ChatGPT (AI) & Therapy: The Do’s and Don’ts of Using AI & Therapy Homework.

By Destinee Rodriguez

Not a single day has gone by in recent months without hearing about some new way to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into our daily lives, or some new advancement in how we can use AI. If it feels overwhelming with all of the news regarding Artificial Intelligence, remember that this is a new reality we can use to work alongside us, like virtual assistants. 

Some use programs like ChatGPT to help create lists, workout goals, and build routines, and I use ChatGPT to read tarot cards and explore other spiritual ideologies, along with many others. Some people think that AI is either all good or all bad, and it can be, depending on how we use it. Because ChatGPT and other AI programs can learn about us as humans and who we are as people, in addition to holding “memories,” sometimes the answers we receive can be incorrect or altered to suit the user. 

Now more than ever, we see many people using AI tools for therapy, therapeutic advice, and programs to understand themselves through a therapeutic lens. Let’s explore the benefits of using AI alongside therapy to complete homework and other self-reflective tasks: 

Artificial Intelligence and Therapy Homework: The Do’s.

Some homework assignments that therapists assign can be deeply thought-provoking and reflective, which can lead to some anxiety about completing the assignment. There are a variety of ways we can utilize AI regarding therapy assignments to help us explore ourselves deeper without losing touch with our human connections: 

DO:

·      Use ChatGPT for brainstorming and reflection: AI can help users and clients in therapy brainstorm and reflect on their assignments in a structured and organized way. This can be immensely helpful for the neurodivergent community, as AI can also aid in helping structure thoughts that may feel too intense for the user. 

Some example prompts that users can input into ChatGPT can look like: 

• My counselor assigned me homework, asking me to identify my values. Can you help me brainstorm and organize my values and beliefs?”

• “Give me a reflective journal prompt to improve my relationships and help me set healthy boundaries.”

• “Can you help me build small achievable goals that can improve my emotional regulation?”

• “Help me sit with this uncomfortable emotion and explore it instead of pushing the emotion away.”

·      Use ChatGPT for basic therapeutic information and concept clarification: Some of the deeper concepts that counseling homework addresses can be confusing and somewhat overwhelming, and asking ChatGPT for clarification on the assignment can provide insight in between sessions, in addition to simplifying complex therapeutic terms like “Dialectical Behavior Therapy” (DBT) to make them more digestible and easier to understand.

Some examples that can be put into ChatGPT include:

• “Can you tell me what dialectical behavioral therapy is and what it does? How can it help me?”

• “My therapy homework is to complete a worksheet called Beliefs of a Closed Mind, but I am not sure what that is. Can you explain it to me?”

• This assessment told me I have an anxious attachment style. What does that mean? How does that show up in my daily life?”

·      Use ChatGPT as a journal or to complete therapeutic goals: ChatGPT can be an excellent resource to supplement the work done within the session and homework assignments provided by the therapist. We can get creative and tailor them to our choosing. We can also use the program to keep track of therapeutic goals and achievements. 

• “Help me create a list of activities I enjoy that will help me achieve my goals in therapy.”

• “Can you make me a journal prompt that can help me explore my childhood through DBT and how my childhood experiences affect me now?”

• I get anxious quickly, and my counselor recommends I do a body scan, but I don’t like it. Is there something else I can do that will give me the same effect?”

Clinical Privacy & HIPAA Considerations

When we use programs like ChatGPT and other forms of AI, it is critical to note that these programs do not need to maintain client confidentiality. Client-Counselor confidentiality is exclusive to the human-to-human therapeutic experience, so it is essential to understand that whatever information we provide to ChatGPT can be considered “public,” can be used in a court of law to defend or prosecute, or just seen by people whom the user may not have intended. These programs are not regulated by HIPAA, a United States law established in 1996 to protect patient privacy and non-consensual disclosure of sensitive health information. This law aims to protect patient privacy, but it does not apply when ChatGPT is used as an impromptu therapist. Keeping the information we provide to ChatGPT minimal is good practice, without disclosing specifics like names or locations of other parties involved. 

Artificial Intelligence and Therapy Homework: The Don’ts

As we can see, there are many advantages to using AI programs like ChatGPT to complete therapy assignments. They can simplify complex language, make the assignments creative, and help the user dive deeper than they would on their own, yet there are many disadvantages. First and foremost, the first thing to consider is that Artificial Intelligence is not and cannot replace the human-to-human interaction between a therapist and a client. Regarding therapy homework assignments, let’s consider the don’ts:

DON’T:

·      Let ChatGPT do all the hard work: The homework therapists assign their clients is only as effective as the client's efforts to complete it. We can utilize AI to help us get started or explain the assignment in simpler terms, but we can’t and should not allow it to do the work for us! If the homework is meant to make us uncomfortable, it is essential to let those feelings sit, no matter how uncomfortable, rather than have ChatGPT complete it for us.

·      Replace real therapy with ChatGPT or other AI programs: This is a critical don’t. There is a lot of discourse surrounding AI as a replacement for a human therapeutic relationship. Still, it is essential to recognize that AI is not clinically trained and can make mistakes. ChatGPT and other AI programs cannot provide the levels of empathy and connection that a human-to-human relationship can. 

·      Take everything ChatGPT says at face value: As we build relationships with our AI programs, these programs gain a deeper understanding of who we are as humans. They understand the things we like, dislike, and hobbies. They often know what we do for work, our goals, and other things based on the information we provide. Various “ChatGPT Prompts” are circulating on social media, allowing the program to analyze the user deeply. It is critical to remember that the information is often biased in favor of the user and can cause mental health issues to worsen. 

Honesty is Key: Final Thoughts 

In essence, AI is not the enemy. It is critical to be honest with any therapist about using ChatGPT for assistance with completing homework, in addition to using it to explore therapeutic practices or for help in reaching goals. When used correctly, AI can be incredibly helpful in getting users to dive deep into themselves and provide coaching when they cannot reach their therapist. Yet, ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence are not a replacement for a human therapeutic relationship. ChatGPT is not clinically trained, is not up to date on current practices and legalities, and can favor the user by giving biased and unhelpful results. Always speak to a licensed professional if experiencing struggles with using AI (overreliance, dependency, disconnection from reality, and other reasons).