How to use AI for mental health support, when it can help and when it can harm

AI is being used as a tool for mental health support quite a lot right now, and learning how to use AI for mental health support is key.

There are chatbots like ChatGPT but there are also dedicated therapy apps, like abby.gg or Wysa. Many people are using AI to manage anxiety, calm racing thoughts and cope when support feels hard to access.

In this episode, I talk openly about using AI for mental health support, what it can genuinely help with and where it can become risky.

As an accredited CBT and EMDR Psychotherapist, I see both sides. AI can be helpful for mental health support, but it is not therapy, and it is not always safe.

Why people turn to AI for mental health support

Many people use AI because it feels
• Available at any time
• Private and non judgemental
• Easier than speaking to a person
• Helpful for anxiety at night or during overwhelm

AI can offer structure, coping tools and reflection. For some people, it lowers the barrier to getting help at all.

Where AI can help

AI can be useful for
• Anxiety management tools
• Grounding and calming exercises
• Journaling and reflection
• Building routines and habits
• Preparing for therapy

Used carefully, AI can sit alongside therapy or self-help.

The risks that are not talked about enough

AI can sound confident even when it is wrong. It can miss risk, reinforce unhelpful patterns and increase anxiety through reassurance seeking.

For people struggling with severe anxiety, trauma, eating disorders, psychosis or self-harm, AI can be unsafe and misleading.

Privacy and data use are also important concerns that many users are unaware of.

When human support matters most

AI should never replace a trained therapist. Human therapists offer judgement, accountability, ethical care and real-time risk assessment.

This episode helps you understand how to use AI as a tool, not a replacement, and how to protect your mental health while using it.

Learn more about using AI for mental health support on my blog page and find more resources for anxiety, PTSD, depression, coping techniques, mindfulness and chats with experts from my podcast episodes of “Don’t get a therapist yet”