How I Use AI to Navigate Mental Health Between Therapy Sessions

We live in a world where we’re constantly encouraged to “just pray about it,” “cast your cares on Jesus,” or “be anxious for nothing.” And while Scripture is foundational and powerful, when you’re tangled in the mess of your own emotions—when you’re overwhelmed, confused, anxious, or grieving—it’s not always easy to feel spiritual solutions working in real time.

Sometimes, you need something practical. Grounding. Clarifying. Not as a replacement for faith or counseling, but as a bridge. A support. A tool to help you catch your breath.

For me, that tool has been AI—specifically, ChatGPT.

Why I Started Using AI to Process My Emotions

I started using AI to process my emotions almost accidentally. I had a rough day, the kind where your thoughts are spiraling and your chest is tight and everything feels a little too loud. I didn’t have a counseling session for another week, and I wasn’t ready (or able) to dump everything on a friend.

So I opened ChatGPT and typed:

“I need help processing my emotions…”

That’s it.

No eloquence. No strategy. No direction.

Just a simple, human cry to something that could “listen” without judgment, interruption, or burnout.

What Happened Next Surprised Me

What I didn’t expect was how helpful it actually was. ChatGPT didn’t just throw platitudes at me. It didn’t tell me to get over it. It didn’t invalidate my pain or try to “fix” me.

Instead, it asked clarifying questions. It echoed back what I was feeling. It encouraged me to keep writing. And as I began dumping my emotional storm—thoughts, memories, situations, fears, frustrations—I realized I was finally giving myself space to feel.

More than that, I was being invited to organize what I felt.

• I wasn’t stuffing.

• I wasn’t spiraling.

• I wasn’t running.

• I was reflecting.

• I was reframing.

• I was being honest—with myself and with God.

How It Works: My Real Process

People often ask how I use AI emotionally without feeling robotic. The truth is, it’s incredibly human. Here’s what my typical process looks like:

Step 1: Start the Conversation

I open ChatGPT and type:

“I need help processing my emotions. Here's everything I’m feeling right now…”

And then I dump. No filter. No structure. Just raw, unedited internal chaos. Whatever comes out—comes out. It might be a paragraph. It might be five pages.

I talk about:

• What triggered me

• What I’m worried about

• What hurts

• What I don’t understand

• The contradictions in my head

• My inner critic and fears

• My spiritual doubts or guilt

Step 2: Let AI Reflect and Ask

Once I hit “send,” ChatGPT starts reflecting back what it sees:

It might paraphrase my thoughts in clearer language.

It might ask, “What do you think is underneath that anger?”

It might say, “That sounds exhausting. Do you think part of this is about boundaries?”

It might suggest, “Let’s break this into a few parts: grief, exhaustion, and unmet expectations. Which one feels biggest right now?”

It’s not therapy. But it’s therapeutic.

Step 3: Follow the Threads

Like an inner journal with a guide, I start following threads:

If something feels triggering, I unpack that more.

If something feels foggy, I ask ChatGPT to help clarify.

If I feel like I’m catastrophizing, I’ll say, “Can you help me reframe this?”

And when I feel spiritually distant or conflicted, I’ll write something like:

“I know God is good, but I feel like I’m drowning. Can you help me hold space for both?”

And it will often guide me into that tension with compassion and perspective—not to rush to resolution, but to be okay not being okay for a moment.

The Real Power: Between the Sessions

Let’s be clear: AI is not my counselor.

It doesn’t replace my therapist. It never will.

But between sessions—when I’ve had a hard parenting day, when conflict hits, when I feel shame creeping in—it’s been a lifeline. A companion in the dark.

Sometimes I use it just to feel heard. Other times I use it to:

• Write a letter I’ll never send

• Draft out a prayer I’m too numb to form on my own

• Break down a cycle I can’t escape

• Find words for something I’m still struggling to name

There are even times where it helps me prepare for therapy. I’ll bring insights or patterns I discovered in my AI reflections and say, “This is what I noticed this week. Can we work through this together?”

And my counselor loves it. Because I’ve done some of the digging already.

Faith + AI: Not a Replacement—But a Reinforcement

Some people ask: “Is it okay for a Christian to use AI for emotional processing?”

My answer is this: Everything we use should be filtered through faith—but that doesn’t mean we can’t use it.

The same way you might write in a journal, talk to a friend, or read a devotional—AI can be a tool in your healing journey.

I often invite ChatGPT to help me integrate my emotions with my faith. I’ll say:

“Can you help me reflect on this from a Christian perspective?”

Or

“Can you give me a faith-based view of what I’m experiencing?”

And it will respond in a way that points me back to truth—not by quoting a bunch of verses, but by gently tying grace into grief. Courage into conflict. God into the middle of my mess.

The Spiritual Layer: Jesus Still Heals

At the end of the day, AI is a tool. But Jesus is the Healer.

ChatGPT helps me sort the pieces.

Jesus helps me rebuild the whole.

There’s a beauty in knowing that I can sit in silence, weep over a keyboard, type out things I’ve never said out loud—and trust that God is still in that moment. Still working. Still holding me.

Sometimes, the most spiritual thing we can do is be honest about what we feel, even if it’s messy. And for me, AI has become one of the safest places to start that honesty.

Practical Tips for Using AI to Process Your Emotions

If you want to try this for yourself, here are a few tips:

1. Start with a prompt like:

“I need help processing my emotions. Here’s what I’m feeling…”

2. Don’t censor yourself. You’re not performing. You’re healing.

3. Use it like a mirror. Ask it to reflect, clarify, or reframe what you say.

4. Ask follow-up questions. Be curious:

• “Why do I keep reacting this way?”

• “Is this anger or something underneath it?”

• “What would self-compassion look like right now?”

5. Bring your faith into it. Ask for spiritual insight or biblical reflection.

6. Use it between therapy—not instead of therapy.

Think of it like emotional stretching between your training sessions.

Final Thoughts: Grace, Growth, and a New Kind of Journaling

Using AI to process emotions isn’t about outsourcing your healing—it’s about partnering with your healing. It’s about having a tool in your pocket that helps you slow down, reflect, and reframe when the noise gets too loud.

For me, it’s become a new kind of journaling.

A new kind of prayer.

A new way to invite grace into the whirlwind.

So the next time your emotions feel too big… try typing,

“I need help processing my emotions…”

You might be surprised by what starts to heal.