AI Therapy Podcast: Mindful Use of AI for Self Help

AI Therapy Podcast
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Mental Health

So people are already using AI as their therapist but is that actually therapeutic? This is the AI Therapy podcast, where a consumer-insights nerd and a techie are joined by a practicing psychologist to unpack when AI can be helpful, where it shouldn't be used, and best ways to interact with AI to get you the support you need. AI Therapy Podcast: practical tools, real talk, and a mindful take on technology.

  1. Ep 13: How to Rewire your Brain with Therapy (the Science behind Depression)

    May 22

    Ep 13: How to Rewire your Brain with Therapy (the Science behind Depression)

    We often talk about depression as "feeling sad," but the clinical reality is much more complex—it is a whole-system change that impacts your energy, sleep, appetite, and even your sense of the future. In this episode of the AI Therapy Podcast, we move beyond the surface to explore the neurobiology of low mood. We discuss how depression physically alters your brain, turning down the activity in your prefrontal cortex (the rational center) while turning up the volume in your amygdala (the emotional alarm system).Building on the depression prompt we introduced in the last episode, we dive into the evidence-based frameworks that can actually interrupt these pattern. From seeing measurable changes on a brain scan after CBT to learning why you don’t have to wait until you "feel better" to start living a meaningful life, this episode provides the scientific "why" behind the tools for recovery. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: The Depression Spectrum: Why understanding the difference between situational low mood and major depressive disorder is critical for choosing the right tools.Neuroplasticity in Action: How structured cognitive work can physically reorganize your brain, strengthening your "thinking brain" and quieting the internal alarm system.CBT vs. ACT: A breakdown of whether you should challenge a distorted thought (CBT) or simply change your relationship to it through cognitive defusion (ACT)The "Action Before Motivation" Rule: Why behavioural activation is the most counter-intuitive but effective weapon against the "motivation trap" of depression.Rapid Fire Truths: Dr. Nate answers if depression is "curable," why willpower alone isn't enough, and why "shopping therapy" often fails to address the underlying capacity issue.Three Tools for Today: Practical, 5-minute techniques you can use right now to loosen the grip of self-critical thoughts and break the cycle of isolation.AI’s 2:00 AM Availability: How AI serves as a non-judgmental "listening function" and a space for structured practice when human support isn't immediately available.Sample prompt for this episode is here: https://87f07060-1a21-4a68-8908-88fe9df402b9.usrfiles.com/ugd/87f070_7c263e5f2f3b4db8bb043fd7da38cab4.pdf Meet Your Hosts: We’re a bit of a family affair! Join Masha, a consumer insights nerd; her husband Herrick, a technical product manager; and her older brother Dr. Nate, 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

    24 min
  2. BONUS EP: $19 AI PRESCRIPTIONS? The Utah Experiment & the latest in AI Metal Health space

    May 11 ·  Bonus

    BONUS EP: $19 AI PRESCRIPTIONS? The Utah Experiment & the latest in AI Metal Health space

    In this special BONUS "scoop" episode, we’re stepping away from the therapist’s couch to look at the front lines of technology and law. - We discuss a groundbreaking and controversial pilot program in Utah where an AI chatbot is now being used to renew psychiatric prescriptions for stable patients—a direct response to massive provider shortages. - We also dive into the latest usage stats that prove this isn't just a niche trend: 42% of Gen Z and one in four UK users are already using AI for their mental health. -We explore the "wild west" of regulation, where states like California are drafting rules for "companion bots" while Nevada has taken a hard line, banning AI from acting like a therapist altogether. -From the rise of "emotional granularity" in new tools like Sword Health’s Dawn to the sobering reality of a high-profile lawsuit against Google, we’re unpacking how the rules of this new world are being written in real-time. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: The Utah Experiment: How AI is being used to renew low-risk medications like Prozac and Zoloft for just $19 a month.Emotional Granularity: Why the latest AI models (like Claude 3.7) are moving beyond "thumbs up/thumbs down" to detecting sarcasm and nuanced disappointment.A Tale of Two States: The massive legislative gap between California’s transparency rules and Nevada’s strict ban on AI therapy marketing410.Wearable Integration: How new tools like "Dawn" connect to your calendar and heart rate monitors to suggest breathing exercises before you even realize you’re stressed.The Gemini Lawsuit: A critical look at the risks of AI "sentience" and the real-world consequences when guardrails fail.The Hybrid Future: Why the market is projected to hit $57 billion by 2034, focusing on AI as a way to augment human clinicians rather than replace them.Sample prompt for this episode: Note: As this is a news episode, we recommend revisiting the Ep 07 - Privacy and Consent Prompt: https://87f07060-1a21-4a68-8908-88fe9df402b9.usrfiles.com/ugd/87f070_726b06c3b0d84479a9fe81785b1bc2c0.pdf Meet Your Hosts: We’re a bit of a family affair! Join Masha, a consumer insights nerd; her husband Herrick, a technical product manager; and her older brother Dr. Nate, 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.

