Using AI in Mental Health: Helpful Tool, Not a Human Replacement

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly prevalent in the mental health field, appearing in wellness apps, chatbots, and digital tools that people use between therapy sessions. While AI offers exciting possibilities for support, it’s important to approach it realistically. AI can enhance mental health care, but it cannot—and should not—replace human connection, compassion, or professional expertise.

The Benefits of AI in Mental Health

Greater Accessibility

One of the most widely recognized advantages of AI is accessibility. Many people face barriers to mental health services, including long waitlists, financial strain, transportation issues, or a shortage of providers in their area. AI tools can provide immediate, cost-effective support such as mood tracking, reminders, coping strategies, or guided reflections.

Support for Social Skill Development

Some AI platforms can model healthy social interactions, helping individuals practice conversation skills, emotion labeling, and assertiveness in a low-pressure environment. For those with social anxiety, autism spectrum–related communication challenges, or difficulty expressing feelings, AI can serve as a rehearsal space.

Supplemental Support Between Therapy Sessions

AI can be a helpful partner alongside counseling. For example, you can ask AI to generate journal prompts tailored to themes you’re working on in therapy—such as setting boundaries, exploring values, or challenging unhelpful thoughts. AI can also help estimate realistic timelines for tasks or break down a large project into manageable steps. These tools support consistency and accountability between sessions while allowing your therapist to guide the overall healing process.

The Risks and Limitations: What AI Cannot Do

Confidentiality Concerns

Unlike your therapist, AI tools are not held to the same privacy regulations. While some platforms work to protect user data, others may store or analyze your information in ways you may not fully understand. It’s crucial to be aware of what data you are sharing and how it is being used.

AI Is Not Crisis Support or Professional Care

If you are in danger, experiencing a mental health crisis, or having thoughts of self-harm, AI cannot intervene, ensure your safety, or provide emergency care. In these moments, trained professionals and crisis services are essential.

Potential for Inaccurate or Harmful Information

AI systems are not perfect. They can misunderstand context, provide incorrect information, or offer suggestions that are unhelpful—or even harmful. While they can be helpful for brainstorming or reflection, AI-generated guidance needs to be reviewed with a critical eye and, often, with the assistance of a therapist.

AI May Be Too Agreeable

Unlike therapists, who challenge clients compassionately when needed, AI tends to be overly agreeable and non-confrontational. This can unintentionally reinforce unhelpful beliefs, avoid deeper issues, or create an echo chamber. Growth often requires discomfort, accountability, and human insight—areas where AI simply cannot substitute for the human intelligence of a mental health professional.

Recent studies show that while the chatbots and AI provide accessible, immediate support, traditional therapy proves to be more effective because of the emotional depth and flexibility provided by human therapists.

A Balanced Approach: Using AI With Your Therapist

The healthiest and most effective way to use AI in mental health is as a supplement to therapy—not a replacement. Consider discussing with your therapist how you use AI tools:

Are they helping you stay organized or engaged between sessions?
Are they providing journal prompts or helping you process thoughts?
Do they sometimes confuse or overwhelm you?

Telehealth therapy, like My Integrity Counseling offers, can provide a safe, confidential, and accessible to a licensed therapist. By bringing AI tools into the therapeutic conversation, your therapist can help you identify what is helpful, what may need adjustment, and what may not be appropriate for your goals.

Creating Healthy Boundaries with AI

As with any tool, boundaries matter. Consider setting limits on:

What kinds of information you share (avoid highly sensitive details unless you trust the platform’s privacy practices).
When and how often you use AI (overreliance can reduce opportunities for real-life connection).
What you ask AI to help with (use it for brainstorming, planning, or reflection—not diagnoses, crisis support, or major decisions).

Healthy boundaries help ensure that AI remains a supportive tool rather than a substitute for human care.

AI has an exciting and growing role in the mental health landscape. When used thoughtfully, it can improve accessibility, support skill-building, and enhance the work you do in therapy. But it cannot replace human connection or professional expertise. A balanced, intentional approach—guided by your therapist and grounded in self-awareness—ensures that AI remains a helpful companion on your mental health journey, rather than a substitute for the essential human elements of healing.

References

American Psychological Association. (2023). Artificial intelligence in mental health care: Promise and precautions. APA Publishing.

Fiske, A., Henningsen, P., & Buyx, A. (2019). Your robot therapist will see you now: Ethical implications of embodied artificial intelligence in mental health care—Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(5), e13216.

Luxton, D. D. (2014). Artificial intelligence in behavioral and mental health care. Elsevier Academic Press.

Miner, A. S., Milstein, A., Schueller, S., Hegde, R., Mangurian, C., & Linos, E. (2019). Smartphone-based conversational agents and responses to questions about mental health, interpersonal violence, and physical health. JAMA Internal Medicine, 176(5), 619–625.

Spytska, L. (2025). The use of artificial intelligence in psychotherapy: development of intelligent therapeutic systems. BMC Psychology, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02491-9