Each week brings new conversations about mental health, technology, and care. Between Sessions gathers what's worth your attention - so you can stay informed without adding to your workload.
📋 Field Update
A new study found state funding for suicide prevention and crisis services rose sixfold per person from 2021 to 2025, with states that added 988 phone fees investing more than double what other states did.
👉 Why it matters: Crisis infrastructure varies widely by state, so it's worth confirming what crisis resources actually exist near you before you need them in a real safety-planning moment.
🔒 Regulation & Compliance
The Department of Labor issued a September 8 bulletin outlining how it will enforce mental health parity's rules on treatment limits and network standards, restarting oversight it had paused in 2025.
👉 Why it matters: Insurers now face clearer rules on network size and treatment limits, which signals renewed federal attention to how insurers limit mental health coverage.
🧠 Clinical Update
A new study of 1,038 psychiatric clinicians across 19 countries found they agreed on a diagnosis for the same patient just 55% of the time, with schizophrenia-related cases showing the most disagreement.
👉 Why it matters: A colleague's different diagnosis may reflect real limits in how these categories are defined, not a mistake - useful to remember before revising a treatment plan.
🧩 AI & Mental Health
Brown University researchers estimate a 50% jump in one year in teens using AI chatbots for emotional support, and most of them don't tell anyone they're doing it.
👉 Why it matters: Ask about chatbot use the way you'd ask about social media - many younger clients won't bring it up unless you ask directly.
💬 In the Room
More than 200 schools nationwide now use Alongside, an AI chatbot that alerts counselors to student self-harm risk, and independent researchers rated it low-risk - a sharp contrast to general-purpose bots like ChatGPT, which the same review flagged as unacceptable risk for kids.
👉 Why it matters: Clients under 18 may already have a school chatbot woven into their care before they reach your office - worth asking what tools they've used and what was flagged.
📖 One Good Read
A Banner Health piece featuring psychologist Elena Rivera, PsyD, looks at how weight stigma - in exam rooms, gyms, even family comments - quietly wears down mental health long before any diagnosis enters the picture.
🫐 From Berries This Week
This week, Berries shared a podcast on building a premium-fee private practice and a blog breaking down twelve core counseling techniques.
Podcast: Kym Tolson talks with Allyson Clemmons, a social worker who sees about ten clients a week and earns over $180K charging $400 a session, on dropping insurance, jumping from $89 an hour to premium rates, and why positioning - not modality - justifies the fee.
Blog: A rundown of twelve core counseling techniques - from reflective listening and Socratic questioning to immediacy and broaching identity - with tips on matching each to client readiness and documenting technique use in your notes.
🤝 Closing
This week is a reminder that staying curious about what's changed keeps you sharper for the people in your room.
As always, thank you for your truly important work.
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This newsletter is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute clinical, legal, or regulatory guidance. Clinicians should rely on their professional judgment and applicable standards of care when integrating any technology into practice.