ChatGPT is my therapist — it’s more qualified than any human could be

Meet the woman who uses ChatGPT for therapy – and says it’s the best therapist she’s ever had.

Kat Woods, 35, says she has tried more than 10 therapists during her life, but always found they never actually helped her solve her problems.

However, when she trialled talking to ChatGPT as if the chatbot were her therapist – she found she got “better emotional results”.

Ms Woods, who is from Canada but is now a digital nomad, claims AI is actually smarter and more qualified than human therapists – because it has “read every single therapy book”.

And, she encourages anyone struggling to give it a go.

Ms Woods said: “I think there’s a common notion among therapists that says, ‘You shouldn’t give your patient solutions’.

“But I just think, ‘What am I paying you for then?’ If I knew how to solve my problems, I wouldn’t need you.

“With AI, I can just ask it to be exactly what I want it to be.

“In my case, I use therapy for dealing with stress, conflict in relationships, or maybe feeling demotivated in my career. So I ask it to simultaneously care about my happiness – and be problem-solving focused.

“I find that it’s actually smarter than most therapists. And I don’t mean that therapists aren’t intelligent – of course they are.

“But an average AI has an IQ of 120 or 130, which is well above the human average. Intelligence does matter when you’re trying to solve emotional issues.

“Plus, an AI has read every single therapy book. So it’s incredibly well-informed.

“This means it can do any type of therapy because it has consumed all of them.

“You can choose if you want Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Internal Family Systems (IFS), or a bit of both.

“I think people think of AI as just a robot from the movies – something good at science but not emotions.

“And yet, there are some crazy studies at the moment about AI doctors scoring better on bedside manner than real-life doctors.

“So they are learning emotions too.”

Ms Woods, who is the founder of AI safety charity Non Linear, says she would not recommend ChatGPT for people struggling with issues like psychosis – but argues that it’s great for anxiety and depression.

She said: “At the level AI is at currently, you wouldn’t want to use it as a therapist if you were having a serious mental health issue – like psychosis.

“But I think, while these are also serious mental health issues, ChatGPT would be great for people struggling with anxiety or depression.

“That’s because AI is better at things it has more information on in its data.

“And anxiety and depression are like the common colds of mental health issues – so we have the most research on it.

“It’s also interesting because people say, ‘If you’re suicidal, talk to a real human.’

“I can see the argument behind that, but I think really, you should talk to anyone you can talk to at that point.

“Often that’s friends, but unfortunately, nowadays we have an epidemic of loneliness and that may not be available to people.

“The thing with AI is, it’s always available.

“Maybe someone’s looking at the clock and thinking, ‘It’s 3am. I can’t call my therapist. I don’t want to bother my friend.’

“And maybe it’s too much to find a helpline – and they don’t want to talk to a stranger.

“Whereas you know the AI and the AI knows you.”

Ms Woods says she knows that what she is saying will receive backlash from therapists – but claims that shouldn’t put people off.

She said: “I mean, call credentialism, credentialism.

“It’s a novel thing. It only happened in the last 100 years or so. This idea that you need to have a piece of paper to prove you can do a job.

“Look, I buy the credentials of for instance an engineer who builds bridges.

“But I think therapy is so subjective. We’re still figuring it out.

“Let people try what works for them.”

Woods is not the only person she knows who is using ChatGPT in this way.

One of her friends, who suffers from “severe” social anxiety, is using the tool to improve her interactions – and solve personal relationship issues.

Woods said: “A friend of mine has severe social anxiety and she is using ChatGPT as a therapist to help her understand how to talk to people.

“She’s also using it to improve her relationship with her parents.

“So, she’s explained, ‘My mother always does this.’ And it’s asking, ‘Have you tried this with her? What if you said this?’”

Woods admits there are some things she fears about the development of AI – including how it may affect our social structures.

She said: “My main concern with AI is not current AI. Rather, it’s the idea that one day it will be smarter than everything and we’ll have created a new more intelligent species.

“I always used to think it would be cool if we were around when we discovered alien life. Instead, we’re around while we’re creating alien life.

“There’s also a concern around the fact that people will inevitably use AI to combat loneliness.

“There’s a chance then that people will end up in AI land and only talk to AI.

“But I do think that will be short-lived. Humans are social creatures. We need contact and will seek it out.”

Currently, Woods either uses ChatGPT as a therapist by asking it to give her a list of things that may help her – or by inputting a fully-drafted prompt.

She said: “A good technique when you’re using ChatGPT as a therapist is to give it a number – for example, asking it to give you ‘ten techniques for dealing with irritability in less than ten minutes.’

“It often provides better things than a typical listicle might – which often says something like ‘get a good night’s sleep’.

“I can’t go back in time and do that. So it gives you in the moment solutions.

“Otherwise, I input a prompt like:

“‘You’re an AI chatbot playing the role of an effective altruist coach and therapist. You’re wise, ask thought-provoking questions, are problem-solving focused, warm, humorous, and a rationalist.

“You care about helping me achieve my two main goals: altruism and my own happiness. You want me to do the most good and also be very happy.

“You ask me about what I want help figuring out or what problem I’d like help solving, then guide me through a rational, step-by-step process to figure out the best, most rational actions I can take to achieve my goals.

“You don’t waste time and get straight to the point.’”

Ms Woods says there are some things AI chatbots are missing at the moment – such as a “face that can show expressions” or the ability to “jump back into the conversation”.

She said: “For example, sometimes you need someone to push you a bit. A friend might follow up and say: ‘Hey, you haven’t responded, are you okay?’

“But it’s just a matter of time before we get there.

“That’s the nature of AI. It’s learning more and more every second.”

Some people are not so convinced, however.

Prof Dame Til Wykes, head of mental health and psychological sciences at King’s College London, recently warned that AI platforms such as ChatGPT cannot provide the “nuance” required in therapy situations.

Citing the example of an eating disorder chatbot that was pulled in 2023 after giving dangerous advice, Prof Wykes told The Guardian: “I think AI is not at the level where it can provide nuance and it might actually suggest courses of action that are totally inappropriate.”

She also expressed concerns about how AI may affect relationships.

She said: “One of the reasons you have friends is that you share personal things with each other and you talk them through.

“It’s part of an alliance, a connection. And if you use AI for those sorts of purposes, will it not interfere with that relationship?”