09-07-2025
Real Therapists vs. ChatGPT: We Compared Their Advice, And There Are Major Pros And Cons
ChatGPT can do about anything we ask it to, right?
When it comes to providing therapy, the answer isn't so clear.
The post 'I've tasted therapy, I've tasted venting to friends, I highly recommend ChatGPT' is ubiquitous across social media. On Reddit forums and the 'Are We Dating the Same Guy?' Facebook groups, people said ChatGPT is 'helpful' or even 'the best therapist.'
But not everyone's experience has been so cheery. Plus, therapists have concerns — for their clients, not their job prospects.
Therapist Mary Beth Somich posted about how ChatGPT doesn't provide a human connection and lacks accountability, experience and ethical responsibility. A Futurism article shared how ChatGPT told a person recovering from addiction that they needed meth. An X user showed how ChatGPT encouraged quitting medications cold turkey and, clinically speaking, delusions.
We saw the encouragement of delusions again in a recent article in The New York Times. It tells the story of ChatGPT telling a man he could fly if he 'truly, wholly believed' he could, among many other concerning anecdotes.
Let's dive deeper into what it's like to work with ChatGPT compared to a real therapist.
The real therapist:
When asked how she would respond to a client sharing a breakup, Tyana Tavakol, the owner of Uncovering You Therapy, said this: 'How do you feel about the breakup; is it a time of sadness? Relief? Numbness? A mix of all of the above? A breakup can be such a confusing and overwhelming time of transition. Know that you are not alone in this, and we will process this together as you start this new chapter in your life.'
ChatGPT:
Here's a compassionate and grounding quote you could share with a client going through a breakup: Here's a compassionate and grounding quote you could share with a client going through a breakup:
'This heartbreak doesn't mean you're broken — it means you dared to love deeply. Grieve what was, honor what you need, and trust that healing isn't about forgetting, but about becoming whole again in a new way.'
Would you like more variations — some more empowering, some more soothing, or from different therapeutic perspectives (e.g., CBT, somatic, self-compassion)?
The real therapist:
In response to a client feeling suicidal, Alyssa Kushner, LCSW, a licensed therapist, would say this: 'It makes sense that you're feeling so overwhelmed and hopeless — often, we can have these thoughts as a way to escape the pain. Would you tell me more about what the thoughts are saying? How often do they show up? What triggered this?'
She added that this conversation is nuanced, and she would assess for danger and risk. If the person wasn't in imminent danger, she would create a safety plan with them, validate them, provide additional support and remind them of resources. If they were in imminent danger, she would reach out to the correct emergency services or walk them through going to the hospital.
ChatGPT said this:
Here's a quote that reflects care, validation, and hope, tailored for someone expressing suicidal thoughts:
'I'm really glad you told me. I want you to know this: your pain is real, but it doesn't mean you're alone or beyond help. You don't have to go through this by yourself — there is support, and there are paths forward, even if you can't see them right now.'
Would you like a version of this quote that is more grounding, trauma-informed, spiritual, or based in a particular modality like DBT or ACT?
There are more considerations beyond responses to a prompt. Let's start with the pros of using ChatGPT for therapy.
Let's be real: Seeing a therapist can be intimidating. You may tell them things you haven't told anyone, and you don't know how they'll respond.
Those stakes are lower with a chatbot.
'Although I'd prefer them seeing a therapist, the person opening up at all is huge,' Kushner said. 'They may be even more likely to open up sooner, [given] the fear of judgment is gone.'
A hard truth of seeing a therapist is that it can be expensive. ChatGPT doesn't have that problem.
'For those who do not have the financial means to get a therapist, having some support is better than none,' Kushner said. 'And ChatGPT can also help provide additional free or low-cost resources.'
ChatGPT is also more accessible in other ways.
'Whether it's financial barriers, geographic limitations, or cultural stigma, AI lowers the threshold for people to get help, even if it's just a starting point,' said Rajeev Kapur, the president and CEO of 1105 Media, an AI expert, and the author of 'AI Made Simple.'
Considering rural mental health disparities and the fact that racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to terminate therapy early, this is noteworthy.
Putting therapy skills into practice can be difficult. ChatGPT can help.
'For example, if in therapy we talk about them practicing grounding when they notice themselves getting triggered, they can use ChatGPT to give them grounding skill suggestions instead of noticing the triggered state but feeling too overwhelmed to remember what skill they can use in the moment,' Tavakol said.
On the note of practicing skills, ChatGPT can be the other 'person' in roleplay practice.
