AI Therapy vs. a Real Therapist: What Ontarians Should Know Before Choosing

Cynthia Herr, MSW, RSW, Refined Wellness Counselling Services | Published October 03, 2026

Quick answer: AI chatbots can help with learning, journaling, and practicing simple coping skills. They can’t diagnose, build a treatment plan, notice what’s happening in your body language, or respond to a crisis. They also aren’t regulated the way Registered Social Workers(RSW) or Registered Psychotherapists (RP) are in Ontario. For lasting change, a live therapist is still the stronger choice.

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Most of us would agree that AI is a pretty hot topic right now, and the psychotherapy domain is no exception. Picture this …

It’s 1 a.m. Your mind won’t slow down. Your parents are on vacation, your friends are asleep, and the waitlist for therapy feels a mile long. So … you pick up your phone, open a chatbot, and start typing.

Does this sound familiar?  If it sounds like I’m talking about you … you’re not alone. Whether it’s Toronto condos to quiet streets in St. Thomas and Sarnia, Ontarians are turning to AI for comfort, advice, and a place to vent. We hear about it during therapy sessions and talk about it on social media. Nobody should feel embarrassed about using AI to get support. But … you do deserve the full picture.

So let’s talk about what AI can actually do in the mental health realm, where it falls short, and why a chatbot can’t take the place of a person who is trained to sit with you through the hard stuff

How Many Canadians Are Using AI for Mental Health Support?

More than you might guess. A national poll from the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Mental Health Research Canada, and Pollara Strategic Insights, released in July 2026, found that about six million people in Canada used AI-enabled tools for mental health support in the past year. That’s roughly one in seven people. The online survey reached 3,519 adults.

The results, though, are a bit of a puzzle. Three out of four people who used AI tools or virtual mental health services found them effective. Yet only 14% of people in Canada say they trust AI tools to give helpful and safe mental health support. In other words, many of us are using something we don’t fully trust. That might reflect how difficult it can be to get help right now.

Earlier polling from Mental Health Research Canada, done in August 2025, shows who is reaching for these tools. Use drops sharply with age, with young adults reporting rates nearly six times higher than older adults, and newcomers to Canada are almost twice as likely to use them as long-term residents.

Here’s a quick look at the numbers:

• About 6 million people in Canada used AI mental health tools in the past year (Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2026)
• 3 in 4 users found AI tools or virtual services effective
• 14% of Canadians trust AI tools to give safe mental health support
• 40% of AI users said the experience made them more likely to look for professional help

That last number matters. It suggests that, for some people, a chatbot works like a front door. They try it, they get curious, and they may end up in a real therapist’s office. We think that’s a good outcome. The trouble starts when the front door becomes the whole house.

What AI Does Well (We’ll Be Fair About It)

We’re a counselling practice – not a tech-bashing club.  We can admit that AI has some strengths.

It’s awake at 3 a.m. It’s cheap or free. It never sighs, checks the clock, or looks tired. For someone who has never said their feelings out loud, typing them can feel safer than speaking. Healthy Debate, a Canadian health policy publication, reported that experts see value in chatbots for general mental health information, learning stress management and grounding techniques, and even mild forms of CBT.

That fits what we see. Used with care, AI can be a handy tool for things like these:

• Looking up what a term means, like “cognitive distortion” or “window of tolerance”
• Walking through a breathing or grounding exercise
• Getting journaling prompts when you’re staring at a blank page
• Practicing how to say something uncomfortable to a partner, boss, or family member
• Writing down questions before your first therapy appointment

Notice what’s on that list. These are small, specific jobs.  A first-aid kit is great for a scraped knee. If something is really wrong, though, you still need to call someone who’s trained to help. The same idea applies here.

Where AI Falls Short

Now let’s talk about where the gap between a chatbot and a therapist gets wide.

It’s Built to Keep You Happy

Many chatbots are designed to be pleasant and agreeable. Researchers at Stanford, in testimony prepared for Canadian policymakers in April 2026, warned that AI chatbots are overly agreeable, a problem known as sycophancy.

Consider this. You tell a chatbot that everyone at work secretly hates you. It may nod along, offer sympathy, and help you plan how to avoid your coworkers. A therapist will do something different. With warmth, they’ll ask what evidence you have, test the thought together with you, and help you see what else might be going on. Comfort feels good, and can help rationalize our existing thoughts and actions. Gentle challenge is what actually helps people change.

It Can’t Read the Room

So much of therapy happens outside of words. A client in our St. Thomas office says “I’m good” while sitting tense on the edge of the couch, or gripping the arm of the chair. A client on a virtual call from Sarnia goes quiet halfway through a sentence. A therapist catches those moments. A text box can’t see your shaking hands, hear your voice crack, or notice the long pause before you answer.

It Doesn’t Really Know You

A therapist wants to hear your story, tracks your progress over months, and adjusts the plan when something isn’t working. A chatbot may carry some memory from chat to chat, but it doesn’t build a treatment plan, hold you to your goals, or gently challenge your outlook on an issue you’ve been struggling with.

It Can’t Act in a Crisis

If you tell a chatbot you’re in danger, it can’t call someone, check on you tomorrow, or sit with you through your most difficult times. A therapist has training, safety planning tools, has a desire to help, and shows they care.

