Difficulties in Bridging the Gap Between Therapy and Artificial Intelligence
Abstract:
The use of artificial intelligence in psychotherapy shows promise for expanding treatment access and effective ness, assisting therapist training, and personalizing interventions for anxiety and depression. However, ethical concerns, privacy, trust, and the preservation of the human element remain central. Researchers warn against overreliance on artificial intelligence, advocating for a collaborative model in which technology supports but does not replace the therapist. Barriers to acceptance include low technical affinity, fears of professional obsolescence, and artificial intelligence’s lack of emotional empathy, ethical judgment, and contextual understanding. Strong reg ulation and clear communication of limitations are essential. The text also addresses physician arrogance, which undermines care and the doctor-patient relationship, contrasting it with the value of humility and patient-centered communication. It highlights the need to move beyond medical paternalism toward patient autonomy and shared decision-making. In psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, therapist variables influence outcomes, with a tendency to overestimate success and avoid acknowledging failures. The therapist narcissism - especially in group settings - can lead to distance, excessive idealization, and analytical stagnation. Transference relationships marked by envy, omnipotence, or seduction hinder therapeutic progress. The therapist must balance empathy with auton omy, acknowledge doubts in the “here and now,” and metabolize unconscious aggression, avoiding narcissistic practices that harm patients. Failure to confront one’s own narcissism, Brenman warns, risks damaging treatment effectiveness.
