Digital Seminar
AI, Grief and the Ethics of Digital Afterlifes
- Average Rating:
- Not yet rated
- Faculty:
- Megan Devine, LPC | Michael Jones, PhD, NCC, BC-TMH
- Duration:
- 1 Hour 03 Minutes
- Format:
- Audio and Video
- Copyright:
-
Apr 16, 2026
- Product Code:
- POS150663
- Media Type:
- Digital Seminar
Description
Your clients are already using AI to talk to the dead. A widow uploads years of text messages and suddenly her husband is "texting" her again. A son uses voice synthesis to hear his late mother say things she never said.
Some find profound comfort. Others find themselves unable to move forward. But if you’re like most therapists you have no framework for what to do when a client says, "I've been talking to my mom. She died two years ago."
Join clinician, ethics expert and AI researcher Dr. Michael Jones as he equips you to navigate AI-mediated grief through the lens of professional ethics. PLUS Megan Devine will join Dr. Jones for a special conversation about the future of AI in grief.
Credit
Handouts
| File type | File name | Number of pages | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual - AI, Grief and the Ethics of Digital Afterlifes (1.9 MB) | 19 Pages | Available after Purchase | |
| Transcript - AI, Grief and the Ethics of Digital Afterlifes (1 MB) | 25 Pages | Available after Purchase | |
| Manual - AI, Grief and the Ethics of Digital Afterlifes - French (1.9 MB) | 19 Pages | Available after Purchase | |
| Transcript - AI, Grief and the Ethics of Digital Afterlifes - French (1 MB) | 25 Pages | Available after Purchase | |
| Manual - AI, Grief and the Ethics of Digital Afterlifes - Italian (1.9 MB) | 19 Pages | Available after Purchase | |
| Transcript - AI, Grief and the Ethics of Digital Afterlifes - Italian (1 MB) | 25 Pages | Available after Purchase | |
| Manual - AI, Grief and the Ethics of Digital Afterlifes - German (1.9 MB) | 19 Pages | Available after Purchase | |
| Transcript - AI, Grief and the Ethics of Digital Afterlifes - German (1 MB) | 25 Pages | Available after Purchase | |
| Manual - AI, Grief and the Ethics of Digital Afterlifes - Spanish (1.9 MB) | 19 Pages | Available after Purchase | |
| Transcript - AI, Grief and the Ethics of Digital Afterlifes - Spanish (1 MB) | 25 Pages | Available after Purchase |
Faculty
Megan Devine, LPC Related seminars and products
Psychotherapist Megan Devine is a celebrated speaker, best-selling author, and a pioneer in the movement for a kinder, more human approach to grief – from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don’t call grief. With an audience in the millions, Megan’s ability to make complex emotional issues acceptable, relatable, and a lot less awkward has made her a sought-after leader. Known for her insight and practical guidance, she serves as a consultant to the entertainment and healthcare industries, speaks and teaches across disciplines, and maintains a select private practice.
Megan’s books, It’s OK that You’re Not OK, and How to Carry What Can’t Be Fixed, are the best-selling books on grief in over a decade, with nearly a million copies sold. Her work has been featured in The Atlantic, APM’s Marketplace, SELF, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNBC, NPR, Harvard Business Review, Stanford University, GQ magazine, Oprah Daily, and many others. Find her at megandevine.co and refugeingrief.com.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Megan Devine is the founder and CEO of Refuge in Grief. She maintains a private practice and is the on-line advisor/author of Empowering Parents, and is the creator and host of It’s Ok that You’re Not OK with Megan Devine. She receives royalties as a published author. Megan Devine receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Megan Devine has no relevant non-financial relationships.
Michael Jones, PhD, NCC, BC-TMH Related seminars and products
Michael Jones, PhD, NCC, BC-TMH is a tenured professor of counselor education with over two decades of experience in clinical mental health practice, supervision, and training. A nationally recognized expert in telemental health and AI ethics in counseling, Dr. Jones developed the first AI Care Ethics Certificate Program for mental health professionals in the United States, and NBCC-approved continuing education offering grounded in the NBCC Ethical Principles for Artificial Intelligence in Counseling. He has trained over 10,000 clinicians in telemental health practice and serves on the NBCC Minority Fellowship Program Advisory Council. His forthcoming book, Mental Health and the Black Man: A Mixtape Experience of Hardship and Harmony (Cognella, 2026), addresses culturally responsive approaches to mental health care. Dr. Jones brings a unique integration of clinical expertise, ethical scholarship, and practical training experience to emerging questions about technology and grief.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Michael Jones has employment relationships with the University of the Cumberlands and Renewed Vision Counseling. He receives royalties as a published author. Michael Jones receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Michael Jones serves on the NBCC Minority Fellowship Advisory Council Committee. He is a member of the American Counseling Association, the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development, and the Arkansas Counseling Association.
Additional Info
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Access for Self-Study (Non-Interactive)
Access never expires for this product.
For a more detailed outline that includes times or durations of time, if needed, please contact cepesi@pesi.com.
Objectives
- Identify at least three categories of AI grief technologies and describe their psychological mechanisms related to continuing bonds.
- Applying the ethical principal of prioritizing client welfare, evaluate the potential benefits (emotional scaffolding, symbolic continuity) and risks (emotional dependency, complicated grief) of AI grief bots.
- Apply ethical decision-making frameworks when working with clients who engage with AI grief technologies, including considerations of informed consent, client autonomy, and counselor competence.
Outline
- When clients disclose AI-mediated contact with the deceased
- Grief bots, voice clones, and digital avatars
- Current technologies and emerging developments
- How clients access and use these tools outside of clinical settings
- Continuing bonds theory: Theoretical grounding for digital connection
- Ethical frameworks for AI and grief
- Technology-assisted services and competence requirements
- Accountability, client welfare, and competency
- Informed consent, confidentiality, and clinical oversight
- Benefits and risks of AI-mediated grief
- Emotional scaffolding, symbolic continuity, and adaptive grief support
- Emotional dependency, avoidance behaviors, and complicated grief risk
- Autonomy, consent, privacy, and dignity of the deceased
- Assessment, intervention, and professional boundaries
- Red flags and indicators for clinical concern
- Holding space without judgment while maintaining ethical oversight
- Emerging research and the limits of current knowledge
Target Audience
- Counselors
- Social Workers
- Psychologists
- Psychiatrists
- Nurses
- Marriage and Family Therapists
- Other Mental Health Professionals
Reviews
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