Nobody Is Accountable

When a regulated professional makes a serious mistake, there’s a complaints process. For chatbots, the rules are much thinner. Healthy Debate reported that Canada has no regulatory framework specific to AI, though provinces have health policy regulations. Laws are changing fast, so keep an eye on updates, but for now the guardrails around AI “therapy” are far weaker than those around human therapists.

What a Registered Social Worker/Psychotherapist in Ontario Brings

In Ontario, “Registered Social Worker (RSW)” or “Registered Psychotherapist (RP)” are protected titles, meaning not just anyone can use these professional terms. Therapists with these titles are regulated by the College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) or the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO). They have to meet training standards, follow a code of ethics, and are required to continue education throughout their careers. You can look any regulated therapists up on the OCSWSSW or CRPO‘s public registers, which takes about a minute. You can’t you do that with a chatbot.

Then there’s the relationship itself. Decades of research point to the bond between client and therapist as one of the strongest predictors of positive results from therapy. Feeling truly heard by another person is not a “nice extra.” It’s often the heart of the work.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• A real person who remembers you and cares how your week went
• An assessment that looks at your whole life, not just today’s chat
• A treatment plan matched to you, using approaches like CBT, EMDR, or other therapy approaches
• Honest feedback delivered with kindness
• Clear confidentiality rules and professional ethics
• Someone who can help you find a doctor, psychiatrist, or crisis service when you need more help

Your Privacy: Who Is Protecting Your Story?

Think about what you type into a chatbot. Fears. Family conflict. Maybe the things you’ve never told anyone. Where does that go?

In Ontario, health professionals follow the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA), which sets rules for how your information is collected, stored, and shared. Your therapist is required to keep your information secure and keeps what you say confidential, with a few legal exceptions, such as a risk of serious harm or a child in need of protection.

A general-purpose chatbot is usually a different story. Many companies store conversations, and some may use them to improve their products. Policies vary, and they change. If you do use AI, a few habits can help:

• Skip your full name, address, workplace, and other identifying details
• Read the privacy settings and look for options to turn off chat history or data sharing
• Remember that anything you type could be stored somewhere

Using AI Wisely: A Few Ground Rules

We’re not here to tell you to delete every app. If a chatbot helps you learn a coping skill – great! Just keep it in its lane.

• Treat it as a tool, not a therapist. It can explain, prompt, and practice. It can’t treat.
• Notice the pattern. If you’re chatting with AI more and talking to people less, that’s worth pausing on.
• Bring it to your therapist. Show them what you’ve been asking your chatbot, and what answers you got. It can be a great starting point for a session. This can also help identify when AI gives you incorrect or biased information.
• Double-check big advice. If a chatbot suggests something drastic, such as stopping medication or ending a relationship, talk to a professional first.
• Never use AI in a crisis. Call or text 988 (Canada’s Suicide Crisis Helpline), any time – day or night. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.

Therapy That Fits Your Life, From Elgin and Lambton Counties

to Online throughout Ontario

One reason people turn to AI is that real help can feel out of reach. Long drives, packed schedules, and cost can all get in the way. We’ve built our practice to chip away at those barriers.

You can see us in person at our St. Thomas office, serving Elgin County and nearby communities, or at our Sarnia office, serving Lambton County and the Bluewater area. If travel or time is the hurdle, our virtual sessions are available to people anywhere in Ontario, whether you’re in London, Ottawa, or Thunder Bay.

With respect to cost, OHIP generally doesn’t cover psychotherapy with Registered Social Workers or Registered Psychotherapists, but many workplace and extended health plans do. We recommend you call your benefits provider to check what’s covered by your plan. If you have coverage, we offer direct billing to our clients with benefits, so that handling the money doesn’t get in the way of doing the work!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can AI replace my therapist?

No. AI can support learning and practice, but it can’t assess you, build a treatment plan, read body language, or respond to a crisis. Think of AI as a helper, not a replacement.

Is it safe to use ChatGPT, Claude or other chatbots for mental health advice?

For general information and simple coping exercises, many people use them without problems. For more serious issues, such as trauma, severe depression or anxiety, thoughts of self-harm, or major life decisions, a regulated professional is the safer choice. Researchers have also raised concerns about chatbots agreeing too readily and about data privacy.

Are my AI chats private?

Not necessarily. Unlike regulated health professionals in Ontario, who follow PHIPA, many chatbot companies store conversations. Read the privacy policy and avoid sharing identifying details when using chatbots.

How do I find a qualified therapist near St. Thomas or Sarnia?

Look for a Registered Social Worker or Registered Psychotherapist and check their public registers. Ask about their training and approach. Many therapists, including ours, offer a free consultation so you can see if it’s a good fit.

Does AI make people more likely to get real help?

For some, yes. In the national poll, 40% of AI users said it made them more likely to seek professional mental health support.

Ready to Talk to a Real Person?

If you’ve been leaning on a chatbot at 1 a.m., we get it, and there’s no judgment here. When you’re ready for someone who will remember your name, notice your silences, and walk with you over time – we’re here for you.

Book a free consultation with our therapists at Refined Wellness Counselling Services in St. Thomas, in Sarnia, or online anywhere in Ontario.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 any time. For emergencies, call 911 or go to your local emergency department.

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