# ChatGPT as a Therapist Assistant: A Suitability Study

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.09873 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.09873/

## Key facts

- Cited by 8 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 1 of its 15 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 19 Apr 2023.

## Builds on (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Language Models are Few-Shot Learners](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.14165/) (2020)

## Built on by (most cited first, 8 of 8)

- [PAPILLON: Privacy Preservation from Internet-based and Local Language Model Ensembles](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.17127/) (2024)
- [Can Large Language Models be Good Emotional Supporter? Mitigating Preference Bias on Emotional Support Conversation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.13211/) (2024)
- [SMILE: Single-turn to Multi-turn Inclusive Language Expansion via ChatGPT for Mental Health Support](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.00450/) (2023)
- [The Role of AI in Peer Support for Young People: A Study of Preferences for Human- and AI-Generated Responses](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.02711/) (2024)
- [Towards a Psychological Generalist AI: A Survey of Current Applications of Large Language Models and Future Prospects](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.04578/) (2023)
- ["It Listens Better Than My Therapist": Exploring Social Media Discourse on LLMs as Mental Health Tool](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.12337/) (2025)
- [CuentosIE: can a chatbot about "tales with a message" help to teach emotional intelligence?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.07193/) (2024)
- [Guiding Language Models to Be More Empathetic: Culturally Sensitive Mental Health Advice Generation Through Human-LLM Collaboration](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.23538/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

This paper proposes using ChatGPT, an innovative technology with various applications, as an assistant for psychotherapy. ChatGPT can serve as a patient information collector, a companion for patients in between therapy sessions, and an organizer of gathered information for therapists to facilitate treatment processes. The research identifies five research questions and discovers useful prompts for fine-tuning the assistant, which shows that ChatGPT can participate in positive conversations, listen attentively, offer validation and potential coping strategies without providing explicit medical advice, and help therapists discover new insights from multiple conversations with the same patient. Using ChatGPT as an assistant for psychotherapy poses several challenges that need to be addressed, including technical as well as human-centric challenges which are discussed.