Why Therapy Will Always Need Humans: AI and Our Careers

Sep 9

“Are robots coming for my job?” It’s a question most of us have asked at least once as artificial intelligence (AI) makes headlines—transforming industries, speeding up workflows, and reshaping how we live and work. Back in the fall of 2020—three years before one of the major AI-and-jobs reports came out—I stood in front of Capgemini leaders giving a talk titled “What Makes Human Teams More Effective in the Age of Artificial Intelligence?” (I know, sometimes I impress myself by being ahead of the curve. But don’t worry, my teenagers keep me grounded by reminding me I’m absolutely clueless about TikTok trends.)

Here’s the hopeful news: a 2023 analysis based on WillRobotsTakeMyJob data listed therapists, counselors, and social workers among only 65 careers with a 0.0% automation risk. Zero. Nada. Not even a sliver of threat. These roles were deemed “AI-resilient”—and for once, I’ll gladly take being called “resistant” to something.

https://www.uscareerinstitute.edu/blog/65-jobs-with-the-lowest-risk-of-automation-by-ai-and-robots

Why Humans Still Win

Therapy’s resilience to automation highlights something broader: the enduring value of human skills. What keeps therapists “AI-proof” isn’t fancy jargon or memorized treatment plans—it’s empathy, human presence, and the ability to hold space for another person.

AI can process data, draft reports, and organize logistics. But it cannot understand the sting of betrayal, the ache of grief, or the joy of falling in love. It can’t sit in silence with someone who has lost everything or laugh with you when the absurdity of life makes you cry.

And let’s be honest—humans don’t always need advice. Sometimes what we need most is someone to notice, to validate, to say: “Yes, I see you. I hear you. You matter.”

That’s what therapy is built on—and it’s also a lesson for anyone navigating career uncertainty. The skills machines can’t replicate—empathy, creativity, adaptability—are the ones that make us indispensable.

The Case for Human Connection (and Why AI Can’t Touch It)

Research supports what most of us instinctively know: therapeutic relationships drive outcomes. Clients consistently rank feeling understood, safe, and connected as more important than any specific technique (Norcross & Lambert, 2019).

AI, meanwhile, may help with screening, diagnostics, or even mindfulness prompts—but it cannot embody presence or feel human pain.

A scoping review found AI-powered tools show promise in supporting mental health but emphasized their role as adjuncts, not replacements (Ni et al., 2025).
Systematic reviews confirm that therapeutic relationships remain the single strongest predictor of improvement across modalities (Dehbozorgi et al., 2025).
Studies of human–AI collaboration show it can enhance efficiency, but only when humans remain in charge of empathy, ethics, and interpretation (Sharma et al., 2022).

In short: robots can be helpful. But they can’t sit in the messy reality of grief, betrayal, or joy—and they can’t build the trust that makes therapy work.

AI in Therapy: Sidekick, Not Superstar

Let’s give AI its due. It is helping in therapy and healthcare, especially behind the scenes.

AI scribes are already reducing administrative burdens for clinicians. A Kaiser Permanente pilot found clinicians saved thousands of hours in documentation and reported improved patient interactions (Feldheim, 2025).
Burnout reduction has been observed in hospitals using AI to automate note-taking, with some reporting up to a 40% decrease in provider burnout (Leung, 2025).
Supportive tools can suggest treatment resources, track symptoms, or provide summaries that help therapists stay organized.

This is good news. Because let’s be real: no therapist went into this field for the paperwork. If AI wants to help me spend less time on forms and more time with people, I say—bring it on.

But here’s the key distinction: AI can support us, but it can’t replace us. Think Robin to Batman, or R2-D2 to Luke Skywalker. Helpful? Absolutely. But not the hero of the story.

What This Means for Your Career

You may not be a therapist, but the lesson applies across careers. If AI is reshaping industries, how do you protect your career from being swept away?

Here are five strategies drawn from therapy—and from research—that anyone can apply:

1. Double down on your “human advantage.”
Jobs grounded in empathy, creativity, and nuanced decision-making are less likely to be automated (Cross et al., 2024). In any field, ask yourself: where do I add uniquely human value?

2. Use AI as your ally.
Don’t ignore AI. Learn to use it for efficiency—whether that’s drafting, analyzing, or scheduling—so you can focus on the big-picture work only you can do.

