Clinician's Guide to AI-Supported Therapy Homework

This guide outlines a step-by-step framework for helping clients use AI tools safely and effectively to enhance rather than replace therapy.It reviews empirical research detailing how and why clients turn to AI chatbots for support and what they do and don't get out of it. These findings are translated into practical guidelines, including a set of overarching ethical principles, for leveraging artificial intelligence's benefits while mitigating its risks.At the heart of this book are chapters that demonstrate how AI can be used to assist with between-session activities via three main roles: (a) reinforcing client motivation, (b) guiding clients through task completion, and (c) logging client activities and generating reports for review in the next session. Each chapter breaks down the AI-integration process into five steps:Introduce AI as a potential homework partner, set boundaries to protect privacy and safety, and frame it within the context of therapyCodesign a simple, reusable AI prompt with optional variations based on the client's needs.Develop a clear plan for when and how to use AI.Encourage the client to engage in self-reflection after using AI.Review the results in the next session and integrate them into therapy.Ethical guardrails that therapists can put in place to ensure client wellbeing are also reviewed, as are common challenges and how to respond. Case examples illustrate the entire AI-integration process with realistic clients. Therapist implementation checklists also outline key steps to take before and after assigning AI-assisted homework.