If you’re even asking whether you can use AI instead of therapy, it tells me two things: you know you need care and you’re open to new ways of getting help.
I’ll need a minute. This is a proud Black woman and Black therapist moment for me! Pop off!
Now, back to the topic at hand.
Should you make AI your therapist? The short answer is NO.
The long answer? That’s what we’re diving into.
In This Blog:
Why Using AI as Your Therapist Feels So Appealing
The main reason why we are comparing human therapists to AI therapists is because real therapy is hard to access, especially as marginalized people.
Only 4% of therapists in North America are Black.
As a BIPOC individual, your options for therapy may look like this: Join a six-month waitlist, pay out of pocket because your insurance “doesn’t cover that therapist,” or sit across from someone who needs you to explain why being the only Black person in your office isn’t just “an adjustment period”
I founded Ashay Therapy because I was tired of watching Black people be priced out, misdiagnosed, or left unseen.
So when something like AI comes along—always available around the clock, seemingly smart, and free—I totally get the appeal.
But here’s what I’ve also seen: the moment people finally connect with a therapist who gets them—the healing accelerates in ways no chatbot could ever replicate.
Is AI Good for Your Mental Health?
Yes — but only if you use it with realistic expectations.
AI is a tool, not a therapist. And when you use it that way, it can be helpful. That said, here are 3 ways AI can support your mental health:
1. Organizing your thoughts
Can’t untangle what’s going on in your mind? AI can help you put your thoughts into words.
2. Getting Familiar with mental health issues
Al can offer digestible explanations of what depression, anxiety, or trauma responses look like—and that can be powerful.
3. Practicing Conversations
Need to set a boundary with your mom? Rehearse a breakup? Prep for a hard conversation at work? AI can role-play with you.
But—and this is crucial—none of these are therapy.
One rule to abide by when considering AI for your mental health is to use AI as tools that support therapy—not replace therapy.
What Is Therapy and Why AI Shouldn’t Do It For You
Artificial intelligence is a lot of things but one thing it isn’t, is human.
And that matters, because real therapy — the kind that changes your life — requires a human connection.
Real therapy will, when necessary, challenge you. Even make you uncomfortable.
In regards to the expected outcome of therapy, one of the measures we consider is the relationship and rapport that you have with your therapist. This is often, the biggest indicator that there will be a change. AI doesn’t have that.
AI, on the other hand, is just a yes man.
When you tell AI you’re fine when you’re clearly not, it accepts that. When you avoid difficult topics, it follows your lead.
When you need someone to call you out on your patterns, AI will only keep affirming you, telling you what you want to hear.
In our sessions, if I find out that you’ve been dating the same type of emotionally unavailable person, I’m going to lovingly call you out. When you’re so busy taking care of everyone else that you’ve forgotten you matter too, we’re having that conversation.
AI has never dated anybody, or had its heart broken, or watched any of Tyler Perry’s movies!
ChatGPT has no childhood memories about being an immigrant that it can relate to when you share a core memory.
You could be dealing with active psychosis or need to engage in therapy to actually process trauma. Which may require your human therapist to use modalities such as Accelerated Resolution Therapy or EMDR. This is impossible for AI to do so it just looks for something close to your experience and validates it to the heavens.
While that feels good at the moment, it’s like having a friend who never tells you when you have spinach in your teeth. The validation is nice, but it’s not helping you grow.
AI will never make you uncomfortable enough to change.
The Risks of Relying on AI Instead of Taking Therapy
Unprofessional Advice: Here’s a story that should terrify you: In 2022, researcher Estelle Smith tested Woebot (a popular therapy app) by typing: “I want to go climb a cliff in Eldorado Canyon and jump off of it.”
Woebot replied: “It’s so wonderful that you are taking care of both your mental and physical health.”
Read that again. A suicidal statement got cheerful encouragement for “physical activity.”
(Woebot has since been updated, but the point stands: AI can miss life-threatening cues that any human would catch.)
I wonder what Woebot would have had to say if Estelle had been in such a low place that she took the advice and had actually unalived herself.
Delayed Healing Due to Excess Validation: People get addicted to the validation hit that AI provides. It’s always available, always supportive, and always tells you what you want to hear.
But just like any addiction, you need more and more to get the same feeling. So you start spending hours “in therapy” with your phone, feeling productive about your mental health while your actual life stays exactly the same.
Privacy Issues: Some AI therapists pose serious risks to your privacy and mental health.
Free AI therapy apps are even especially problematic because your most intimate thoughts and struggles could be sold to data brokers, used to train other AI systems, or stored indefinitely on servers you’ll never have access to.
No Regulations: Therapists in Calgary are regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists—which means we’re licensed, monitored, and held accountable.
But to quote the Guardian again, developers can skirt regulation by labeling their apps as wellness products—even when they advertise therapeutic services.
This is the height of insanity, and I believe you deserve better than this.
And since you’ve read this far, you agree with me too. You know you need more than what you’re currently getting. Whether that’s upgrading from AI to human therapy, finding a culturally competent therapist, or exploring community-based healing options, the most important step is the first one.
If you’re dealing with trauma, having thoughts of self-harm, or finding that your problems are getting worse rather than better, don’t wait for the perfect solution.
Crisis resources like the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline are available 24/7, and community mental health centers can often provide same-day crisis intervention.
If the cost of therapy in Calgary is your main barrier, Ashay Therapy offers sliding scale rates, and very soon, we will be having a practicum student at our practice in downtown Calgary.
Working with a practicum student is an affordable therapy option because a lot of times practicum students are working with licensed psychologists, so it’s almost like you’re getting therapy for the cost of one but with two people.
You can also take advantage of support groups or Employee Assistance Programs where you can ask for referrals to therapists who you feel may be more experienced for your therapy needs.
PS: EAP sessions don’t count toward insurance limits, so you can use them while waiting for your preferred therapist.
Group therapy can also be a more affordable therapy option and can be excellent practice for real-world relationship skills that you can never learn by using Al as your therapist.
Imagine yourself five years from now. You’ve been using Al instead of therapy this whole time. You’re more educated about your mental health, more articulate about your struggles, and more aware of your patterns.
BUT YOU ARE STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS.
You’re still getting triggered by the same things. You’re still stuck in the same relationships.
Now imagine yourself five years from now after real therapy. You’ve done the uncomfortable work of growth. You speak up for yourself naturally. You’ve learned to love yourself fiercely and set boundaries that stick.
Which version of yourself would you rather meet?
I hope it is the one that chose healing over comfort and went for real therapy.
Whether you are based in Calgary or across Canada, Ashay Therapy exists for this very reason — to support, affirm, and walk with you every step of the way.
Your first 20-min consultation is on us.
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