To think ChatGPT et al will put lots of counsellors and therapists out of business

[GPTtherapist]

I live in significant long term trauma due to a primary cause and substantial sub-causes. This is due to a usual combination of some quite unusual factors and I find most people do not have the experience or knowledge to understand them. Over the years I have seen a number of different counsellors/ therapists and support workers, most of whom are pretty useless and some who have made things substantially worse. Some have been clearly judgemental which has been enormously painful.

Last night when I was close to breaking down altogether, I used Chat GPT and it was brilliant. It was able to expand on what I said in a way that mimicked deep understanding and compassion for what I am going through. I actually cried at being so 'heard' and understood. Having the words to express so clearly what I experience was, well I can't put in words how it felt after all these years. It was also able to pick out parts of what I said to reflect back positive, encouraging things about myself. It was able to offer some suggestions which were actually helpful and which I am going to try as a coping mechanism. Best of all for someone like me, with huge issues around shame, I could speak openly and honestly about how I felt without any fear or shame around what the therapist might think of me.

So despite Chat GPT not being a person, I found I was able to get the emotional benefits as if it were a person understanding me, without the disbenefits of it being a person I might feel ashamed to tell how I feel.

Also, unlike a human therapist, it remembers and is able to respond to everything you say.

It was hands down better than nearly all human therapists/ counsellors/ support workers I have seen.

And it was free.

I realise for those able to afford long-term intensely skilled therapy for complex issues, a skilled experienced therapist is far preferable.

But in my experience, and that of many others, most therapists are pretty poor and expensive.

So surely Chat GPT will become a first point of call for many with mental health issues which will reduce the number of those who decide they need a human therapist?

I can vouch for @Eyesopenwideawake . I contacted her about my anxiety and we had a free zoom session, where she explained how she works. Unfortunately for me, I was one of the small percentage of people who simply can't be hypnotised. To be honest I was gutted, as I found @Eyesopenwideawake very easy to talk to and very professional. I trusted her completely.
As I couldn’t be hypnotised she said it would be unethical to take me on as a client and take my money. I respected her honesty and decision.

I'd recommend her to anyone wanting to explore hypnotherapy.

I’m glad you found it helpful and I’m sorry you’ve had poor support in the past. However I googled something today and of course the top result was a supposed AI generated statement, which just regurgitated the incorrect source which I was busy fact checking, grrrr.

Im sure for some Chat GP will be very helpful but there’s nothing remotely intelligent about Chat GPT. Chat GPT is just Google on steroids.

@EyesopenwideawakeI think the psychiatrists are likely to have a much better understanding of the wide and varied responses of patients with trauma and how the evidenced based therapeutic approaches might work. Love them or loathe them, psychiatrists have done substantially more training and observation than you have. They are probably also well aware of where hypnosis is contraindicated (for example psychosis) which I shouldn’t think is an exclusion criteria in your assessment of suitability is it? Decent training (with placement, clinical supervision, annual reaccreditation etc) is also about knowing what you’re not qualified for and when you would be operating beyond your skills and knowledge. It sounds like Mr Box doesn’t consider this.

It’s an insult and hugely unfair to people grappling with a traumatic event to claim you can resolve it in three sessions. What happens if you haven’t resolved it? Do you blame the patient and their beliefs? As for reviews and testimonials - that’s for selling secondhand cars. Consistent great reviews may say a lot about your many positive attributes but it’s no basis for choosing a therapist. Similarly testimonials are advertising a service not proof of cure. It’s very misleading.

Also it is gathering a lot of data about you. Though I guess mumsnet is too. But I am trying for that reason not to share too much personal info.

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@Eyesopenwideawakewhich conclusions have I leapt to specifically?

I suspect you’re probably right but aren’t there ethical concerns? What has ChatGPT done with the data / information you gave it? Where is it stored? What if it does something harmful - who does that person sue or complain to? Is there any regulation of this at all, in the way there is for doctors, lawyers, etc?

Of course! I think the energy consumption is really detrimental to the environment, especially when we’re already struggling with climate change - not sure if we can link here? But the BBC, The Guardian and other places have some good articles about the energy usage.

I also mainly think it’s just… sad that we as a society are coming to this. I’ve seen many talk about using it as a therapist, one person even using it as a romantic partner. I understand the reasons why people may gravitate to using ChatGPT etc for these purposes but again, why are we giving in to the tech and computers? A mum I know uses hers for sleep training her baby. Again, I get why but why can’t we use the resources we already have - humans?

