How AI Is Changing Mental Health, Parenting, Therapy & Teen Brains

Hello there, fearfully and wonderfully made human, and welcome back to the Holistic Counselor podcast, where we explore the intersection of mental health, science, faith, relationships, and whole person healing. I'm your host, Diana S. Rice. licensed mental health counselor, certified integrated mental health professional from through the valley therapy and transfer of mind consulting and coaching.

Let me ask you something. How many of us are already using AI every single day without even realizing how much it's changing us? Maybe you've used it to write an email, organize your thoughts, study for school, process emotions, create content, or even ask mental health questions.

You were too afraid to ask another human being. And now teens are doing the same thing. As a therapist, I recently attended a webinar called Artificial Intelligence: How AI is rapidly altering life, illness, and mental health care by today's guest. And halfway through, I found myself thinking, "Wait, are we actually prepared for what's happening right now?"

Because this is no longer science fiction. We are living in a world where teens are self- diagnosing through Tik Tok. People are turning to AI chat bots for emotional support. Therapists are using AI for notewriting and treatment support. And parents are trying to figure out how to protect connection, identity, attention, emotional regulation, and mental health in a rapidly changing digital world.

So, how do we navigate all of this without fear, panic, or losing our humanity in the process? Joining me today is Dr. Joshua Stein, a boardcertified child and adolescent psychiatrist, chief of medical staff at Prairie Care and clinical director and attending clinician at Newport Healthc Care's Prairie Care Youth Partial Hospitalization Program in Minnesota.

Dr. Stein attended Cor Cornell University, earned his medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School, and is a past president of the Minnesota Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. He continues to advocate nationally for adolescent mental health and increasing access to quality care.

Honestly, whether you're a parent, therapist, educator, ministry leader, student, or simply someone trying to stay mentally and emotionally grounded in modern life, this conversation matters. So, wherever you are today, I'm really glad you're here. And I'm really glad you said yes, Dr. Stein.

Thanks for being here.

Thank you for the invitation, Diana. I'm honored.

Yeah, for sure. So before we get into AI, right,

I would love for people to get to know you and what your story is all about and what led you into child and adolescent psychiatry and then teaching about AI and mental health.

Absolutely. So, I was raised by an LICSSW LMFT. And so, my mom was a social worker, she was a teacher, she was a supervisor. And I would just say my dinner table conversations, there was maybe a little bit about sports, a little bit about the weather, but a lot about how people think and their actions and trying to understand humanity.

And I was kind of raised on that. And I think that guided me a little bit towards medicine, guided me to the college of human ecology at Cornell. And then when I finally got into medical school, it was it I did my first psychiatry rotation and was like like wait a second.

Uh this is something I really enjoy. This is something that feels really fun and interesting and something I feel really effective with. Which was very different than surgery where I was not very good. like I I I could, you know, whether it was uh trying to do stitches or whatever, I was not enjoying it and I was not good at it.

And so that first psych rotation uh kind of locked it in for me reflectively. Um my junior year in high school, we had to do a big research paper trying to learn how to research and all these other things. This was preai to be very clear.

And I found a copy of the DSM3.

Oh.

At a used bookstore.

Oh yeah. And for some reason I was drawn to what is the difference between the DSM3 the DSM4 I think TR uh the diagnostic statistical manual that says all our diagnosis. So even then I think I was laying the groundwork and so um I've always enjoyed working with children.

Um even in the non-sychiatry days I remember um surgically working with um a cardiac surgeon and I watched a child who had um open heart surgery had a a valve repaired then the next day they're running around the hospital because they didn't know the sick rule.

And it was very different to me and very striking and I realized medicine at that age can make a difference. I would say as I've grown older and grayer I've started to see a lot more adults again and and work across the age spectrum and I find it equally rewarding.

But it is uh it is a joy and an honor to work with people's children.

Yeah.

Uh the AI side of things.

Yeah.

I think that stems a little bit from being a parent myself.

Okay. Okay.

I have a 14, a 12, and a nineyear-old.

Oh, you're in it.

Yeah, I'm in the thick of it.

I'm a grandma, so it's like it's a whole different But I see what happens now. I mean,

my grandkids are your your kids' age.

Oh, man. But it so it started with social media and and then tied to my job and seeing how you know I saw so many presentations of kids struggling with social media and then this shift of like as adults, as providers, as prescribers, whatever it is, we're trying to catch up with how social media is affecting young people, how screens are affecting young people.

They've already moved on to AI.

Oh yeah.

And so it's kind of pushed me to try and really understand. And then the other part when you put together these lectures, when you try and understand there's so much negative

Yes. all the bad things.

