3 Hours / 3 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Introduction to Chatbots for Mental Health is presented by Eduardo Bunge, Ph.D.

Chatbots are online chat conversations used for communication via text or text-to-speech in lieu of a human. Chatbots are beneficial for users as they are flexible and customizable, however, there are risks of misunderstandings, and they have a limited capacity to deal with crises. 

This program provides the basic concepts of what chatbots are, their framework, how they are carried out, and by whom. It discusses the benefits and drawbacks of chatbots. 

The different types of chatbots (i.e., rule-based and Artificial Intelligence-based chatbots) are explained. This program explores some existing popular chatbots available in the market and their current empirical support. The research on chatbots for depression, anxiety, parenting, and autism spectrum disorder is described. It also provides an understanding of how chatbots are designed and addresses the use of chatbots in clinical practice. 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe chatbots available in mental health
  • 2 Describe the different types of chatbots
  • 3 Describe the empirical support of each chatbot
  • 4 Demonstrate how to use chatbots in clinical practice

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for individuals interested in the integration and application of chatbots within mental health and clinical practice, with a focus on those specializing in clinical psychology, counseling, behavioral health, digital health, and human-computer interaction. It is suitable for students, clinicians, chatbot developers, researchers, educators, and academic professionals who wish to deepen their understanding of how conversational AI can support mental health care.

    Examples of Relevant Professionals:

    • Mental Health Professionals (psychologists, counselors, therapists, social workers)
    • Students in psychology, counseling, behavioral health, digital health, or related fields
    • Chatbot developers and software engineers interested in mental health applications
    • Researchers in mental health, digital health, or human-computer interaction
    • Educators and academic professionals in relevant disciplines

  • Experience Level

    This CE training is appropriate for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at various stages of familiarity with chatbots in clinical practice.

    • Beginner: Participants with little or no prior knowledge of chatbots in mental health settings who seek foundational understanding of chatbot types, benefits, limitations, and basic clinical applications.

    • Intermediate: Participants with some experience or prior exposure to digital tools in mental health who wish to deepen their knowledge of chatbot frameworks, empirical support, and integration into clinical practice.

  • Practice Setting

    Participants practice across clinical care, education, research, and digital health development environments—both in-person and virtual—integrating text or text-to-speech chatbots within privacy-compliant, supervised workflows to augment assessment, psychoeducation, and ongoing support. Work focuses on designing, implementing, and evaluating rule-based and AI-driven tools in line with current evidence, while accounting for risks of misunderstanding and the tools’ limited capacity to address crises.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Outpatient psychotherapy clinics and group practices
    • Community mental health centers
    • Integrated primary care–behavioral health programs
    • Hospital outpatient behavioral health services
    • University counseling centers and training clinics
    • Academic research labs and clinical trials units
    • Telehealth platforms and virtual care services
    • Digital health companies and product teams
    • Employee assistance programs and workplace well-being services
    • Public health and nonprofit mental health initiatives
Presented By

Eduardo Bunge, PhD

Dr. Eduardo Bunge is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Palo Alto University (PAU). Dr. Bunge directs the Children and Adolescents Psychotherapy and Technology (CAPT) Research Lab, and is Associate Director for the International Institute of Internet Interventions for Health at Palo Alto University.  His works focus on integrating technology and mental health, and his most recent contributions were in Artificial Intelligence-Based Chatbots for depression, anxiety, and parenting in English and Spanish. He is also the Director of the Master of Science in Psychology at PAU. He was born and educated in Argentina, earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Buenos Aires, and received his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Palermo (Argentina). Dr. Bunge has more than 80 publications, including five clinical books and more than 70 peer-reviewed articles and chapters.



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Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • An introduction to chatbots

  • Advantages and Limitations

  • Type of chatbots

  • An overview of available chatbots for mental health

  • Research

  • Feasability

  • Analyze Outcome Studies

  • Clinical practice applications

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).

Sponsorship Approval Statements

Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7190. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Palo Alto University, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Palo Alto University maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits. Continuing and Professional Studies, Palo Alto University, is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0103. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies, is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073.