Human Connection in a Digital World: The Irreplaceable Role of Therapists
- michaelwallcounsel
- Jan 10
- 5 min read
Introduction
It would seem that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly being integrated into our everyday lives. Many companies now use AI chatbots for customer support, reflecting AI's growing integration into daily life. Taking a step further ChatGPT and AI chatbots are becoming increasingly advanced and frequently used by everyday people. OpenAI spokesperson Taya Christanson reported that more than 200 million people use ChatGPT each week (as of August 2024) which is double the usage from November 2023. With the rise of AI, its capabilities can be quite remarkable. It can be hard to distinguish what is real and what is not at times, which can feel unsettling. This raises an important question: as AI becomes more integrated into our world, including mental health, could it ever replace the unique essence of counselling and therapy?
The role of AI in mental Health
Even in its infancy, AI plays a role in mental health support today. There are several AI-powered chatbots such as Woebot, and Wysa that aim to provide mental health support delivered through an app. Furthermore, platforms such as BetterHelp and Talkspace utilise AI algorithms to match clients with therapists. As can be observed, AI is already being utilised within mental health support services. AI’s impact in mental health still lags behind other sectors such as customer service and education.
To hypothesise why this is, I may suggest that AI struggles with emotional nuance. This means AI cannot fully interpret or respond to the subtleties of human emotion: aspects of sarcasm, cultural context, nonverbal cues are some of these subtleties. When we also add in the intricacies of counselling and therapies, we can gather that where therapy shines, AI dims.
The unique power of Human connection
It is widely accepted, in humanistic therapy, that the relationship between client and therapist is paramount when creating a space in which people can achieve their goals in therapy. The therapeutic relationship is one of safety, trust, and freedom from judgment, where the client feels the therapist is alongside them, actively experiencing their journey. This is made possible due to the power of human relationships and the feelings that we may take for granted in these bonds. Do you remember a time when you could sit with someone without worrying about filling the silence, or when simply laying eyes on a loved one or friend uplifted your spirit?
I remember a moment as a client when my therapist created a profoundly intimate moment: they captured what I felt in my body but I couldn't articulate. Their ability to hold my experience and name it for me showed a depth of empathy and emotional attunement that AI simply cannot replicate. While an AI chatbot might offer pre-programmed responses based on patterns in language, it lacks the capacity to intuitively 'feel' the unspoken nuances of human emotion or connect on a visceral level. This moment with my therapist was a turning point, driven by a uniquely human understanding.
Being attuned to emotion gives us the capacity to grow and learn. Like in my example above, being understood by someone who has taken the time to almost be an alter ego of myself validated what I had felt and allowed me to accept it as truth – giving me the allowance to accept the feeling rather than avoid and deny – sweep it under the carpet you could say.
Therapeutic relationship secrets
So, why am I sitting here and feeling confident that AI cannot replicate therapy. That is because, to put it bluntly, counselling is hard. Counselling is not a ‘quick fix’, yet it can be in some cases as each person varies, however, the essence of therapy exudes when the therapeutic relationship is strong – this takes time and effort from both parties, particularly the client.
AI may provide the most popular and recommended solutions for mental health problem solving, however do all problems require solutions? Sometimes in therapy it may the first instance in which someone has experienced that their problems matter. The feeling of being understood for the person that you feel that you are is one that may allow you to be more comfortable in your own skin – this is not provided through seeking a solution but instead finding validation that you are you and that is enough.
In our fast-paced world, human connection often feels rare. Platforms like Amazon or Uber Eats streamline convenience, but at the cost of personal interaction. Therapy, however, thrives on this connection—it is the essence of the process. While AI might imitate aspects of this relationship, it cannot embody the living, breathing experience of two humans sharing a therapeutic space
AI as a complement to therapy?
I must note that this is not an attack on AI as I believe that this technology could be harnessed in many ways to be used as an effective tool in mental health support. Using ChatGPT may be a great way to source out direct information on mental health services, as an example, If I was to ask ChatGPT to provide me suicidal ideation crisis helplines it will instantly give me 6 relevant services in my local area – this is an amazing tool as in a crisis situation are we going to click through websites to source the information we need? I’m not sure.
Of course, some may argue whether we would search for this information on ChatGPT in crisis and if you suffer with suicidal ideation and I hear this and acknowledge it – yet AI providing information on support for mental health could be a great thing, as through my experience with several clients who have had therapy for the first time, there is not much awareness about what they can do once therapy ends – which points towards the lack of public information to increase awareness of mental health support. AI could be a great tool if it acts as a mental health support map, yet the therapist remains to be the guide alongside the person as AI can not replace the transformative power of two humans connecting in a therapeutic space.
Conclusion
After reading this, take a moment to reflect on instances of human connection in your life—perhaps moments you’ve taken for granted. Envision something that feels uniquely human to you. As technology advances, the human ability to provide a space for others to feel understood, heard, and valued is more important than ever. This role—offering a connection that cannot be replicated by machines—is what makes therapy so uniquely powerful.
If you are looking to start your own counselling then feel free to navigate to the contact form to begin your own mental health support. Look forward to hearing from you.
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