In this episode of Beyond the Couch: AI in Psychology, Dr. Ernest Wayde sits down with Dr. Caitlin Stamatis, a clinical psychologist who has spent more than a decade working across digital mental health, behavioral health research, and technology, and now leads research at Slingshot AI. Dr. Stamatis shares how her skepticism of AI began to shift after seeing purpose-built mental health systems and emerging research such as the Therabot trial. They explore where AI may extend mental health support, from personalized clinical materials and assessment tools to support between traditional appointments, while examining why the vocabulary of therapy is not the same as clinical judgment.
The conversation also examines the harder questions surrounding mental health AI: sycophancy, engagement-driven business models, reassurance seeking, clinical risk, privacy, evidence generation, and how to evaluate generative systems that continuously change. Dr. Stamatis argues that psychologists have important roles throughout the AI lifecycle, including defining safety policies, evaluating model responses, measuring real-world outcomes, integrating AI into care systems, and challenging developers when tools fall short. Rather than requiring psychologists to become less skeptical, she sees informed skepticism and clinical expertise as necessary for shaping safer, more useful mental health AI.
Takeaways:
-Sounding like a therapist is not the same as clinical judgment.
-Psychologists can help define safe and effective AI responses.
-Engagement-driven business models may conflict with patient outcomes.
-Mental health AI needs continuous evidence and safety evaluation.
-AI may support people between sessions or when care is unavailable.
-Skeptical clinicians can help identify risks and improve AI tools.
Connect with Dr. Caitlin Stamatis
Website: https://drstamatis.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/cstamatis
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https://www.waydeai.com/
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info@waydeai.com
Chapters:
00:00 - Cold Open: Clinicians and AI Safety
00:53 - Intro
02:10 - Dr. Caitlin Stamatis’ Journey to Mental Health AI
05:30 - From AI Skepticism to Seeing Its Potential
07:34 - Why Clinical Judgment Still Matters
10:15 - Business Models, Engagement, and Patient Outcomes
12:33 - AI Sycophancy and Responsible Use
15:28 - The Role of Psychologists in AI Safety
18:43 - Evaluating AI as the Technology Changes
20:54 - Setting a High Bar for Mental Health AI
22:39 - AI in Clinical Practice
25:13 - How Psychologists Can Shape AI Development
25:58 - Rethinking Models of Mental Health Care
28:39 - Why AI Skeptics Are Needed
30:37 - Outro
