Our director, Dr Katie Kjelsaas, has recently been fielding questions from various media outlets about the rise of AI as a therapy tool. With more clients asking questions about this too we thought it might be helpful to share some of her insights here.
Why AI?
We know lots of people are using AI for ‘therapy’ and they tell us the main reasons they are include:
Cost: it can be expensive to see a skilled therapist in Australia, even after Medicare or Private Health Fund rebates.
Access: it can be really hard to find and secure regular appointments with a skilled therapist, even if you can afford it. Then you also have to potentially arrange time off work, travel to their office, etc.
Stigma: Despite all the excellent work to de-stigmatise mental health care in Australia, some people tell us they still feel shame, embarrassment or fear about seeking help from a therapist.
By contrast, platforms like ChatGPT are right there on your phone, tablet or laptop: free, accessible and ‘private’ (or at least it seems that way). No wonder so many people are giving them a go.
Of course, our clients know that we actually pivoted our relationships-focused practice, ConnectionsCount.com.au to offer online therapy sessions for individuals and couples in order to respond to access and stigma issues: people can attend sessions with us from the privacy & convenience of their own home or work space – we literally meet them wherever they are – using secure tech platforms and cutting-edge tools to ensure their online therapy experience is as helpful and meaningful as possible… So, there are certainly other, better options than risking your mental wellbeing and privacy on an AI platform, even if you don’t want to step foot in a therapist’s office.
Why Not?
Here are some of the dangers and cautions we see with using AI as a therapist:
1. The capacity of people in mental and emotional distress to accurately assess and report their own symptoms.
The Large Language Models (LLMs) that underlie platforms like ChatGPT can only use the information you give them to assess what you need. By contrast, psychologists use a range of verbal and non-verbal observations as well as other evidence-based tools and measures to thoroughly assess your symptoms, diagnose what’s wrong and formulate a tailored treatment plan. If you ask AI platforms they will themselves admit they are not designed or equipped to assess, diagnose, formulate or treat mental illness, but only to provide information in response to your questions.
2. The purpose and goal of AI vs Therapists.
The sole goal of an AI platform is to maintain your engagement. The longer you stay on the platform and the more information you share there, the more the AI company stands to profit from your use. The goal of a qualified psychologist or counsellor is to restore your mental health and wellbeing. In fact, Australian psychologists are governed by regulatory legislation designed to keep them focused on their client’s wellbeing above all else.
3. Errors
AI platforms make frequent errors that can involve drawing on low quality or incorrect information to provide you with answers, misunderstanding your need or request, or even ‘hallucinating’ – AI ‘hallucinations’ occur when the AI platform inserts information not present in your initial query and uses this information in determining its answer.
4. Privacy
Many people make the assumption that, because the AI platform they’re using is on their personal device they can confidently share intimate, personal information. This is simply not the case. AI platforms have various (lengthy) policies and practices regarding data use and privacy and make use of the personal data people enter for a range of purposes, including machine learning and – in some cases – market research and sales. It is really important to read their privacy terms carefully and to be open to the possibility that someone else may access, read or listen to any of the information you share with an AI program. By contrast, Australian Psychologists are governed by strict laws and codes of conduct regarding privacy and confidentiality. Your personal and private information is far safer with your psychologist.
Any safe use?
Some of our clients do use ChatGPT and other AI platforms between sessions, with our support. However, we encourage them to use these for initial research and idea generation, rather than therapy.
We strongly advise our clients to never share personal or private information with AI platforms and to never request diagnosis, formulation or treatment, as these platforms are not designed to provide this. Things our clients might do with AI include:
– Generate a list of relevant support services or groups in their area, which they can then use to explore further.
– Request a plain English summary of how a particular aspect of their brain chemistry works, to further their understanding.
– Get help creating a list of pleasant events they could try between sessions to boost their mood.
– Get help designing a schedule for regular exercise, meditation or another wellbeing-supportive habit they’d like to introduce.
It may be helpful to think of AI programs more like a helpful research assistant or librarian, rather than a therapist. If you wouldn’t ask a librarian, don’t ask AI – make an appointment to see an appropriately qualified, experienced and regulated therapist instead!
We’d love to help: meet and connect with our therapists here.