And the truth is there's so much positive and it's such a catalyst for like healthy change. And so I've really tried to be more open about it because if we as adults, as care providers are just like, "Ah, this is a problem. Snapchat's a problem.

It's dangerous. Discord's a problem. Uh chat GPT, kids just shut down and shut up."

Oh, yeah.

And so we have to understand how they're using it. Um and really try and support them. So that that pulled me in that direction.

I love that. And and that's what intrigued me from your webinar because I've I've listened to other things. And I understand like the fear the fear-mongering of it all. Like oh my gosh, it's the end of the world. They're taking over. They're taking over the jobs.

They're taking over this. And I'm like, okay, now let's just, you know, our job is secure now because of how the doctor I'm serious. In a

You're very right.

Right. And so I with the AI and I worked with adolescence for most of my career and so I you know what made you all of a sudden say we need to start talking about AI right now right and and what are you seeing that made this feel really urgent enough to create that whole training on it.

So kind of anecdotally in a medicine anecdotes are not how we start but I had more kids talking about using chat GPT and like it was like chat GPT chat GPT I saw my own children using it and then I started in in clinic um and in the partial hospital program asking kids like do you ever use this for your mental health and I would say like 50% were like oh yeah and then I started asking

some of the adults and and not just the young adults in their 20s but a lot of adults were turning to chat GP PT a lot.

And so notice they're not turning into like structured mental health AI, which there is stuff like that out there, but it's being utilized. And this AI shortcut is being used for everything. So old guys like me are like, "Hey, I'm going on this trip.

Help me plan a 7-day trip for I have kids this age, for restaurants, and this." And boom, it's done.

Right?

People are using this for their mental health. And so when I was getting ready for this presentation, understanding it, actually it's now starting to be published. So JAMAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, this is one of our our high-end journals, really looked at this and it said about 13% of youth are using mental health AI on a weekly basis.

Like five and a half million individuals, they said that 22%, so one in five, 18 years and older are using it. Um, and most of those people are engaged at least monthly. and that 93% who used it said it was helpful to them.

And so this balanced out what we see so often is like the story and I think this is the big one recently of this middle-aged man who fell in love with Gemini and ended up you know very sadly taking his own life because it kind of led him down this path and getting stuck.

So, we see these very horrible moments, but we don't hear about maybe the results that are positive,

right? And you're right on because that's something I've worked with adults that come and they're like, "Oh my goodness, another person uh had chat." I mean, there was lawsuits that just happened and I want to know I want to say in Texas with the teenager and they won, the parents won against

Yeah. Well, for social media, we're, you know, that's a whole different topic. We're seeing substantial lawsuits. Yeah. Yeah.

about kind of the dependence, the negative effects on mental health. But yeah, we're starting to see some of these lawsuits about AI.

Yeah.

Starting to see

because it told them how exactly how to take their life.

Yes. Yes. I I think that's always the concern. Number one is,

you know, right now I think there's something where chat GPT is limiting or stopping its software from

continuing to talk about goblets. And you're like, what? It's like somehow it can kind of spin and end up in these areas. So they need to put a bumper on the lane. and they need to bounce it back in.

Right.

And and the critical part is that can get also really scary.

Yes.

Somebody who may be struggling with mental health, maybe struggling with uh

you know really potential delusions, potential paranoia, some of our more severe illnesses. Yes.

Starts to get engaged in this way and it can it can build them up. So there there is this side.

Yeah. And that's what the news talks about.

That's what I think uh you and I are trying to get people to understand that are listening that okay yeah we have this situation that but that's everything from the beginning of time you can look at that area of whatever it is we're talking about and be so focused on the fear and it's like prevention we need to prevent but it's also teaching these young people because I know like if you were raised by an educator

and a therapist and now you have your own kids you're probably trying to help them understand like here's the world and we have choic voices and how are we going to utilize these things instead of being so it's kind of like the drug situation in the I was raised in the 70s and 80s and you know it's like the war on drugs you know this is your brain this is your brain on drugs and it was

fear fear fear the same sex talk like you know it's like but you took this AI because I'm you were the first one that I went in without this like leaving going oh crap like I got to go to see my therapist you know

yeah I I think it's not all or nothing and I think the nice thing is there's an opportunity to really use it in a positive way. And so, you know, as a psychiatrist, I do prescribe medications. It's part of my practice. And for some people, that is part of their mental health journey.

And our meds,

you know, that they help a great deal of people. For some people, they have side effects,

but for some people, they have adverse events, right? They can lower the seizure threshold. In children under the age of 25, we can see a 4% increased risk of suicidal ideiation. um certain meds that are very good as mood stabilizers can cause severe dangerous rashes.

