DC Therapy Insights: Why Humans Make Better Healers Than AI
Why Humans Make Better Healers Than AI
As you scroll through Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, or even just search something on Google, you’ve probably come across advertisements for AI “therapists.” Maybe your coworker or classmate has been touting the mental health benefits of their late-night ChatGPT conversations. In this new age—the age of AI—why seek therapy with a real, live human being?
There are so many benefits that human therapists bring into the therapy space that ultimately serve to enhance your experience in therapy, your mental health, and your overall daily life. Your human therapist builds a genuine, deep, and safe relationship with you; reads and responds with needed facial expressions and body language; uses the therapy space to engage in relational therapy; may have a shared cultural or identity experience that creates safety, trust, and foundational understanding of you; and can challenge you to be your best self in daily life. Without these fundamental pillars, therapy is, well—lackluster.
Read on to understand what a human therapist brings to the table that AI never could!
What Is the Therapeutic Relationship and Why Is It So Important?
The therapeutic relationship—the bond you build with your therapist through routine sessions and deep conversation—is one of the primary indicators of therapeutic success. To break that down: the best predictor of successful therapy is how connected you feel to your therapist (American Psychological Association).
Therapists do so much to make you feel comfortable, connected, safe, and welcomed. As a counselor (and a human), I love building trust with my clients by learning about what they love to do, their social network, childhood experiences, and their hopes and goals. I’m invested in my clients’ ability to grow and thrive, and building a strong therapeutic relationship is always my ultimate priority.
AI simply can’t measure up to the meaningful tools humans naturally possess to build connection. Without a strong therapeutic relationship, AI “therapy” already lacks the biggest predictor of therapy success!
How Do Therapists Use Facial Expressions and Body Language to Benefit You?
A key component of therapy sessions is your therapist’s use of open, welcoming body language to create a safe space for sharing—and their ability to read and respond to your body language in return.
Emotions often take physical form—you might cry when you’re sad, tap your leg when you’re bored, put your head in your hands when you’re overwhelmed, or look down when you feel shame. Therapists are trained to notice and respond to body language, help you locate where emotions show up in your body, and use warm, empathetic nonverbal cues to help you feel safe in session.
Without the ability to read or respond to your body language, AI lacks a fundamental component of therapy. AI can’t understand why you’re tapping your foot when anxious—because AI has never had anxious thoughts or feelings. Your therapist, on the other hand, understands this through lived human experience.
Why Is Relational Therapy Only Possible with a Human Therapist?
Are you seeking therapy to (check one):
☐ Improve your friendships
☐ Work through a difficult family dynamic
☐ Explore interpersonal challenges
☐ Understand your attachment style (anxious, avoidant, or disorganized)
All of these fall under the umbrella of relational therapy!
In relational therapy, the therapy space becomes a safe environment to practice what it feels like to be in a trusting, emotionally secure relationship with another person.
At The Sterling Group, your counselor will invest time in creating a welcoming atmosphere where you’ll feel empowered to discuss difficult topics, practice communication skills, explore boundaries, and move toward a more secure attachment style.
As a therapist, I encourage my clients to give me feedback so we can practice assertive communication, relationship building, and boundary setting—skills you can take back into your daily life to maintain healthy, thriving relationships.
You can’t practice these relational skills with AI because AI is not a human being with whom you can have a relationship. You can’t set boundaries with a bot that’s programmed to respond the same robotic way every time!
AI Doesn’t Have a Cultural Identity — Why Does That Matter?
Therapy is a place where you get to explore all of who you are, and it can be important to see aspects of your identity reflected in your therapist.
At The Sterling Group, our therapists come from all different walks of life. During your initial consultation, you can express any preferences for a therapist who holds a similar identity to you. This shared identity might give you the confidence to explore yourself more fully, reduce the need to overexplain cultural context, and foster deeper trust and understanding.
For example, as a queer therapist, I’m proud to create a safe space for LGBTQ+ clients who want to explore identity development and its impact on daily life.
AI “therapy” can’t offer this kind of personal or culturally grounded understanding because AI doesn’t have lived experience or a cultural background.
Check out our identity-specific therapy options at The Sterling Group, including LGBTQ+ affirming therapy, ADHD therapy, and self-discovery therapy.
It Can Be Scary to Be Challenged — But Why Is It Important?
Now that you’ve established safety and trust with your therapist, what comes next? Challenge, observation, and feedback.
We grow by identifying new skills, perspectives, and techniques. As a therapist, I use gentle challenges to help clients explore where they might be compromising their values or avoiding discomfort.
AI, however, is built to cater to you—it’s not programmed to question or challenge your assertions. Without challenge, there’s no growth. Therapy is about developing a growth mindset and seeing things from multiple angles, which is the opposite of what AI was designed to do.
In Conclusion…
Ready to get face-to-face with a human therapist and start building an impactful therapeutic relationship? Sign up for a free consultation today!
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About the Author
Hannah Cohen, LGPC, is an associate therapist at The Sterling Group, specializing in working with young adults navigating the stresses of young adulthood. I help my clients address anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship issues, substance use, and identity development - all aspects of life that come with being a young adult. I love working with those from neurodiverse backgrounds, and understanding that therapy – just like people! – comes in many forms and is not one-size-fits-all. As part of the queer community, I especially enjoy working with LGBTQ+-identifying folks to address their unique identity, social, and relational needs!
