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This is an introductory course in the mental health counseling program that prepares students for upcoming clinical experiences in our Practicum and Internship classes. It familiarizes participants with the practical considerations that are useful to reflect on ahead of conducting your first counseling sessions. The course is preparation for many of the realities of working with real clients in real clinical settings and the systems within which they are nested. Developing counselors will become familiar with biopsychosocial case conceptualizations, treatment plans, progress notes, and other forms of clinical documentation. This course will acquaint students with record-keeping procedures and case management skills, and students will use and critically evaluate the roles of artificial intelligence (large language models) in the construction and use of clinical documentation, as well as in the clinical and administrative practices of counseling generally. Participants will be introduced to a multitude of mental health disorders and environmental factors often experienced by clients; the practicalities of treating these in integrated care settings will be considered. In addition to satisfying requirements of the master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, students may count this course toward the Advanced Certificate in Artificial Intelligence for Education and the Helping Professions.