Ncmhce Prep - Dr. Alyson Carr, LMHC

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🧠💡 The future of trauma-informed care isn’t just about what we know — it’s about how we listen.

These slides explore something I’ve been thinking deeply about: What if AI could co-regulate with us?

As a trauma therapist and neuroscientist, I see the potential for tech to augment — not replace — the sacred space of healing.

Imagine tools that detect autonomic shifts before a client hits overwhelm. Tools that gently signal when we’re slipping outside the window of tolerance. Tools that help us hear what the nervous system is whispering.

🔍 Curious where this is already happening?

🖥️ Affective computing platforms like Ellie by USC’s ICT are exploring how voice, facial microexpressions, and posture can indicate distress.

📱 Wearables like Empatica E4 measure physiological markers like EDA and HRV for real-time biofeedback.

🌐 Neuroscience-based platforms like NeuroFlow offer behavioral health tracking and therapist-facing dashboards.

This is not about cold algorithms or replacing connection. It’s about evolving our language of care.

✨ Because healing requires safety. And safety begins with awareness.

When people ask me how to prep for the NCMHCE, I could talk about study tools, clinical frameworks, and diagnostic nuance. And I do.

But the truth is: your nervous system is taking the test too.

If you’re dysregulated, your knowledge is inaccessible. If you’re panicked, your answers get lost under the noise. Studying for the NCMHCE isn’t just about what you know — it’s about what your body believes is possible under pressure.

Therapists are taught to hold space for everyone else’s emotions. But when was the last time you held space for your own? This work requires so much more than memorization.

It asks:

Can you stay grounded while being evaluated?

Can you self-regulate while navigating complexity?

Can you trust that what you know is already within you — and breathe it forward?

You don’t need to be perfect. You need to be present.

The best clinicians aren’t the ones with the cleanest case notes — they’re the ones who can stay in relationship with themselves while supporting others.

Study hard. Rest harder. And don’t forget to bring your body with you.

https://youtu.be/O-Wwaq7vEyw

Dr. Carr Update: What study tools are most useful for NCMHCE prep today?

I’m back. And no, I wasn’t dead. (Just...resting my prefrontal cortex.)

After taking a much-needed step back from social media (yes, I saw the Reddit post — and no, I wasn’t abducted by aliens), I’m reemerging with more clarity, more compassion, and a whole lot more to say.

For those who don’t know me: I’m Dr. Alyson Carr — a neuroscientist, licensed counselor, and trauma specialist working at the intersection of brain science and human resilience. I specialize in complex trauma, treatment-resistant depression, and anxiety that refuses to budge.

Oh — and I still believe in the transformative potential of AI when used ethically and creatively in clinical work.
This video is a love letter to the why behind what I do — to the people I serve, to the systems I want to disrupt, and to the incredible complexity of the human brain.

https://youtu.be/-Ao1I_eoGX4

👀 Stay tuned for more updates, reflections, and a whole lot of (neuro)nerdy joy.

If you’re still here — thank you. Let’s reconnect. Let’s rebuild. Let’s heal forward.

The Deepest Question in Science: Do We Have Free Will? Main episode with Michael Levin: https://youtu.be/Exdz2HKP7u0As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to o...

1) Slow and steady wins the race - don’t cram or overwhelm yourself with studying, there’s no way your brain can retain it all if you strain yourself!

2) When you are using practice tests to prepare, don’t try to memorize the questions and answers - you won’t see these exact questions and answers on your test. Instead, try to absorb the knowledge from the test prep questions and answers so that you can generalize that information to different cases.

3) Do not stay up all night before your test studying - this will only prevent you from showcasing all your hard work.

4) On test day, take a deep breath in between each question, and take several deep breaths in between each case. Utilize grounding tools like feeling your body in your chair, wiggling your toes, and relaxing your jaw and tongue to keep your nervous system regulated.

You have worked so hard for the opportunity to take this exam - you deserve to let yourself shine!

What if you could talk to a robot therapist? Would you trust it? Would it help you?

We just wrote a post about how artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) are changing the way we think about therapy and mental health care.

Here's what we found out:

• Al and LLMs can do amazing things like providing personalized and effective support for people who need it, but they also have some serious drawbacks like being unreliable, biased, or unethical.
• So, we need to be careful and responsible when we use these technologies for therapy.

I'm super curious to hear what you think about this topic. Do you think Al and LLMs are good or bad for therapy? What are the pros and cons of using them?

Click on the link below to read our post and share your thoughts with me in the comments!

Breaking Down Barriers: Examining the Potential of AI and LLMs in Making Therapy More Accessible — Dr. Alyson Carr, LMHC By Dr. Alyson Carr, LMHC & Eric Singer The Rise of AI and LLMs and Their Implications for Therapy and Mental Healthcare At the time of writing, at the start of Q2 ‘23, artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the way we communicate, learn, work, and play. Most of the tech-adjacent

During this time of collective trauma, Counseling for Counselors recognizes the need for quality care for mental health practitioners, and we understand the financial hardship it is for many to obtain it.
Visit our website to learn more about our mission: CounselingforCounselors.org

Also, please follow us here on FB: https://www.facebook.com/CounselingforCounselors

"The collective trauma resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and exposure to repeated acts of racial violence and injustice could lead to collective compassion fatigue for all helping professionals (if it hasn’t already)." Dr. Alyson Carr and other mental health professionals offer insight and tips for grappling with compassion fatigue in this recent article in Counseling Today.

Grappling with compassion fatigue - Counseling Today Counselors and other helping professionals who are regularly exposed to others’ trauma almost invariably find themselves confronting symptoms of compassion fatigue at some point during their careers.

Presently, many of us are experiencing heightened distress because in addition to being worried about the safety and well-being of our clients, we are also worried about our own families and loved ones. Simultaneously, we are torn by our responsibility to adhere to our ethical guidelines, one of which is to contribute to society by devoting a portion of our professional activities for little or no financial return (pro bono publico).