So even with the things that we're more comfortable with maybe that have been around a long time,

you know, there's benefits, side effects, and then serious adverse events. And same with therapy. Um as much as we think therapy is engagement in other ways, there is potential for therapy to go ary to cause adverse events. We can see uh problems across the board.

So I think AI if we think about it as a tool like that that it sometimes can supercharge therapy to make it more worthwhile, can help people stabilize more quickly, can allow them real access points

um early. You know, I I work with teens and I always reflect on and we can all think about when we were young and how week to week, you know, your life changes so substantially depending on your test, depending on who you're in love with, depending on, you know, what you're doing in your athletics and your drama in the club.

Um, you know, just how you're feeling, you know, how your hormones are. And so, you know, I always stress that frequency of therapy should be fairly regular. and families go my teen goes once a month and like I don't think that's enough like

that you know they could live two years of an adult life within that month in terms of changes and development and shifts you know that's why we like to see once a week and sometimes for teens in certain periods more often than that

and we see some of our really high powered therapy offering like DBT that like 247 you know for that adherent intense DBT that 247 access

can we talk about DBT because remember I have a lot of listeners that have no idea about our our language like you know I like to call it therap therapies like you know instead of

oh the ABCs of you know you know all the letters that we use so

yeah so just there's different types of therapies and dialectical behavior therapy or DBT when it's adherent not just using the idea but the really structured therapy it offers access to your therapist 24 hours 7 days a week and and you can't abuse that it's meant for crisis es trying to help people when their emotions are getting really big.

They feel chaotic. They feel like a sailboat with no rudder that's being blown by the wind.

Wow.

That they can call.

Well, that's very specific. It's very hard to find that therapist.

Yes.

Only so many people who have the ability and the talent to practice in that way. Allow that access and that balance. So AI in some ways with these structured therapies like dialectical behavior therapy, like mindfulness, like therapies that challenge anxiety, catastrophes, automatic negative thinking can all of a sudden

enter the chat per se.

Yeah.

As that 247 therapist and maybe really help supercharge kind of your your actual therapy,

right? So you have to train it though because that's like what we were talking about earlier the scary stuff like you know the person that goes into AI psychosis and or you know trying to learn how to do things that are are harmful right to themselves or others uh you know like how do you handle that or do you actually like sit with the parents or do you teach this or I want to know more about like the positive um you know the positive things.

I don't know. Should we go with the flags first, like the the red flags first, or should we do the green flags first?

I like the idea of being a little positive first and I like the idea, you know, you know, of focusing on the positive. And I think the first thing is,

you know, whether you're in practice or whether you're a parent or whether you're using this yourself, are you using Gemini, are you using, you know, claude, are you using chat GPT or are you actually using something that's structured around mental health? M

and the nice thing is as we see AI emerge, it's also getting much more specific,

right? So, and I don't have any affiliations with these, but there's a lot of programs now that are actually like mental health AI, and they've been set up by psychologists, and they've been set up in ways that um they're very careful about kind of slipping down those slopes, and they have bumpers on the lanes, and it's not just, you know, kind of the wild west, per se.

And so you know some of these um you may have heard of because like things like Headspace

right

um things like uh what is it why so it started in other areas or calm

but they've kind of shifted and they've started to incorporate AI

okay

so they go beyond being I think in the past I thought many of them as uh

oh what is it like kind of like workbooks but like they were kind of like automated workbooks that could be more individual and now they're going beyond that is generative AI. They can call you back to an automatic negative thought you had last week and point out the similarities but they're in an atmosphere that's focused on mental health,

right?

Yeah. And but you know like even for me with my chat chief ET I put in the truth protocol and you know how like you could set it up before using it and I took something called a truth protocol that I learned and I wanted it to always focus on facts

not not my feelings not my emotions I want to have scientific studies that they could find it was like a real like you know scientific background truth protocol so then it doesn't bring me to different places just for fun or you know or like stroke my ego.

Yeah. And so by setting up a good foundation to begin with,

you're setting it up for yourself to be successful,

right?

Um and also the flip side is

being [snorts] able to do that and having the insight and the the ability to do that. And when we see some teenagers may not be ready to think about it that way. They're happy to get their ego stroked. Sometimes it's to feel like you're connecting with something.

But

so yeah, I think if you're able to do that with chat GPT, but these other programs do a really nice job, too. And so

I think if you take a second and and some of them insurance actually will provide you with the information. Some of them um you can ask your doctor about, but

I really think it's important that we take a second and just say, are we using this?

How are you using it? And bring it up in the office, right?

