Image: Episode 486 artwork for Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide titled “What It Means to Be a Modern Therapist,” featuring Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy in front of an image of a therapy chair.

What It Means to Be a Modern Therapist: The Principles That Guide Our Work

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What It Means to Be a Modern Therapist: The Principles That Guide Our Work After nearly nine years and almost 500 episodes, Curt and Katie step back to name what this show actually stands for. In this episode they lay out the guiding principles…
Image: The graphic features the Modern Therapist's Survival Guide branding with the title "Episode 485: Are We Really Better at Empathy Than the Bots?" A small yellow toy robot stands against a neutral background, representing the discussion about AI and empathy in mental health care. The podcast website appears in the lower left corner.

Are We Really Better at Empathy Than the Bots? What the Research Says About AI in Therapy

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Are We Really Better at Empathy Than the Bots? What the Research Says About AI in Therapy If you spend any time in therapist Facebook groups, you’ve seen the take: AI is a soulless, venture-backed box that could never do the real work of…
Image: The graphic features the Modern Therapist's Survival Guide branding with the title "Episode 484: How AI Tools Are Built." A blurred close-up of hands typing on a laptop serves as the background. Headshots of Megan Toomey and Ian Knox appear in the lower right alongside text identifying them as guests from SimplePractice. The podcast website appears at the bottom of the graphic.

How AI Tools for Therapists Are Built: Trust, Data Privacy, and Choosing What to Adopt – An Interview with Ian Knox and Megan Toomey of SimplePractice

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How AI Tools for Therapists Are Built: Trust, Data Privacy, and Choosing What to Adopt – An Interview with Ian Knox and Megan Toomey Spend five minutes in a therapist Facebook group and you will find two camps: clinicians convinced AI is…
Image: Episode artwork for Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide, Episode 483, titled "When Clients Bring AI to Therapy." The background shows a person using a smartphone to interact with an AI chatbot. The title appears prominently over the image with Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide branding.

When Clients Bring AI to Therapy: Working with ChatGPT, Sycophancy, and the New Third Wheel in the Room

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When Clients Bring AI to Therapy: Working with ChatGPT, Sycophancy, and the New Third Wheel in the Room Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT take on a question they hear constantly from listeners and audiences: what happens when clients…
Image: Episode artwork for Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide, Episode 482 titled “Why AI Mental Health Tools Fail When It Matters Most.” The graphic shows a close-up of computer hardware with two guest speakers featured in the lower right corner.

Why AI Mental Health Chatbots Fail When It Matters Most: The Hidden Vulnerabilities Stress-Testing Reveals – An Interview with Shirali and Arul Nigam of Circuit Breaker Labs

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Why AI Mental Health Chatbots Fail When It Matters Most: The Hidden Vulnerabilities Stress-Testing Reveals – An Interview with Shirali and Arul Nigam of Circuit Breaker Labs  More and more therapists are hearing some version of it in session:…
Image: Podcast artwork for Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Episode 481, “AI & Therapist Ethics Codes.” The graphic features a blurred laptop and AI chat interface in the background with the episode title in large text. The episode explores new AI ethics guidance from CAMFT, APA, NASW, ACA, and AAMFT for mental health professionals.

AI Ethics Codes for Therapists: What CAMFT, APA, NASW, and AAMFT Now Require

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AI Ethics Codes for Therapists: What CAMFT, APA, NASW, and AAMFT Now Require Curt and Katie break down how the major mental health ethics codes have been updated for artificial intelligence. Centering on the new CAMFT updates and cross-referencing…
Image: Podcast artwork for Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Episode 480, “Supporting Conversion Therapy Survivors After Chiles v. Salazar.” The graphic features a rainbow flag background and a headshot of Samuel Nieves, who joins Curt and Katie to discuss supporting survivors and the impact of the Supreme Court ruling.

Supporting Conversion Therapy Survivors After Chiles v. Salazar: SOGIECE, Clinical Care, and Community Response – An Interview with Samuel Nieves

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Supporting Conversion Therapy Survivors After Chiles v. Salazar: SOGIECE, Clinical Care, and Community Response – An Interview with Samuel Nieves “I think what I went through might be conversion therapy, and I’m not sure.” That doubt,…
Image: Podcast artwork for Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Episode 479 titled “Should Conversion Therapy Be Protected Speech?” The image shows the U.S. Supreme Court building in the background with the episode title in large white text.

Should Conversion Therapy Be Protected Speech? What Chiles v. Salazar Means for Conversion Therapy Bans and the Future of the Profession

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Should Conversion Therapy Be Protected Speech? What Chiles v. Salazar Means for Conversion Therapy Bans and the Future of the Profession A note before we begin: This episode is a clinical and professional discussion, not legal advice, and Curt…
Image: Podcast artwork for Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Episode 478 titled “Good Enough, Safe Enough: Affirming LGBTQ+ Clients When You're Not a Specialist.” The graphic features a Progress Pride flag waving against a dark blue background with the episode title displayed prominently in white text.

Good Enough, Safe Enough: Affirming LGBTQ+ Clients When You’re Not a Specialist

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Good Enough, Safe Enough: Affirming LGBTQ+ Clients When You're Not a Specialist When an LGBTQ+ client lands in your office and you are not a specialist, the standard advice is to refer out. That advice is well-intended, and sometimes it is…
Image: Podcast cover artwork for Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Episode 477 titled “Allyship is Awkward.” The image shows a diverse group of hands forming a circle with fists touching together in the center against a soft neutral background.

Allyship Is Awkward: How Therapists Can Keep Showing Up Anyway

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Allyship Is Awkward: How Therapists Can Keep Showing Up Anyway Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT explore what it actually looks like to do ally work as a therapist when you hold majority identities the people around you do not share.…