, and adaptability needed to excel alongside AI. Here is how we do it:

Rigorous Human-Centric Training: Using Deliberate Practice to focus on what AI cannot replicate: empathy, nuanced understanding, ethical discernment, and relational depth. These are skills that are uniquely human and irreplaceable, and they are the foundation of every course in our MFT program.

Ethical and Safe AI Use: Rigorous training on ethical considerations, privacy safeguards, and responsible AI usage to ensure therapists protect clients and enhance therapeutic outcomes. Sentio offers dedicated AI Certification Courses for both students and practicing clinicians, providing hands-on skill building that goes well beyond theoretical discussion.

Research Leadership: Continuing our pioneering research into AI's therapeutic potential, refining best practices, and sharing insights across our professional community. Our students benefit directly from findings that emerge from Sentio's ongoing studies, and they gain firsthand research experience through their Clinical Research Project at the Sentio Counseling Center.

A program designed for California and built on transparency

Sentio University is approved by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) and the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS), ensuring graduates meet all educational requirements for LMFT licensure in California. Our 20-month hybrid program combines online coursework with intensive in-person residencies in Los Angeles, giving students across California the flexibility to continue working while pursuing their degree.

As a nonprofit institution, Sentio is committed to openness about our governance, finances, and outcomes. Our Transparency page provides public access to IRS Form 990 filings, financial information, and board-approved governance policies, including those related to conflicts of interest and whistleblower protections. We believe prospective students deserve full visibility into how their institution operates, and we encourage you to review these documents as part of your decision-making process.

We also keep our cohorts small, with just 16 students per year, to ensure individualized mentorship from our faculty and supervisors. Every student receives a guaranteed practicum placement at the Sentio Counseling Center, where they gain over 400 clinical hours providing online therapy to diverse and underserved communities across California. You can get a closer look at the student experience through our Week in the Life page or by attending one of our live classes, which are open to prospective applicants.

Affordability and access

We understand the financial barriers to graduate education. Sentio offers both need-based and merit-based scholarships ranging from $1,000 to 75% of the cost of tuition. Scholarship applications are included in the application to the MFT program, and we encourage prospective students to apply early, as funding is limited.

AI is a complement, not a replacement

Therapists provide empathy, deep human connection, ethical judgment, and nuanced understanding that technology alone cannot replicate. We understand concerns about AI replacing therapist jobs, but the data and experience so far tell a hopeful story: AI is a complement, not a replacement. Our role as therapists remains irreplaceably human, offering care, compassion, and genuine connection that no AI can duplicate.

If developed responsibly, AI could dramatically expand access to affordable, immediate mental health support, helping billions who currently lack access to traditional care. Mental health professionals have a crucial role to play in shaping this emerging field, ensuring these services become safe, ethical, and effective complements to existing therapeutic practice. We believe Sentio graduates, trained at the intersection of clinical skill and technological literacy, will be leaders in that effort.

If you are considering becoming a therapist and want a program that prepares you for the future of mental health care, we invite you to learn more about our MFT program, explore our AI research, or request information to connect with our admissions team.

Warm regards,

Tony Rousmaniere, PsyD

President, Sentio Marriage and Family Therapy Program

Executive Director, Sentio Counseling Centers