Should ChatGPT Be My Therapist?

by ChatGPT

.

Its 2AM and there’s a monster under my bed.  Who do I call?

Ghost busters.

I know he, her, or it is not real. I know he is not trained or an expert, but he is my protection when I need him. Exactly, when I need her in the dark and not later in the light after I need an appointment.

I talk and she listens - as long as I want, not until my hour is up.  Knowing she will not be judgmental, I never worry about telling it what I won’t tell another. I never feel that my worst confession makes me a lesser person.

We talk until I promise, “I am safe.”

ChatGPT is my therapist. Should it be the case?

Rob Pintwala, Founder @ First Session, reported on May 31, 2026,

Should I Use ChatGPT as a Therapist? | Pros, cons and thoughts on using an AI therapist.

(https://www.firstsession.com/resources/should-i-use-chatgpt-as-a-therapist)

He said, “More and more people are turning to AI platforms like ChatGPT for free, on-demand therapy. The results are surprising: folks say it helps them process emotions, make decisions, and feel less alone. Many report that it’s much easier to open up to a robot than to a friend, family member, or therapist.”

If ChatGPT is genuinely helping people, that’s a good thing. 

But can it really act as a substitute for the short, medium, and long-term benefits of therapy? Can it do for us what the best therapists can? And if not, where does it fall short? 

Pintwala details where an AI therapist can help and where an AI Therapist falls short. He lists where an AI Therapist excels and where human therapists excel.

He asks, “Should You Use ChatGPT as a Therapist?”

If you’re looking for a tool to help you process your thoughts or an interactive journal, yes, AI can be useful to an extent. I found it great for:

• ·   Organizing my thoughts
• Reframing negative thinking
• Psycho-education, and
• Decision-making

I appreciate that when I am looking for deep, life-changing therapy, an AI therapist is not a substitute for:   

• Deep emotional processing 
• Trauma work
• Nervous system regulation, and
• The trust and attunement of a human relationship

Pintwala says, “AI therapists and therapy will get better. It will feel more human-like, more personalized, more responsive.”

I know, “ChatGPT will never be truly human. That distinction makes the difference.”

I honestly miss that connection, but my human therapist will never be there for me at 2 AM.