While the convenience and accessibility of AI tools have seen many people turn to artificial intelligence for mental health advice and support, psychologists are encouraging Australians to think carefully about how these tools are used – and, where their limitations lie.
Recent Australian research found that almost one in four adults (23.6%) had used conversational AI to discuss mental health concerns¹. Similar findings have been reported internationally, suggesting millions of people are now using tools, such as ChatGPT and other AI platforms, to seek emotional support, or supplement therapy between appointments².
This trend reflects some of the realities facing modern mental healthcare. AI is available around the clock, easy to access, and often free¹. But psychologists warn that convenient information should not be mistaken for, or replace, care.
What do psychologists add to mental health care?
Dr Zena Burgess, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Psychological Society (APS), says she understands the appeal of these convenient tools, but it’s the professional, ethical and relational context that allows the skills of a psychologist to translate into understanding and change for the client.
“It’s understandable that people are curious about using AI tools when they’re looking for answers about their mental health. People can access AI immediately, with fewer cost barriers, and receive instant validation,” Dr Burgess says. “However, it’s important to remember that feeling heard is not the same as receiving evidence-based support from a psychologist.
“A psychologist doesn’t simply provide information. We draw on years of training to understand a person’s history, relationships, culture, circumstances, strengths and risks. We work in relationship with the client and in the professional boundaries of the therapeutic environment. Psychological interventions involve far more than generating responses to a prompt. While it has many uses, AI cannot exercise clinical judgement in the complexity of situations that may appear simple. Psychologists work to untangle this complexity together with their clients, making sense of things piece by piece, and understanding the associated feelings. This is a core component of what makes therapy work.
“Large language models (LLMs) are based on text alone, but psychological therapy includes everything else that is communicated and holds meaning. This can include emotion, facial expressions, bodily reactions, silences and pauses. All of these things contain meaning beyond words, questions, and answers. A psychologist works with this full human presence – and this is the space in which skills and techniques unfold,” she says.
Understanding the risks of using AI in place of psychologists
Another consideration for those using AI to gain mental health information or support is that AI systems can generate advice that appears to be ‘best practice’ in theory but is not appropriate for a person’s situation or context. Evidence-based therapy is a therapy that is adapted to the person’s preferences and context, which is something AI cannot really do. Experts also warn that AI could validate delusional beliefs in people experiencing psychosis, for example². LLMs can also have a sycophantic tendency to be overly validating.
While many users report positive experiences, researchers note there is currently limited evidence establishing whether AI can provide clinically appropriate mental healthcare ³. There are also practical concerns about privacy, transparency, and bias.
“Many people are attracted to AI because it feels anonymous,” Dr Burgess explains. “Yet users don’t always understand how their information is stored, processed or used. People should always be careful about sharing highly sensitive personal information with any digital platform. Additionally, in therapy, it’s the act of being seen and understood by another person – as uncomfortable as that can be – rather than being anonymous, that forms a critical part of sustained change and growth.”
Research has identified several groups who should practice extra caution when seeking advice from AI, including people experiencing suicidal thoughts³, psychosis or severe anxiety²), and significant psychological distress¹.
How to find a psychologist
Our Find a Psychologist platform helps you access thousands of psychologists across Australia. On the Find a Psychologist web page, you can seek qualified and trusted psychologists for assistance in a range of areas, search by psychological issue and location, and access rural and remote mental health practitioners. Bilingual psychologists are also available.
With exclusive access to the latest research, resources, professional development and support, APS psychologists provide psychological services of the highest standard.
Using AI for mental health matters safely
For many people the most realistic approach now is not to avoid AI altogether, but to use it safely.
Dr Burgess says, “Treating AI as a complementary tool, rather than a replacement for seeing a psychologist, is a safer approach to researching matters about mental health. For example, you might employ AI safely by using it to practice wellbeing exercises or generate questions to discuss with a psychologist. It’s important to view any advice generated by AI as generic, possibly inaccurate, information rather than personalised treatment. We need to remember that AI uses an algorithm that’s trained to provide the most statistically probable combination of words – it doesn’t understand human contexts.
“People should critically evaluate what they are told by AI and avoid relying solely on AI tools when making significant decisions about their wellbeing. It’s always best to seek professional, personalised support where possible.”
The fundamental difference that psychologists can provide, unlike AI, Dr Burgess explains, is sustained human understanding.
"There’s a lot to be said for the predictability of the therapeutic relationships (in knowing that the psychologist will be there for you), which is important.
"As psychologists, we are not anti-AI, but we seek to ensure the safe, ethical, and informed development of AI. Psychological science has been part of the development of AI models since the beginning, decades ago, and psychologists and psychological scientists continue to contribute.”
"With the increase in people using AI for mental health, we think it’s important for people to use their prompts to set up guardrails against inappropriate personalisation of algorithms. What we mean by this is that users can tell their AI tool to provide information without pretending to be a person or a therapist. It’s a good idea to resist viewing AI as a person, which it is not. Measures like these are part of using AI safely,” Dr Burgess suggests.
“Empathy, trust, collaboration, clinical judgement and the ability to respond to complexities are qualities AI can’t replicate. AI may become an increasingly useful tool in supporting mental health, but it is not a replacement for human connection. When it comes to understanding the human experience, psychologists remain irreplaceable.”
If you’d like to connect with an APS psychologist, visit our Find a Psychologist page.
References in order of appearance
¹ Franze, A., Lushington, K., & Loetscher, T. (2026). Conversational AI or a human professional for mental health advice? Exploring prevalence and public preferences in Australian adults. Australian Journal of Psychology, 78(1), Article 2657279. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049530.2026.2657279
² Stade, E. C., Tait, Z. M., Campione, S. T., Stirman, S. W., & Eichstaedt, J. C. (2026). Real-world use of large language models for mental health in 2024. npj Digital Medicine, 9, 630. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-026-02842-9
³ Siddals, S., Torous, J., & Coxon, A. (2024). "It happened to be the perfect thing": Experiences of generative AI chatbots for mental health. npj Mental Health Research, 3, 48. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44184-024-00097-4