We don't be scared of this new technology. And like you said, we're not going to be replaced by it either. Some of the most protected jobs from AI, luckily. Um,

yeah.

Well, you know, I want to know how you because you're the head of a department, correct, with teenagers and you help and train others and so to me, I know I worked at alternative high schools most of my career in Broward County, Florida.

Okay.

And so in school in schools, so it wasn't like I I worked at hospitals or anything like that. But what I realized that you can't run away from what's coming. You can't you could try to hide out, but you're you know what I mean?

It's it's like you're going to either have to learn how to swim with the current or you're going to drown. I don't know. I don't know how else to explain it. But Dr. Stein, I had to, you know, parents were like, "No, I'm I don't let them on this and I don't, you know, it was always like this protective.

I understand that you want to protect your children. I have four. I get it. You have some. You get it. I think it's more of instead of you know it it's curating like being open enough to curate and say why don't we create your social media profile to to you know why are we you know having questions instead of just shutting everything down because I know shutting down is what causes teens to really

so

yeah to react and so have the conversations have the awareness um be aware of your own curiosities and and many parents are using it because it's easy and it's helpful

and it's like we're going to have to find different ways to learn, different ways to adapt. So, you know, social media, which I think of as the the step before AI,

the American Academy of Pediatrics um did something really nice. There's a living document you can create with your family called uh the family social media plan. And so if you search like AIP social media plan and and what I love about it

is it's not just for the teenager, it's not just for the eight-year-old.

Um they group people from like zero to 24 months because we do see kids, you know, in restaurants with their tablets all the way up through adulthood,

right? Then you can kind of go through and as a family discuss and build this contract about healthy use within your family system that gives a lot of cues and guides and steps and it's something that we use in our partial hospital programs as part of family therapy.

It's something that I use in clinic because it's a good jump off point and then it lives in the computer. You can circle back to it. But I always like when we also hold parents and other people accountable that it shows we're always all working together.

We're we're all fallible or you know like it's it's just part of that pattern. And so it's a nice way to see it. And so I would tell parents if you're already using AI to some degree you should assume that your teen is using it substantially.

Oh [clears throat] no, for sure. and and and so how do you is there any other resources because that what you just said the social media plan I'm going to look for it and put it in the show notes but what other resources or books or I I I just want to give whoever is listening to and is curious about helping the next generation or themselves because it could be a teenager listening

what would you say to them

so first off I think you know some of the rewell Newport um which is the group I work with has really focused on this.

Oh wow.

And we have some really strong providers. And so um we put out a book called or not a book but like a electronic guide for parents

um called AI isolation tips for parents. And so if you search Newport AI isolation because we do see kids who get stuck in this rabbit hole and we see kids who spin out and it's a good way for parents to kind of build some understanding and background

and I would say you know as you get older you may have less time to explore this especially if it's not in your career and so it's a very good place to kind of get started and understand it. Um and so I I like that for parents as a way to get started with it.

I think other resources and I kind of mentioned that there's specific mental health AI.

So, as funny as the name is, there's one called WOT, WO B. So, like robot but who um and that's one that's really good and and can dialogue and can help plan and and you know, I think can challenge some of these um automatic negative beliefs and that's again made by a clinical psychologist.

Um there's also like mine Sarah and Yuper

and um so I think for teenagers right

a lot of anger

a lot of reactivity a lot of mushy frontal loes that that boil over

um and they can't control it and then maybe during quiet moments later in the night or when they're feeling ready they can talk about things. Um, and so what a lot of these apps do is help kind of them identify what is the emotion behind that anger,

right?

Did they react? Why did they feel that way?

And at times, you know, in our field, why did they self harm? Why did they start to spin out and then start to build upon it and try and build out healthier ways to cope than these maladaptive or or at risk coping mechanisms to get through things.

And so

I love that. It's like

it's like journaling but verbally or like you know what I mean? And then keeping tabs because sometimes like journaling helps. I agree. Like I I say please do that to some of my clients that's willing to do it. But it's like a place where it gathers.

I think the scary part for a lot of parents and I'm and I'm going to talk about like the my culture or even in churches, right? Because I'm a I'm a woman of faith. This is a faith-based um podcast.

So, I'm trying to break stigma in the black and white brown community and in in the churches because in the what I've come to realize in the church is all about like you're not praying enough, you're not having enough faith, you're not you know and it's and people are suffering in in those spaces and in in my culture it's more of like like oh please like you know like you don't know what anger is or t

you know you got to toughen up you got to toughen up these are the streets you can't be all like oh and so a lot of us are you know have suffered through all that.

