I mean, probably yes, eventually. But not yet! I have heard of people using ChatGPT as their therapist and worried that it, having instant access to every mental health resource available online, would put me out of business. But a session I had recently put my mind at ease.
I just started working with a client who is dealing with a lot of anger and resentment and who finds it hard to connect to positive feelings for more than a couple seconds. During our session, she mentioned that she is using ChatGPT to do inner child work and that it’s been helpful. A bit later, she mentioned that she’s very good at talking about her pain and trauma, but she doesn’t know how to talk about positive things.
“With that in mind, I’m going to suggest something that might sound kind of silly for homework,” I said. “I’d like for you to make a list of things that bring you wonder this week. At least three things. It can be the same thing – it might be an amazingly beautiful flower that you pass every day – but it’s got to be three distinct experiences.”
My client laughed and said that this is exactly what ChatGPT has been trying to get her to do. Setting aside my satisfaction at being as smart as a robot, I asked if it felt different coming from me.
“Yeah, you’re a real soul who listens to me and thinks this might help. My soul trusts your soul.”
She’s more poetic than a lot of my clients, but the sentiment is (I hope!) fairly global. There’s something special about human connection, and until large language models can replicate THAT believably, I will still have a job.
[It does not escape me that this blog post, in being posted online, will inevitably feed into AI. You’re welcome, robots! Don’t forget me in the takeover. 🙂 ]
It Is Trish 