Generative AI and LLMs as a Psychotherapy Tool
I uploaded journal entries to ChatGPT for recommendations on what I should work on in therapy.
The idea for this week’s Substack came to me as I prepared for my bi-weekly therapy session. For the past few months, I’ve been uploading the preceding two weeks of my journal entries to ChatGPT to get suggestions on what I should work on. The results have been consistently astounding. The analysis is so spot on that I’m excited to share the most recent outputs (even if I keep the inputs to myself.)
In my work-related use of LLMs, I’ve seen how good a job AI does of summarizing information. Conversations are transformed accurately into meeting minutes. Lengthy articles are reduced to short abstracts of the main points. Long email threads are transformed into summaries of a few understandable lines.
Asking what you should work on in therapy is a ChatGPT prompt that takes things to a new level. If you have been honest in the journal entries you input for feedback, the results may actually be useful. And it won’t cost you 100 dollars an hour.
The weak link I’ve found is that when asked for specifics on what to do to address the issues (recommendations, for example) ChatGPT was less useful, coming up with platitudes. I don’t need to be told to meditate or to explore ways of resisting being triggered. But when I asked for specific tips on how to not be triggered, it provided good examples. The thing ChatGtpt excels best at is coming up with lists of behaviors to improve things in your life. It’s good at distilling conventional wisdom into lists or bite-sized chunks you can use.
Asking what you should work on in therapy is a ChatGPT prompt that takes things to a new level. If you have been honest in the journal entries you provide for feedback, the results may be extremely useful. And it won’t cost you 100 dollars an hour.
The frightening accuracy of the analysis makes me wonder how long it will be before AI can do actual psychotherapy. (If you believe Elon Musk from a recent New York Times interview, AI will be smarter than humans in about 3 years. But in the same interview he also told his advertisers to ”Go fuck yourself,” so I'm not convinced of Musk’s own intelligence sometimes.)
What follows are examples of results. In addition to an analysis of my journals, I’m including an analysis of the first pages of the first-person narratives by Catcher in the Rye’s Holden Caufield and L'Étranger’s Meursault.
Results of my asking ChatGPT for eight things I might work on based on what I’d written in my journal over the past two weeks. Although this is feedback tailored to me, I suspect many readers may find it also pertinent to their own lives since we all live in much the same world with much the same daily challenges.
Based on the journal entries, it seems like there are several themes and areas you might consider working on in therapy:
Motivation and Purpose:
Explore the deeper reasons behind your drive to achieve and understand the connection between your daily activities and the desire for larger-scale success.Investigate the need to choose something of your own and be different from societal norms.
Philosophical Reflections:
Examine your views on normalcy, meaning in life, and the role of myth and art in creating meaning.Explore your struggle with the concept of meaning and whether acceptance can bring about a more contented perspective.
Relationships and Stress Management:
Address family challenges, social media concerns, and the impact of technological advancements on your life.
Work on managing stress, especially in response to others' actions, and explore strategies for better communication and understanding in relationships.
Self-Reflection and Journaling:
Explore the purpose of maintaining a journal for over 40 years, including its impact on your sense of productivity and life satisfaction.
Reflect on the value of journaling, its contribution to self-awareness, and whether it aligns with your overall goals and well-being.
Time Management and Goal Setting:
Explore your struggle with time management and the impact of external factors on your plans.
Work on setting realistic goals, prioritizing tasks, and finding a balance between work, personal projects, and family responsibilities.Identity and Expression:
Reflect on your desire to be different and your views on societal expectations.
Explore ways to express your identity authentically, both in personal pursuits and social events.
Creative and Personal Projects:
Address the overwhelm related to creative and personal projects, considering strategies for organization and time allocation.
Work on setting achievable goals for your writing and creative endeavors, considering the impact on your overall well-being.
Emotional Regulation:
Explore triggers in your relationships and work on developing strategies to respond to situations with less emotional reactivity.
Consider techniques for maintaining emotional balance, especially in challenging or unexpected circumstances.
In therapy, you can delve deeper into these themes, gaining insight into the underlying thoughts, emotions, and patterns that may be influencing your behaviors and perspectives. Working collaboratively with a therapist, you can develop coping strategies, set realistic goals, and foster personal growth and understanding.
Here’s ChatGPT’s analysis of how Holden Caufield introduced himself in the first chapter of Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. My prompts were 1) Based on the text, what should Holden work on in therapy, and 2) Give me eight things Holden might work on.
