AI, Therapy, and the Digitally Extended Self With Aaron Balick

AI is already shaping how people seek comfort, reassurance, and even intimacy. So what happens when more and more turn to machines for therapy? In this live-recorded conversation, Johanne sits down with psychodynamic psychotherapist Aaron Balick, author of The Psychodynamics of Social Networking and an early voice on the digitally extended self, to talk about what hyper-validation and frictionless companionship do to our capacity for real relating.

What is covered: The algorithmic self, relational complexity, sycophancy and the tolerance of otherness, what psychodynamic thinking brings to a debate dominated by measurables, and advice for therapists whose clients are using ChatGPT.
Show links: 

• Aaron Balick's Substack Newsletter Depth Psychology in the Digital Age
• The unedited video recording of the live-streamed conversation
• Details for the Rupture & Repair Conference, Berlin, June 6–7, where AI in the Therapy Space, will be one of the presentations

What is Therapy Talk with It's Complicated?

In Therapy Talk, clinical psychologist and co-founder of It's Complicated, Johanne Schwensen, takes you on a captivating journey through the world of therapy.

In conversation with a diverse array of mental health professionals, the various modalities are demystified, and therapy's intersection with society is explored. Whether you're a therapy-seeker or simply psychologically curious, Therapy Talk offers valuable insights and a fresh perspective on the impact of therapy.

Find your Therapist at: https://www.complicated.life

Music by Kadri Arula