In today’s world, artificial intelligence (or AI) has made its way into most everything, even therapy. There are tools like ChatGPT that can be helpful for insight, reflection, and language.
So using AI for support is not necessarily a bad thing. But there’s a point where insight isn’t enough and real change requires something more.
Let’s talk about where to draw the line…
What ChatGPT (and AI) Is Actually Good For
Chat GPT and other AI tools can help you organize your thoughts and feelings. It can also offer you new ways to understand situations you are in and that can feel validating and supportive.
A positive thing about AI tools is that they are always available, 24/7. So if you need support late at night or something comes up suddenly, it’s there for you. Or maybe you aren’t ready to talk to someone in your life about what’s going on because you fear judgment. Chat GPT is a safe space where you can express your thoughts without that fear of judgment.
A lot of AI tools are built on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles so it can provide a guide on how to reframe your negative thoughts, use calming breathing exercises and practice grounding activities. These techniques can help you build your emotional awareness and develop healthier coping strategies.
Something else that makes AI appealing is that it is accessible to everyone and low to no cost. For people who don’t have insurance or live in rural areas where services are limited, they may feel like this is their only option.
Another thing Chat GPT is good for is practicing expressing feelings. It can be hard to open up to people in your life because you may be nervous about how they’ll respond. Expressing your feelings in an AI platform can almost be like a role-play to see what a sample response would be and how the conversation may go.
Where AI Falls Short
When using AI for therapy, there are key elements that are missing.
There is no real relationship or emotional attunement, and no accountability or follow-through, all of which are imperative to making progress.
AI can’t challenge you or track patterns over time the way a therapist can. That is a human element that will help you reflect and see results.
AI lacks a nervous system / emotional processing, and there are limits to what it can do. It can’t fully understand your complex personal history or respond like a human who is trained in crisis situations.
It also cannot provide a clinical diagnosis or treatment.
“Psychotherapy is a legally-protected term and a therapist must be licensed to provide psychotherapy. The purpose of licensure is to protect the public from harm by requiring a minimum standard of care for mental health services, by assuring that therapists have the level of training and experience necessary to safely provide psychological help to others. There is no such licensing process for AI chatbots, nor any standards to assure that psychological interventions are provided ethically or competently.”
When it comes to deeper issues or issues that are ongoing, AI cannot replace human care. You can use AI to understand yourself and still stay stuck, but the goal is to move forward and make progress.
Signs It’s Time to Talk to a Therapist
Here are a few signs that can indicate that it’s time to talk to a therapist:
- You’re repeating the same patterns despite insight
- You feel overwhelmed, reactive, or emotionally stuck
- Daily life feels harder than it should
- You’re using unhealthy coping mechanisms
- You’re disconnected from others
- You want change, not just understanding
Therapy offers relationships, feedback, and depth that AI can’t replicate. Real change happens in relationships, not just reflection.
“…we must remember that real empathy and real accountability only exist between people. Machines can perform empathy, but they cannot participate in it. Without genuine emotional experience or moral agency, AI cannot provide the accountability that comes from being seen by another person.”
If you’re ready for support that goes beyond insight, working with a therapist can help you move forward in a real, lasting way.
If you’re dealing with serious depression, trauma, or thoughts of self-harm, connecting with a licensed therapist or a crisis line is essential.
There’s not a perfect time to start therapy, it can be different for everyone depending on their situation and severity of struggles. However, most people wait longer than they need to, so if you are able to notice the signs early, it can make a big difference in terms of how quickly you see results and help you get on the right track.
AI can actually be a really useful support tool for emotional well-being, as long as it’s seen as a compliment to human connection, and not a replacement.
If you are experiencing something that is affecting your thoughts, emotions, or daily life, and it does not resolve with some basic advice from ChatGpt, then therapy is a smart next step
If you are at that point with your emotional well-being and ready to take that next step, contact us, we can help!
