The National Board for Certified Counselors Policy, Advocacy and Research in Counseling Center (PARC) is at the forefront of a transformative initiative to explore and shape the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in the counseling profession. Recognizing the rapid growth of AI and the integration of AI technologies into the health care space, NBCC is committed to ensuring that mental health care and other counseling specialty areas are at the table and defining how AI will impact the profession. 

PARC has brought together a distinguished group of experts from across the United States to conduct research on AI regulations that will directly support counselor training, ethical practice, and the development of forward-thinking policies. 

The PARC AI Regulatory Research Team brings together national experts in counseling, ethics, technology, and public policy to examine the potential implications of AI on client care, counselor education, and professional standards. This initiative is grounded in PARC’s mission to ensure that the counseling profession remains responsive to emerging issues while upholding the highest standards of practice and public protection. By design, this research will proactively address the challenges and opportunities AI presents, while safeguarding the integrity of the counseling profession.  

Pillars of PARC AI Research 

The research will take place between August 2025–January 2026; during this time the team will focus on the following key pillars:

• Ethical and Regulatory Framework: Craft evidence-based recommendations for AI governance in counseling, including guidelines for ethical use, data privacy, and informed consent.
• Counselor Education and Training: Identify core competencies and educational strategies to prepare counselors to work effectively with AI tools and recommend curriculum enhancements for graduate programs and continuing education.
• Policy Development: Provide policymakers with research-driven insights to guide legislation and regulations that safeguard both clients and practitioners, and to make AI an accessible tool. 

By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and prioritizing the voices of counselors and clients, PARC has the goal of setting a national precedent for how the counseling profession can responsibility integrate AI. This initiative not only supports the professional development of counselors but also reinforces NBCC’s commitment to ethical innovation and public trust. 

As AI continues to evolve, PARC’s leadership ensures that members of the counseling community are not only prepared for the future but are shaping it in a proactive way. 

To ground the research in real-word experience, PARC has engaged practicing counselors, licensure boards, and leading university researchers from across the country. Their insights are already shaping the direction of this initiative and ensuring that resulting policies are both practical and rooted in the ethics of the profession. 

AI Research Team Lead Voices 

Here is what the PARC Research Team leaders had to say about this project: 

Training Team Lead–Seneka Gainer, PhD, NCC, LMFT-S, LPC-S

"As AI becomes increasingly embedded in mental health care, it’s critical that we equip both counselors-in-training and practicing clinicians with clear, ethically grounded guidance. Without thoughtful recommendations, we risk either misusing these tools or missing their transformative potential altogether. This research matters because it helps preserve the heart of our profession—empathy, ethics, and human connection—while navigating an evolving digital landscape. 

Just as we train counselors to use assessments responsibly or approach diagnosis through a culturally and systemically informed lens, we must now prepare them to engage with AI tools in ways that uphold relational integrity. For example, a counselor using AI for treatment planning must know how to filter suggestions through a trauma-informed, client-centered lens rather than blindly accepting outputs as clinical truth. That level of discernment doesn’t come from the tool. It comes from us.” 

Regulatory Team Lead–Cody Dickson, PhD, NCC, BC-TMH, ACS 

“When we talk about counseling, research is central in helping us create guidelines that protect everyone involved—counselors, counselor educators, counselors-in-training, their clients, and the public. As counselors, supervisors, and counselor educators, we are trained, and we train others, to be advocates and leaders for the well-being of the profession and our clients. As innovations in counseling and treatment modalities continue to impact the profession, research and regulatory recommendation become increasingly important. To advocate for both the profession and client well-being, new opportunities for training and treatment must be closely monitored, researched, and regulated at the local, state, national, and international levels for clear definitions and boundaries for the use of treatment practices. Without quality research and the rules that follow, new therapies could lead to inconsistent practices or potential harm. Strong regulations give us an ethical framework, making sure counselors have the right training and understanding to use new methods safely and effectively. This proactive approach aids in keeping the counseling profession strong and ensures that counselor education is ethical and innovative. Ultimately, research into new approaches to inform regulations sets clear guidelines by which we can adopt new ideas responsibly, protect vulnerable clients, and empower counselors to provide excellent, ethical care. For counselor educators and supervisors, demonstrating to counselors-in-training the importance of research and regulation helps the trainee understand how vital these processes are for keeping our profession strong in the future.” 

Practice Team Lead–Lisa Henderson, MS, MA, NCC, LPC-MHSP 

“We stand at the edge of a transformation in mental health care. Artificial intelligence has the potential to expand access, understand diagnoses and human development in new ways, personalize care, train new counselors entering the profession, and ease the administrative burdens that often weigh counselors down. By proactively defining how AI should be used in counseling, we ensure that this technology serves human healing through meaningful connection to other humans, both in clinical settings and in clients' natural support networks. AI should never replace human connection; rather it can amplify it. Ethical guidance now lays the foundation for a future where innovation and clinical outcomes are aligned.  

AI can expand what’s possible in counseling—but only if we lead with clinical outcomes and ethics. By establishing clear guidance now, we ensure technology enhances, not replaces, the human connection at the heart of healing.” 

Looking Ahead 

PARC’s AI research is not just about adapting to change; it’s about leading it on behalf of all counselors. This work will produce resources that can be used in making informed decisions to support the profession, guide and shape policy, and support the education of counselors in all stages of their careers. PARC is here to provide counselors with what they need to adapt in the ever-changing world of artificial intelligence.  

To learn more about PARC and our work please visit, https://parc.nbcc.org.