As systemic therapists, we care deeply about the context in which we practice. While we’re committed to Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) and our specific model of care, we also believe it’s vital to remain aware of the changing landscape of mental health, especially as it’s influenced by technology, media, and culture.
One powerful reason for writing this blog came from a recent and tragic headline in the Mercury News (August 28, 2025):
“Study says AI chatbots need to fix suicide response, as family sues ChatGPT role in boy’s death” Read the article
Teens, Anxiety, Depression, and the Rise of AI in Mental Health
According to Psychiatry Services (2025), suicide rates are steadily rising, particularly among teens and young adults. A major contributor? Limited access to mental health providers. In response. Against this backdrop more people are turning to AI-powered chatbots and virtual therapy platforms for support with anxiety, depression, and social isolation. Chatbots are being discussed at professional conferences broadly. Artificial intelligence is being explored as a mechanism in many settings and healthcare is no exception.
This shift is being widely discussed, including at the recent Single-Session Therapy Conference in Chicago. There, five-minute interventions were highlighted, reflecting the reality that most crisis phone calls don’t last longer. Typical topics of consultation seem to be social isolation, anxiety and depression. The irony that these services are being sought online, which is what contributes to all the problems named above, should not escape any human.
Are Chatbots Replacing Therapists?
The Mercury News article quotes Dr. Mehrotra from Brown University’s School of Public Health, who notes that more Americans now turn to chatbots than licensed therapists. But is that truly a sign of progress? From our point of view this is a chicken and egg situation: if there are no mental health professionals with openings or their fees are astronomical and not covered by insurance, that might be the reason that chatbots are used.
The fee, accessibility and likelihood for relief are all contributing factors for how likely it is for someone to pursue a mental health provider or any coping mechanism. One possible answer to that quandary is for professionals to embrace other models of therapy, that make therapy more culturally palatable with less pathology and stigma associated, more affordable, faster response time and more accessible to a wide range of intelligence and needs. While these are real advantages of AI, we believe the solution lies not in replacing therapists, but in transforming how therapy is offered.
Making Therapy More Accessible – Without Losing the Human Element
One way forward is for professionals to adopt therapy models that are more accessible, culturally relevant, and affordable—without sacrificing quality. At Brief Therapy Center, we’ve written more about this here:
Artificial Intelligence as a Therapist
Lessons from the Past: When Therapy Went Too Far
We don’t know the specifics of Mr. Raine’s query with chatbots, and his death is beyond tragic. One can only imagine being in those parent’s shoes and the terror and grief they must be facing.
We must also consider historical missteps in the mental health field. One case that still resonates is from the “Recovered Memories” era of the 1980s and 1990s. I am old enough to remember the wave/fashion that was the ‘Recovered memories’ of the 80s and 90s. There was a time when going to therapy, especially as a young person, would almost certainly end up with the patient remembering in therapy that they had been abused as a child. That, then, would be used to explain almost any current symptom that had made the person seek therapy in the first place. As a consequence, therapy took the turn of exploration, explanation and general extension in time of treatment.
Mr. Ramona’s daughter had been in therapy for eating disorders and her therapist at the time, told her patient – Holly—and her mother that bulimia was usually caused by incest. In this situation, the therapist suggested that the father had raped Holly and that was the origin of her bulimia, that she was struggling with. The case is very interesting, but all participants lost something.
From the point of view of the Solution-focused Brief Therapy, the relationship that develops in any medical or therapeutical environment is a symmetrical one, meaning that the therapist has a lot of power, given to them by the mere setting in which one person needs help and the other has the potential to offer solutions.
In this particular case, the parents got divorced and the father lost a lucrative job, both professionals had to move states, one to continue her career, the other to stop practicing.
This painful story is worth remembering as we discuss the potential consequences of letting AI bots “therapize” without oversight. Will the lawsuit against ChatGPT slow down the hype of assuming bots can replace human therapists? Might this slow down the fad.
The Risk of Over-Automation in Mental Health
Mental health practices today are shaped by more than just compassion. They are influenced by:
- Philosophical models
- Financial incentives
- Education systems
- Insurance companies
When manualized, automated approaches are overused, we lose what matters most: the human capacity for nuance, empathy, and contextual thinking. This is a common trend in today’s healthcare—where good intentions are taken too far, ultimately lowering the quality of care.
Why Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) Still Works—Especially for Teens
Let’s say this clearly: More effective therapy frees up more mental health professionals.
At the Brief Therapy Center, we practice and teach Problem Solving Brief Therapy because it’s pragmatic, respectful, and empowering.The Problem-Solving Brief Therapy focuses on what our patient/client is bringing to the session in the here and now and looking towards promoting change in the future.
We talk about clients because, like in many other symmetrical relationships, they are walking in telling us what they are interested in, what hurts, what they want to change. What problem they are motivated to improve: maybe not make it go away completely but manage it in a different way,so that they can become unstuck and can have a more fulfilling life.
Our colleague John Weakland used to say that ‘when you have a problem, life is the same damn thing over and over again and when you no longer have a problem, life is one damn thing after another’.
We invite other professionals to “cross over” and try this approach—at least for a few cases.
What Does Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Look Like?
It starts with a simple, direct question:
“What brings you here today?”
This question communicates a few things:
- Nothing you say will shock me
- I am here to listen
- We’re focused on what matters now
Key Concepts We Focus On in the First 10 Minutes:
- Who wants change? Is the client seeking help, or are they being sent by someone else (a parent, a school, a partner)?
- What needs to change? Especially with teens, the issue parents identify may differ from what the teen actually wants help with.
- Get focused sooner. How much of the past do we need to find out to get a sense of who this person is?
- What’s the smallest measurable change? Instead of vague terms like “depression,” we look for tangible improvements: e.g., “I want to get out of bed before noon.”
- Get focused sooner.
- Do we need to dig into the past? Many clients have already done that. If it hasn’t worked, we focus on what can change now.
- How urgent is the situation? We assess safety first and act accordingly.
Our model is simple in principle but complex in practice. It relies on sharp listening, precision, and a deep understanding of human interaction. We encourage you to read a few more of our blogs or even be in touch. And, in relation to the topic of AI replacing therapists, in our view we are a long way away.
Join our upcoming workshop for hands on tips for bridging the mental health care gap
Results-Focused Supervision: Brief TherapyTools & Systemic Perspectives – Brief Therapy Center
Can AI Deliver This? Not Yet.
We don’t believe AI can fully replace therapy—at least, not the kind we practice.
Why?
Because no two human beings are alike, especially when they are in pain.
Computers are getting smarter. But therapists think contextually, relationally, and creatively. That’s something algorithms can’t replicate.
Final Thoughts
We owe it to our clients, particularly teens struggling with anxiety and depression, to offer them real conversations, grounded in empathy, curiosity, and change-oriented thinking.
Let’s use technology as a tool, aware of it as a backdrop to research and inform and aware of the forces behind it- not as a replacement therapy and healthcare.
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