Annette Rowe is a licensed mental health counsellor and Cognitive Emotional Behavioural (CEB) teacher with more than 20 years of experience helping people navigate anxiety, depression, and life's challenges.
Based in Florida, she runs a telehealth practice while developing Your Mind, Your Move, a mental health education platform that provides practical skills to manage difficult emotions and uncertainty.
But creating video content presented a challenge.
"I don't have a team or studio," Annette said. "But having been a clinician for so long, it was very important to me to share sound mental health messages with a wider audience."
With HeyGen, Annette began creating educational videos and guided meditations. She has since completed an eight-module course, all without a production team or studio.
Making video possible alongside a full-time practice
Annette had created very little video content before discovering HeyGen. Traditional filming and editing did not fit into her schedule.
She also preferred not to appear on camera for every lesson.
Meanwhile, she noticed that clients increasingly preferred watching videos to reading educational materials.
"I realised I was directing clients to various videos on YouTube, and I thought, wait a minute, I want control over the content they are watching," Annette said. "So video is where people are learning."
She wanted resources that reflected her clinical expertise rather than relying on other creators' explanations.
"Before avatars or this level of video production became available, that would have taken years to achieve," Annette said.
HeyGen allowed her to present lessons through an AI avatar of herself. She could focus on clinical content instead of filming.
"I really appreciated being able to share a meaningful message in a way that worked well for me."
Building an eight-module course independently
Annette's biggest project is the Life Navigation Course, an eight-module programme expanding on the educational content shared through Your Mind, Your Move.
The course guides learners through six core skills using structured lessons, worksheets, deeper practices, and guided exercises they can revisit.
"More than anything, I hope this will give people access to good mental health skills without having to visit a therapist," she said.
She uses AI to draft scripts, then reviews them for clinical accuracy. Video creation and editing take place within HeyGen, without hiring a videographer or arranging studio time.
She edits and posts mainly on Mondays, her day without clients, making smaller updates during the week.
"It's really convenient to go into HeyGen and do some editing or uploading or being able to have it run while I'm doing other things," she explained.
Her sister tested the course as an early learner and provided feedback before launch.
Giving clients resources they actually use
Annette's videos already serve another purpose: supporting her existing therapy clients between appointments.
Instead of linking to someone else's explanation, she can share her own videos as homework, often pairing a lesson with a guided meditation that helps clients practise a skill.
"So HeyGen has helped me develop really good kind of resources for my clients," she said.
When she shares a HeyGen video through YouTube, Annette says her clients "absolutely love it."
Owning the content allows Annette to ensure it reflects her clinical approach.
"They're not going to read the text. But they'll watch a video."
Prioritising clinical trust over viral growth
Annette is clear that AI doesn't replace professional judgement. In her introductory video, she explains that she uses an avatar and AI-assisted scripting, and why.
"I feel like I have total quality control. And I review and edit everything," she said.
Her motivation stemmed partly from frustration with the quality of mental health advice circulating online.
"I think we have a responsibility in healthcare to understand people's circumstances and ensure that high-quality, engaging material is available to them."
She also emphasises that her videos are educational resources, not substitutes for professional mental health treatment.
She advises clinicians to maintain transparency and oversight.
"Build trust and consistency, align it with your mission statement and your values, and carefully assess your concerns and how to mitigate them."
Reaching beyond the therapy room
Annette shares educational content on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram while continuing her full-time clinical practice.
Through Your Mind, Your Move and her upcoming course, she hopes to make practical mental health education accessible to people beyond her existing client base.
"I'm a licensed mental health therapist, and I was able to use this completely independently," she said.
For Annette, HeyGen has enabled her to share over 20 years of clinical experience beyond her scheduled consultations, while continuing the clinical work that matters to her.
