Dialogue with the machine: Reflections amid the AI revolution and its consequences for the therapeutic self-image

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly entering fields traditionally considered fundamentally human — including psychotherapy. This article reflects on the challenges and opportunities AI presents for the professional identity of psychotherapists. The focus lies not on concrete applications, but on how therapeutic stance, identity, and relational practice are transformed in a digitized culture. AI is framed as a cultural litmus test that confronts the therapeutic profession with questions about its humanistic values, relational core, and ethical responsibility. Drawing on Alfred Adler’s concept of Gemeinschaftsgefühl (social interest), the article proposes a relational approach to technology that resists both naive technophilia and defensive rejection. It argues for a profession that actively engages in shaping a human-centered digital future — not by withdrawing from technology, but by situating itself clearly in relation to it.