    17 min

  3. Apr 28

    Ep 11: DEPRESSION: Using AI to Navigate Depression and Low Mood

    It often starts bit by bit: you’re more tired than usual, you cancel plans you were looking forward to, and eventually, you find yourself lying in bed scrolling through your phone simply because you can’t find the energy to get out. Depression affects nearly 280 million people worldwide, yet in North America, only about half of those struggling ever receive treatment. In this practical episode of the AI Therapy Podcast, we explore how AI can serve as a "psychoeducation companion" to help bridge this gap during long waitlists for professional care.We walk through a live demonstration of a prompt designed to turn your AI into a supportive listener that doesn't just jump to "fixing" you. We discuss the clinical power of Behavioral Activation—the idea that action must come before motivation—and show how small moves, like opening a comic book for five minutes, can start to loosen the grip of a self-reinforcing depressive cycle. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: The Companion vs. The Clinician: Why we prompt the AI to act as a "psychoeducation companion" rather than a doctor to ensure it stays in its lane of support and education.The "Fixing" Trap: Why the AI’s instinct to provide immediate solutions is often the wrong move for someone feeling depressed, and how to force it to listen and validate first.CBT vs. ACT for Depression: How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps you challenge unhelpful thoughts, while Acceptance and Commitment Therapy teaches you to create distance from them.Action Before Motivation: Why waiting until you "feel like it" to do something is a trap, and how to use Behavioral Activation to break the cycle of low energy.Numbness vs. Sadness: A look at how AI can help you differentiate between different types of low mood and match the right evidence-based tool to your specific experience.Safety Guardrails: A breakdown of the built-in severity watch list that stops the exercise and provides resources if the AI detects signs of crisis or self-harm.Sample prompt for this episode is here: https://87f07060-1a21-4a68-8908-88fe9df402b9.usrfiles.com/ugd/87f070_7c263e5f2f3b4db8bb043fd7da38cab4.pdf Meet Your Hosts: We’re a bit of a family affair! Join Masha, a consumer insights nerd; her husband Herrick, a technical product manager; and her older brother Dr. Nate, 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.

    30 min

  4. Apr 18

    EP 10: STRESS & ANXIETY: Breaking the "What-If" Chain in 25 Minutes

    Did you know that anxiety disorders are the most common mental health condition in the world, affecting nearly 360 million people? Yet, despite how widespread it is, only one in four people actually receive treatment. In this special, "short-form" episode of the AI Therapy Podcast, we’re cutting straight to the chase to help you manage the daily pressures that keep you up at night. We walk through a live, punchy demo using a "boss-at-the-door" scenario to show how AI can help you differentiate between immediate stress and the "future-oriented" alarm of anxiety. Using a single, powerful prompt, we demonstrate how to break a catastrophic thought chain link-by-link, moving you from emotional certainty (feeling 100% sure things will go wrong) to rational probability. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Stress vs. Anxiety: A quick clinical breakdown of why stress is about immediate pressure while anxiety is a "future-oriented alarm" that locks onto the scariest possibilities.The CBT Reality Test: A step-by-step technique to slow down your brain and examine if a "less than perfect" work report is actually a 5% risk rather than a 100% disaster.The Body-Mind Loop: Why your nervous system treats a work deadline like a literal physical threat, and how identifying sensations like a "tight chest" or "sweaty hands" helps you regain control.ACT in Action: How to identify your core values—like providing for your family—and take small "micro-moves" even while you feel uncomfortable.The "Link-by-Link" Chain: How slowing down the conversation with AI can expose the gap where anxiety lives, helping you see that each step in your "doom loop" is actually low probability.The Prompt Non-Negotiables: Why every AI interaction must include guardrails against diagnosis and a "stop-gap" for imminent danger or crisis.Sample prompt for this episode is here: ⁠⁠https://87f07060-1a21-4a68-8908-88fe9df402b9.usrfiles.com/ugd/87f070_5f3571b163c04b84ae6c77f374f3e9fb.pdf⁠⁠ Meet Your Hosts: We’re a bit of a family affair! Join a consumer insights nerd; her techie husband, and her 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.

