Ackerman Faculty Discussions on AI & the Future of Therapy

Ackerman Institute for the Family has always thrived on the strength, wisdom, and creativity of its faculty community. Over the years, this community has grown and taken many different paths—but the cumulative wealth of knowledge that each of you carries remains extraordinary.

With that in mind, we’re creating a new space to bring faculty (past and present) back together around a shared question: What role can Ackerman play in the future of AI in family therapy? In addition to reconnecting our own community, I may also invite a few guests whose expertise could enrich the conversation and help us think even more expansively.

We are setting up a series of interactive discussions, beginning with two initial meetings:

Wednesday, November 12 | 9:30–11:30 am

A discussion and introduction to an example of an AI product currently being promoted for family therapy training.

Wednesday, December 10 | 9:30–11:30 am

A discussion with a Cornell professor Dr. Nili Solomonov, who is using AI to evaluate psychotherapy—including video, audio, and transcript (multimodal) data—to improve the efficiency and outcomes of psychotherapy. This is currently focused on an individual model, but can shed light on what is possible—and opens the door for us to consider how relational therapy can and should be part of the models being developed for training and practice.

This will be just the beginning. Our goal is not only to explore the potential of AI for the future of therapy, but also to reconnect this passionate, thoughtful community in the process—and to consider how Ackerman might lead in shaping a vision where relational therapy has a central place in AI innovation.

❓ Who’s Attending

Wednesday, November 12
Discussion of current AI product used in family therapy training

Wednesday, December 10
Discussion with Dr. Nili Solomonov