Why You Still Need Therapy—Even If You Use ChatGPT for Emotional Support
AI Based Technology is taking over the Therapy Space, but is it Enough?
In a world where technology is woven into nearly every part of our lives, it’s no surprise that many people are turning to tools like ChatGPT for emotional support. Being able to type out your thoughts and instantly receive a thoughtful, nonjudgmental response can feel comforting—sometimes even liberating. For those late-night worries, moments of overwhelm, or times when you just need to feel heard, AI can offer a kind of companionship that feels accessible and safe.
But while ChatGPT can be a useful resource, it isn’t—and can’t be—a replacement for therapy. Working with a therapist provides something deeper, more personal, and profoundly healing in ways that technology simply cannot replicate.
THerapy is about connection
When you sit with me, you’re engaging in a real relationship. I’m not just listening to your words; I’m paying attention to your tone, your pauses, your body language, and the emotions that move beneath the surface. I am questioning your choice of words, wanting to understand your facial expressions, and sometimes slowing you down to explore the depth of the emotion behind the experiences that you are sharing with me. These moments matter. They help me understand your full experience so that I can respond in a way that helps you feel truly seen and supported. My ability to reflect these observations back to you help you increase insight and awareness into yourself.
Therapy offers accountability
Unlike an AI conversation that starts fresh every time, therapy gives you continuity. I remember your story, your struggles, and your goals. I help you connect pieces of your experiences to new insights to foster growth. Together, we track your progress and I help you stay connected to the healing work you’ve committed to step by step, session by session. As your therapist in real time, I can challenge some of your thoughts and behaviors to help you notice inconsistencies that may contribute to your sadness, anxiety, or frustration with yourself and others.
Therapy provides professional expertise.
I draw on training and evidence-based approaches to help you navigate trauma, grief, and life’s challenges. I can recognize patterns, offer tailored strategies, and create a plan that supports your long-term healing. This is a level of care that no automated tool can provide. AI has not completed trainings in EMDR, CBT, DBT, Somatic Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, or Internal Family Systems. Without direct training and supervision from experts in the field. AI offers immediacy and a quick response largely based on what you have already told it and not based on a clinical expectation driven by evidence based practice or a treatment plan designed to help you meet your goals.
Therapy creates a safe and ethical space.
When you come to therapy, you enter a space that is confidential and grounded in professional ethics. That sense of safety allows you to open up, process painful experiences, and explore emotions that may feel too heavy to carry on your own. I have an ethical and legal obligation to maintain your confidentiality. This allows you to share experiences and parts of yourself that others could judge or misunderstand. AI has no ethical responsibility for managing confidentiality and we know that more recently, AI can share the contents of our searches with others.
Therapy is relational healing.
Healing doesn’t just happen through strategies or insight—it happens in the relationship itself. The trust we build together is part of the therapy. In our sessions, you don’t have to navigate grief, loss, or trauma alone. You are met with compassion, understanding, and care. Connecting relationally with your therapist also helps to heal past relational hurts while building social connection. During times of grief, healing from trauma, and navigating loss we need social connection even though we may push it way or avoid it completely. AI gives the feeling of closeness because of its proximity and quick responses, but there is no relational healing that occurs with AI.