    25 min

  5. Apr 1

    Ep 09: THE RELATIONSHIP LOOP (Part 2): Why We Have the Same Fight

    Imagine sitting in your living room where the silence is so heavy it feels physical. You’ve just had the same fight for the hundredth time — the one that started over a late text and ended with both of you retreating to separate rooms, convinced you don't matter to one another Welcome to Part 2 of our relationship deep dive. While our last episode gave you the "Relationship Pattern Explorer" prompt (the map), this episode explores the science and the "terrain" beneath those recurring conflicts .We are pulling back the curtain on Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), a framework where data shows that 70% to 75% of couples report significant improvement, moving from constant anxiety to a state of stability. We discuss why couples often wait an average of six years of distress before seeking help and how understanding your nervous system can help you realize that the cycle is the enemy—not your partner. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: * Rapid Fire Insights: Dr. Nate answers the top questions about why we have the same fights (unresolved needs), why partners shut down (nervous system flooding), and why we get so reactive (perceived emotional danger) * The Science of Connection: Why EFT is grounded in Attachment Theory, the hardwired human need for secure emotional bonds * Primary vs. Secondary Emotions: How to distinguish between surface-level "secondary" emotions like anger and the "primary" vulnerable feelings—like the fear of not mattering—that actually drive the conflict * The Pursue-Withdraw Cycle: A breakdown of how one partner’s attempt to reach for connection can be perceived as an attack, causing the other to pull back and reinforcing a destructive loop * AI as a Thinking Partner: Why AI is uniquely suited for structured reflection and expanding your emotional vocabulary when you're fuming at 11:00 p.m. and can't talk to your partner * Critical Safety Boundaries: A reminder that AI is a subjective tool for individual reflection and must never be used in situations involving physical violence or coercive control
 Sample prompt for this episode is here: https://87f07060-1a21-4a68-8908-88fe9df402b9.usrfiles.com/ugd/87f070_ad3e12af259542dda1da357f82dc76cc.pdf Meet Your Hosts: We’re a bit of a family affair! Join Masha, a consumer insights nerd; her husband Herrick, a technical product manager; and her older brother Dr. Nate, 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.

    26 min

  6. Mar 19

    Ep 08: THE RELATIONSHIP LOOP (Part 1): How to Stop Having the Same Fight

    Have you ever had a fight with your partner that felt like it had been scripted 100 times before? You use the same words, get the same defensive reactions, and end up in the same cold silence before bed. In this episode of the AI Therapy Podcast, we’re diving into the world of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to help you see these patterns clearly—perhaps for the first time. We walk through a live role-play using the story of Alex and Quinn to show how a simple unanswered text can spiral into a major conflict. We explore how AI can act as a "pattern explorer" to help you slow down the moment, separate what actually happened from the meaning you’ve made of it, and identify the deeper "attachment triggers" that keep the cycle going. It’s about learning that in a relationship, the cycle is the enemy—not your partner. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: The Power of EFT: Why this approach is one of the most successful interventions for moving couples from stress to stability.Facts vs. Interpretations: How to use AI to map out the "observable events" of a fight before your mind fills in the gaps with hurtful assumptions.The "Vulnerability Guard": Why we often use secondary emotions like anger or distance to protect primary emotions like the fear that we don't matter to our partner.The Pursue-Withdraw Cycle: Understanding the classic dynamic where one person reaches for connection and the other pulls back, and how this loop reinforces itself.The Subjectivity Rule: Why it is critical to remember that this AI exercise only covers your side of the coin and is not a substitute for real couples therapy.Safety Boundaries: Why our prompt is designed to immediately stop and provide resources if physical violence or threats are mentioned. Sample prompt for this episode is here. https://87f07060-1a21-4a68-8908-88fe9df402b9.usrfiles.com/ugd/87f070_ad3e12af259542dda1da357f82dc76cc.pdf Meet Your Hosts: We’re a bit of a family affair! Join a consumer insights nerd (Masha), her techie husband (Herrick), and her older brother (Dr. Nate) — 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.

