Can AI Replace the Therapeutic Relationship?

As digital technology becomes increasingly woven into the fabric of everyday life, many people are seeking new ways to navigate personal challenges and emotional uncertainty in a rapidly changing world. In this context, it is understandable that Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically Large Language Models (LLMs), are emerging as tools for guidance and support. There is no doubt that LLMs can be valuable tools for reflection. They can help us organise our thoughts, recognise patterns, ask useful questions and offer different perspectives. Yet therapy offers something fundamentally different. Its healing potential lies not only in conversation, but in the experience of sitting with another human being . . .