ChatGPT in Psychotherapy: 3 Case Studies



Artificial intelligence (AI) is making waves in various fields, including mental health. A recent study by Paolo Raile (2025) explored ChatGPT’s potential to assist psychotherapists and support patients, both those already in therapy and those who have not yet sought professional help. The study examined three key scenarios: ChatGPT as a resource for psychotherapists, as a support tool for patients between sessions, and as an alternative for individuals unable or unwilling to access therapy.

A Complement to Therapy

ChatGPT is accessible, interactive, and free, making it an attractive tool for those seeking mental health support. Eshghie and Eshghie (2023) suggest that ChatGPT can listen attentively and offer validation and potential coping strategies, and help therapists discover new insights. In one case study in which a psychotherapist sought ChatGPT’s input on treating a patient with social anxiety, Raile found that ChatGPT can suggest accurate diagnoses considered by the psychotherapist helpful as a second opinion. The treatment options ChatGPT offered were considered too brief and not helpful. While the chatbot accurately suggested diagnoses and introduced basic treatment options, its recommendations were often generic and heavily biased toward cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). However, Raile notes that ChatGPT can be a useful tool to get suggestions on appropriate treatment techniques, learn about other psychotherapeutic approaches, and help with the interpretation of patient material.

In the case study with a patient suffering from a mental illness, ChatGPT offered empathic responses and practical self-help suggestions for individuals without psychotherapeutic treatment, such as prioritising self-care, breaking tasks into small steps, and techniques like mindfulness, cognitive restructuring, and self-compassion. However, it was strongly biased toward CBT, lacked depth in other therapeutic approaches, and failed to gather essential context like biography, symptoms, and other essential information.

Dream Interpretation

In another case study, a patient looking for dream interpretation while his therapist was away asked ChatGPT for analysis. As requested, ChatGPT provided interpretations from different approaches, including psychodynamic, systemic, psychoanalytical, daseinsanalytical, and individual psychology. It identified consistent themes by breaking the dream into symbols and provided a similar interpretation for all approaches. While the insights encouraged reflection, they lacked depth, omitting key concepts like Adler’s ideas of inferiority and social interest.

Although the author suggests that ChatGPT could be helpful in providing a new perspective on a dream, they warn that “Individuals who have no experience with professional dream interpretation or interpretations of memories may be scared off by the answers or believe that they represent some kind of ‘objective truth'”.

Strengths and Limitations

ChatGPT can simulate empathy, encourage reflection, and provide practical self-help suggestions. However, its bias toward CBT, limited understanding of diverse therapeutic approaches, and lack of personalisation are significant drawbacks.

The study highlights ChatGPT’s potential as a complementary tool rather than a substitute for psychotherapy. While it offers valuable support and accessibility, its limitations—such as one-sided therapeutic suggestions and ethical concerns—highlight the need for careful integration and regulation. Future advancements could enhance ChatGPT’s role, but human therapists remain irreplaceable for now.


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