Creating a tool to help therapists provide culturally responsive care
Official title: Development of a natural language processing (NLP) based therapist tool for culturally responsive care
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-10949091 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is creating a helpful tool for therapists to better understand and support the unique needs of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and LGBTQ+ individuals by giving them feedback on their therapy sessions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | August 7, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $194,184 |
| NIH project number | 1K23MH137394-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10949091 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals from BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities seeking mental health services.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not identify as BIPOC or LGBTQ+ may not receive direct benefits from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to develop a natural language processing (NLP) tool that helps therapists improve their cultural competency when working with Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and LGBTQ+ communities. By analyzing therapy sessions, the tool will provide feedback to therapists on how well they are addressing the unique needs of these populations. The project involves coding therapy sessions to create a dataset and then developing a prototype tool that visualizes feedback for therapists. This approach seeks to enhance the quality of mental healthcare for marginalized communities by making it easier for therapists to receive and implement constructive feedback.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved mental healthcare outcomes for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals by enhancing the cultural responsiveness of therapists.
How similar studies have gone: Previous applications of NLP tools in psychotherapy have shown promise, indicating that this approach could be effective in improving culturally responsive care.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kuo, Patty Beyrong — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Kuo, Patty Beyrong
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.