When the Algorithm becomes the therapist: AI, Mental health & the new digital crisis
Get Trained to learn how AI chatbots and virtual companions are replacing real human connections, and what that means for your clients
My Mental Health University
What you would learn?
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
Learning Objective 1. Analyze the clinical impact of AI chatbots and virtual companions on human connection and client functioning.
Learning Objective 2. Identify and describe emerging concerns such as AI-related cognitive distortions, overreliance, and maladaptive digital engagement patterns.
Learning Objective 3. Examine how social media algorithms influence mental health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, and distorted thinking patterns.
Learning Objective 4. Apply assessment strategies to evaluate problematic or excessive technology use within a clinical framework.
Learning Objective 5. Develop and implement digital wellness plans that support client functioning, balance, and long-term behavioral change
Why this course
More than one in three of your clients is now bringing technology into the room with them — and many are describing it in the language of distress. Compulsive scrolling. A chatbot that has become a closer confidant than a partner or a friend. Sleep lost to a feed. Anxiety that traces directly back to a screen. Adolescents forming attachments to algorithms before they have language for what is happening to them.
For some, this looks like screen overuse and the exhaustion that follows. For others, it is AI chatbot dependency that has quietly replaced human connection. For couples, it shows up as digital infidelity, parasocial relationships, or asymmetric tech use that one partner has not been able to name. For many clients, it is all of these — tangled together in a way that is easy to miss and easy to mislabel as anxiety, depression, or "just modern life."
Most clinicians were never trained on this.
Who this course is for?
Licensed counselors, therapists, social workers, and psychologists.
Clinicians who work with adult women, couples, or families.
Professionals who want to stay ahead of what's happening right now. If your clients are talking about AI, doom scrolling, or spending hours on their phones.
Anyone who wants NBCC CE hours that translate directly into better care.
Course Format & Details
CE Credit: 1 NBCC-approved continuing education credits.
Format: Fully self-paced, 100% online.
Delivery: Hosted on ThriveCart Learn — watch anytime, on any device.
Includes: Video presentation, downloadable participant workbook, pre-test, post-test, and a certificate of completion.
Passing requirement: Score 70% or higher on the post-test to earn CE credit.
Provider: My Mental Health University (MyMHU), an NBCC-approved continuing education provider.
About Your Instructor:
Olivia L. Baylor, LCPC, NCC, BC-TMH, CFMHE, RYT-200 is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, nationally certified counselor, and the founder of My Mental Health University (MyMHU), a nationally recognized online training platform offering continuing education and professional development courses for mental health professionals, educators, and community service providers.
Olivia specializes in trauma-informed care, domestic violence awareness, and culturally responsive mental health education. She has developed an accredited curriculum used in higher education settings and has trained hundreds of professionals across the country. Each of her courses is designed with real-world application in mind and includes a companion training book to support deeper learning.
My Mental Health University has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7739. My Mental Health University is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Ready to Get Started?
This course opens at the end of June 2026. Join the notify list and you’ll get launch-day access plus early-bird pricing before it’s offered anywhere else.
Questions? Email hello@mymhuniversity.com.