How AI and Social Media Can Support You in Therapy
Can TikTok and ChatGPT Support Therapy Between Sessions?
By Aviva Boxer, Registered Psychotherapist
I am not exaggerating when I say that the majority of clients I see each week make one or more references to seeing something on TikTok or Instagram that helped them understand themselves better, or to using ChatGPT to get ideas and support around a problem they were having.
And then we talk about it together in therapy.
When clients tell me they found something helpful on TikTok or had a supportive exchange with AI, they often do so with some discomfort – even embarrassment. They have gotten the message that it is somehow not OK to look to social media or AI for support when they are struggling.
But I think there is a more nuanced way to look at it.
Therapy doesn't only happen in the therapy room
When clients mention something they have learned on social media or a conversation they have had with AI, I don't automatically dismiss it. Instead, I am interested in what they found helpful and why it resonated with them.
When used intentionally, and with an understanding that not everything we see online is accurate or appropriate, these tools can provide another way for clients to reflect on what they are experiencing between therapy sessions.
I validate their desire to understand themselves and work on their concerns outside of our sessions. I also welcome them bringing what they have found or discussed with AI into therapy so that we can explore it together.
Some of the topics clients bring to AI or look for on TikTok and Instagram include:
Relationship concerns and struggles with a particular person
Concerns about aging parents and how to support them
Worries about starting a new job or going back to school
Supporting children as they go back to school
Changes in close friendships
Understanding their own emotions and reactions
Clients sometimes tell me that they talk to AI about the specifics of their lives and share what they have been working on in therapy. In that sense, it can become part of a collaborative process – something they use to think, reflect and generate ideas between sessions, which they can then bring back to therapy.
Of course, this requires some discernment. AI can be confidently wrong, and social media is full of information that may be oversimplified, inaccurate or simply not relevant to an individual's circumstances. Clients also need to be thoughtful about the personal information they share with these tools.
But the answer isn't necessarily to tell clients to stay away from them altogether.
Social media can provide something therapy can't
There is another aspect of social media that is worth considering: connection.
People often find comfort in following and interacting with others who are at a similar stage of life or experiencing something they recognize. Seeing someone else talk openly about a difficult friendship, parenting challenge, career change or relationship struggle can be incredibly validating.
Sometimes simply realizing, I'm not the only person who feels this way, can help someone feel less alone.
That doesn't mean a TikTok video or an Instagram account is therapy. It means that people are social beings, and finding connection and normalization can be meaningful.
AI can offer a different kind of support
AI is different from social media because it can feel more like a conversation. Clients can ask a question, describe a situation and ask for ideas to help them think about it differently.
For some people, that can be useful between therapy sessions.
Perhaps they have had an argument with their partner and want to slow down and think about what happened. Maybe they are struggling with a decision at work or feeling overwhelmed about a change in their family. They may use AI to organize their thoughts, come up with questions to consider or explore a different perspective.
The important thing is that this doesn't have to happen instead of therapy.
It can become something they bring into therapy.
Knowing the limits matters
There is an important distinction between using social media or AI as a source of reflection and using it as a substitute for mental health treatment.
When someone is in severe distress or experiencing a mental health crisis, social media and AI are not a replacement for professional or crisis support. Those situations require appropriate immediate help.
But that is not what we are talking about here.
We are talking about people who are already engaged in therapy and are looking for a little support, reflection, or encouragement between sessions.
And I think that distinction matters.
The goal is to keep doing the work
Therapy happens during a relatively small portion of a person's life. The rest of the time, clients are living their lives, navigating relationships, making decisions, managing stress and noticing patterns they want to change.
What therapists want for their clients is not for them to think about therapy only when they are sitting in our office.
We want them to feel supported. We want them to be curious about themselves. We want them to notice their patterns, try new things and keep doing the work between sessions.
If a thoughtful TikTok video helps someone recognize something about themselves, or a conversation with AI helps them put their thoughts into words, I don't think we necessarily need to be threatened by that.
Instead, we can talk about it.
We can help clients learn to evaluate what they are seeing, recognize the limitations of these tools and decide what is actually useful for them.
And then we can bring that learning back into the therapy room – where there is a relationship, context and a trained professional who can help them make sense of it all.
If you’re looking for support with anxiety, relationships, life transitions or other challenges, therapy can provide a space to slow down, understand what you’re experiencing and work toward meaningful change. A therapist can help you make sense of the information and ideas you encounter online and, most importantly, help you connect that information to your own life and circumstances. Reaching out for therapy can be an important first step toward feeling more supported and less alone.