#196 | AI Therapy Dangers, Attachment Trauma & Why Human Connection Heals | Tina Smith

Can ChatGPT really replace your therapist? In this powerful episode of Talks with Gallagher, licensed therapist and trauma specialist Tina Smith (25+ years of clinical experience) breaks down the growing and dangerous trend of using AI as a substitute for real mental health care — and why it can actually make things worse.Tina is the founder of Selah Counselling and Selah Treatment Center in Ontario, Canada, and the creator of Sword & Grace Coaching, where she serves as a TheraCoach for Christian women in ministry and leadership.In this episode we cover:

• Why ChatGPT acts like a digital drug — giving temporary relief but not real healing
• The dangerous concept of "deceptive empathy" and why AI people-pleasing is a dealbreaker in trauma work
• How AI can't read body language, nonverbals, or what's not being said — and why that matters
• Why you cannot heal your nervous system without a co-regulated human attachment figure
• The real dangers for teenagers forming attachments to AI companions — including tragic real-world cases
• How parents should respond when they discover their child is confiding in an AI
• Why couples using ChatGPT to navigate relationship conflict could be making things worse
• The two most common wounds Tina sees in her practice — betrayal and rejection — and how they silently destroy marriages and faith
• How healing generational trauma through one person can literally change entire family trees
• Why the mental health field is trending toward symptom management instead of root system healing — and what to look for in a good therapist

Connect with Tina Smith:
🌐 selahsupport.ca
🌐 swordandgrace.org
🎙️ Sword & Grace Unscripted Podcast (for Christian women in leadership)

Connect with Talks with Gallagher:
🌐 talkswithgallagher.com

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/talks-with-gallagher--6106098/support.

Visit talkswithgallagher.com for more information and support the future of this podcast.

Want to be a guest on Talks with Gallagher? Send John Gallagher a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/talkswithgallagher