Mason Murphy   on Thursday 08/14/2025 at 01:16 PM

Ann, this was a great article on technology and AI. You were able to take a topic that can be complex and make it easy for readers to understand. Nice job!

Ann Nakaska    on Thursday 08/14/2025 at 01:24 PM

Thank you for your kind words Mason. I appreciate them as I have great respect for your work in this area as well.

Cami Crook   on Tuesday 09/16/2025 at 08:39 PM

Something from the article that I thought was important was the part that stated that virtual reality in counseling can help to increase empathy in patients. As myself and my fellow classmates have been taught over the first few weeks, one of the most important characteristics that a counselor must have is empathy, the ability to put yourself in soemone elses shoes and feel for them. Therefore, it is vital that technology is aiding in increasing empathy in patients, because with empathy comes human connection between both the patient and counselor which is essential in the field.

Ann Nakaska    on Tuesday 09/16/2025 at 10:32 PM

Cami, I agree. Technology can help us with empathy for clients and others. This can be an important tool in the counseling toolkit.

Steve Vargas   on Wednesday 09/17/2025 at 01:54 PM

This article is eye-opening. The ways that technology can be used is amazing. I focused mostly on counseling as this is my future career. I have already seen the benefits of how tech can help nonverbal autistics communicate, but to think about tech that can calm clients down by simulating animals is mind-blowing. New technologies are truly transforming the world of education, counseling, and healthcare. This truly is the "fourth industrial revolution".

Nathaly Fernandez   on Thursday 09/18/2025 at 08:43 AM

I really enjoyed learning about this because my 10-year-old is super into all of it! I want to get ahead and understand the things he loves so we can connect better and use this knowledge in ways that benefit both of us. It’s exciting to see how I can support him, have meaningful conversations, and even explore ways to make these technologies work in our favor.

Jake Burns   on Thursday 09/18/2025 at 01:19 PM

This articles was extremely thought provoking. I never thought of the effect robots and VR could have on the field of counseling. Such as using it for exposure therapy or calming techniques for individuals with dementia. This use of technology is a little foreign to me but also extremely interesting. One part that stood out in particular was using VR to allow families to see what their loved ones are going through. Obviously empathy is huge in the counseling field, but it’s not often that we can provide experiences for clients families to build that empathy. Not only does it build empathy but families have a better understanding of what life looks like for their loved ones. Which in turn will help the family be more supportive and understanding of the struggles their loved ones face.

Victoria leyden   on Thursday 09/18/2025 at 02:18 PM

Ann Nakaska’s article on emerging technologies really got me thinking about how fast education, counseling, and healthcare are changing. As a teacher, I want to stay up to date with these new tools so I can bring fresh ideas and resources into my classroom. Learning about things like AI, virtual reality, and new apps makes me excited about how I can help my students learn in more creative and hands-on ways. I try to show them that technology isn’t something to be afraid of, but something they can explore and use to their advantage. I also focus on helping them build the digital skills they’ll need for college, careers, and everyday life. Keeping up with these changes helps me guide my students toward opportunities they might not even realize exist yet.

Rachel Pesce   on Thursday 09/18/2025 at 02:45 PM

You did an excellent job highlighting how robotics, AR, and VR are not just reshaping industries but also creating new possibilities in education, counseling, and healthcare. I especially appreciated the concrete examples you included, like Phobot for anxiety, Keepon Pro for autism support, and VR programs for treating phobias and PTSD—these made the applications very real and relatable. The way you tied everything back to the role of career practitioners was also strong, showing why it’s essential to prepare students and clients for a future shaped by these technologies.

Yalitsa Disla   on Thursday 09/18/2025 at 04:04 PM

I appreciate how you described the use of robots and VR in society. I believe the misconception that robots will take over has evoked fear in many people. On the contrary, it is interesting to learn the benefits of robots and VR in education and counseling. I have found an increase in the use of VR while working with younger children. Therefore, learning more about it will allow me to understand it better and connect with them.

Molly Frazier    on Thursday 09/18/2025 at 07:11 PM

The use of virtual reality to help treat phobias and PTSD has been brought to my attention from classes in my undergraduate program and it is so interesting to see how AI and virtual reality can be used not only in counseling, but also in schools to enhance the students' experiences. I also think this can be very beneficial as the article mentions, to increase empathy for loved ones so family members can experience what their life is like with that condition. As I work with the young Autism community, I would love to see how KeePon pro works to help the students develop socially and emotionally and how it can pair with more traditional services they receive.

Maggie Mullen   on Thursday 09/18/2025 at 09:10 PM

As a graduate student in a school counseling program, I found your thoughts on virtual reality, and augmented reality particularly interesting. You helped me realize how I can integrate these technologies into my work as an educator and also as a future counselor.

Ann Nakaska    on Thursday 09/18/2025 at 09:41 PM

Wow, I am so appreciative of all the sharing from fellow practitioners who are experiencing these technologies in their studies and their work. I am happy to hear that practitioners are finding ways to implement the technology or are considering new ways to use new tools.

Jayden Peacock   on Wednesday 09/24/2025 at 07:50 PM

This article, Emerging Technologies and Their Uses in Education, Counseling, and Healthcare, made me realize how fast fields that previously relied on human connection; education, counseling, and healthcare, are changing due to emerging technologies, and the implications this has for career development. The fact that robots are actively promoting social, emotional, and psychological development rather than being limited to industrial tasks shocks me, and it also makes me question how they may eventually handle problems like career anxiety. From the perspective of career development, this article emphasizes how important it is for school counselors to not only understand new technologies but also incorporate them into their work, preparing students for a workforce where these tools are the norm. This perspective helped me personally recognize that technology is not taking the place of counselors, but rather enhancing their roles by giving us new tools to connect with students.

Ann Nakaska    on Wednesday 09/24/2025 at 11:45 PM

Jayden, I appreciate your comments and totally agree that fellow practitioners need to be aware of how technology is impacting different industries as well as our own industry. It is important to not make the assumption that because we work in a people focused industry that we will not be impacted by this technology.