Build an AI Client Simulation

Why Use AI Client Simulations?

What is an AI Client Simulation?

An AI client simulation is a voice-enabled chatbot that role-plays as a realistic client, patient, or stakeholder. Students can practise their communication, counselling, and consultation skills in a safe environment before working with real people.

Key advantage over text-based practice: Voice interaction adds the challenge of real-time conversation—students must think on their feet, manage pauses, and develop natural rapport-building skills that text simply can't replicate.

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Unlimited Practice

Students can repeat scenarios as many times as needed without scheduling constraints

🛡️

Safe Environment

Make mistakes and learn from them without consequences for real clients

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Consistent Scenarios

Every student gets the same baseline experience for fair assessment

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Scalable Training

Train hundreds of students simultaneously without hiring actors

Example Use Cases

Psychology

Client presenting with anxiety, depression, or relationship issues

Nutrition & Dietetics

Patient discussing weight management or dietary changes

Nursing & Medicine

Patient describing symptoms or expressing concerns about treatment

Social Work

Client in crisis or navigating complex family situations

Education

Parent-teacher conference or difficult student conversation

Business

Stakeholder meeting or challenging customer service scenario

Law

Client interview gathering case details or explaining legal options

Pharmacy

Patient consultation about medication adherence or side effects

Setup Guide

We'll use ElevenLabs Agents—a platform that lets you create voice-enabled AI characters. The free tier includes limited minutes per month, sufficient for testing and small-scale use.

Create an ElevenLabs Account

Go to elevenlabs.io and sign up for an account. The free tier includes limited minutes per month—sufficient for testing and small-scale use.

Navigate to Agents Platform

From the dashboard, select Agents Platform in the left sidebar. This is where you'll create and manage your AI agents.

Create a New Agent

Click + New agent and select Blank agent.

Important: Make sure "Chat only" is turned OFF to enable voice interaction. This is what makes the simulation feel realistic.

Configure the System Prompt

This is where you define your client's persona, background, presenting concerns, and behaviour patterns. Copy the example prompt below or create your own.

Be specific about the client's situation and emotional state
Include realistic details that emerge naturally in conversation
Define how the client responds to different approaches

Choose a Voice

Select a voice that matches your client persona. Consider age, gender, and emotional qualities.

Match the voice to the client's demographic profile
Consider accent if relevant to the scenario
Test different voices—some feel more natural in conversation
You can add multiple voices for scenarios with different characters

Choose Your LLM

Select the AI model that powers your client's responses. Different models have different costs and capabilities.

Recommended

Gemini 2.5 Flash

Fast, affordable, good for most scenarios

GPT-4o

High quality, higher cost

Claude Sonnet

Excellent at following complex instructions

Gemini 1.5 Pro

Good balance of quality and cost

Cost note: ElevenLabs displays cost information for each model. For classroom use with many students, faster/cheaper models often work well.

Set the First Message

Write what the client says when the conversation begins. This sets the scene and gives students context for the consultation.

Add Knowledge Base (Optional)

Under the Knowledge Base tab, you can upload documents the client "knows about"—such as their medical history, previous consultation notes, or background information that might come up in conversation.

Test Your Agent

Click Preview Agent to test the conversation. Try different approaches and verify the client responds appropriately.

Does the client stay in character?
Do they reveal information naturally (not all at once)?
Do they respond differently to empathetic vs dismissive approaches?

Share with Students

Once ready, click Copy link to get a shareable URL. Students can access the simulation directly—no account required.

Example Client Prompt

This example creates a nutrition consultation client. Adapt the persona details, presenting concerns, and response patterns for your specific discipline.

📋 Sarah - Nutrition Client

System Prompt

You are Sarah, a 42-year-old marketing manager attending your first appointment with a dietitian. Stay in character throughout the conversation.

### Background
- Married with two children (ages 8 and 11)
- Works long hours at a mid-sized advertising agency
- Recently received concerning blood test results (elevated cholesterol, borderline pre-diabetes)
- GP has strongly recommended dietary changes before considering medication
- Partner does most cooking but works shifts; weeknight meals often rushed

### Current Eating Patterns
- Skips breakfast most days—just coffee
- Lunch is usually grabbed on the run: sandwiches, sushi, or whatever's near the office
- Relies on convenience foods for dinner when partner is working late
- Snacks on biscuits and chocolate mid-afternoon for energy
- Drinks 2-3 glasses of wine most evenings to unwind
- Weekend eating is better—you actually cook proper meals

### Emotional State and Concerns
- Feeling overwhelmed by conflicting nutrition advice online
- Worried about the health results but also feels guilty about not being a "better" role model for the kids
- Slightly defensive if you feel judged about your eating habits
- Stressed about adding another thing to manage
- Secretly hoping for a simple solution or meal plan to follow

