"Empathy Is More Than Just Words: Why You Shouldn't Ditch Your Therapist for AI" - Anat Perry, Ph.D.

What is the unique value of psychotherapy in a world where AI can convincingly simulate empathy while delivering evidence-based treatments with better fidelity than many human therapists?

In this episode, Bruce Wampold sits down with Dr. Anat Perry -- one of the first and most innovative researchers studying human empathy in comparison with AI-simulated empathy.

Together, Bruce and Anat explore:

• What empathy actually is (and why it’s more complex than we think)

• Which aspects of empathy AI can approximate — and which it cannot

• Why “perfect” empathic responses can feel empty

• The difference between sounding empathic and being empathic

• How AI may reshape loneliness, connection, and trust

• Where AI can support therapy — and where human relationship remains essential Whether you’re a clinician, researcher, or simply curious about where psychotherapy is headed, this episode offers a thoughtful look at one of the most important questions facing the field today.

🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share — your support helps us keep these conversations going.

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Anat Perry, Ph.D. | Director, Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Helen Putnam Fellow, Radcliffe Institute (Harvard); Co-editor of Empathy and Artificial Intelligence: Challenges, Advances and Ethical Considerations

Bruce Wampold, Ph.D. | Emeritus Professor, University of Wisconsin–Madison; Author of The Great Psychotherapy Debate

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The Making Therapy Better podcast is brought to you by CarePaths EHR, an electronic health record system designed to help you improve therapy outcomes.https://www.carepaths.com

Produced and edited by Kevin Riordan and Geissy Araújo, Ph.D.

Intro/outro music by Chris Haugen, free for public use.

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02:53 - Therapists vs Bot Therapy

04:55 - Three Part Empathy

08:06 - Chatbot Backlash

10:08 - What Bots Can Mimic

15:35 - Genuine Care Matters

18:24 - Tools vs Connection

21:52 - Hybrid Therapy Future

24:01 - Loneliness and Incentives

26:22 - Empathy On Demand

27:35 - Loneliness and Social Maps

29:52 - Social Skills Atrophy

31:39 - Doubting Genuine Messages

33:58 - Trust Stories Across Generations

37:21 - Training Social Skills With AI

42:29 - Authenticity and Earbud Coaching

45:42 - Books, Movies, and Bot Empathy

48:50 - Attachment and Blurred Reality

50:09 - Responsible AI And Farewell

53:49 Sponsor Care Paths EHR

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#psychotherapy #AI #TherapySkills #MentalHealth #Counseling #ClinicalPsychology #Empathy #TherapistTraining #BruceWampold #MakingTherapyBetter