AI is showing up everywhere: on our phones, in our inboxes, even in therapy spaces. It’s easy to feel curious… and maybe a bit cautious too. Clients have started asking me: What does all this mean for mental health? Should I be worried? Will AI replace therapists?
I want to share some thoughts. Not from a tech expert, but as a therapist who cares deeply about how we stay grounded, connected, and mentally well in a world that’s moving quickly.
In my own practice, I use a tool called Heidi AI to help with admin tasks like note taking, letter writing, and session summaries. It supports me behind the scenes so I can focus more on the work we do together.
If you’d prefer not to have your sessions supported by this tool, you can opt out at any time. Just let me know. There is no pressure or judgment, your comfort comes first.
I also write my substack drafts and then I get ChatGPT to polish them, in my tone, in my voice and then I’ll edit and refine some more. I treat ChatGPT as an intern that I am training.
Let’s start with the potential. When used with care, AI can support mental wellbeing in some meaningful ways:
Some AI-powered apps offer mindfulness prompts, grounding techniques, or quick emotional check-ins. These can be a great support between sessions or a gentle entry point for those not ready for therapy.
AI is being developed to detect early signs of anxiety, depression, or burnout based on language use or behavioural patterns. This could mean earlier access to support and less time feeling stuck or overwhelmed.
In the future, therapists may be able to use AI to spot patterns across sessions or tailor interventions based on what works well for similar presentations. This could bring more precision to therapy, especially when combined with lived experience and relational insight.
No app or chatbot can replace the felt sense of being seen, heard, and understood by another human. That relational safety is often where the healing really begins. It’s why therapy can be so powerful.
AI tools are built on data, often personal and sensitive. It’s always okay to ask who has access, how it’s stored, and whether it aligns with your values. Your information is part of your narrative, and it deserves care.
Most social platforms use AI to keep us engaged, which often means keeping us emotionally activated. That can lead to more overstimulation, comparison, and low-level anxiety. And it can be so subtle you don’t even notice it’s happening.
As AI becomes more realistic, it gets harder to tell what’s real, what’s curated, and what’s generated. This can create a kind of low-level confusion or disorientation, especially if you are already someone who processes the world deeply.
If you’re highly sensitive, neurodivergent, or simply tuned in to subtle shifts in tone and energy, this can feel exhausting. You might find yourself second-guessing your gut, wondering if you’re overreacting, or feeling more overwhelmed by digital noise. The line between meaningful content and mental clutter starts to blur.
Over time, this digital fog can make it harder to access your intuition, stay grounded, or feel like your inner compass is working. That’s why it’s more important than ever to slow down, pause, and reconnect with your own internal signals — outside of screens and algorithms.
This isn’t just about apps or therapy tools. It’s also about society as a whole.
What happens if AI starts replacing entire sectors of work? How do we stay mentally and emotionally well when so much of our sense of identity and stability is tied to roles, purpose, and contribution?
AI relieves us of draining, repetitive work and frees up time for creativity, community, and care. We get to live in ways that are slower, more spacious, and more human. Rest and connection become central. We build systems that support our nervous systems.
Large-scale job loss, increased inequality, and people feeling more disconnected and unmoored. Our systems fail to catch up with the emotional and structural impact. Human needs are overlooked in favour of efficiency, and many are left navigating loss of meaning without support.
Check in with yourself. How do certain tools or platforms make you feel? More grounded, or more spun out? That information matters.
Be intentional with your tech. Choose what you engage with. Take breaks. Unfollow accounts that don’t nourish you. Use settings that protect your peace.
Choose connection over perfection. The therapeutic relationship, friendships, shared community, these will always offer something AI cannot.
Use AI as a support, not a substitute. Let it assist you if it helps, but remember: your humanity, your feelings, and your needs come first.
You’re allowed to feel unsure, cautious, hopeful, overwhelmed, curious, or all of the above. This is a time of big change. You’re not alone in wondering how to stay steady within it.
Remember how we all adapted smartphones into our every day lives? I’m expecting something similar on a sped up trajectory.
Becky x
Whether you’re here for your own healing, support in your organisation, or guidance in your therapy business, there are several ways we can work together:
I currently have a waitlist for EMDR and CBT. I specialise in complex trauma, neurodiversity, and eating disorders — supporting deep feelers, sensitive souls, and those ready for real change.
I run small, in-person therapy groups in a safe, welcoming space. These groups support clients with binge eating, ADHD, and emotional overwhelm, combining connection, psychoeducation, and evidence-based tools.
If you’re looking for a more focused and time-efficient approach to healing, my EMDR intensives offer a deeper dive in a shorter space of time. These are ideal if you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or want to fast-track your recovery.
I work with universities and organisations to deliver evidence-based workshops on mental health, neurodiversity, and eating disorders, with a focus on creating cultures that actually support wellbeing (not just ticking boxes).
For therapists, coaches, and mental health professionals, I offer compassionate, trauma-informed clinical supervision that supports both your clinical work and your sustainability as a practitioner.
Burnt out from back-to-back sessions or ready to grow beyond 1:1 work? I offer business coaching for therapists who want to earn well, work sustainably, and build a practice that actually feels good.
Looking for honest, rebellious reflections on life as a therapist? Join my Therapist Substack, where I write about the messy middle, ethical marketing, therapy fatigue, money shame, and running a values-led business.
If something here resonates, you can contact me here or head to my website to find out more.
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