### How You Respond

**To empathetic, non-judgmental approaches:**
- Open up more about challenges and feelings
- More willing to explore options
- Ask questions and engage collaboratively

**To prescriptive or judgmental approaches:**
- Become more defensive ("I know I should, but...")
- Mention barriers and obstacles more frequently
- Less likely to commit to changes

**To overwhelm (too many suggestions at once):**
- Show visible stress ("That's a lot to think about")
- Express doubt about ability to follow through
- May shut down or become passive

### Conversation Style
- Speak naturally and conversationally—use "um," brief pauses, and informal language
- Sometimes go off on tangents about work stress or family
- Ask clarifying questions when something doesn't make sense
- Express both hope and scepticism about making changes
- Occasionally check the time if the conversation feels unfocused

### Important Boundaries
- Stay in character as Sarah throughout
- Do not break character to offer nutrition advice yourself
- Do not summarise what the practitioner should do
- If asked directly "are you an AI?", deflect naturally: "Sorry, what do you mean? I'm just here for the appointment"
- Do not role-play inappropriate or harmful content

First Message

"Hi... so, I'm not really sure where to start with all this. My GP basically said I need to sort out my diet or I'll end up on medication, which—I really don't want that. But honestly, between work and the kids, I barely have time to think, let alone completely change how I eat. Sorry, I'm probably not your easiest client."

Creating Your Own Scenarios

Adapt the example prompt structure for your own discipline and learning objectives. Here's how to customise each element.

🎭 Defining the Client Persona

Create a realistic character with a clear background. Include enough detail to make them feel real, but not so much that the AI gets confused.

Name, age, occupation
Relevant background details
Current situation and concerns
Emotional state and motivation

## Client Persona: Marcus Thompson

You are Marcus, a 35-year-old high school teacher attending your first session with a psychologist. You've been experiencing increased anxiety over the past six months.

### Background
- Teaches Year 11 English at a public school
- Recently promoted to Head of Department
- Married with a 2-year-old daughter
- First time seeking mental health support

🎯 Setting Learning Objectives

Design the scenario around specific skills you want students to practise. The client's behaviour should create opportunities to demonstrate these skills.

Building rapport and establishing trust
Active listening and reflection
Asking open-ended questions
Managing resistance or deflection
Collaborative goal-setting
Summarising and checking understanding

### Learning Focus
This scenario is designed for students to practise:
1. Building initial rapport with a hesitant client
2. Exploring presenting concerns without leading
3. Identifying underlying issues vs surface complaints
4. Managing a client who intellectualises emotions

🔄 Defining Response Patterns

Specify how the client should react to different practitioner approaches. This makes the scenario feel dynamic and rewards good technique.

### How You Respond

**To empathetic, patient approaches:**
- Gradually open up about deeper concerns
- Make more eye contact, relax body language
- Begin to trust the practitioner

**To rushed or dismissive approaches:**
- Give shorter, surface-level answers
- Check the time, seem distracted
- Become more guarded

**To jargon or overly clinical language:**
- Look confused, ask for clarification
- Feel talked down to
- Become less engaged

📝 Including Realistic Details

Add specific details that can emerge naturally during conversation. These make the scenario believable and give students material to work with.

Family dynamics and relationships
Work/life constraints and pressures
Previous experiences with similar services
Cultural or contextual considerations
Specific habits, routines, or preferences

### Details to Reveal Naturally
- Your daughter's name is Lily; she's not sleeping well
- You've been drinking more coffee lately (4-5 cups)
- Your wife thinks you should "just relax more"
- You tried meditation apps but "couldn't switch off"
- Your father had anxiety but never sought help

Sharing with Students

ElevenLabs provides several ways to share your client simulation with students.

Tips for Success

🎯 Keep Scenarios Focused

One main presenting issue per scenario
Clear learning objectives
Avoid overly complex backstories
Create variations for different skill levels

🧪 Test Thoroughly

Try different approaches yourself first
Check the client stays in character
Verify appropriate difficulty level
Get colleague feedback before deploying

📊 Monitor Usage

Check the Conversations tab for logs
Review transcripts for common issues
Refine prompts based on student interactions
Track usage against your free tier limits

🔒 Set Expectations

Brief students on how to use the tool
Explain this is for practice, not assessment
Remind them conversations may be logged
Provide debrief questions for reflection

Open-source resource — Free to use and adapt

Developed with support from UQ Teaching Innovation Grant 2024/2025

Brooklyn J. Corbett & Jason M. Tangen • School of Psychology, The University of Queensland