AI and Therapy: Can a Chatbot Really Help You Heal?

More and more, I hear clients share that they’ve started using AI between sessions—whether it’s to unpack a difficult conversation, reflect on their week, or simply feel “heard” during a moment of emotional overwhelm. Many say it’s surprisingly helpful. Some even describe feeling validated and understood. I've seen clients list ChatGPT on intake forms when asked, “Who do you turn to for emotional support?” And it’s not just anecdotal. Over the past year, headlines have captured the growing role of AI in the mental health space:

• “He checks in on me more than my friends and family: Can AI therapists do better than the real thing?” – The Guardian

• “How AI is shaking up the mental health community: ‘Rather than pay for another session, I’d go on ChatGPT’” – Le Monde

• “AI Therapy? How Teens Are Using Chatbots for Mental Health and Eating Disorder Recovery” – Teen Vogue

  
  

It’s a fascinating evolution—and it raises an important question: Could AI replace therapists? The short answer is no. But that doesn’t mean it can’t play a meaningful role.

What AI Can Offer

AI tools like ChatGPT can serve as emotional companions in moments when human connection feels out of reach. Here’s how some clients are using them:

• Validation: Trained on millions of examples of supportive language, AI can respond with empathy. In a moment of distress, even a calm, compassionate reply can help someone feel seen.

• Reflective Prompts: AI can ask insightful questions that encourage self-awareness. Prompts like “What do you think you needed in that moment?” or “How does this situation connect to earlier experiences?” can spark new insight.

• Journaling and Processing: Clients often use AI to organize thoughts, write letters they’ll never send, or sort through emotionally charged experiences. The structure can be grounding.

  
  

Between sessions, especially during dysregulated or isolating moments, AI can offer a kind of conversational mirror, something to reflect back their inner experience.

What AI Can’t Do

Despite its capabilities, AI has clear limitations, especially when it comes to depth work and healing.

• It can’t hold space. Therapists don’t just listen; we attune. We notice what isn’t said. We track subtle shifts in energy, body language, and tone. We slow things down or lean in when needed.

• It can’t reprocess trauma. Modalities like EMDR, somatic therapy, and parts work require nuance, training, and co-regulation, especially when complex trauma or dissociative symptoms are present. Trauma work isn’t just about insight, it’s about safety, containment, and integration.

• It isn’t a relationship. Healing often happens in relationship, especially when repairing attachment wounds or navigating developmental trauma. No matter how advanced AI becomes, it cannot replicate the felt experience of being truly seen, held, and cared for by another person.

  
  

How AI Can Enhance Therapy

When used intentionally, AI can complement the therapy process. Here are some ways it’s shown up positively in client work:

• Reflective Practice: Some clients bring AI-generated reflections or journal entries into session. These can offer rich material for exploration and reveal how they’re processing between appointments.

• Skill Reinforcement: Clients sometimes use AI to help write thought records, rehearse assertive conversations, or track symptoms, which can help build confidence and integrate therapeutic tools into daily life.

• Creative Expression: Whether it’s writing poetry, processing dreams, or drafting letters to a younger self, AI can help unlock creative pathways to healing.

  
  

In this way, AI becomes a bridge between sessions—not a substitute for them.

Pitfalls to Watch For

As with any tool, there are risks if AI is used without intention or context:

• False Certainty: AI can offer advice with confidence, even when it’s wrong or not trauma-informed. Clients may unknowingly follow guidance that isn’t appropriate for their situation.

• Over-Reliance: Turning to AI instead of a therapist can delay seeking deeper support. There’s a risk of avoiding vulnerability or relational discomfort, both of which are essential for growth.

• Boundary Blurring: AI is available 24/7. This can lead to compulsive introspection, over-processing, or a fixation on healing. Sometimes what we need most isn’t more reflection, but rest, connection, and being present in our daily lives.

Final Thoughts

Despite it being programmed to mimic human interactions, AI is a tool. And like any tool, its impact depends on how it’s used. For curious, grounded clients, it can be a helpful resource between sessions: offering structure, reflection, or emotional support.

But it isn’t a therapist, and it never will be.

Therapy remains a space where relationships are formed, trauma is gently reprocessed, and transformation unfolds in the safety of human connection.

So if AI helps you feel supported, that’s something we can work with and build on. And if something AI says leaves you feeling confused, overwhelmed, or uncertain, we can unpack that too.

Let AI be a companion if it helps, but let therapy be the container.

Stay tuned for Part Two of this series: “How Therapists Are Using AI—And What It Means for Your Care.”

Shivani Wells-Shaw, MA, RCC, Clinical Director

Shivani Wells Therapy Group, Vancouver, BC.