Can AI Replace Your Therapist?
Short Answer: No. Longer Answer: Depends On The Therapist, But Also No.
AI is everywhere now. It's writing emails, making playlists, and maybe even trying to help people "work through their feelings."
So you might wonder: Do I really need therapy with a person? Or can I just ask a robot how to fix my anxiety?
Let's Talk About It
What Can AI Do For Therapy?
✓ Give you basic coping skills.
✓ Define anxiety better than your ex ever could.
✓ Say, "That sounds really hard" in a robot voice (ok, that one felt a little mean spirited).
✓ Write affirmations that sound a little suspicious.
What Can't AI Do For Therapy?
✗ Sit with you in silence, while you process grief and loss. And then help you through it.
✗ Notice the tear you subtly tried to hide in session.
✗ Laugh with you at something so painful it's funny.
✗ Say "I get it" and actually mean it.
Therapy isn't just about tools or tips. It isn't just about giving advice, building basic life skills or filling out mindfulness worksheets. It's about being seen, felt, and heard by another human who's trained to sit with the messiness of life without getting shook. AI might be smart, but it doesn't have a nervous system or a heart or tissues for that matter (therapists have so many tissues).
Here’s the thing: You shouldn't be expecting perfect, algorithmic answers based on what you want to hear. That’s what social media is for😉
Spoiler Alert: Humans are flawed. And there is beauty in learning from our mistakes.
We should be looking for real people who can sit with all of it and say, "I see you. So what? I still accept you. Now let's figure out how you can accept you."
And until AI learns how to do that with a full nervous system, and 10 years of internal family systems training. The Category Is: TherapyRealness. WERK!
If you're curious about what therapy with a real person looks like (hi, it's me), feel free to reach out.
