Something New Is ChatGPT-ing

As a therapist working with high-functioning minds, I’m always exploring what supports mental clarity, emotional regulation, and grounded performance.

Most of my clients have tried everything. They're not new to personal growth and they're seasoned in self-work. They’ve read the books, taken the courses, journaled through the prompts. They’re just stuck when it comes to sustaining it. That’s where I come in.

In my practice, I offer something I call touchpoints simple but powerful check-ins between sessions. Because life happens in between. And in those in-between moments, clients need space to revisit what we’ve discussed, assess progress and keep the momentum alive.

So when a client, let’s call him Jace, referenced a chat with ChatGPT during one of these touchpoints, I was intrigued.

I’d known about ChatGPT as a productivity assistant. Great for writing, organizing thoughts, knocking out content. But as something clients were leaning on for mental clarity?

That made me pause.

Jace casually mentioned: “I asked Chat last night…”

Therapist 'lean in' activated, I said; “Tell me more.”

From Critique to Curiosity about ChatGPT

I got the AI tea from Jace, and to be honest, I wasn’t impressed. The tone felt robotic. The reflections lacked depth. At best, it was surface-level insight.

But then…it kept coming up. Client after client mentioned it during touchpoints, in sessions, in their journaling.

Now you’ve got my attention, ChatGPT.

I started exploring what they were asking, and what they were getting back. Some of it was meh. But some of it…surprised me.

I mean, it wasn’t useless. In fact, it was serving a purpose: giving them a space for reflection when they needed it, especially at night or during moments when I wouldn’t be available (i've got boundaries too, friends).

A Familiar Echo

What struct me almost immediately was this wasn’t a growth tool. It was a mirror. A digital one.

It reflected their thoughts, validated their current perspective, and in some cases… reinforced the very loops they were trying to escape.

For high-functioning minds already spinning in their own thoughts, a mirror becomes an echo chamber real fast.

And that can do more harm than good.

Now, reflection is essential in the therapeutic process but for high-functioning minds that already live in overanalysis, a constant mirror is a problem.

I'm Not Mad at It Though

My critique didn’t turn into dismissal. Instead, it sparked curiosity.

It’s powerful that people are even reaching for something that might help them regulate, process, or think through what they’re feeling. That speaks to a real need for accessible, consistent mental wellness tools.

But that’s also where the danger lies: When we over-rely on a tool that only mirrors us, we miss the opportunity to shift and create more opportunities to get stuck...in our own heads.

Therapy isn’t just about rote reflection. It’s making constructive reflection points to stimulate a change in thinking, then Momentum. Challenge. and Direction.

So What If…

What if, it could offer better reflections?

What if, it could be optimized for those moments when its just easier to open a chat and ask?

What if, it could provide more constructive processing that doesn’t just validate or regurgitate?

That was the real spark behind what came next.

I started exploring how to shape the inputs, curate the tone, and tailor the prompts, so that my clients (high-functioning minds) could use ChatGPT as a reflective companion, when i'm not around.

So I did a thing...

In my next post, I’ll take you behind the scenes of my experience using ChatGPT as a therapeutic companion and how it's evolved into a tool I call the MindShift Companion.

A guide for high-functioning minds who want to use AI with more intention, structure, and therapeutic awareness.

The Lessons Learned From Using A Chat Therapist.

Read Now

I want to hear from you...

How are you using AI in your personal reflection or mental wellness practice?

Have you found yourself in a midnight spiral with ChatGPT, too?

Drop a thought. DM me. Or just send a tea emoji.

I’ll know exactly what you mean.

Curious About the MindShift Companion?

Click Here - Only if You Want to Level Up Your Chat