Note: The AI Therapy Podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not provide psychotherapy, diagnosis, treatment, or medical advice. Listening does not create a therapist–client relationship with any host, guest, or affiliated entity. The show may discuss AI tools and self-help exercises; AI systems can be inaccurate, biased, or overly confident and are not a substitute for qualified professional support or crisis services. Do not rely on this podcast or any AI tool in an emergency. If you’re in immediate danger or at risk of harming yourself or someone else, call your local emergency number or contact a crisis line right now.

Sample prompt for this episode is here:

https://87f07060-1a21-4a68-8908-88fe9df402b9.usrfiles.com/ugd/87f070_5f3571b163c04b84ae6c77f374f3e9fb.pdf

Episode Description

Did you know that anxiety disorders are the most common mental health condition in the world, affecting nearly 360 million people? Despite how common it is, only about a quarter of people actually get treatment, often because it "hides in plain sight" or traditional therapy is just too expensive.

In this episode of the AI Therapy Podcast, we’re diving into psychoeducation—which is a fancy way of saying we’re teaching you the clinical "why" behind your feelings in plain English. We’ll break down the crucial difference between being "stressed" (like having a tight deadline) and having "anxiety" (where your brain starts spiralling into scary "what-if" scenarios). We also run a live experiment using a specialized prompt to show how AI can help you untangle a catastrophic thought chain and get your rational brain back in the driver's seat.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

* Stress vs. Anxiety: Why stress is usually about immediate demands, while anxiety is a "future-oriented alarm" that makes you avoid things.

* The Power of Psychoeducation: How simply labeling a condition or a bodily sensation can reduce your uncertainty and help you cope better.

* Reality Testing: A step-by-step CBT technique to see if that "100% certain" disaster in your head is actually as likely as you think.

* CBT vs. ACT: The difference between changing your thoughts (CBT) and making space for uncomfortable feelings while living your values (ACT).

Meet Your Hosts: We’re a bit of a family affair! Join a consumer insights nerd; her techie husband, and her "annoying" older brother who also happens to be a licensed psychologist. Together, we bring you "real talk" and practical tools to help you navigate technology mindfully.

Ready to dive in? Follow the AI Therapy Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

We’d love to hear from you! Leave us a comment or reach out directly with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes at AITherapypodcast@empiricalwisdom.ca

Note: The AI Therapy Podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not provide psychotherapy, diagnosis, treatment, or medical advice. Listening does not create a therapist–client relationship with any host, guest, or affiliated entity. The show may discuss AI tools and self-help exercises; AI systems can be inaccurate, biased, or overly confident and are not a substitute for qualified professional support or crisis services. Do not rely on this podcast or any AI tool in an emergency. If you’re in immediate danger or at risk of harming yourself or someone else, call your local emergency number or contact a crisis line right now.

Sample prompt for this episode is here.

https://87f07060-1a21-4a68-8908-88fe9df402b9.usrfiles.com/ugd/87f070_2b68c9a2c1984f6ca2f14c2850368f52.pdf

Episode Description:

Have you ever found yourself venting to a chatbot after a long day at work because you just needed to get your thoughts out? You’re not alone—and you’re actually practicing a modern form of journaling. With nearly 95% of people reporting that journaling is helpful for their mental health, we’re looking at how AI can take this "thinking out loud" to the next level.

In this episode of the AI Therapy Podcast, we move past simple venting. We’re showing you how to use AI as a "reflective aid" to untangle your brain, especially when you feel too overwhelmed to think straight. We’ll teach you how to set boundaries so the AI helps you find your own answers rather than giving you bossy (and potentially risky) life advice.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The Power of Reflection: Why 38% of adults journal weekly and how AI can make that process easier for you.

• Untangling Facts vs. Feelings]: Learn how to use AI to separate what is actually happening from the emotions and "automatic thoughts" that make a situation feel worse

• The 0–10 Scale: A simple, evidence-based tool to rate your emotions before and after your chat to see if the session actually worked.

• Better Prompting: Why you should use verbs like "name," "separate," and "summarize" to keep the AI focused on your growth rather than giving you potentially risky life advice.

• The "Tiny Action" Rule: Why every good journaling session should end with one small, offline action that takes less than five minutes.

• Privacy First: How to get great support without accidentally sharing your full name or work secrets with the algorithm.

Meet Your Hosts: We’re a bit of a family affair! Join a consumer insights nerd, her techie husband, and her "annoying" older brother—who also happens to be a licensed psychologist. Together, we bring you "real talk" and practical tools to help you navigate technology mindfully.

Ready to dive in? Follow the AI Therapy Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

We’d love to hear from you! Leave us a comment or each out directly with your thoughts, questions or suggestions for future episodes at AITherapypodcast@empiricalwisdom.ca or reach out via the site www.empiricalwisdom.ca/ai-therapy-podcast

Note: The AI Therapy Podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not provide psychotherapy, diagnosis, treatment, or medical advice. Listening does not create a therapist–client relationship with any host, guest, or affiliated entity. The show may discuss AI tools and self-help exercises; AI systems can be inaccurate, biased, or overly confident and are not a substitute for qualified professional support or crisis services. Do not rely on this podcast or any AI tool in an emergency. If you’re in immediate danger or at risk of harming yourself or someone else, call your local emergency number or contact a crisis line right now.

Sample prompt for this episode is here.

https://87f07060-1a21-4a68-8908-88fe9df402b9.usrfiles.com/ugd/87f070_cfe40d4f162740f09760bd3f9bab86fe.pdf

Episode Description

Have you ever wondered if that chat window on your phone is a legitimate substitute for a real-life therapist? In this foundational episode of the AI Therapy Podcast, we’re taking a step back to look at the "big picture." We explore the massive difference between AI self-help—which is more like an interactive, high-tech workbook—and professional therapy.We run a live experiment, putting ChatGPT to the test with a common scenario: feeling "off" and unmotivated. While the AI is surprisingly good at making you feel validated, our resident psychologist, Dr. Nate, points out the hidden "traps" where the technology falls short—like jumping into "solution mode" way too fast and missing the vital human context of your life.... We’ll show you how to spot these gaps and how to "train" your AI to be a better listener.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The Accountability Gap: Why a bot doesn't have the "ethical responsibility" or professional standards of a licensed clinician.

• Assessment vs. Advice: Why your first goal with AI should be collecting context, not looking for quick fixes or "neighborly advice".

• Surface Feelings vs. Deep Truths: A breakdown of primary and secondary emotions—for example, how "anger" is often just a cover for deeper feelings like hopelessness or being unseen.

• The "Convincing" Trap: Why AI is so good at sounding right that it can accidentally "inception" you into believing a diagnosis that isn't true.

• What the Bot Misses: The importance of non-verbal cues, like your body language, eye contact, and even whether you’ve been keeping up with your personal hygiene.

• Course-Correction: How to tell your AI to "slow down" and ask one question at a time to create a more natural, helpful flow.

We’d love to hear from you! Leave us a comment or each out directly with your thoughts, questions or suggestions for future episodes at AITherapypodcast@empiricalwisdom.ca or reach out via the site ⁠www.empiricalwisdom.ca/ai-therapy-podcast⁠

Meet Your Hosts: We’re a bit of a family affair! Join a consumer insights nerd, her techie husband, and her "annoying" older brother—who also happens to be a licensed psychologist. Together, we bring you "real talk" and practical tools to help you navigate technology mindfully.

Ready to dive in? Follow the AI Therapy Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!