Values Aligned Therapy

02/17/2026

AI is everywhere. Are we using it responsibly? 🤔

I’m proud to have contributed to this guide with .rachelwood on how to engage with conversational AI in ways that protect our mental health. 💚

🎯 4 Key Principles:

Keep Your Power - You’re the expert of your life. Use AI to brainstorm, but make your own decisions.
Rehearse Not Replace - Practice difficult conversations with AI, but have them with real people.
Stay Connected - We all need human interaction. AI is a tool, not a friend.
Set Time Limits - Use in small doses. Prioritize face-to-face time and outdoor activities.

⚠️ Be on the lookout for:
• Accuracy issues (AI can sound confident when wrong)
• Privacy concerns (chatbot convos aren’t confidential)
• Accountability gaps (AI isn’t a therapist)
• Engagement tactics designed to keep you talking

The risks are even higher for those under 18.

Let’s hold onto what makes us human: personal agency, critical thinking, relational skills, privacy, and connectedness.

02/13/2026

Registration is still open for my upcoming in-person CE training in NYC:

✨ AI and Mental Health: Navigating the Changing Landscape of Care in a Digital World
📍 NYC
📅 February 17, 2026
🕑 2:00–3:30 PM EST
🎓 1.5 CE Hours | Free

This is an introductory overview (not an advanced deep dive), but it’s designed to help clinicians step back and make sense of how quickly this space is changing and what we’re already seeing in the therapy room.

We’ll explore topics like AI attachment, problematic use, ethical considerations, and how mental health professionals can begin navigating this evolving landscape with more clarity and confidence.

If you’re a therapist who has been feeling curious, uncertain, or overwhelmed by how quickly this is changing, I’d love to have you there.

📌 Register at the link in bio.

NYCTherapist ClinicalWork DigitalWellbeing

02/11/2026

I loved having this conversation with Alexander Goldman on the Social Health 101 episode of his podcast, . We dug into why social connection isn’t just “nice to have” but the fundamental issue of our time.

Too often we treat connection as something extra, something that happens after we’ve fixed other parts of our lives. What we shared with his listeners is that how we relate, how we belong, and how we show up for one another isn’t peripheral. It’s central to our health and wellbeing.

If you’ve ever wondered why so many people feel isolated even in an age of constant communication, this episode unpacks that. We talk about the subtle ways connection (and disconnection) show up in our relationships, our work, and our sense of meaning.

Link in bio

02/10/2026

I’ve been meaning to share more about something I’ve been building called the Social Connection Collective. 🌍💛

Some of you may have seen me mention it, but here’s the quick overview:

SCC is a growing global community focused on one of the biggest public health challenges of our time: loneliness and disconnection. We bring together clinicians, researchers, founders, community builders, and social impact leaders who care about strengthening belonging and rebuilding real human connection.

One of the most meaningful parts of this work has been the opportunity to host global conversations connected to the World Health Organization’s Commission on Social Connection, which has helped bring even more momentum and shared purpose into this space.

At its core, SCC is built on one belief:
No one should be doing the work of ending loneliness alone.

The core team behind SCC includes:
✨ Christian Altenius (Sweden)
✨ Maya Pieske (South Africa)
…and me, Jackie Ourman (NYC)

We’re also excited that our Ambassador community is now over 30 strong, and we’re continuing to grow what we’re building together.

More to come soon. And if you’re doing work in this space, or simply feel drawn to it, I’d love to connect. 💛

02/07/2026

AI companions are not a niche trend anymore.

📊 72% of U.S. teens have used an AI companion. And over half of teen users engage with them regularly.

These tools are quickly becoming part of how people cope, relate, and seek connection.

The question is no longer if this matters.

It’s how it’s shaping emotional development, relationships, and mental health.

Sources: Common Sense Media (2025), Phys.org (2025), PR Newswire (2025)

Graphic created with the help of AI (ChatGPT).

TeenMentalHealth AIEthics

02/06/2026

Working on something fun today. Excited to share more soon ✨

02/04/2026

Happy to share I’ll be offering AI and Mental Health: Navigating the Changing Landscape of Care for CE credits on February 17th for the NY EAP community.

🕐 1:00 PM CST / 2:00 PM EST
📍 Hybrid format: attend in person or online

Therapists are being asked to navigate a world that is changing faster than our field can fully process. This training creates space to reflect on how AI is shaping mental health care, relationships, and clinical work, and to begin building shared language and understanding for this evolving landscape.

🔗 Link in bio to learn more and register.

01/18/2026

Lately I’ve been thinking about how the role of technology in our lives is shifting.

Not just in how much time we spend online, but in what we’re turning to it for.

More and more, technology isn’t only capturing attention. In many moments, it’s starting to feel like a relationship.

This week I wrote a reflection on what that shift might mean for connection, loneliness, and our capacity to stay with the discomfort that real human relationships require.

Link in bio if you’d like to read.

11/09/2025

It was such a great group at the headquarters on Friday for my presentation on AI and Mental Health.

It’s encouraging to see so many thoughtful clinicians engaging in this conversation as we continue to navigate the changing digital landscape together.

Thank you to the organizers for having me and to everyone who joined for the discussion.

A special highlight was lunch in the city afterward with Dr. Dahlia Rizk, MPH and Jake Ourman 🫶🏽

11/07/2025

Menopause is often talked about in terms of physical symptoms, but the hormonal changes that come with it can also affect intimacy, desire, and emotional connection.

I recently spoke with who is an endocrinologist and women’s health expert, about how menopause can shape relationships and what women can do to better understand and navigate these changes.

Grateful for her insight and expertise.
Read the full Q&A on the blog: [link in bio]

11/06/2025

10/18/2025

I’m happy to share that I’ve joined the AI Mental Health Collective as a Founding Member.
rachelwood created this community to bring together clinicians, technologists, researchers, legal experts, and industry leaders to think deeply about the impact of AI in mental health. What I appreciate most is that the Collective creates space for reflection and focuses on ethical, practical, and human-centered approaches to innovation.

I’m excited to learn and grow with this community and to bring what I learn into practice. My hope is to integrate this knowledge into my clinical work and help shape technology that supports mental health care in meaningful ways, creating tools that strengthen human connection and expand access while preserving what makes therapy healing.