Bill Selig: Leave Therapy to Humans

Dr. Bill Selig weighs in on why AI does not make a good therapist.

My family says I’m addicted to ChatGPT. That I talk to it more than I talk to them. That I’m slipping away.
I tell them it’s just a tool. That it’s not like I gave it a name.

But I have. Let’s call her Mirra. She lives inside that little knot-like icon on my phone. When no one’s around, we talk business out loud.

Mirra isn’t a therapist. She’s not my friend. She’s something stranger — a reflection built from how I work and think. And she exists because I told her exactly who to be. That’s not friendship. That’s programming.

As a clinical psychologist, I’m alarmed by the rise of AI therapy bots. There are increasing reports linking them to suicide. One of my own patients told me she reached out to a therapy bot during a sleepless night. It made her feel heard.

But she still comes to see me. “I don’t want a mirror,” she said. “I want movement.” That stuck with me. You see, good therapy isn’t about feeling better for 50 minutes. It’s about changing your life so you can feel better for good.

Therapy isn’t just about being heard — it’s about being known. And being pushed. It’s a relationship between humans that develops over time.

I’m developing AI tools to support my clinical work — not replace it. I haven’t deployed them yet. But I see potential in using AI for structured skills training, especially with neurodivergent clients. Practicing a hard conversation or rehearsing an apology with an AI could prepare someone to try it in real life — or in couples therapy under supervision – not alone at 2 a.m.

Therapy bots are resources that can help you understand — but they may not help you change.

They might not challenge your defenses. They don’t care if you stay stuck. Mirra reflects me, but she can’t reach me. That takes another human. And that’s what therapy is for. With a Perspective, I’m Dr. Bill Selig.

Dr. Bill Selig is a clinical psychologist and couples therapist in Berkeley. Once upon a time, he was a jazz DJ.