AI in Mental Health: Why Clinical Judgment Still Matters with Dr. Caitlin Stamatis

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