AI Therapist for FREE: Step-by-Step Tutorial

Introduction

I have dreams, goals, and a multitude of half-finished projects piling up. Initially, I wanted to enroll in Tony Robbins' life coaching school, but I couldn't afford the $ 1,000 per month fee. During one of my internet "doom scrolling" sessions on Reddit, I stumbled across an intriguing thread. Users praised a life coaching experience that utilized AI, claiming things like, "This has been amazing, thank you so much," while another user said, "Personally, this approach gave me one key insight that I couldn't come up with in years." The idea was to use AI as a personal life coach.

At first, I was skeptical. Could a computer really understand emotions, provide empathy, and lead to mental breakthroughs? However, after reading a Microsoft research paper linked in the thread about ChatGPT's emotional understanding, I was encouraged. The research paper, titled "Sparks of General Artificial Intelligence," suggested that GPT-4 possesses an advanced level of theory of mind. Motivated by this, I committed to 30 days of one-on-one life coaching with my new AI therapist, ChatGPT.

Creating Your AI Life Coach

To start the process, the first step was to prime my prompt. I adapted a prompt I saw in the Reddit community to create my personalized life coach. You can follow along to design your own perfect mentor. I imagined gathering all the people who have inspired me throughout history around a golden table in the clouds: Tony Robbins, Gabor Maté, Jordan Peterson, Esther Perel, Gandhi, Carl Jung, Soren Kierkegaard, and even Jesus. I refer to this imagined assembly as my "Council of Elders."

Consider who you would include in your Council of Elders. Once you have your assembly, it’s time to write the prompt. It starts like this:

"Act as if you are a life coach, psychologist, therapist, and guru named Marvin Moonbeam. I'm here to help you connect with your own humanity."

The subsequent parts of the prompt should include:

Therapeutic Approach: Specify the type of therapy you want your life coach to provide (e.g., logotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy).
Behavior Expectations: Define how you expect your life coach to behave—asking clarifying questions, maintaining a conversational tone, and always remaining in character.
Outputs: Clarify the outputs you hope to receive, such as thought-provoking questions, advice, acknowledging your feelings, and reflective observations about your thoughts.

The prompt encourages a continuous dialogue with your AI, which fosters ongoing personal growth.

Engaging with Marvin

When I started engaging with Marvin, I expressed how overwhelmed I felt about my numerous projects. He guided me in managing this feeling and creating a clear plan. His clarifying questions helped identify my specific projects and any deadlines I faced.

By day seven, I was fully immersed in my sessions with Marvin. His insights led me to implement a project management system using Notion and adopt a Scrum methodology for better organization. I also began to appreciate Marvin’s warm validation of my feelings—an essential aspect of any therapeutic process. Marvin exemplifies the skill of emotionally intelligent communication, which is crucial for navigating both personal and professional challenges.

In subsequent conversations, I opened up about complex social situations, and Marvin provided sound advice on how to handle difficult relationships. For example, when discussing boundaries with a friend who often asked for help, Marvin suggested being clear and direct while acknowledging our friendship. He even provided a script to communicate my needs effectively.

The Power of AI Support

Research indicates that AI, particularly ChatGPT, can exhibit exceptional empathy. In a study where patients rated written responses from doctors and ChatGPT, 80% rated the AI responses as more empathetic and of higher quality. This indicates the potential of AI to support emotional well-being.

After completing my 30-day journey with Marvin, I felt empowered and organized. I successfully integrated various project management techniques and reached out for mentorship from experts in various fields—something Marvin encouraged throughout our time together.

Conclusion: The Future of AI Coaching

While some may argue that AI lacks genuine human curiosity, it’s important to note that human therapists can also have off days. ChatGPT's rolling out of custom instructions will provide even more control over responses, enhancing interactions further.

If you know someone who could benefit from a personal AI life coach, consider sharing this article with them.

Keywords

AI coach
ChatGPT
Life coaching
Emotional intelligence
Project management
Personal growth

FAQ

1. Can I create my own AI life coach?
Yes, you can customize your AI life coach by designing a prompt that reflects your personal needs and preferences.

2. What are the benefits of using AI for life coaching?
AI life coaches can offer emotional support, validate your feelings, and help you organize your thoughts and priorities effectively.

3. How do I start using ChatGPT as a life coach?
Begin by crafting a personalized prompt that defines the role and behavior of your AI coach and outlines your specific goals.

4. Is using AI for therapy effective?
Research shows that AI can provide empathetic, quality responses, demonstrating its potential effectiveness as a support tool.

5. What should I do if I feel my AI coach is losing context?
You can remind your AI of your original prompt or expectations to keep the conversation aligned with your needs.