Your AI therapist will see you now?

Artificial intelligence (AI) has quickly become part of everyday life. People use tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini to plan meals, organize schedules, do research ("what is the best restaurant in DC for Sunday brunch?"), write emails, and even ask for personal or mental health advice. Our HPP team uses AI too, although not in the therapy or coaching room, where we still value privacy and safety above all else.

‍HPP team weighs in on AI use

‍We asked HPP team members what they think about the benefits and risks of AI and here is what they had to say.

For everyday tasks, AI can be a great time-saver. Dr. Kelly Donahue uses it for “organizational household tasks,” such as recipes and shopping lists, and to create study materials and running programs for her son. Professionally, she has used it to summarize journal articles and improve presentations. And, for fun, she has even asked AI to redesign her living room!

‍Dr. Amy Beck primarily uses AI for writing, research, and design tasks. She focuses its use on “searches that are more complex than what a search engine can efficiently do.” Health Coach Anna Gordon uses it for administrative tasks and preliminary research, including creating an Excel template that would have been too time-consuming to create herself.

But our clinicians also see reasons for caution.

‍How to avoid AI pitfalls

‍Anna tries not to use AI “to think or communicate for me." She suggests paying attention to what AI is adding—and what it might be taking away: “If you have found ways to use it that lighten your mental load and free you up for things you care more about, that’s great.” But if it begins to replace “connection, creativity, deep thought, or self expression,” it may be time to reconsider how you’re using it.

That becomes even more important when we turn to AI for mental health or personal advice. As Dr. Donahue puts it, “I think AI can be helpful as one of the many tools we have for mental health, but I have also seen it steer clients down unnecessary spirals of anxiety and second-guessing.” Dr. Greer Raggio agrees, noting: "I once asked AI to weigh in on a challenging situation with a close friend. Its suggestions were generically appropriate, but not suited to my friend's personality and our nuanced history. It missed the mark." Dr. Robyn Pashby sees a risk that the ease of interacting with AI could gradually replace opportunities to develop and sustain meaningful human relationships, particularly for someone who feels lonely, isolated, or insecure. Her concern isn't simply that people will use AI. It's that they may increasingly turn to AI instead of people when connection is precisely what they need.

In other words, while AI can play a role in supporting emotional well-being, it doesn’t truly know you, and its answers can be inaccurate or overly simplistic. Dr. Beck, who is currently working on Missouri state legislation to prevent chatbots from advertising as mental health professionals, is especially concerned about people relying on AI in higher-risk situations involving trauma, suicidal thoughts, or other serious mental health concerns. These situations call for support from a qualified professional, not a chatbot. In fact, the American Psychological Association has published a guide on this topic: https://www.apa.org/topics/artificial-intelligence-machine-learning/guide-navigating-ai.

‍Prioritize Real Connection

‍So, where does that leave us? AI doesn’t have to be either “good” or “bad.” Like many technologies, what matters is how we use it. It can be a useful assistant for organizing, learning, brainstorming, and reducing everyday mental load. But when AI starts replacing your own judgment, creativity, relationships, or professional support, it may be worth stepping away from the screen and turning toward a human instead.

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Photo by Daniil Komov