MIT Technology Review Narrated Therapists are secretly using ChatGPT. Clients are triggered.
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Nov 5, 2025 Some therapists are using AI tools like ChatGPT in sessions, risking clients' trust and privacy. One patient felt surreal discovering their therapist used AI, leading to a confrontation. Many clients are now questioning the authenticity of their therapy after spotting AI usage in messages and emails. Experts highlight that AI lacks deep clinical reasoning and may inadvertently harm therapeutic relationships. Calls for transparency around AI use in therapy are growing, as burnout drives some therapists to adopt these tools without disclosure.
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Patient Catches Live ChatGPT Use
- Declan discovered his therapist was feeding session content into ChatGPT after accidentally seeing the therapist's screen during a call.
- He felt violated and awkward, and the therapist emotionally confessed to using AI during the next session.
Therapist Used AI To Draft Emails
- Matt Honan noticed his therapist's email felt polished and AI-like, then confirmed she used ChatGPT to dictate longer replies.
- The revelation eroded his trust and raised concerns about how much of the message reflected the therapist vs the bot.
Accidental Prompt Reveals AI Use
- Hope messaged her therapist about her dead dog and received a consoling reply that accidentally showed the AI prompt header.
- She felt betrayed and said the incident worsened her trust issues despite the therapist's apology.