Therapist Vs. AI: Who Wins?

By: Stephanie Lama

June 2025

As a therapist, I have relied on my extensive years of practice and education to provide what I believe to be quality care to those I serve. Throughout the years, I have been quite certain that the individuals I see in my warm, dimly lit, and “safe” room have benefited from the compassionate, empathetic feedback and insights that I have shared.

This belief held true until I heard the unsettling statement from one of my clients: he had turned to ChatGPT for advice during a break between our sessions, detailing how it offered him an insightful, thorough, and research-backed breakdown of his presenting concerns, something we have been working through exhaustively in therapy.

This left me with a pressing question: Was I being replaced? Is AI taking over the therapy space? Instantly, a slight insecurity took over. How can I possibly outsmart the immense cognitive power of AI? In a time where people are highly reliant on technology, what lies ahead for the future of mental health?

This led me on a quest to find out. While I have used AI in various capacities, I never got close and personal with it. This was my chance. I turned to ChatGPT, this time, as a vulnerable client seeking therapeutic advice.

Through my intentional emotional conversation with “it,” I realized something: ChatGPT did not want to let me down. The reassurance it provided felt nice, as it walked me through several scenarios and reasons why the worries and concerns I presented were not going to occur.

The “Bot,” let’s call it, provided me with useful insight into my situation, although it did little to challenge me in a way that I was hoping for. Aha!- There it was! ChatGPT, while impressively astute and superhuman, was still not a human.

The nuanced elements of human interaction, such as minor slip-ups, spontaneous laughter, sneezes, or personal anecdotes shared by a therapist to build connection and ease tension, are elements that ChatGPT simply can't replicate. That is, the beautiful imperfections that we humans possess cannot be matched by the precision of AI, and I am not mad about it. In fact, I am relieved to know that the human element is still very much an important component of mental health, and possibly the most important.

It is the bond formed between therapist and client that can serve as a powerful catalyst for healing, something AI cannot replicate.

But with all that, did I still want to wrestle with ChatGPT on the mat, or did I want to shake its hand and incorporate it as a useful tool when necessary, and within legal and ethical guidelines? Instead of feeling like a replacement, I began to think that the Bot and I could be friends with boundaries.

The truth is, we can’t escape AI. More people are becoming reliant on it, using it as a helpful tool aimed at significantly simplifying their lives and potentially reducing the stress and anxiety often associated with meeting deadlines or solving complex problems that the Bot can handle in a matter of seconds.

As therapists, let’s not be intimidated by AI or scared of its potential. The reality is, it will never replace us to the extent that is necessary for true therapeutic healing. Unless I am proven wrong, it will not provide specialties that are often seen with trauma work, including somatic and experiential modalities involving touch, bilateral stimulation, or other interventions that extend beyond typing.

This also leads me to another important point. While typing is faster and more efficient, it may not engage the brain as deeply as handwriting. Typing often leads to more superficial processing of information, potentially resulting in lower retention and understanding.

The act of handwriting, on the other hand, involves complex motor skills and sensory engagement, which lead to better retention and comprehension of information. This is backed by multiple studies, including research from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, which found that handwriting engages a wider network of brain regions, enhancing memory formation and the encoding of new information (van der Meer & van der Weel, 2017).

Additionally, a study published in Psychological Science revealed that students who took notes by hand performed better on conceptual questions requiring deeper understanding, while those who typed excelled at factual recall (Mueller & Oppenheimer, 2014). This suggests that handwriting facilitates a more holistic grasp of information. Shouldn’t that say something?

Yes, I’ll admit it. I was initially a bit jealous of the Bot and genuinely concerned for the future of my profession. But after doing some research, I owe it to my fellow therapists to calm those fears and provide reassurance that despite the rapid evolution of technology, therapists of all kinds remain an essential, irreplaceable resource. Human connection, empathy, and understanding can’t be replicated by algorithms, at least not in any meaningful way.Well, unless the Terminator series becomes a reality, and at that point, what’s left?

P.S. Any imperfections in this article are welcome, since the Bot didn’t help me this time ;)