So with AI, I think it's a big fear factor because you don't know what it is and then you're like, "No, it's the government programming you. Don't put your information in there or they'll use it against you or like how how can you and I explain because I think you know you've of course are in the thick of this and you've done a lot of research.

I'm learning from you, but I've done mine too and I realize like this is some this is a tool kind of like the calculator, the cell phone. It's a tool. How do you explain it to some that might not understand it and they want to know part of it?

You know what I mean?

Sure. So, I I'm very careful, especially in the early stages. I'm not by no means like selling AI. Like, I think it can be practical and it can be helpful. I think there's going to be a group of early adopters that are going to use it whether you know you're talking about it or not.

And we need to be open and candid to talk with them. The flip side is I I think when you talk about people saying kind of pull yourself up and be strong and we don't have time to be weak. For them the conversation may not even have to do with AI.

It's about like what is mental health and what is psychological mindedness and why is it okay to touch base with me and to be open and to be candid. And I think that is hard. Um I I practice in Minnesota. We have a lot of different cultures and creeds and religions.

Um and creating discourse and discussion

can be very different for an immigrant versus first generation, second generation. Um and these are hallmark difficulties at times. And so the theme I use whether it be for AI or not is that my door stays open. And so a little bit more what I do um partial hospital is basically a day program

that is it but with hospital level intensity but the child the adult the adolescent is safe enough to go home at the end of the day.

Usually they're losing functioning or they have safety issues but they don't need to be inatient. Um and at times they're here because a safety issue arose. They stopped attending school. They couldn't make it to work. They displayed mania. whatever it may be, but they're not ready for medication yet.

They're not ready to have that conversation. And so I always stress in education to other providers of any type just because they're not ready.

Don't become frustrated. Honor that and say, "I know this is a big discussion. My door is open."

Um many families are always concerned you're just going to become prescriptive. You're going to start a child on something.

Yeah. And you're you're a a legal drug dealer. I'm just, you know, I'm raw. So it's like

Well, but it's true. And and like this is a very unique field. We have the ability to put somebody on a 72-hour hold. There's things like commitments. There's

all of this, but that I want to work with you. I want to educate you. I I joke I'm like, I'm a tool,

you know, like I'm a tool in your toolbox. And I I train for a long time. I have a lot of skills. I'll tell you what I know. I'll tell you about education, but these are for the most part your decisions,

right? Okay, so there are times that kids make it through our program, they stabilize to a degree, an adult makes it through, we never start a medication or we'd never get them to actually join DBT or for this example download Yuper and start an AI software.

Um, but at some point they feel they need it and they realize the themes we've talked about or things don't get better and by leaving that door open and not shutting it, they can kind of circle back and come back in.

Oh, good. Um, what I see more often, I would say, with AI is people are using it because they don't feel right.

It's cheap.

It's immediately available to them and it's incredibly private. Even though they may have some concerns, like, you know, is Google spying on me or whatever,

but they're able to do it and and not have to tell mom or dad that they're imperfect or tell their partner that they're having doubts about their marriage or that they're having these different thoughts. And when they finally come into my office, the AI has led them to a certain degree to actually get help.

Yeah.

And start focusing on it. And it's a really nice way. So people sometimes come in more informed. They may

bad information or are confused.

But man, now we can use our professional expertise and support that.

Um.

Yeah. No, I see that too with not all my clients, but some that use it like they are like, "Oh, I finally have verbiage for what I was feeling and this is what I'm thinking that is happening within me or my relationship or so."

And I'm like, "All right." And then we just explore like, "Okay, what where would you get this information from?" And and how do you feel about it? And it's a therapeutic alliance. I want people to understand that that those practitioners that have done thorough work like you have you know because not everybody in our field is thorough or should be in our field but that's in every field

right and and man like I think what we see nowadays is there's mental health diagnosis but there's also at times mental health is identity

yes

that's a very big subject but

what what I do watch for is at times AI can become a little bit I think I said this in my speech and I got to be careful I'm not trying to offend anybody who reads tarot cards but people who maybe aren't very good at it

can flip a card and always make it apply to you

and so we starting to see sometimes with diagnosis where

autism can apply to everybody I don't feel right I don't feel good I'm autistic now I have a reason for it I'm going to go forward I have ADHD

and in fact likely you may you may not you're you and we need to understand you as an individual and not all of a sudden prescribe that. An AI can get very prescriptive.

Yes.

Um especially when you kind of feed it,

right?

Tells you what you want to hear back. So we do some

well it's like the noibo effect in med in in medicine, right? A doctor will come in and say you have this and then all of a sudden the way they say it and then it's just like then you become it and that's something.

