{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,3]],"date-time":"2026-08-03T07:44:17Z","timestamp":1785743057006,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,3]],"date-time":"2026-08-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785715200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Behav. Sci.","Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, various scientific research fields are exploring the application of potential of new technologies. Counseling psychology, closely intertwined with natural language processing, is one of the most suitable domains for such exploration. This study focuses on investigating the effectiveness of large language models (LLMs) in assisting novice counselors with case-formulation processes. Based on supervisors\u2019 ratings of novice counselors\u2019 performance before and after using LLMs, the results indicate that AI assistance significantly enhances the comprehensiveness and coherence of case formulation, while its effects on complexity and specificity are not statistically significant. Additionally, through novice counselors\u2019 subjective evaluations of the AI-assisted process, the value of AI tools in broadening perspectives and facilitating convenient operations is identified. Overall, the findings suggest that AI can moderately assist novice counselors in understanding clients. However, to better integrate AI with professional practice and improve case formulation competence, it is essential for novice counselors to maintain critical thinking and strengthen their learning of counseling theories and techniques during AI application.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs16081315","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,3]],"date-time":"2026-08-03T06:17:40Z","timestamp":1785737860000},"page":"1315","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Enhancing Case Formulation Competence in Novice Counselors: A ChatGPT-Assisted Approach Using the 4P Model"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Yanshan","family":"Dai","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-2373-0803","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Han","family":"Han","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1013-6684","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yongze","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Bay Area School of Applied Psychological Sciences, Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai, No. 18 Tangjiawan Jinfeng Road, Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai 519087, China"},{"name":"Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"429","DOI":"10.2224\/sbp.2004.32.5.429","article-title":"Counselor training, anxiety, and counseling self-efficacy: Implications for training psychology students from the united arab emirates university","volume":"32","year":"2004","journal-title":"Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e179","DOI":"10.1016\/S2589-7500(23)00048-1","article-title":"Using ChatGPT to write patient clinic letters","volume":"5","author":"Ali","year":"2023","journal-title":"The Lancet Digital Health"},{"key":"ref_3","first-page":"133","article-title":"Application of case conceptualization in psychological counseling","volume":"2","author":"An","year":"2006","journal-title":"Chinese Mental Health Journal"},{"key":"ref_4","first-page":"895","article-title":"Professional skills performance of novice counselors in their first psychological counseling practice","volume":"29","author":"An","year":"2015","journal-title":"Chinese Mental Health Journal"},{"key":"ref_5","unstructured":"Baer, S. 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