As AI becomes more mainstream and everyone is talking about what jobs AI is going to replace, I recently had a conversation with several other therapists, and they were asking on my opinion on whether they should be worried about being replaced.
My initial answer shocked and surprised a couple of them when I said they would be replaced, but I will never be replaced. I good therapist should never get replaced my AI and here is why.
Why AI Won’t Fully Replace Therapists
- Lack of True Empathy: AI can mimic empathy, but it does not possess genuine emotional understanding or the ability to build a true therapeutic alliance.
- Crisis Management Weakness: Research indicates AI chatbots can provide dangerous or inappropriate responses during crisis situations and may fail to recognize severe mental health distress.
- Complexity and Nuance: Human therapists, unlike AI, can adapt to evolving, complex patient needs over long periods, whereas AI-based, long-term efficacy is questionable.
- Safety Issues: Studies found that some AI models showed bias, stigma toward mental health conditions, and in some cases, inappropriate advice.
- HIPPA Issues: Any information that is placed into a AI platform is not covered by HIPPA or privilege. They (AI companies) can use the information any way that they see fit and your secrets that you are sharing about anxiety, cheating, affairs and more are now public information whether you like it or not.
Experts emphasize that the future of therapy will likely be a hybrid model where technology supports human care, rather than a full replacement. In the health sector, particularly, AI has not only refined the accuracy of disease diagnoses but has also ushered in groundbreaking advancements in personalized medicine. The mental health field, amid a global crisis characterized by increasing demand and insufficient resources, is witnessing a significant paradigm shift facilitated by AI, presenting novel approaches that promise to reshape traditional mental health care models.
Mental health, once a stigmatized aspect of health care, is now recognized as a critical component of overall well-being, with disorders such as depression becoming leading causes of global disability (WHO). Traditional mental health care, reliant on in-person consultations, is increasingly perceived as inadequate against the growing prevalence of mental health issues. AI’s role in mental health care is multifaceted, encompassing predictive analytics, therapeutic interventions, clinician support tools, and patient monitoring systems. For instance, AI algorithms are increasingly used to predict treatment outcomes by analyzing patient data. Meanwhile, AI-powered interventions, such as virtual reality exposure therapy and chatbot-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy, are being explored, though they are at varying stages of validation. Each of these applications is evolving at its own pace, influenced by technological advancements and the need for rigorous clinical validation.
In a recent article by the American Psychological Association titled “Using generic AI chatbots for mental health support: A dangerous trend” the article talks about how certain chot bots might be ok for therapy, but most will be unregulated and could end up being more harmful than beneficial.
While many AI bots already on the market claim to offer mental health care, some have dubious results (chatbot recommended that a teen kills his parents over screen time) or have even led people to self-harm.
More than five years ago, Jacobson and his colleagues began training their AI bot in clinical best practices. The project, says Jacobson, involved much trial and error before it led to quality outcomes.
“The effects that we see strongly mirror what you would see in the best evidence-based trials of psychotherapy,” says Jacobson. He says these results were comparable to “studies with folks given a gold standard dose of the best treatment we have available.”
The researchers gathered a group of roughly 200 people who had diagnosable conditions like depression and anxiety or were at risk of developing eating disorders. Half of them worked with AI therapy bots. Compared to those that did not receive treatment, those who did showed significant improvement.
One of the more surprising results, says Jacobson, was the quality of the bond people formed with their bots. “People were really developing this strong relationship with an ability to trust it,” says Jacobson, “and feel like they can work together on, on their mental health symptoms.” Strength of bonds and trust with therapists is one of the overall predictors of efficacy in talk and cognitive behavioral therapy.
In my latest video I talk about will AI replace therapists. https://youtu.be/aNEf4DtFTFg
At the end of the day, it is going to come down to the comfort level of the patient. They will determine whether they want to talk to a human or talk to a computer. They will determine whether they want a human connection with empathy or if they just want answers to their issues. They will determine the number of times that they will want to talk to a counselor. The scarcity of counselors may also drive people to seek online support vs in person as there is a predicted shortage of counselors by 2036. Currently is there is a counselor for 1 in every 346 people in the United States and that number continues to grow daily as counselors get burned out or retire.
The question of whether AI will replace counselors and therapists is a major topic of debate in 2026. While AI has made significant leaps in its ability to process human language and provide immediate support, the consensus among experts is that it will augment the profession rather than replace it. Time will tell what the future holds and the ultimate outcome. At the end of the day I know that I will not be replaced by AI as the level of service that I provide to my clients is highly valued. If the therapist is recommending beathing treatments and passing out copies of coping skills as homework, now they might need to find a new career.
Let me know what you think? Would you consider a computer over a human? What do you see at the pros and cons to AI and therapy?