How do you Let's talk about that a little because I really want people to understand that you might get like you're right D diagnosis is like a I hate to say a death penalty to some people that or they become that whole thing that whole identity is just that I'm bipolar.

It could become an excuse. It could become so many things. How do you deal with that?

Well, yeah. So, like the silver lining of of co Mhm.

is regardless what you think about it, there was a lot of isolation, frustration, um decrease in autonomy, loss of libert, whatever it is, and many people experienced mental health symptoms that were very clear.

Yeah.

And severe and and it got us talking about it in a way. And so we've kind of destigmatized as much as there's still stigma, but like it's not the same degree. people wear I have ADHD t-shirts and people will you know there's there's identity around it but we also have people now who because they watch a Tik Tok and it describes symptoms and they put you know four fingers down they're now like well I have ADHD and I need to go get treatment

so what I love about it is there's dialogue there's thought people are thinking about and understanding it and then that's when they come in and we can go through criteria we can go through impact we can talk about well yeah we all have aspects of you know

all of it I remember

being histionic doesn't mean that we have personality disorders and so

how do we see ourselves as a full person

and not just like this identity and especially our teens

yes

who are so longing to understand themselves and their identity when a test online a Tik Tok or more specifically AI tells them something

right

and it makes them feel like they belong or they can understand themselves that's very tricky and that can be a very slippery slope

right especially if they don't have a strong family background because I know like where I worked and where I come from not everybody but many of us including myself like we didn't have that you know it was how I say I was raised by a village that was unhealed and so we're all in survival mode

you see and so I didn't I didn't have the language I didn't have the education I didn't have the boundaries that I needed and so I had to learn that from the streets and and I you know and so you're right the identity it was it's like middle school it's like weird right like elementary school is when you're still like when mommy but I I see it younger I don't know if you're seeing it in your

practice like to me fourth graders are the new seventh graders and the seventh graders are like the new tenth graders and this is why I honestly I I had to take a step back and I only work with adults now

yeah I mean kids are exposed in a different a lot

different things they they do feel more mature. Some do. Certainly others do not, but we we do see different patterns and different developmental patterns as well.

Yeah, I hear what you're saying and like what you're saying is if you're treading water to stay alive, it's very hard to actually learn how to swim.

Yeah.

Um and and so I agree with you and I think if you are listening to this and you've been using AI as a therapist or you and it's been helping you um or you've been using as not help whatever it may be use as a jump off point to continue the conversation. um AI they're trying to set up things so it will you know if you say certain things it'll say you know call 988 it will

show up on the screen it wants you to push it the difference between AI and a real a therapist a doctor is in a certain point when somebody's struggling with mental health issues you need to step in and and support them.

So whether it's just like health um at a certain point you may need to step in to do life- saving measures um in the ER and AI still can recommend it can say to do it can say to do it but does not do it and so we see at times things continue to fester

whereas in your practice if someone kept saying something you would step in and get them help and support them my practice I'd say [sighs] man this is this is mania this needs to be treated in a different way. Um, this is not something that it's safe to just continue to live with.

And those are differences. And so, you know,

right?

I think that's that's one of the challenges as well.

Yeah. I mean, it's like knowing when because I don't think AI will be able to say, "Oh, you need a higher level of care." You know, like they just put it together from the information they're finding out there in the ether.

Well, it may say, "You should do this. Please, you're expressing this. please call this.

Yeah.

But people don't do that and

that's when things can continue to degrade

um and spin out.

Okay. So, for parents that are listening, what are some simple signs that their child's relationship with AI or technology might be getting unhealthy or out of balance?

Yeah. So [clears throat] in general, kids should be living in the real world to a significant degree and they should be participating in life and exploring things and trying new interests, having successes, having failures, having challenges.

And so if you see your child isolating more, if you see them withdrawing from activities they previously have enjoyed, if you see them um hiding their technology or having odd reactions after being on technology, um these are all signs that kind of things are going in the wrong direction. they may start to have very new beliefs, odd beliefs, contrary beliefs um that are surprising to you um or your family.

They may start to say, "I have this diagnosis. I have this diagnosis. I have this diagnosis." And I think when parents start to see these patterns,

that's when it's like, "Oh, I can see that, you know, you're you're searching you're searching for meaning. You're you're dependent on this. I'd like to let's get a professional in." Yeah,

kids may say, "I don't need it. I don't need it. I'm fine. I'm using this." And you can say, you know,

I don't know if you need it either, but I'm not a psychiatrist. I'm not a psycho. I don't have a PhD. I don't have an MD. Why don't we go talk to somebody who is more of an expert

and and make sure that we're not missing anything because you're the most important person in my life. You're my child. Um, and I I want to, you know, again, make sure that we're digging everything up to support you and care for you. Yeah.

