Why would I want to talk to a robot?

The idea of digital talking therapy can feel quite alien to begin with. Talking about our worries and feelings without a genuine human interaction is a new experience for most and one that many are sceptical of.

It’s a knotty topic. Psychotherapy is a complex process and it involves building trust and rapport with a therapist. Can an app provide meaningful support, given that it is not a sentient being?

There isn’t a straightforward answer to that question but it is astonishing how far things have come since the days of clunky chatbots. While it can’t offer a genuine human-to-human interaction, it can offer something which many people find empathetic, and it is particularly useful as a complement to face-to-face therapy.

Training and empathy

Of course, it has to be done well. The app needs to have the right training, just as you would expect from a human therapist. And you need to be able to have a conversation that feels natural and empathetic. When all these ingredients come together, there are many people who find it a powerful mental health tool.

But of course, some people don’t. And that’s OK. For some, this type of interaction just isn’t right for them. If that’s you, that’s not a reason to feel bad; it simply isn’t an approach that works for you.

Digital talking therapy might be something to try if these things resonate: 

1) You like the idea of talking things through without any fear whatsoever of judgement.

2) You’d like to do some work in between face-to-face therapy sessions so that you can build on what you’re working on together outside the sessions.

3) You are on a waiting list for face-to-face therapy and would benefit from some immediate support.

4) You would like to find a cheaper alternative to face-to-face therapy.

5) You would like some daily mental health exercises that will help you practise some of the things you discuss in therapy.

6) You want to talk through things at any time of day or night and have unlimited conversations. 

7) You would like to clarify what concerns or issues to bring to your next therapy session.

8) You want to make sense of feelings and thoughts through verbalising your experience rather than other techniques, such as meditation.  

To sum up

We crave connection. That is a fundamental part of the human condition and an app cannot replace genuine human connection, however “intelligent” or sophisticated it is. Nevertheless, this technology opens up new ways of exploring thoughts and feelings, and can amplify the benefits of human-to-human psychotherapy. When an app has the right training combined with robust clinical and ethical principles, the result is an experience that many find surprisingly helpful and satisfying.