Client101: Embedding a psychotherapy training chatbot platform into University of Melbourne psychology curricula

This project was a successful recipient of the University of Melbourne's 2024 round of Learning and Teaching Initiatives grants.

Overview

Students of psychotherapy, such as University of Melbourne (UoM) students in the Masters of Psychology (Educational & Developmental) and Masters of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) programs, need numerous practice sessions to develop their skills. Traditionally these sessions, commonly referred to as role-plays, require the involvement and expertise of a peer, qualified educator or even trained actor to act as the therapy client. These sessions need to be subsequently evaluated by a practitioner expert in psychotherapy, to judge the student’s competence and their fidelity to techniques/approaches.

Advances in natural language processing (NLP) and the modern prominence of chatbots and large language models raise the possibility of employing such automated tools to perform the aforementioned functions of client simulation and trainee session evaluation. Prior to interacting with human clients, students could initially practice and refine their techniques with chatbots that simulate mental health clients. Furthermore, NLP could assist with evaluating the text generated from such exchanges for fidelity and general quality.

Members of the School of Computing and Information Systems have developed a chatbot system, Client101, which simulates individuals with various mental health issues. In its current initial proof-of-concept form, we are running a preliminary study supported by a seed grant from the UoM’s Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Ethics. This preliminary study involves several current UoM psychology students interacting with Client101 and sharing their perspectives on it as an educational tool. Qualitative analysis of the interviews conveys that Client101 could be a valuable tool in the training context in which there is currently limited opportunity to practice. Participants state that Client101 could supplement role-plays and be deployed prior to interacting with real-world clients. It could be used to practice foundational therapeutic skills, interventions, responding to high-risk situations, working with different mental health issues and client types. Students have expressed the potential for Client101 to facilitate safe and convenient practice as an educational tool integrated into curricula.

Building on our work to date, the objective of this project is to officially trial Client101 in two University subject instances during Semester 1 of 2025, namely Intervention in Problems of Young People (EDUC90222) and Clinical Placement 1 (PSYC90012). In these subjects, students are required to report on the delivery of a psychological intervention with a client (conducted while on placement). However, there are equivalency issues with this assignment in terms of comparability of client presentations, severity of client issues, and number of client sessions students can conduct. Use of Client101 in the assignment will enable greater equity for students in this subject such that they are able to demonstrate intervention skills with the chatbot in a controlled way. This will allow for more comparable demonstration of skills and improved ability to assess student competency. Students will conduct a prescribed number of sessions with Client101, download the transcripts and critically appraise and evaluate their sessions. This work with Client101 will be in addition to the standard human client experiences that students have in these subjects; Client101 will be a supplement, not a replacement. Student interactions with Client101 will also be examined by their course supervisor.

Students will provide reflective commentary in their assignment that can be used to triangulate the utility of Client101 alongside subsequent questionnaire and interview data. Students will respond to questions such as:

    1. To what extent did Client101 simulate a real client?
    2. How helpful was use of Client101 to the development of your therapeutic skills?
    3. What was different about Client101 compared to working with a real client?
    4. What were the benefits and what were the challenges/limitations of using Client101?
    5. Did Client101 enhance your learning in this subject?

Research Team