3. Stay curious and keep learning.
Adaptability is the strongest buffer against disruption. Research shows career resilience depends less on avoiding change and more on embracing lifelong learning (Fugate & Kinicki, 2008).

4. Communicate your human skills.
Therapists don’t just “do therapy”—we highlight empathy and connection. In your own career, showcase emotional intelligence, leadership, and problem-solving in ways AI can’t mimic.

5. Build resilience (the personal kind).
Resilience isn’t about being unshaken—it’s about bending without breaking. Psychological research consistently shows that flexibility, community support, and meaning-making are the bedrock of resilience in uncertain times (Southwick et al., 2014).

A Lesson From the Therapy Room

When the human part of me shows up in the therapy office, it’s obvious. When a client says, “I don’t believe there’s anything beautiful about me,” or, “I don’t feel loved anymore.” When they share a grief so heart-wrenching it shakes the air in the room. Or even when they look at me and ask directly for the answers.

In those moments, the human part of me—the one shaped by my own lived experiences—shows up. It’s where I can meet their humanity with compassion, lean toward them with presence, and connect through a level of empathy that both client and therapist feel without words.

That’s the kind of connection no AI can create. And it’s also a reminder: whether you’re in therapy, leading a team, or navigating your own career, the ability to show up fully human is not just powerful—it’s irreplaceable.

The X Factor

Logic and data will always matter. But the moments that change us—the ones that truly heal or inspire—are almost always wordless. They’re in the tears that fall in silence, the laughter that bubbles up unexpectedly, the awe of a moment that leaves you speechless.

That’s the X factor. And AI, no matter how advanced, will never know what it’s like.

Final Thoughts

So, will robots take your job? Maybe some jobs. But the work rooted in empathy, creativity, and the human experience is here to stay.

For therapists, that’s great news. For everyone else—it’s an invitation. Ask yourself: what part of my work is uniquely human? Then lean into that with everything you’ve got.

Because in the end, the future of work belongs to those who bring not just skills, but soul. And that’s something no machine can ever replace.

References

Cross, S., et al. (2024). Use of AI in mental health care: Community and mental health professionals’ perspectives. Journal of Medical Internet Research. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11488652/

Dehbozorgi, R., et al. (2025). The application of artificial intelligence in the field of mental health care: A systematic review. BMC Psychiatry. https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-025-06483-2

Feldheim, B. (2025, June 11). AI scribes save 15,000 hours—and restore the human side of medicine. AMA News Wire. https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/digital-health/ai-scribes-save-15000-hours-and-restore-human-side-medicine

Fugate, M., & Kinicki, A. J. (2008). A dispositional approach to employability: Development of a measure and test of implications for employee reactions to organizational change. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 81(3), 503–527. https://doi.org/10.1348/096317907X241579

Leung, T. I. (2025). AI scribes in health care: Balancing transformative potential. JMIR Medical Informatics, 13, e80898. https://medinform.jmir.org/2025/1/e80898

Ni, Y., et al. (2025). A scoping review of AI-driven digital interventions in mental health care. Frontiers in Digital Health. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12110772/

Norcross, J. C., & Lambert, M. J. (2019). Psychotherapy relationships that work III. Psychotherapy, 56(4), 421–426. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000265

Sharma, A., Lin, I. W., Miner, A. S., Atkins, D. C., & Althoff, T. (2022). Human–AI collaboration enables more empathic conversations in text-based peer-to-peer mental health support. ArXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.15144

Southwick, S. M., Bonanno, G. A., Masten, A. S., Panter-Brick, C., & Yehuda, R. (2014). Resilience definitions, theory, and challenges: Interdisciplinary perspectives. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 5(1), 25338. https://doi.org/10.3402/ejpt.v5.25338

U.S. Career Institute. (2023, February). The 65 jobs with the lowest risk of automation by artificial intelligence and robots. U.S. Career Institute. Retrieved [Month Day, Year], from https://www.uscareerinstitute.edu/blog/65-jobs-with-the-lowest-risk-of-automation-by-ai-and-robots

Disclaimer

The content of this blog represents my original ideas, perspectives, and professional insights. While I occasionally use AI-assisted editing tools to enhance grammar, clarity, and organization, all concepts, arguments, references, and overall direction are my own and carefully reviewed by me. Any AI support is limited to language refinement; the substance of the writing is grounded in my personal and professional expertise. And if you happen to spot any typos—they are most certainly my own.