# Can generative AI be offered to clients for emotional support between sessions?

URL: https://tymirahealth.com/resources/faqs/can-generative-ai-be-offered-to-clients-for-emotional-support-between-sessions
For: Digital health teams | Digital health and technology | Reviewed by Independent clinical reviewer, Registered mental health clinician, Kenya | Last reviewed 8 November 2026

**Answer:** Proceed with great caution. WHO experts in 2026 called generative AI use a public mental health concern, noting that many tools used for emotional support were neither designed nor tested for it, with risks such as emotional dependence. If you offer one, it should be co-designed with clinicians and people with lived experience, clearly labelled as AI, limited in scope, linked to human support and crisis pathways, and evaluated for harms. It must not replace therapy or clinical judgement.

Sources: World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/news/item/20-03-2026-towards-responsible-ai-for-mental-health-and-well-being--experts-chart-a-way-forward - World Health Organization: https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/375579

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