When does AI support learning, and when does it quietly replace it? We explore that question through the realities of counseling education, supervision, and practicum training. We discuss the ethical challenges of using AI as a study aid, feedback tool, or role-play partner, alongside the pressures educators face when guiding new clinicians. The conversation also examines how AI affects writing and revision, why faculty remain ambivalent, and how students might use AI to practice and learn rather than take shortcuts. From practicum supervision and student mental health to emerging research on AI and professional engagement, this episode looks beyond the hype to ask a deeper question: What should good learning feel like? A thoughtful conversation for anyone interested in counseling education, faculty development, and the role of AI in training and practice.

Timestamps
00:13 - Welcome to Mentor Moments and a mid-semester catch-up
00:54 - Brayton's busy counseling caseload with athletes and university adjustment
02:27 - Michael’s three teaching assignments across different student cohorts
03:06 - What practicum looks like for counseling students in real sessions
04:13 - Three papers in revision, including two studies on AI
05:51 - The 17-item Professional Engagement Questionnaire is ready to use
06:24 - Research plans for how practicing counselors are using AI
08:52 - Where practicum students are placed this semester
10:38 - Why practicum teaching can become an ethical and logistical puzzle
11:57 - Cohort bonding, role-play, and group supervision norms
13:41 - How much hands-on guidance is appropriate for new counselors
16:01 - Michael’s publishing rhythm and how workload changes over time
18:05 - Why research on teaching, learning, and AI keeps him engaged
19:13 - Early findings from the AI studies and the persistence of ambivalence
21:26 - Why some counselors see AI as useful and others as ethically risky
23:31 - Ethics, law, and values in the AI conversation
25:16 - When AI is a learning aid and when it may just be doing the work for you
26:54 - Why Michael is shifting AI use toward study support and role-play
28:23 - Reflection on how scattered higher ed’s AI response feels
29:53 - Maryville’s evolving stance on AI and why the gray area remains
31:30 - A comparison to MOOCs and why that movement never fully took hold
32:36 - AI role-play in practicum and the limits of practice with nonhuman agents
34:31 - Can AI or classmates really prepare students for real counseling clients?
35:36 - The limits of role-play across identity, bias, and lived experience
36:32 - How long research projects really take from idea to publication
37:35 - Why participant recruitment and review timelines slow everything down
40:25 - Music, concerts, and a quick pop culture detour
47:48 - Wrapping up, and one more mentor moment