Yeah. No,

for real. And so, you know what I've come across is so many people don't know the resources are out there. I I realize, you know, there are some resources, healthy resources out there, but a lot of people don't know how to find it or to get it.

Like, well, first of all, do you are are do you work throughout the country?

I know. So our pra well Newport's throughout the country and so you could always reach out to um a Newport institution and there's things that are really common in psychiatric. So we all know

like oh you can go to an emergency department if you're in crisis

and and there's times you'll reach that point but there's other times where something's just not right but it's not a crisis and it's like well we could keep living in this unwell state for months

right? it's going to have some significant wake and and destruction, but it's not an emergency. And that's when I'd say, you know, in Minnesota, we were like, call us at Prairie Care, call us at Newport, and um someone like an LICSSW, LMFT, someone trained will do a DA or diagnostic assessment and then help you identify uh areas to go for care and levels of care that could be beneficial and worthwhile to you.

Um and and so Newport's one resource in the states we're at, but um there are lots of resources like that

and the one thing especially for teenagers and kids, pediatricians are doing a lot of mental health. So one of the caps that I love wearing is doing consults to other doctors.

Um we have a program where they can call us um we we can go to their clinics and help support. But it may be 20 to 30% of what your pediatrician is doing. And so often we get mistaken that they're just caring for the body and they also [clears throat] are aware of a lot of the challenges kids are facing.

And so if you're uncertain where to turn,

I would say start there. Family practitioner, primary care provider, pediatrician, they can help direct you.

Yeah.

Um and and go from there. But sometimes calling specific mental health resources is worthwhile too,

right? the community mental health. I mean, like in Brower County, it's 211 or uh Psychology Today and you could tick off your insurance and what you're needing and all that. It's just understanding I think people don't especially when you're in that like crisis mode, you kind of get like analysis paralysis.

Yeah.

Yeah. What is the most per what's the perfect thing? What do I need to do? And and I think this field can often be like, well, I don't even know where the doorway is.

Yeah. I don't know where to turn. And and so like the two in one um 988, you know, I think

I would love for people to stop thinking of it as the 911 for mental health because it's

um it is for it's it is for people who are suicidal, but it was also a warm line and it's a line that you can call and talk to somebody if you're in crisis, if you're having a hard time, if you're stressed out.

It doesn't mean that an ambulance will be coming to your house or police is going to be coming to your house. Um, for teenagers, it's important to know it's also a text line. It's also a chat line.

Um,

I was raised to, you know, answer the phone at home like, "Good evening. This is the Stein residence." You know, back in the day, we 80s and 90s and nowadays phone conversations are really rare.

Yes.

So, people are teens especially are very uncomfortable to just like pick up a phone and call, but they're very comfortable texting.

Yes. And so I think starting there is important

and can be worthwhile.

Yeah, I think that's a good um all these and the reason I like you saying the actual resources cuz AI will pick them up and put them in my show notes.

Oh well, easy enough. I mean that's really good for those people who are in my in Minnesota in this area. something called Fast Tracker

that is supported by our state that really helps you put in like oh like we mentioned before DBT

DBT teenager and you can go as far as your insurance whatever and it'll tell you immediately available to you.

I love that.

Um so these are all kind of different types of resources

but yeah you can tell I'm a bit local

that's good. Um, yeah. I I think having the conversation, I would say also parents like to take away from today, go ask your kid about how they use AI. And the first jump is they're going to be like, "Oh, I don't use it in school or I use it to help for

I'm not cheating."

And you're like, "No, no, no, no." Like, I I understand I understand your school's figuring out ways to help you learn with and without AI,

but like are kids using it at school like when they're stressed, when they're overwhelmed, use it to play on the weekends, or you can play really dumb. Um I forget who is the detective is like Columbombo or I don't know who like would always play super dumb back in the day and but he knew everything but you

I have what is chat GPT like how do you like what is like what is claude what's the difference and you'll be surprised

by how much your kid knows

um and how much they can use it and you know many kids I think it's closed now but uh Sorro was out for a little bit which was like a mix of AI and social media they could create videos of their friends and all this stuff and

so much

kids got really good at that and they could create really funny stuff and other things like that and connect with it. So, I don't know. I think it's worth having the conversation.

You know, it's a good one to check in. Let them be the expert. Let them lead you.

Try and understand it.

Yeah. And and as you try to understand also the the boundaries to keep them safe because, you know, not everybody's nice in this world and that and and we have to protect our children.

Well said. Anyway, so as we wrap up, is there anything you would like to say to the listener, whether they're a parent, clinician, or just trying to take care of their mental health about how to approach AI with wisdom and not fear?

