{"id":9075,"date":"2025-07-15T01:06:08","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T01:06:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alfanouscar.com\/blog\/?p=9075"},"modified":"2025-07-15T01:06:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T01:06:08","slug":"rephrase-the-same-between-comfort-and-code-can-ai-replace-human-therapy-doha-news-in-a-different-way-no-more-than-118-characters-as-if-you-were-a-native-american-speaker-as-expert-on-content-cre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alfanouscar.com\/blog\/rephrase-the-same-between-comfort-and-code-can-ai-replace-human-therapy-doha-news-in-a-different-way-no-more-than-118-characters-as-if-you-were-a-native-american-speaker-as-expert-on-content-cre\/","title":{"rendered":"Rephrase the same Between comfort and code: Can AI replace human therapy? – Doha News in a different way no more than 118 characters, as if you were a native American speaker as expert on content creation and dont talk about yourself or your experience"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As AI tools become more common in mental healthcare, they are prompting new discussions around access, emotional support, ethics, and the evolving role of human therapists.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In recent years, artificial intelligence has become a powerful tool in healthcare, particularly in the field of mental health.<\/p>\n

With the global demand for psychological support exceeding the availability of qualified professionals, some researchers<\/a> have turned to AI, alongside psychobiotics, nanotechnology, as a potential solution, especially in psychotherapy.<\/p>\n

Studies<\/a> have demonstrated that AI can improve access to care and offer ongoing, personalised support for those experiencing emotional distress. Chatbots such as ChatGPT, Calmi, and Wysa now provide a rather affordable 24\/7 assistance, symptom tracking, and cognitive behavioural techniques.<\/p>\n

Research<\/a> also shows that AI tools can effectively help manage conditions such as depression and anxiety, with some trials reporting diagnostic accuracy rates of up to 95%<\/a> and a 30\u201335% reduction in anxiety symptoms in crisis-affected areas like Ukraine.<\/p>\n

Yet, while these technologies present exciting opportunities, they also raise critical ethical, clinical, and relational questions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As AI becomes more deeply embedded in therapeutic contexts, pertinent questions often linger if it can truly replace the human therapist, or it works more like an additional support. <\/p>\n

How do AI chatbots work as emotional supporters?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Calmi often use advanced natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to simulate human-like conversations.<\/p>\n

Dennis Han, a computer science student<\/a>, developed his AI therapist, Calmi<\/a>, after going through a difficult breakup. He told Doha News that accessing traditional therapy was challenging due to \u201clong waiting lists, difficulty finding the right therapist\u201d. <\/p>\n

Turning to ChatGPT revealed the potential for AI support, leading him to explore public therapy datasets and AI architectures.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Crucially, these systems do not possess genuine emotional understanding; they simulate empathy based on patterns in their training data. As Han stated, \u201cit\u2019s mimicking. Large language models don\u2019t feel anything. They can simulate empathy in a way that feels real\u201d. <\/p>\n

The primary goal for Han isn\u2019t human-like comprehension, but providing responses that are emotionally useful.<\/p>\n

He said, \u201cthe goal isn\u2019t to create something that understands emotions like a human. It\u2019s to make something that responds in ways that are emotionally useful. If it helps someone feel heard or work through a tough moment, that\u2019s what matters.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ralina Valiullina, a graduate of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies and a regular ChatGPT user, has found AI chatbots to be helpful. During a period of emotional difficulty, especially after concluding her therapy sessions a year ago, she began using ChatGPT to reflect on certain topics, often after first discussing them with friends and family.<\/p>\n

She told Doha News, \u201csometimes I felt like I was too obsessed with certain problems. I talked about them a lot with my friends. And yet, I felt that I still needed to talk. So, to avoid bothering my friends, I\u2019d just go and talk to ChatGPT\u201d.<\/p>\n

Valiullina described the chatbot as a safe, convenient space. \u201cIt became a journaling space where I could get even more emotional support. It reminded me that I\u2019m worthy, that it\u2019s okay to feel the way I do. But it wasn\u2019t a replacement for real conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added that AI\u2019s gentle tone, which she could guide and adjust, helped her stay kind to herself: \u201cI told ChatGPT to talk to me sweetly, and it started doing that, and still does. But you have to be careful, it learns from you, and you train how it talks to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

AI chatbots: Threat or complement to therapy?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

While users like Valiullina have found AI tools helpful for emotional support, mental health professionals caution against over-reliance on such systems, especially when it comes to treating deeper psychological issues.<\/p>\n