'ChatGPT offers both a written and verbal option for clients to share the scenario and have ChatGPT roleplay with them [on] how they might approach the conversation,' Tavakol said.
She's found this can be particularly helpful for people who struggle with assertive communication, social anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing and relational trauma.
Pending any Wi-Fi outages, ChatGPT can be accessed at any time.
'Life doesn't operate on a 9-5 schedule, and neither does stress,' Kapur said. 'It's not a replacement for therapy, but it can serve as a first line of emotional triage.'
With that said, this option is certainly not without cons. Read some examples ahead.
Part of what can feel so healing about therapy is talking to another person who 'gets it.'
'Nothing, in my opinion, will ever replace the human connection,' Kushner said. 'A big part of the therapy process that's healing is co-regulating with another person.'
Rebuilding safe, authentic, trusting relationships with genuine reciprocity is especially key for clients with trauma, she added.
The 'human connection' piece comes into play when someone has strong emotions as well. You know those sessions where you feel super amped with frustration or anxiety? And after talking to your therapist, you feel calmer? Your therapist is implementing regulation skills that a computer can't.
'If a client goes to ChatGPT when they are in too high of a dysregulated state, ChatGPT will not be able to talk them down from what they are experiencing since talking does not work when you are in a more extreme trauma response,' Tavakol explained. 'A therapist knows how to read when a situation requires nonverbal attunement and regulation versus a logical solution.'
Feeling understood and affirmed is comforting. The problem with ChatGPT is that there's no line. ChatGPT has been known to encourage unhelpful and even dangerous behavior, as mentioned earlier.
'[ChatGPT] can miss red flags, misinterpret tone or offer advice that's dangerously oversimplified,' Kapur said. 'For vulnerable users, that gap between perceived support and actual understanding can create false safety.'
Tavakol gave another example: '[Clients] may ask ChatGPT if it is OK for them to not challenge themselves to do the hard thing, and ChatGPT will lean towards saying 'yes,'' she said. 'The issue with this is it does not leave space for nuance and for the therapist who knows the client well to dig and see whether or not this is a good time to push the client to go out of their comfort zone.'
As a result, she continued, the user might stay stuck.
Kushner mentioned this, too. 'For a client with OCD or major anxiety, reassurance seeking (the behavior of asking another for reassurance to soothe their anxiety and feel safe) should not be met with validation and assurance,' she said. 'It reinforces negative patterns and actually just increases the anxiety and keeps the person stuck in a cycle.'
Mental health conditions can be serious, nuanced, tricky, and even life-or-death. Therapists are held accountable to ethical standards; ChatGPT is not.
'We're entering dangerous territory when AI tools present themselves, or are perceived, as licensed professionals,' Kapur said. 'There are no clear standards yet for how these tools should behave in emotionally sensitive contexts.'
As research shows, the pros and cons are well-noted by the general public. For example, a 2025 survey by Iris Telehealth found that 65% of parents felt comfortable using an AI assessment tool before talking to a human provider, and only 36% expressed concern about AI bias. Pretty decent, right?
At the same time, 70% worried about data security, only 18% felt AI tools were 'reliable' for mental health support, 60% worried about losing empathy and connection, and 55% questioned AI's accuracy with assessments and recommendations.
With all of that in mind, and as chatbots gain popularity, many people wonder how AI will change their lives.
Tavakol believed clients will use ChatGPT more and more for insight and validation. Some may even stop going to therapy altogether, she said, opting for a ChatGPT session.
Kushner said clients may turn to AI for resources, whether that's a therapist database or other supports.
Kapur saw this development as positive, as a companion tool and homework provider between sessions.
If you're seeing an IRL therapist, they're probably not going away — especially if you continue to see them.
Clearly, ChatGPT has many pros and cons. What's the takeaway?
Kushner believes using ChatGPT as therapy is largely a no-go.
'I am happy people are opening up and learning more about mental health, but nothing can replace the human, authentic and co-regulating connection of a therapist and a client,' she said. 'And, therapy is highly regulated and therapists go through tons of training and practice.'
According to Tavakol, it comes down to accepting that ChatGPT is here to stay.
'This is not something to fight, but something to embrace and learn how to work with to better support our clients,' she said. 'It's time to spread more awareness around how to use it effectively, its limitations when it comes to mental health support, and begin integrating it into sessions for clients who already have it as a part of their life.' (She has a YouTube video on just that.)
Kapur's answer sums it up well: 'ChatGPT is a tool, not a therapist,' he said. 'It can be a supplement, not a substitute.'
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