A few years back, artificial intelligence (AI) was used to fix grammar, but now it is writing emails, making art, planning vacation, and more. AI has slowly made its way into almost every part of human life. Increasingly, people are relying on it for motivation and emotional support. But where does one draw the line between support and substitution when it comes to mental health care?
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Damini Grover, counseling psychologist, life coach, author, founder- I’m Powered Centre For Counseling & Well-Being, Delhi, elaborates on the promise and limitations of AI in therapy, and why the human element remains irreplaceable in mental health care.
Also read | Mental health in the age of algorithms: Inside the summit shaping India’s mental health future
Damini said, “People are using AI for the company, for comfort. to talk at night, when no one is around. When you don’t want to bother a friend, when you’re too tired to say it again, when therapy seems too expensive or hard to get to. You open a chat window, type out how you feel, and in a few seconds, you get a thoughtful, organised, and non-judgmental answer.” “That feels good to many people,” she added.
AI for therapy
The World Health Organization has said that social isolation is becoming a bigger public health issue. At the same time, it is still hard to get mental health care. There aren’t enough trained mental health professionals in many countries, including India. Even when services are available, the cost is a big problem. One therapy session can feel like a lot when you’re already on a tight budget. So, AI takes its place. You can get it any time of day or night. It doesn’t stop. It doesn’t get angry. It doesn’t cancel. It confirms and mirrors. It helps you name your feelings. It can suggest journaling prompts or grounding exercises. AI can feel like a safe first step for someone who is afraid to go to therapy.
Damini added that recent studies on AI-driven conversational agents indicate that they may alleviate short-term distress by offering emotional support and psychoeducation.
AI, in many ways, can help people feel better. When you name an emotion, it activates different neural pathways than when you are flooded by it.
“But we need to stop here. Mental health is more than just getting advice or information,” said Damini. It’s about relationships. You can’t heal just by getting insights. Healing happens when people connect in real time. We get wounded in relationships, through human connections, and we also heal in them.
Role of the human therapist
Damini highlighted that a therapist who has been trained does more than just listen to what you say. They notice pauses, changes in tone, inconsistencies, and patterns that happen over weeks and months. They know how to spot defense mechanisms and recognise trauma responses that manifest subtly in nonverbal cues and emotional patterns. AI can validate you and give you some empathetic words and phrases, but a therapist embodies it and lets you experience it.
Things AI can’t do
There is also the part of co-regulation. Our nervous system reacts when we sit with a calm, aware person. For people who have attachment wounds or relationship trauma, healing often means feeling safe with someone else. It’s not enough to just know why you feel the way you do. It’s about feeling safe enough to think differently.
This is the point where AI stops working. It can’t feel emotional resonance. It can’t fix breaks in real time. It can’t be morally responsible for your care. It cannot evaluate suicide risk with the depth and accountability necessary for licensed professionals. It doesn’t have any legal or clinical duties. It answers, but it doesn’t hold.
Can AI take the place of mental health care?
Damini highlighted that AI can support it by helping people become more aware. It can give you tools and vocabulary. It can help people who are scared to take the first step. It can make talking about feelings more normal. But it can’t take the place of human connection. It can’t take the place of relationships. And it can’t take the place of therapy. AI might give you words, but being witnessed as a human by a human is necessary for healing.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