Based on the text, it seems Holden might need to work on issues related to his past, including his lousy childhood, his relationship with his parents, and being kicked out of Pencey Prep. His reluctance to share personal details and his dismissive attitude towards his parents' concerns could indicate a need for exploring deeper emotional issues in therapy. Additionally, his feelings of isolation, freezing sensation, and the desire for a meaningful goodbye suggest underlying emotional struggles that could be addressed in therapy.
Exploring Family Dynamics:
Holden appears to have reservations about sharing personal details about his family, suggesting possible issues with family dynamics. Therapy could help him explore and understand his relationships with his parents and how these dynamics may have contributed to his current feelings.
Emotional Expression:
Holden seems to struggle with expressing his emotions openly. Therapy could provide a safe space for him to explore and express his feelings, helping him develop healthier ways to communicate his emotions.
Coping with Loss and Change:
Being kicked out of Pencey Prep and facing the prospect of leaving familiar environments may have triggered feelings of loss and change for Holden. Therapy could assist him in developing coping strategies and resilience in the face of life transitions.
Addressing Academic Challenges:
Holden's academic struggles and dismissal from Pencey suggest possible difficulties with motivation and application. Therapy could explore underlying factors contributing to these challenges and help him develop effective study habits and a positive attitude towards education.
Social Isolation:
Holden's observations about the lack of meaningful connections and his desire for a proper goodbye indicate a sense of social isolation. Therapy could support him in developing social skills, improving interpersonal relationships, and addressing any social anxiety he may be experiencing.
Identity Exploration:
Holden's disdain for Hollywood and the movies, as well as his brother's career choices, might indicate a need for self-exploration and understanding his own values and identity. Therapy can provide a space for him to explore and define his own beliefs and interests.
Resilience and Coping Strategies:
Holden mentions feeling like he's "disappearing" and experiencing physical discomfort. Therapy could help him develop resilience and effective coping strategies to manage stress, anxiety, and physical symptoms associated with his emotional state.
Setting Realistic Expectations:
Holden's idealized expectations of Pencey Prep and his disappointment with the reality of the school highlight a potential pattern of setting unrealistic expectations. Therapy could assist him in setting more realistic goals and expectations, fostering a healthier outlook on life.
Finally, here’s the analysis of Meursault from Albert Camus’ The Stranger. It’s hilarious that ChatGPT gave Meursault a bullet point for “Emotional detachment” considering he’s one of the most emotionally detached characters in all of literature. And in this case, ChatGPT’s “therapy” analysis picked up on the fact that Meursault is a fictional character:
Based on the text provided, it seems that there are several potential areas you might want to explore in therapy:
**Grief and Loss:**
- Explore your feelings about your mother's death and the circumstances surrounding it.
- Discuss the impact of her death on your emotional well-being.
- Reflect on your relationship with your mother and any unresolved emotions.
**Communication and Expression:**
- Examine your response to your employer's reaction and your statement about it not being your fault.
- Explore your communication style and how it may have influenced your relationships.
**Emotional Detachment:**
- Consider the protagonist's seemingly detached and indifferent attitude towards his mother's death. Explore the reasons behind this emotional response.
- Investigate any potential coping mechanisms or defense mechanisms that may be contributing to this emotional distance.
**Relationships:**
- Explore the dynamics of your relationship with your mother and the impact it had on your ability to connect with her emotionally.
- Consider the relationships with other characters mentioned, such as Céleste and Emmanuel, and how they contribute to your support system.
**Existential Themes:**
- Reflect on the protagonist's thoughts about the funeral making the reality of his mother's death more apparent. Explore existential themes such as the meaning of life, death, and the human condition.
**Cultural and Religious Influences:**
- Examine the impact of cultural and religious elements on the protagonist's response to his mother's death, especially regarding funeral rites and the mention of burial with the rites of the Church.
**Sleep and Fatigue:**
- Explore the protagonist's feelings of drowsiness, fatigue, and sleep during critical moments. Consider whether these may be indicative of underlying emotional or psychological factors.
It's important to note that the text provides a narrative of a fictional character's experiences, and your personal circumstances and emotional responses may differ. If you're currently in therapy, discussing these themes with your therapist can provide personalized insights and support.
Until next time…
Try "It was the best of times and the worst of times" and see what you get.