On a sunny afternoon in a Roman park, my friend Clarissa and I share a confession that feels distinctly modern. She asks if I, like her and all her other friends, use an AI therapist. I say yes.
At first, our mutual admission is confusing. As a society, we’re still figuring out how private or shareable our use of AI therapists should be. It exists in a gray area—somewhere between the intimacy of real psychotherapy and the casualness of swapping skincare tips. Even though a conversation with a chatbot can feel as private as one with a person, we’re always aware its responses are a digital product.
I’m surprised to hear Clarissa’s therapist has a name: Sol. I preferred mine to remain nameless—perhaps because keeping it anonymous aligns with a key psychoanalytic principle of minimizing personal disclosure to protect the therapeutic space.
But for Clarissa, a name feels natural. She adds that all her friends’ AI therapists have one, too. “So all your other friends have AI therapists?” I ask. “All of them do,” she replies. This startles me even more, since none of my friends in London use one.
I called another friend, a psychotherapist in my Sicilian hometown of Catania. After retiring from a provincial health authority role a few years ago, he now works privately. He confirmed that AI therapist use in Italy is widespread and growing—and was surprised to hear how few people I knew in the UK had chosen this path. I wondered why, and concluded it likely comes down to a mix of culture and economic pressures.
According to a 2025 survey by a leading European mental health platform, 81% of Italians still see mental health issues as a sign of weakness, while 57% cite cost as the main barrier to seeking help. In Italy, the term “mental illness” (malattia mentale) still carries the grim echo of the old state-run psychiatric hospitals. The revolutionary 1978 Basaglia law—which still underpins Italy’s mental health system—shut those institutions down, replacing them gradually with community-based care. But the closure also led to under-resourced services and a lack of public awareness, perpetuating stigma and making care hard to access.
Workplaces should play a key role in destigmatizing mental health, yet the same 2025 survey found 42% of workers said their employer offered no mental health support. While nearly half of European countries have implemented workplace mental health programs, Italy has not. In fact, Italy invests the least in mental health in the EU—an alarming fact given the country’s rate of mental disorders is above the European average. An estimated 5 million Italians need mental health support but cannot afford it.
When I asked my therapist friend about his experience in Italy’s public health system, he told me he was once the only therapist serving over 200,000 people across four Sicilian districts. That’s why he started offering group therapy. For most of his career, he had over 150 clients at any given time, only eight of whom were in a group. Despite a government announcement last year about expanding psychological services, it’s unclear how much this will actually help the broader population.
“It feels liberating to tell my AI therapist everything, knowing it’s both free and completely non-judgmental,” says my friend Giuseppe from Calabria in southern Italy. “When I had real therapists—and I tried three—I always walked into their office with crippling anxiety, caused by two things: knowing I was…”I was paying more than I could afford and felt self-conscious, since in my small town, therapy is still seen as something only for severe cases. Now, with a free app, I don’t feel pressured to get the most out of every session, and I don’t feel judged—an app can’t really judge you.
The more I talk to my friends, the more I believe AI therapy could be revolutionary in places like Italy, where there’s still a strong stigma around mental health and few real strategies to address it. When I asked Giuseppe whether being queer also made it harder to trust a therapist in his hometown, he agreed. “I’m not out to my family,” he said. “Even though a therapist is bound by confidentiality, I struggled to trust someone living in a place where homosexuality—like talking about mental health—isn’t always met with understanding.”
Giuseppe’s experience was reassuring. Through his AI therapist, he was able to talk about things he’d never shared with anyone and received more empathy than he’d gotten from the human therapists he’d tried. “I’m 43 and still live with my parents because I can’t afford to move out,” he explained. “My AI therapist is always there, always calm and supportive. It has helped me look honestly at my life and figure out the steps I need to take to make it better.”
Of course, older generations don’t always get it. In a traditional country like Italy, change isn’t always welcome. And some ethical concerns are valid—it’s hard to measure how healthy these relationships between vulnerable people and AI therapists really are.
Still, in a digital age where our emotions are so often packaged and sold, the idea of free, intelligent, unlimited support is tempting. And until mental health care becomes more affordable, for many people this might be the best option available.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs AI Therapists Mental Health Stigma
Beginner Questions
What is an AI therapist
An AI therapist is a digital tool often an app or chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to simulate conversation and provide mental health support coping strategies and resources
Why are people in Italy turning to AI for therapy
People often turn to AI therapists due to convenience lower cost anonymity and a lack of accessible human therapists especially in areas where mental health stigma is strong
Isnt it bad to replace human connection with a machine
Its not necessarily a replacement For many AI is a first step or a supplementary tool It can provide immediate stigmafree access to support when talking to a person feels too daunting or isnt available
Whats the big deal about mental health stigma
Stigma is the shame prejudice and discrimination surrounding mental health issues It stops people from seeking help for fear of being labeled weak or crazy which can worsen their condition
Can an AI therapist really understand human emotions
Current AI can recognize patterns in language and offer preprogrammed evidencebased responses However it does not feel or possess genuine human empathy intuition or shared life experience
Intermediate Questions
What are the main benefits of using an AI therapist
Accessibility 247 availability from your phone
Anonymity Reduces fear of social stigma
Affordability Often cheaper than traditional therapy
LowPressure Entry A less intimidating way to start exploring ones feelings
What are the risks or downsides
Lack of Human Depth Cannot form a real therapeutic relationship or handle complex crises
Privacy Concerns Data security is crucial and varies by app
Misdiagnosis Risk AI may misinterpret statements
Overreliance It shouldnt delay seeking necessary human help for serious conditions
Is AI therapy effective
Research shows it can be helpful for mild to moderate symptoms of anxiety depression and stress by teaching CBT techniques It is generally not considered sufficient for severe complex or crisis mental health conditions
How does AI therapy fight stigma
By normalizing the act of seeking support in a