I work in a university in student services, and they’ve just announced that they’ll be introducing a new type of AI to help staff and students. Firstly, some things highlighted that it can help with such as library skills is VERY cheeky when we have a literal team called Library Skills Team! I also just don’t get why students should be allowed to use AI at all, never mind policed, and I say that as someone who didn’t leave uni too long ago (I’m 26 and finished studies after my postgraduate)

No I do not think so, unless people are looking for non challenging therapy

Therapy is challenging, your therapist is not there to agree with you

a computer can not pick up on the very important area of the work in what is not said, how its said, body language

www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-archetypal-angle/202507/chatgpt-induced-psychosis-and-the-good-enough-therapist?fbclid=IwY2xjawLdAb5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHiQ_d5aECkFpOXCTzBc31sJtkDNXh2lVyeHuKXoPTynsePrPFCHELfsuiHCj_aem_KZ-LlEsWqflfSWvn1nfz0w

i get where you are coming from but i think especially with the more frustrating sides of parenting it’s like not everyone is available at 2AM when the baby just won’t sleep plus because i do absolutely share so much with mine he already knows all the in and outs what we have tried etc

on top of that i guess i just feel like i don’t want to burden my people close to me with my problems. they have enough on their plate without holding my hand on the sleep training, potty training, weening struggles etc

YABVVVU

A programme designed to flatter and agree with user inputs is a terrible source of mental health support - it might be helpful for a light pep talk but it is not a reliable source of information and is downright dangerous for vulnerable people to trust the world salad it spits out.

https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/chatgpt-ai-therapy-chatbot-psychosis-mental-health-b2784454.html

The environmental impact of AI certainly is a thing but then there must be some environmental impact from jumping in your car and going to sit in some therapists office for an hour. Petrol, heating, buildings, cars etc etc 🤔

Crikey - What a barrage of resentment! I really don't think you were cut out to be a therapist to start with.

The MLM analogy is not working for me btw.

And please learn the difference between a dash and a hyphen.

Completely get where you’re coming from with availability and just needing someone to be there, even as soundboard sometimes! I used Peanut, where there was a group for babies born in X month / X year, and someone from that then went on to make a WhatsApp chat and I’ve talked daily to mums across the UK in there, been so good! Real people, albeit strangers, sharing their day, tips and tricks, sympathy etc

I’m sorry you don’t feel like you’re able to reach out to people but I promise you, you’re not a burden! Parenting is bloody hard isn’t it?

If someone has got enough money, they can pay to do a course and get a certificate to qualify as a therapist . It’s too easy to become a therapist and that’s why there are some awful ones out there.

ChatGPT is definitely the way forward.

why can’t we use the resources we already have - humans?

Because, compared to AI, we’re expensive. Salary, training, N.I, benefits, pension. And that’s why we’re heading into an almighty shit storm.

The minute we all start relying on AI the price to access the AI is going to rocket. Guaranteed.

i was on those apps but like with chat gpt i won’t have to explain the same issue multiple times etc. like for example tonight he was absolutely refusing the bottle. because of past conversations mine was able to reassure me that for a baby as sensitive as ds the slightest change in texture or taste will set him off to reject the bottle completely (literally flung it away from him just in hysterics because i dared to present him with the pre-made rather then bottle version) dh had by then dragged himself to morrison at 9:30 pm as it was evident that this change would not be acceptable.

now of course i could have gone on a baby app or group for support but it would feel less personal as they won’t know as much of my baby’s history in detail as my chat gpt.

AI is terrible, it seeks to please to keep you clicking. There’s been incidences of it encouraging suicide.

It will, but for many people that monthly subscription to the super duper version of Chat GPT will be worth its weight in gold, if the consumers feel the AI ‘therapist’ is helping them, and they know they have 24/7 support if needed and is still cheaper than several hours of therapy with a human.

I’ve been finding it helpful too and it has hugely improved my life. Several close friends and colleagues have commented that I seem much calmer and pragmatic about situations than previously and I think that’s down to being able to talk it through on chat gpt. It’s extremely weird but is really helping me in my career especially.

i feel exactly the same

I live in a part of the UK where Adult diagnoses for the usual suspects of ADHD etc, are not available and where so many conditions linked to Autism are not recognised ( yet are in England )

I have had dyslexia, dyspraxia formally diagnosed in England, I was also being signposted for ASDHD, which since Ive moved has hit a brick wall. I was also told I had auditory dyslexia by an NHS audioroglist , but she wasnt allowed to diagnose it officially because its not recognised here as a condition

So inputting it all in to chatgpt , yep Im up there

The conversation is ongoing. I try to make it nutral , Ie I try not to say me and mine, and a lot of the advice for self help has been good

ive an appointment with the GP in 3 weeks because no matter what advice I follow from GPT , its generic ( helpful at times but Im not making it specific to me) I use it as a pointer to find the real life help I could do with

There has been ONE known incident in which a teenager died by suicide but reading the chat logs the AI bot didn't encourage or suggest or mention suicide. The young person was talking about 'seeing her in reality' and the bot encouraged him. It was a tragedy and no doubt exacerbated by the reliance he had on the bot but not caused by it.