Well, first off, if you've never used it, if you're and it took me a little while to use it, go check it out.

Um, it's a really nice tool. It can help in a lot of different ways, but try and understand it. um recognize that often what we're being told that that's catching front page whether it's CNN or Fox News whatever are the really scary things about AI and mental health and what it's not capturing is what the research is showing that it can um that many people are already using it

and also it's showing that it really helps that initially and that instead of it taking weeks for benefit we can see when used appropriately in a healthy way that teenagers heal more quickly, they process more quickly. And again, it can kind of supercharge therapy.

It should not right now be in a vacuum. You know, it should be brought to the therapist. It should be discussed in that way. Um, but it's not something to be terrified of, right?

While there are, just like with medications, scary adverse events that happen, the flip side is with AI, the vast majority of people are going to find it resourceful, helpful, clarifying, move their care forward, and it's not going to be these stories about falling in love and these horrific things with the AI chat box.

No, I'm just still thinking of uh Walking Phoenix's movie when he was in love with the I forgot her. I think it was called

like Scarlett Johansson's voice

and this is way before AI and all of this other stuff that's come and you're just like whoa that's why I'm like no this is not science fiction we are in it right now and we need we need to figure out as a community how we're going to come together to protect the next generation because Gen Alpha your kids

and my grandkids

they are the ones who are quick I'm telling you like just last night I was with my kindergartner granddaughter and she's just like I want to go on this and and she just knew how to and I'm sitting there like, "Oh my goodness."

Okay, I'm trying to catch up. I'm trying to catch up. So, but don't do this alone. Like, don't, you know, talk to other parents. Don't be scared and realize like you could totally ignore it and pretend it's not happening, but then again, your kids probably might be already in it and you want to stay with them and not let them go into this wild wild west on their own.

Yeah. I think as parents and and guardians, the people who love kids, like

it used to be, you know, you'd have to talk about sex and drugs and those were the big uncomfortable conversations.

Yes.

You still got to talk about those. Still got to advocate for seat belts and bike helmets, but

um

our phone

is the most probably dangerous device most people will handle in their lives. It's also the most powerful device. And so that is part of parenting now whether you like it or not. Exactly.

And I always remind parents, if your face is stuck in your phone, whether it's you're doing work or you're just doom scrolling because you've had a really long day, your kids are picking up. They're seeing what you do. And so, uh, be aware of that.

Um, yeah.

Yeah. And let us all touch grass.

Yeah. Get agreed, man. Well, spring, right now it's spring in Minnesota, so we're like finally going outside again.

Oh, true, true. I forget. We don't have seasons here. We just hot, hot and hotter down in South Florida.

Nothing wrong with South Florida.

Dr. Stein, thank you so much for coming on. I really appreciate this conversation. Um, I will put all your information in the show notes if anybody wants to reach out or uh with Newport Care. Do you see clients in Minnesota though, too? Because I know you're so busy doing all these other things.

So, I see I see a lot of clients and a lot of patients in Minnesota.

Okay.

Um, or have resources to connect people with clients and patients. A lot of the stuff I do is at a little bit higher level of care,

so usually they're referred in, but

Okay.

Yeah.

All right.

Where can someone find you if you want them to find you?

So, uh, prairie-care.com.

All right.

Or newport.com.

All right. Wonderful. All right. Listener, thank you so much for staying with us today. And remember to please trust in the Lord, guard your heart, and renew your mind. Bye. And now for the disclaimer to make sure you understand that you are responsible for you.

The content provided on the holistic counselor podcast is for entertainment,formational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental condition.

Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast. The views expressed on this podcast are my personal opinions and do not represent the views of any professional organizations with which I am affiliated. Call your doctor, 911, or 988 immediately if you have a medical emergency.

The Holistic Counselor podcast does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the podcast. Reliance on any information provided by the holistic counselor podcast, guests appearing on the podcast at the invitation of the holistic counselor podcast or other listeners to the podcast is solely at your own risk.

Confidentiality notice. If you engage with the holistic counselor podcast by commenting or posting and are a client, please be aware that you may be revealing information that could compromise your confidentiality. Please remember that disclosing your identity or personal details can be linked to your clinical material.

As a therapist, I am bound by confidentiality and will not respond to any disclosures of this type on this podcast. I am committed to upholding the ethics and confidentiality of the therapeutic relationship, which extends to all forms of communication in accordance with the laws and professional guidelines that govern mental health professionals.

I want you to know that your privacy is of utmost importance and you are responsible for protecting it when interacting on this platform or any other public forum. Thank you.