AI coach for therapists: could this improve mental health care?
NCT ID NCT05340738
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested an AI tool called LyssnCBT that listens to therapy sessions and gives therapists feedback on how well they are using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Researchers worked with 449 therapists, supervisors, and clients at five community mental health agencies in Philadelphia. The goal was to see if the tool is acceptable, usable, and helps improve therapy quality compared to usual care.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- LyssnCBT (AI-powered feedback tool for therapists)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could provide a scalable way to help therapists deliver better cognitive behavioral therapy, improving outcomes for many people with mental health conditions.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study focused on feasibility and therapist acceptance, not on proving that the tool directly improves patient health. The AI feedback may not translate into better therapy in all settings.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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449 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Mar 2023
- Finished
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Jan 2026
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: Therapists * Able to participate in therapy sessions conducted in English * Employed at a Philadelphia CMH treatment center that allows the recruitment and participation of therapists in research-related activities * Willing to allow their session recordings to be used for research purposes * Computer and internet access Supervisors * Oversee participating therapists * Computer and internet access Clients * Able to participate in therapy sessions conducted in English * Willing to allow the team to collect data and use their session recordings for research purposes Exclusion Criteria: * Unwilling to allow the research team to access their therapy session recordings
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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The Penn Collaborative for CBT and Implementation Science
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
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