AI vs. Your Therapist
More people are turning to chatbots for emotional support, and many bring those answers into their therapy sessions. In this ShrinkChicks episode, Em and Jen dig into AI vs. therapy: where artificial intelligence can genuinely help, where it crosses a line, and why the human relationship is still at the center of healing.
Listen to the episode
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Watch on YouTube
Watch the video
In this episode
- Using AI for a 2 a.m. coping list is very different from using it as your therapist
- Chatbots are built for engagement, which means a lot of validation
- Research cited in the episode found stigma and missed crisis cues in therapy chatbots
- Writing notes yourself helps therapists understand a client's story
- A human therapist can read what you show, not just what you type
- If you tell ChatGPT things you don't tell your therapist, bring that into session
Two very different uses
Em and Jen separate two things. Asking a chatbot for three ways to calm down during a panic attack at 2 a.m. can be genuinely helpful, especially since therapists are not available around the clock. Using an app as a replacement for therapy is what concerns them. On the clinician side, they worry about client data being used to train models, and they note that writing notes and treatment plans is part of how therapists understand a client's story between sessions.
Built for engagement, not healing
Chatbots are designed to keep you talking, and the easiest way to do that is to validate. If two partners each describe a fight to a chatbot, both may be told they are right. The hosts point out that a therapist who only validated would be doing bad therapy: "Success is you graduating." A good therapist wants you to stop needing them.
They discuss Stanford research cited in the episode that found chatbots showed more stigma toward some conditions than others, and that one failed to recognize a hidden risk in a user's message. If you are in crisis, reach out to a person, a crisis line, or emergency services rather than an app.
What a human sees
If you walk into a session looking like you have been crying and say you are fine, your therapist can notice the gap. A chatbot only responds to what you type. As they put it, "Healing happens through human connection." The relationship you build in therapy often becomes a model for relationships outside the room.
No judgment, just awareness
The hosts are clear they are not judging anyone. Care is expensive and hard to access, and people cite cost, time, and fear of judgment as reasons they prefer AI. Many people have had a therapist who made them feel judged. If you notice you are telling ChatGPT things you are not telling your therapist, get curious about why. Is the therapist judgmental, or are you bracing for judgment because of past experiences? Typing it out might even be a first step toward saying it out loud to a real person.
Video chapters
- 3:02 AI in clinical work and client privacy
- 6:04 Using AI consciously, with no regulation
- 7:00 Research on AI stigma in mental health care
- 9:02 When a chatbot misses a crisis
- 10:00 Why endless validation is bad therapy
- 12:00 AI tells both partners they're right
- 14:00 What AI can offer at 2 a.m.
- 15:04 Why healing happens with a human
- 18:02 Not judging anyone's AI use
- 21:07 Why people choose AI: cost, time, and judgment
- 22:30 Telling ChatGPT what you don't tell your therapist
Frequently asked questions
Can AI replace a therapist?
No. AI can offer information and quick coping ideas, but it cannot read nonverbal cues, challenge you when needed, or offer the relationship that makes therapy effective.
Is it okay to use ChatGPT for emotional support?
It can be a supplement for things like a late-night coping list, but be cautious about privacy and about a tool that tends to agree with you. It is not a substitute for professional or crisis care.
Should I tell my therapist I use AI?
Yes. Sharing what you asked and what you are not yet saying in session can be useful material, and a good therapist will be curious rather than judgmental.
Want support with this?
Em and Jen founded The Therapy Group, a relational therapy practice offering in-person therapy in Philadelphia and West Chester, PA, plus virtual sessions. Our team personally matches you with a therapist who fits what you are working on, for individuals, couples, and families.
Related episodes
ShrinkChicks is for education and entertainment and is not a substitute for therapy or medical advice. If you are in crisis in the U.S., call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.