30/04/2026
Our Position on AI ‘Therapy’
We welcome innovation.
But not at the expense of safe, ethical care.
Alongside wider mental health bodies, there are growing concerns about the use of AI as a substitute for therapy.
AI tools may offer support in some areas.
However, they do not hold:
* clinical judgement
* ethical accountability
* responsibility for safeguarding
Therapy, particularly with children and young people, requires more than responses. It requires attunement, relationship, and professional training.
Presenting AI as a ‘therapist’ risks misleading individuals and families into trusting systems that are not equipped to support complex emotional needs.
As Play Therapists, we are clear:
AI should not be used as an alternative to qualified therapeutic support.
Because when it comes to children’s, young people’s and families wellbeing, there is no substitute for safe, human connection.
