AI in Mental Health: Part 1 – Therapeutic vs. Harmful AI Use by Patients
Enhancing Clinical Efficiency with Upheal
August 2026
Individuals’ use of AI between therapy sessions is rapidly shifting from rare to routine, and clinical practice guidance is still emerging.
This webinar gives therapists concrete tools to help them screen for AI use at intake, shape it toward treatment goals, and recognize the clinical presentations where AI engagement causes more harm than help.
Learning objectives
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Identify ways in which patients’ AI use may be therapeutically relevant, harmful, or contraindicated.
- Describe how to collaborate with patients to structure between-session AI engagement that supports treatment goals.
- Discuss ethical obligations (e.g., informed consent, documentation) when recommending or integrating AI tools into clinical practice.
Accessibility
We strive to provide an inclusive, accessible experience that enables all individuals to engage with our programming. Captioning is displayed on this webinar recording and a transcript is also available. If you require any other accommodations to fully engage with this webinar recording, please contact us by email.
Presenter disclaimer
Leila Anderson has a working relationship with Upheal. As such, she has both a financial and an intellectual interest in the webinar content. The purpose of this presentation is to provide a balanced view on the therapeutic and potentially harmful uses of artificial intelligence in mental health care.
This program does not offer CE credit.
Paid for by
This topical webinar for APA members is paid for by Upheal. The content was created by Upheal and does not reflect the views of APA or its editorial staff. Email Advertising to learn more. Upheal offers secure AI-powered progress notes, designed by clinicians to save mental health providers time.
Presenter
Leila Anderson, LMFT-S
Anderson is a systemic therapist, supervisor, and clinical AI prompt engineer at Upheal whose practice sits at the intersection of clinical rigor, ethics, and emerging mental health technology. She brings over a decade of experience across residential, correctional, psychiatric, and community-based settings, with specializations in complex trauma, shame, and high-acuity clinical presentations. Her therapeutic approach integrates Internal Family Systems, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, with particular emphasis on self-of-the-therapist work and ethical decision-making. Anderson serves on the Texas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Board of Directors and speaks regularly at state and national conferences.
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