AI Is Not Your Therapist, But, It’s Still in the Room

In the last several years, artificial intelligence can be found anywhere in our lives. From the way we search for information to how we manage our calendars, shop, and even reflect on our mental health. AI powered tools now offer journaling prompts, mood tracking, meditation guidance, and even chatbot style “conversations” that mimic therapeutic dialogue. It’s no wonder many people are asking: Is AI the future of therapy? As therapists, we need to be clear: AI is not therapy. And it will not replace therapy. But it is here to stay and that means we must learn to work with it, ethically and intentionally.

Let’s start with the basics. Therapy is a deeply human process. It’s not just about offering advice or asking good questions, it’s about attunement, emotional presence, and the co creation of meaning between two people. A therapist holds space for nuance, contradiction, and the slow unfolding of insight. We respond not just to words, but to tone, body language, silence, and the emotional undercurrents that shape a person’s story.

AI, no matter how sophisticated, cannot replicate this. It doesn’t feel. It doesn’t intuit. It doesn’t hold the ethical responsibility of care or trained from a trauma-Informed lens. It can simulate empathy, but it cannot be empathetic. And while it may offer helpful suggestions or reflections, it cannot truly understand the lived experience of trauma, grief, identity, or healing.

That said, AI can be a helpful tool. Much like mindfulness apps, self help books, or journaling prompts. It can support clients between sessions, offer psychoeducation, and even help therapists with administrative tasks or clinical documentation. Some AI tools can analyze patterns in speech or writing that may help flag emotional distress. These innovations are exciting, and they have the potential to enhance (not replace) the therapeutic process.

Saying this, we must be cautious. Over reliance on AI can lead to oversimplification of complex emotional issues. It can give the illusion of connection without the depth. For vulnerable individuals, it may even create risks if used without proper guidance or boundaries.

As AI becomes more integrated into wellness spaces, therapists have a responsibility to staying informed by understanding how AI tools work, what data they collect, and how they might impact client care, clarifying with clients what AI can and cannot do, and ensure it’s not being used as a substitute for therapy. As well as being Clarify with clients what AI can and cannot do, and ensure it’s not being used as a substitute for therapy.

AI is not the enemy of therapy. But it’s also not a therapist. As we move forward, we must hold the dialectical dilemma of AI: that technology can support healing, and that healing itself remains a profoundly human endeavor. Let’s embrace the tools that help us and never forget the power of presence, relationship, and the sacred space we create with our clients.