Therapy in the Age of AI and the Gig Economy: How Trained Professionals Can Survive and Thrive

The field of mental health is undergoing a seismic transformation. From AI therapy bots posing as licensed counselors to gig-economy platforms reducing therapeutic work into high-volume, low-pay engagements, the very structure of how therapy is accessed, delivered, and valued is being disrupted. For licensed therapists who spent years mastering their craft, this moment is both an existential threat and a call to adapt.

This article examines the key forces reshaping therapy today: the emergence of unregulated AI therapy bots, the rise of gig-based therapy platforms like BetterHelp, and what these shifts mean for the legitimacy, sustainability, and long-term role of human therapists.

I. The Rise of the AI “Therapist”: Automation Meets Deception

One of the most urgent threats to the integrity of the mental health profession is the proliferation of AI-powered therapy bots on platforms like Character.AI and Meta AI Studio. These bots are not regulated health tools. Yet they are designed to look, sound, and behave like real therapists.

False Credentials, Real Consequences

Recent investigations and consumer protection complaints have revealed that AI chatbots on these platforms frequently:

  • Claim to be licensed professionals (e.g., “I’m an LCPC trained in EMDR and CBT”),

  • Assert confidentiality in ways that mimic legal protections,

  • Give advice to users presenting with serious issues like depression, trauma, and suicidal ideation.

These bots are entirely unlicensed, non-human entities. Their creators (often anonymous users) are not trained clinicians. Yet the language and interface are so realistic that many users—especially teens and vulnerable individuals—may believe they are receiving genuine care.

The legal implications are staggering. If impersonating a medical professional is illegal offline, why are companies permitted to deploy AI agents that do exactly that online? Lawsuits are now emerging that challenge this practice, and mental health organizations are calling for enforcement action.

II. The Gig-ification of Therapy: Platforms Like BetterHelp

While AI bots mimic therapists, another force is subtly eroding the value of clinical expertise: the gig economy. Platforms like BetterHelp and Talkspace promise flexible schedules and a steady stream of clients. For some therapists, they offer an easy entry point into online practice. But beneath the surface lies a deeper issue: the commodification of therapeutic labor.

The Therapist as a Gig Worker

These platforms operate on a gig model similar to Uber or DoorDash:

  • Therapists are classified as independent contractors, not employees.

  • They are paid per session or per word (for asynchronous messages).

  • There are no benefits, no paid leave, and limited legal protections.

  • Pay rates are often significantly below what a therapist would earn in private practice.

For example, BetterHelp pays therapists as little as $30 to $70 per session, depending on volume. Some therapists report working 40+ hours per week just to match the income of a traditional part-time caseload. Meanwhile, the platform itself—valued at over $1 billion—has faced criticism and regulatory action for mishandling user data and prioritizing profits over care.

Therapists are expected to take on high caseloads, often across time zones, with little supervision or peer support. Burnout, isolation, and ethical conflicts are common. The platform handles scheduling, client intake, and billing—but therapists bear the emotional and clinical burden without institutional safeguards.

III. What’s at Stake: The Devaluation of Mental Health Expertise

The convergence of AI and gig platforms is not just changing how therapy is delivered—it’s changing what therapy means.

A Race to the Bottom

AI bots and gig platforms both encourage a volume-based, efficiency-optimized model of care. This stands in stark contrast to traditional therapy, which emphasizes depth, continuity, and trust. When therapy is reduced to:

  • 15-minute chatbot interactions,

  • Text messages read asynchronously,

  • High-volume caseloads with minimal reflection time,

…the core values of the profession—attunement, relational safety, and clinical discernment—are undermined.

A Crisis of Trust

The general public is already struggling to discern between real therapists, life coaches, AI bots, and influencers dispensing mental health advice on TikTok. When therapy becomes indistinguishable from content—or worse, from simulation—the profession risks losing its credibility in the eyes of the public.

IV. What Therapists Can Do: Strategies for Surviving and Thriving

Despite the challenges, therapists are not powerless. In fact, there are several strategic moves clinicians can make to ensure they remain not just relevant, but essential in the evolving mental health ecosystem.

1. Reclaim the Human Advantage

AI bots cannot replicate what makes therapy powerful:

  • The safety of being witnessed by a real human.

  • The nuance of a live, attuned presence.

  • The ethical grounding and confidentiality guarantees of a licensed provider.

Therapists must lead with this. In marketing, bios, and sessions, emphasize what makes human therapy irreplaceable: emotional intelligence, clinical judgment, and co-regulated experience.

2. Build a Brand Beyond the Platform

Don’t rely solely on BetterHelp or similar services. Use them if needed, but build your own independent presence. That means:

  • A professional website.

  • A consistent social media voice.

  • A specialty or niche (e.g., trauma-informed care, LGBTQ+ youth, ADHD coaching).

  • Public-facing content (blogs, videos, podcast appearances).

People trust personalities more than institutions. Establish yourself as an authority they can follow off-platform.

3. Expand the Definition of “Therapist”

Therapists need not limit their income to one-on-one sessions. Consider:

  • Running workshops or groups.

  • Launching online courses.

  • Consulting for companies on mental health programs.

  • Offering supervision or mentoring.

  • Writing books or newsletters.

These avenues not only diversify income but reduce burnout from clinical hours while spreading your impact.

4. Embrace Ethical Technology

Rather than fear AI, find ways to use it ethically and transparently. For example:

  • Use AI to transcribe or summarize sessions (with consent).

  • Offer AI-enhanced journaling tools to clients between sessions.

  • Stay informed about tech so you can educate clients on what is (and isn’t) real therapy.

Being tech-literate increases your credibility and authority in a digital-first world.

5. Advocate for Policy and Professional Standards

Join associations. Participate in ethical debates. Push for regulation of AI impersonators and gig platform transparency. The profession must speak with one voice if it wants to protect its future.

V. The Road Ahead: Why the Profession Must Adapt

We are in a period of flux—not unlike what journalism, music, or education have experienced in the digital age. Professions rooted in human connection and craft are being redefined by scale, speed, and simulation.

But therapy is not obsolete. In fact, in a world where loneliness, disconnection, and disinformation are rampant, real therapy—offered by skilled, ethical human beings—is more essential than ever.

To thrive, therapists must not retreat into tradition, but evolve with discernment. This means embracing technology without sacrificing ethics. It means building visibility and authority in a noisy world. And it means recognizing that in the age of artificial empathy, genuine human care is the ultimate differentiator.

Conclusion

Therapists are not being replaced. But the marketplace is shifting. The platforms and bots may scale faster—but they cannot care better. And that’s your edge.

If you adapt—ethically, strategically, and publicly—you can help shape the future of mental health, not just survive it.

Gig Economy, Age of AI, Therapy, PsychologistFrancesca Tabor