AI tools for realistic, psychologically safe, and feedback-rich counseling training
Thematic Areas: Teaching and Learning (primary); Health Care and Wellness (secondary)
Faculty Advisor: Zac Imel, Counseling Psychology in the Department of Educational Psychology
Practice with proximal feedback is the engine of expertise, yet it’s missing from mental health workforce training at a moment when demand for care already far outpaces the number of providers. Zhaoming Chen will develop and evaluate AI-mediated tools for counseling trainees to engage in realistic, psychologically safe, and feedback-rich deliberate practice, enabling more trainees to build skills in less time. He will produce an empirically evaluated training platform and responsible design principles for AI in mental health education.
Chen joined the University of Utah last year to work toward a Ph.D. in counseling psychology. He holds a bachelor’s in psychology from South China Normal University in Guangzhou and a master’s in applied psychology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen.
