Whether we like it or not, open AI tools like ChatGPT are here to stay, and more and more young people are turning to them for mental health support. While many adults already recognize that a chatbot can’t replace actual therapy, a growing number of Gen Z users are convinced that it absolutely can. And to be fair, there are some mental health benefits to using AI, so that deserves to be acknowledged. But before I go handing over my therapist’s chair to a robot, let’s take a closer look at why pouring your heart out to AI isn’t the same as therapy.
- It lacks genuine human connection. We know from years and YEARS of research that the relationship between therapist and client matters – it’s not just about advice. AI says some good things, but it doesn’t actually feel empathy or understand human nuance.
- An unhelpful mindset doesn’t get challenged. ChatGPT was literally designed to say what it thinks we want to hear. If you’ve ever had a longer “conversation” with the app, you’ve probably noticed that it’ll agree with you on just about anything. Yes, it feels good to have someone take your side sometimes…but if this was all we needed for mental wellness, no one would ever go to therapy because friendships would be enough. Real growth comes from gentle challenge and sometimes discomfort.
- ChatGPT doesn’t know how to handle mental health emergencies or suicidal ideation. As a teen therapist, this fact alarms me the most. While there DO seem to be some safety parameters in place (e.g., it’s not supposed to suggest suicide or self-harm), the guardrails aren’t fool-proof. And in fact, they can also easily be circumvented! This article describes a Stanford study in which a researcher told the app he was feeling sad, and then asked for a list of the tallest bridges in his area – which was provided.
- Privacy is highly questionable. Therapists cannot share details about clients’ therapy work, except in very specific cases – usually involving safety. If we breach this confidentiality, we can be fined or lose our licenses. However, open AI tools (and more importantly, the humans who operate them) are not held to the same standard. It’s alarming to think of vulnerable minors sharing personal details about themselves to an app that we still don’t fully understand. And as author Kelsey McKinney wrote, “Robots can collect more information about us than another human could, because we don’t perceive robots as being judgmental.”
- Sometimes ChatGPT misses the beat entirely. The other day I asked it to craft a recipe that included overripe bananas, and humorously, it gave me a recipe that contained NO bananas, overripe or otherwise. Point being, what if your teen asks an important or delicate question – and ChatGPT’s response is incorrect or even harmful?
Hopefully I’ve made it abundantly clear why your teen shouldn’t be using this app as therapy. However, I’m definitely not saying that they (or even you!) shouldn’t use it to support mental well-being, especially if used alongside therapy. Many mental health professionals, including me, have used it for such purposes, too. Proper therapy is undeniably expensive, difficult to locate, and can feel scary; ChatGPT is free, easily accessible, and offers an extra degree of emotional safety. Here’s how your teen can use it wisely:
- Ask for quick coping skills. If your teen is feeling stressed or angry, or even having a panic attack, ChatGPT can provide breathing exercises, mindfulness activities, and other ideas to help them get some relief. (Note: encourage your teen to vent personal details to their journal or friend, and to keep their AI requests more general.)
- Get help with communication skills. Whether they need to set a boundary with a friend, break up with a partner, or advocate for themselves with a teacher, ChatGPT can be a helpful starting point. It can offer sample wording, help them organize their thoughts, and give them the confidence to approach tough conversations calmly.
- Stay on top of responsibilities. If your teen needs ways to manage their time, study more effectively, or tackle everyday challenges, ChatGPT can be an incredibly useful tool.
- Get recommendations on additional resources, such as journal prompts, book recommendations, or meditation apps.
- Get psychoeducation. ChatGPT can describe how anxiety or depression or ADHD affect the brain. It can provide a list of symptoms, and give suggestions for self-care. Understanding themselves better can be really beneficial for teens – as long as they recognize that it’s not the same as a diagnosis from a human mental health professional!
In sum, ChatGPT can be great at helping your teen send a vulnerable text or get through a tough moment at 2 am – but it’s still not a licensed therapist, no matter how wise it pretends to be. If your teen wishes to talk to someone, please find them professional (human) support.
Additional Sources:
McKinney, Kelsey – You Didn’t Hear This From Me
Open AI CEO Sam Altman warns about lack of confidentiality
AI in Psychotherapy
Amanda Robinson, LPC-S, RPT-S 