I’m a part of a therapy practitioner Facebook group because they graciously let me join even though I’m not a therapist (#ghostwriterfortherapists). One of the therapists said she uses AI to write her therapy blogs and it’s helped with her practice. While initially that may seem like a good idea, it’s not helpful in the long run, and here’s why.
Why Using AI to Write Blog Posts Will Hurt You, Eventually
First, like I mentioned in my post “Is it illegal (or unethical) to hire a ghostwriter?” AI is trained on content that was captured illegally, without consent, and with zero compensation for the original creator. So first, there are some ethical concerns. Second, if you use AI to write your blog, how are you going to stand out from every other person who uses AI to write their blog posts?
It’s become a “thing” now where people are accused of using AI to write and it’s not a compliment. More and more people are turned off by the idea of AI writing something because it’s shorthand for unoriginal, thoughtless, and easy. Are those the qualities you want to be projecting as a therapist?
I’m not anti-AI. I use it myself. AI is helpful for:
- Brainstorming
- Outlining
- Directing you toward research (sort of)
It can help you gather information and show you where to look further. AI is not infallible, as I’m sure you’re aware, so I wouldn’t use it for heavy research because it hallucinates. It also relies on “weighting” to designate something as the truth, meaning, if someone spreads a lie often enough, AI picks up on that frequency and says, “This must be true because it’s appeared so often.”
In other words, AI struggles with clinical nuance. It can’t talk about what it’s like to sit across from a complicated person and hold space for them. AI cannot understand and determine all of the factors that make up an individual. But a person can.
A person can discover your unique stories and perspectives. A person can capture your voice and your experience much quicker than prompting ChatGPT over and over again.
Can you use AI to write therapy blog posts? Of course you can. But at what cost? Will you alienate potential clients because your blog post sounds like AI? (Quite possibly, honestly.) Will they be disappointed once the “person” they thought they were connecting with and getting to know turns out to be a machine? Also quite possibly. Will you be indistinguishable from all the other therapists using AI to write blog posts for them? Also quite possibly.
It’s Up to You But Think it Through
It’s up to you whether you want to use AI to write your therapy blog posts. But if you’d rather present yourself – your unique perspective, voice, and experience – I wouldn’t rely on AI. If you don’t have time to write yourself, that’s another kettle of fish – one I’d be happy to help you with.
As a ghostwriter for therapists who also has 20 years of journalism experience, I know how to uncover the ideas already in your head and turn them into content that sounds like you. If you’d like to give ghostwriting a try, get in touch. Let’s see if we’re a match.