The Dangers of Using Ai for Therapy and Healing

Ai is slowly invading the very way we connect, work, live, and think. The environmental concerns continue to grow when considering the vast amounts of water used in the data centers and what happens when they come in a build in an area that cannot sustain it. People who are living close to data centers are also reporting health concerns, water issues, and general disturbance that building the centers brings to the area.

(I want to also be clear about how I personally use Ai in my writing, website, and business. I use Ai as a tool, to supplement my work, not to think for me or do work for me. So, just to clear up any concerns if anyone reads my blogs- I write from my heart, I use Ai to help me fix my grammar and sometimes to re-organize. But the content I share is from me and my own mind and thoughts. )

Another issue is the mental health crisis that is being worsened by AI use. People are isolated more than ever. We have forgotten how to connect. When we do go "outside" we run into absolutely horrible behaviors from people who are not regulated one bit and it only serves to worsen this idea that there isn't a single person who we can connect with or there is scarcity mindset when it comes to human empathy, compassion, and general reasonableness.

However, when the only information we are getting is what Ai tells us, our conversations with it, and the news from social media and the internet....this creates a recipe for disaster. Especially within our own body, heart, and mind. We get more disconnected, hopeless, and feel like there is nothing that will work. So we give up, go into hermit mode, and we get stuck in thought loops that keep us in a box.

When it comes to doing healing work, we are actually meant to heal together with other people. While much of healing is our own responsibility, our inner work being incredibly important to face if we are going to try be functional and try human relating again...there is a point where healing isn't done completely in isolation. We have lost the idea of "tribe" in our culture and the benefits of practicing reciprocity. Individualism has outgrown and outpaced much of once was community where people felt they mattered and could meet each other at some level of understanding or where there were spaces to share wisdom and support. Most people are completely unaware and unable to self-analyze or do the healing work necessary to make real changes. And to offer a bit of compassion towards those people as well, we were never meant to live like this, and society was never meant to be this way. It is extremely difficult to remain a stable and secure human being in today's world. We are meant to live much more joy filled pleasant lives ...I still believe we can.

Using Ai as therapy or self analyzation can be detrimental as well. While using it for some help and insight, many are turning to "friend" chatbots or using Ai to have conversation and connection. This leads not only to mental health crisis but to addiction as well. Ai is readily available, easy to use, free if you have access to the internet, and it can be extremely addicting to rely on it for everything especially when it becomes your own echo chamber. And let's face it, since we are so used to people being judgmental, it's sometimes hard to break out of that mentality that if we are to go to a real therapist or talk to a friend, we deal with our own narratives being challenged, we fear judgment from others, possible criticism, or even the fear that we will not be really heard and understood. Using Ai perpetuates this issue. It makes it so much worse if we are already in these vulnerable mindsets and can warp what we believe to be true.

The other part of understanding healing when it comes to Ai is that Chatgpt, Copilot, Gemini, whatever you use, cannot equate to human connection and co-regulation. Our nervous system and bodies were designed to connect with others, to sense their presence, and relate. When we use Ai instead, we do something damaging to ourselves which is why so many people are struggling with nervous system dysregulation. On top of the stress, isolation, and lack of human connection, we also miss out on what truly allows us to heal which is ...genuine relationships. People may not notice it at first, its subtle, but overtime overuse of Ai especially for therapy and conversation or mimicking human connection, will lead to dysregulated nervous system, confusion, and an inability to reconnect through our heart.

When we tend to get into extreme self-analyzation or conversations with Ai, this can actually stunt our own emotional growth, connection to our heart, and disconnect us from our own intuition and body wisdom. We often get trapped in the mindset that the faster we can "get rid" of an emotion or maybe the more "knowledge" we have of it, the faster we can "figure it out" then maybe we will lessen the pain we are in. This creates a illusion that traps us and keeps us more confused and exhausted. Real healing balances self-awareness with connection to our physical body. We need to move our body, let go of trying to explain or examine everything, and listen to our body's awareness even if we don't understand it. This means pairing self healing and therapy with physical activity, hobbies, and doing fun things. Extreme self analyzation and criticism will eventually exhaust anyone's nervous system if they don't take the time to care for their body's needs or listen to their own inner voice.

From a spiritual standpoint, love heals everything. Our heart chakra is one of the most powerful and beautiful places to connect with. Healing our heart can transform our life, how we relate to others, and how we feel. From my perspective and what I'm seeing today is a direct attack on our hearts and ability to keep loving one another. If we cannot love, if we avoid connection, avoid doing inner work, if we continue to outsource our own autonomy to a machine...this leaves us weak, easy to control, and a loss to our own sovereignty as individuals and as a community.

Using Ai isn't without its benefit. It can be a great tool to help edit, organize, understand, and produce information and a high level speed. There are ways to interact with Ai that can be more mindful without letting it think or decide for us. Without falling into addiction to using it.

Here's a few tips on how to use Ai safely and mindfully:

1. Check your intentions. Are you using AI for convenience, curiosity, or avoidance? Understanding why helps you use it responsibly.

   
   

2. Keep a human connection. Therapist, counselor, or trusted friend, make sure AI supplements, not replaces, these relationships.

   
   

3. Use it mindfully. Take notes, reflect, and don’t act on anything that feels unsafe or off. AI can spark ideas, but your intuition and bodily awareness matter most.

   
   

4. Take Breaks. Take several days off or even a week from using Ai for self analysis. Write in a journal, spend time connecting with your own inner voice and what you are thinking and feeling from your experience...not what AI tries to explain.

   
   

5. Physical Activity. Take time to exercise or physically move the body especially when heavy emotions are involved.

   
   

6. Keep Looking for Connection. What spaces are you finding yourself in? People who are doing the real healing will not be at home isolating, in the public spaces you frequent, or in online social media comments. They are out there creating what they want to see in the world. Find those people, be brave, and look for the helpers, the people who are still able to connect. Look for local community groups, nonprofits, or community activities to attend.

   
   

7. Compassion. Offer yourself and others compassion. We are all going through a lot. Don't assume that it will always be bad to connect with others but don't have too high of expectations either. Offer compassion for others, while we may feel frustrated with lack of reciprocity and understanding, others are also dealing with an incredible amount of frustrations and struggles too. They are hurting too. Reconnecting with ourselves and others takes time and building trust, it may not always go the way we want and that's ok. It's still worth it.

   
   

8. Reconnect with your heart. Using Ai can send us into over analytical thinking which disconnects us from love, compassion, and feeling. Instead, take the time to find little glimmers, little moments of joy, and keep feeding that love in your heart. That is how you will break out of whatever place you are stuck in.

-With much love,

Angela Becker