Text written by Gemini 2.5 Flash on 14 June 25. Edited, checked, and adapted by Nathan Beel.
The rise of AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT, presents exciting possibilities for education, even within the nuanced field of counselling education. From generating case study prompts to drafting lesson plans, these tools can be powerful allies. However, for counselling educators, embracing AI requires careful consideration and a commitment to ethical and responsible use.
Here are some key points to ponder before integrating AI chatbots into your pedagogical toolkit:
1. Know Your Institution’s AI Policy Inside Out:
This is your foundational step. Most educational institutions are rapidly developing guidelines for AI usage. Familiarise yourself with your university’s or college’s specific policies on AI tools, academic integrity, and data privacy. Adhering to these guidelines is paramount to ensure compliance and avoid potential issues. If a policy isn’t clear, seek clarification from relevant departments.
Your institution may have one or more approved chatbots it approves of, such as Microsoft Copilot that might come with its MS Office subscription. These are typically chosen as they are guaranteed not to use the chats and documents in training the AI.
Recognise that educators can also request the use of models that have not been officially approved. Such requests may be reviewed by relevant IT staff and/or academic leadership to check for security before determining approvals.
2. Master Privacy Settings: Protecting Sensitive Information and Intellectual Property:
One of the most critical considerations is data privacy. When using AI chatbots, be aware of their privacy settings. Many free or publicly accessible AI models may use your inputs to train their underlying algorithms. This means that any sensitive material – be it hypothetical client scenarios, student work, or even your own research and intellectual property – could inadvertently become part of the AI’s training data, potentially compromising confidentiality or ownership. Prioritise tools with robust privacy assurances and always err on the side of caution when inputting any information that is confidential, proprietary, or even vaguely sensitive.
ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity AI have options for users to turn off data collection. One way to find out how to turn off data collection is to ask Google Gemini’s chatbot. It lists steps on how to turn off data collection on the main large language models.
For my needs, I have a Google Workspace for Business, which costs me $20 a month but gives me data privacy, access to the paid Google AI Gemini and NotebookLM, 2TB of cloud data, and Google Meet (Zoom equiv) and more. Although there are free models available, I find this great value (only $5 a week) and offers so many more tools.
3. Transparency is Key: Be Open About AI Usage:
If you’re using AI chatbots in your teaching, be transparent with students and other stakeholders who will view the documents that used AI to generate them. Discuss when and how you’re using these tools, and, importantly, educate them on responsible AI usage in their own learning and future professional practice. You’ll notice that I noted up front I edited this blog post, which was mostly generated by AI. Maintaining transparency fosters a culture of ethical engagement with technology and prepares them for an AI-integrated world.
4. The Human Touch Remains Paramount: Always Verify and Refine AI-Generated Content:
Think of AI chatbots as sophisticated assistants, not infallible experts. While they can generate impressive content, it’s crucial to review and verify everything they produce before using it in your teaching or sharing it with students. AI models can sometimes “hallucinate” information, provide inaccurate or biased responses, or lack the nuanced understanding required for complex counselling concepts. Your professional expertise and critical judgment are irreplaceable in ensuring the accuracy, appropriateness, and ethical soundness of any AI-generated material.
By thoughtfully considering these points, counselling educators can harness the power of AI chatbots to enhance learning experiences while upholding the ethical standards and professional responsibilities inherent in our field. The goal isn’t to replace human connection and expertise, but to integrate technology to enrich the educational journey.
Reference this article: Gemini and Beel, N. (2025, June 14). Blog post on AI considerations for counselling educators. Large language model.