Prosper in Private Practice

Your client is using ChatGPT between sessions - what should you do?

Claire Feldman

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0:00 | 12:36

What should you do when a client tells you they have been using ChatGPT between therapy sessions?

In this episode, I explore how therapists and counsellors in private practice can respond to clients’ use of AI with curiosity, professional discernment and ethical awareness, without shaming the client or immediately dismissing what they have found helpful.

More clients are using ChatGPT to process their experiences, reflect between sessions and make sense of their mental health. Some are also using AI tools while deciding whether to seek therapy or looking for a therapist who specialises in a particular difficulty.

That creates important questions for therapists:

• How might our own feelings about AI affect the therapeutic relationship?
• What should we do when ChatGPT gives a client an interpretation or insight?
• How can we discuss privacy, accuracy and informed use without lecturing or shaming?
• Could conversations with AI bring useful material into the therapy room?

I share three helpful ways to respond when a client mentions using ChatGPT:

  1. Become curious about the conversation and what felt meaningful.
  2. Explore the information together rather than immediately correcting it.
  3. Gently support informed use, including awareness of privacy, context and possible inaccuracies.

This is not an argument for AI replacing human therapy. It is an invitation for therapists to have more balanced, thoughtful and ethically informed conversations about something many clients are already doing.

I’m Claire Feldman, a therapist and the founder of Prosper in Private Practice. My work supports therapists to think critically about ethical AI use, private practice and the changing therapy landscape.

Find more resources for therapists at:
https://www.prosperinprivatepractice.com/

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This video is intended for professional education and reflective discussion. It does not constitute clinical, legal or data-protection advice.