Can AI therapy tools replace professional, human care?

AI tools are available to help with daily tasks, including therapy. But can they replace professional and human care? Dr. Samra Zafar shares her insight.

AI tools are available to help with daily tasks, including therapy. But can they replace professional and human care? Physician Dr. Samra Zafar joined CTV Your Morning Edmonton’s Cory Edel on why you should think twice when dealing with certain issues.

This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Cory Edel: what types of AI tools are available right now for mental health support.

Dr. Samra Zafar: There are lots of tools available. You have chatbots, mental health apps that can provide guidance, reflection, prompts, coping strategies, but it’s really important to know that they do not replace trained mental health professionals or human connection.

I work in psychiatry and from a psychiatry standpoint, therapy involves assessment over time. You’re noticing the patterns, the risk factors, the trauma history, the medical contributors, the subtle changes in functioning. AI tools don’t have access to that full clinical picture. It just responds to what you type. Whereas clinicians, who are trained respond to what you say, what you avoid, your tone, your emotions and your entire history.

These tools can be helpful for things like check-ins, stress tracking, journaling, maybe you want to articulate how to say something to your therapist and they can help you find the words. They can work as a supplement to therapy, but not a replacement for a professional evaluation or ongoing care. It might help you journal about anxiety, but it can’t recognize when anxieties are actually masking depression, trauma or burnout. Think of it as another tool in your mental health toolkit. They can support your mental health journey, but they’re not a substitute for human guidance that keeps you safe and keeps you feeling understood. They can reflect your words back to you, but it can’t really read between the lines the way a trained clinician can.

Cory: Who can benefit most from these AI tools?

Dr. Zafar: People who are struggling to find the words to say what they want to say to their therapist. People who, perhaps, need extra support. So you have in-between therapy sessions. You need somebody to talk to at 2 a.m. and you need to vent about your feelings. You can’t call a friend. You can’t call a therapist. It’s a good way to journal. It’s the kind of journal that reflects back to you instead of just you writing in there and then finding out what you wrote later.

There are some limitations. Things that are full risk assessment require clinical judgment. AI doesn’t know when you’re minimizing your pain or hiding your vulnerability. We are trained to notice that. If somebody is struggling with persistent or distressing feelings of feeling unsafe, that’s not a moment for technology. It’s a moment for professional care. We have to look at the holistic picture and it’s not a replacement for that human judgment. However, it does have its place. It can be a supplement.

If you’re experiencing persistent symptoms of anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, then seek help immediately because there are limitations to what AI can do. However, in those in-between moments, if you know you’re just needing to vent or talk things through and articulate how you’re going to say something to your therapist or journal, then yes, the tools can have their place.

Cory: Are there situations where these AI tools are not appropriate?

Dr. Zafar: Yes, absolutely. If you’re experiencing persistent symptoms. For instance, you have two or more weeks of depressive symptoms that are really debilitating your life or you’re having suicidal thoughts or you’re hearing voices, you’re starting to believe in things. What we see right now, there’s a lot of news about AI hallucinations. So you’re starting to think, “What I’m being told, is it true or not?” Or people are starting to question your beliefs like, “Listen, you’re starting to get a little bit too out of your normal things and you’re talking a little bit abnormally now based on how you normally are,” those are things to pay attention to.

Make sure that you’re not using it for diagnosis, for crisis intervention, for treatment, you need to seek help from a qualified professional in those cases immediately. Remember, mild stress, emotional organization, reflection, preparation for therapy sessions, it’s great. But ongoing depression, anxiety, other mental health concerns, trauma, safety concerns, it’s not OK and seek professional help.