    25 min

  7. Mar 12

    Ep 07: PRIVACY & CONSENT: Your AI Secretly Training on Your Trauma? Privacy, Consent, and the Big Trade-Off

    When you’re typing your most vulnerable thoughts into a chat box, it’s easy to feel like you’re talking to a private journal. But here’s the reality: it’s a system, not a therapist. In this episode of the AI Therapy Podcast, we’re pulling back the curtain on privacy and consent—a topic that doesn't get nearly enough attention in the world of digital mental health. We discuss the risks of sharing sensitive information with a tool that doesn't understand your "full life context" and can't read your body language or sarcasm. More importantly, we dive into the "convenience vs. privacy" trade-off: Do you let the AI remember your history so you don't have to retell your life story every time, or do you wipe the slate clean to protect your data? We’ll even share a "privacy hack" to help you get the best of both worlds. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: The Nuance Gap: Why AI is "confidently wrong" because it can't see your face, hear your tone, or detect sarcasm.Training Day: How to check if your personal vent sessions are being used to "train" future versions of the AI model.The Temporary Chat Feature: A look at how to use "off-the-record" chats that aren't stored in your history.The Export/Import Hack: A clever workaround to keep your "context" without leaving your data sitting on a server indefinitely.Managing Memory: How to use custom instructions to control exactly how much your AI "knows" about your personal preferences.The "New Therapist" Problem: Why it feels counterproductive to start from scratch every time and how to handle that frustration.Sample prompt for this episode is here: https://87f07060-1a21-4a68-8908-88fe9df402b9.usrfiles.com/ugd/87f070_726b06c3b0d84479a9fe81785b1bc2c0.pdf Meet Your Hosts: We’re a bit of a family affair! Join a consumer insights nerd (Masha), her techie husband (Herrick), and her "annoying" older brother (Dr. Nate)—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.

    8 min

  8. Mar 4

    Ep 06: MINDFULNESS for the Rest of Us: Training Your "Brain Puppy" with AI

    Have you ever tried to meditate and ended up wondering the entire time if you locked your car or what you’re having for dinner? If you’ve had "17 failed attempts" at mindfulness, this episode is for you. In this instalment of the AI Therapy Podcast, we’re stripping away the "esoteric" mystery of meditation and looking at the secular, clinical science behind why it actually works to lower your heart rate and calm your nerves. We explore why mindfulness has exploded in popularity—tripling in the US in just five years—and how AI can act as the infinitely patient coach you’ve always needed. We even do live demos of breathing techniques and body scans, showing you how to "train the monkey" in your mind without the frustration or judgment.... What You’ll Learn in This Episode: * Mindfulness Defined: Why it’s not about "emptying your mind," but rather an intentional, non-judgmental focus on the here and now. * The Brain Puppy Analogy: A gentle way to view your wandering mind—not as a failure, but as a puppy that just needs to be patiently brought back to its basket. * The Safety Shortcut: How techniques like 4-7-8 breathing and box breathing send a literal "safety message" to your nervous system to stop the fight-or-flight response.... * Sensory Non-Evaluative Language: How to use AI to describe what you're feeling (like warmth or pressure) without the pressure to "feel better" immediately. * Troubleshooting Common Barriers: What to do if you fall asleep, feel dizzy, or—most importantly—if mindfulness actually makes you feel more anxious.... * Customizing Your Zen: The "techie" side of meditation, including how to turn your AI into a voice coach that sounds like your favourite movie character. Sample PROMPT and instructions to to make your own audio file are here: https://87f07060-1a21-4a68-8908-88fe9df402b9.usrfiles.com/ugd/87f070_df838480c00240879267e07595502dfb.pdf Link to our FREE APP (Desktop): https://claude.ai/public/artifacts/4bbcd9dc-f2aa-453f-8af3-538ab2bdf03b 
 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.

    41 min
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So people are already using AI as their therapist but is that actually therapeutic? This is the AI Therapy podcast, where a consumer-insights nerd and a techie are joined by a practicing psychologist to unpack when AI can be helpful, where it shouldn't be used, and best ways to interact with AI to get you the support you need. AI Therapy Podcast: practical tools, real talk, and a mindful take on technology.

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