Rachida Smaili, a psychological counsellor in Qatar, stressed that AI can be valuable, but only when used responsibly and in the right context.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wouldn\u2019t say that it\u2019s enough for emotional support, but we can use it for raising awareness or for those who cannot afford therapy,\u201d she told Doha News. \u201cThe key is to use it the right way. It\u2019s not a total threat if the person has enough awareness about how to use these tools.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smaili explained that AI may help users recognise early signs of distress and encourage them to seek professional help. In her words, \u201cThe AI itself has limits where they advise to go to professionals, especially if we\u2019re speaking about self-harm or very severe cases.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, she warned that complete dependence on AI could have unintended consequences. \u201cAvoiding human interaction is one of the hardest challenges in our field,\u201d she said. \u201cIf people think, \u2018I\u2019m getting everything I want from AI, I don\u2019t need to see a therapist,\u2019 that\u2019s totally wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hala Awada, a psychological counsellor in Qatar, shared similar concerns. She acknowledged that AI\u2019s accessibility and non-judgemental interface could make it appealing for those hesitant to seek therapy. \u201cIt\u2019s fast, doesn\u2019t require an appointment, it\u2019s affordable, so it just makes it easier for people to get emotional support,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

But Awada was quick to emphasise that this is not the same as therapy. \u201cAI can offer support, but it can\u2019t replace the deep understanding and ethical care that comes from trained professionals.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also expressed concern over the potential emotional risks, including dependency and social withdrawal. \u201cOne big risk is that it can make people feel more emotionally isolated,\u201d she explained. \u201cIt could reinforce unhelpful thoughts or patterns because it doesn\u2019t challenge or reframe them like a therapist would.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of her key concerns was AI\u2019s inability to challenge unhealthy thought patterns. \u201cAI could end up reinforcing some unhelpful thoughts or patterns,\u201d she explained, \u201cbecause it doesn\u2019t have the ability to challenge or reframe those beliefs like a therapist would.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Awada, the emotional safety that therapy provides stems from the human connection itself. \u201cAI might use the right words to make someone feel heard,\u201d she said, \u201cbut it can\u2019t feel the pain. It can\u2019t empathise. That kind of connection only comes with another human.\u201d<\/p>\n

This was also highlighted by ChatGPT user Valiullina, who acknowledged that while AI offers a certain kind of emotional support, it remains limited in scope. \u201cEven if it shows empathy and understanding, it\u2019s still one-sided,\u201d she told Doha News. \u201cIt\u2019s being trained based on how you talk. If you tell it, \u2018Be objective with me, analyse from several angles,\u2019 it might help. But again, it\u2019s not a real human.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

While it is clear that AI cannot replicate the depth of human connection central to therapy, an inevitable question arises: could it ever come close?<\/p>\n

The future of AI in mental healthcare<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

AI systems are already capable of mimicking empathetic responses, remembering user preferences, and adjusting their tone to reflect users\u2019 emotional states. But with advances in technology and the ongoing revolution in AI, will it come closer to human understanding?<\/p>\n

Psychological counsellor Smaili stressed that \u201cAI will never replace the therapist or psychiatrist or any mental health professional,\u201d and warned against relying on AI as a complete substitute.<\/p>\n

Awada also emphasised the vital difference between AI emotional support and professional therapy.<\/p>\n

She said, \u201cAI can\u2019t really replicate this therapeutic alliance or this alliance between a therapist and a client because this relationship is built on trust, the therapist\u2019s attunement to the client, and a genuine human connection.\u201d<\/p>\n

She does not believe that AI, despite all its advancements, will ever reach that stage.<\/p>\n

She explained, \u201cThe therapist, their experience, their body language, their use of humour, and most importantly the empathy, all of that creates a safe environment for the client.\u201d<\/p>\n

She warns that AI cannot guarantee confidentiality or ethical safeguards, as it is not bound by professional licensing or legal standards. This concern echoes wider professional insistence that therapy must be delivered by qualified, licensed practitioners to ensure safety and effectiveness.<\/p>\n

Yet Calmi\u2019s AI developer Han pointed out the limitations and variability within human therapy itself, noting that many struggle to find trustworthy, safe spaces with professional therapists.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Han envisions a hybrid future where AI increases access to mental health support, especially for those who face barriers like cost or waiting times, allowing human therapists to focus on deeper, complex cases.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He explained, \u201cAI can offer consistency, nonjudgment, and emotional clarity,\u201d while underscoring the need for ongoing collaboration with mental health professionals to ensure safety and responsibility.<\/p>\n

He assured that user data is anonymised and not accessible to developers or professionals.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFor data, we take privacy seriously. User information is not accessible to us. Even in rare cases where we\u2019d need to look at something, the data is completely anonymous. Nothing is tied back to a real identity,\u201d Han explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He views artificial intelligence as a means to reimagine the mental health field, one in which therapists are able to concentrate on deeper, high-impact work, while AI tools offer accessible, real-time support for more routine needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He emphasised that such a model cannot function without the involvement of qualified mental health professionals. He highlighted that \u201cbuilding these systems still requires real mental health professionals. We need their insight to shape the models responsibly, and we need humans involved to make sure these tools are safe, helpful, and grounded in real therapy practices.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n