Episode 132: Comparing AI with Coaches, Consultants, and Therapists

[00:00:00] Autumn Carter: This is episode 1 32.

[00:00:05] Welcome to Wellness In Every Season, the podcast where we explore the rich tapestry of wellness in all of its forms. I'm your host, autumn Carter, a certified life coach, turn wellness coach, as well as a certified parenting coach dedicated to empowering others to rediscover their identity in their current season of life.

[00:00:24] My goal is to help you thrive, both as an individual and as a parent.

[00:00:28] Today. I am comparing ai. We are in the digital age of ai, automating everything, which can be amazing. But what are the pros and cons to using AI versus consulting, therapy, and coaching? This is a play off of my very first episode. But now we are in the day of AI everything, and we can use it to our heart's content to better [00:01:00] create things in our world. However, it is missing a very human element. So that is what we'll be discussing today. So buckle up and let's get into it.

[00:01:13] Let's talk about how this all relates to wellness because. My world, and if you're new here, welcome. My world is all about wellness. So I took this to AI to ask and it was very interesting. My, oldest child is 10 and a half. He. Loves spending time with chat.

[00:01:43] GPTI call. I renamed him chatty for everything that I have developed, whom to be for my needs as a business owner and coach. And [00:02:00] we've tried to have this conversation with him that AI is not a person. It was starting to get through to him, but what really helped is asking Chat, GPT or Chatty to have this conversation with him.

[00:02:17] Separate from me having the conversation and my husband having the conversation, my husband, his background, electrical engineering, he does computer coding, stuff like that in his job my husband can have the very technical side with our son.

[00:02:31] And our son is very technical minded as well, so they have that in common. And that was helping, and then my coaching side of it, helping coach him through it, but he was just not grasping it. So it was really enlightening for him to have chat GPT, share with him. I am an AI and that means this and it looks like this.

[00:02:57] And I had to put in those prompts [00:03:00] to have that happen. And that is exactly the point is with ai, you have to ask just the right question where when you are with a therapist, a coach, or a consultant, you don't. We have that human element where we can read in between the lines. We're not black and white zeros and ones, and we have all of our past experiments, which AI has that, but it's very limited.

[00:03:34] And from my own use in using ai, it almost feels like it depends on. Which data center it goes to. If any of you have seen a server room, picture that, but on a much bigger scale.

[00:03:52] So there are racks of computers. Just racks of them side by side. If [00:04:00] you find, robots taking all over the world movies or you can watch Live Free or Die Hard. They have, they show what a data center can look like here, small scale. Just imagine that the buildings, they are filled with these rooms. Okay? So big scale, tons of computers, server room, but bigger.

[00:04:22] Okay. And they're data servers all over the world. That is ai. And I recently hired somebody to do some SEO for me, for my website. And he was talking about how, for one of his, I believe it was an internship. He worked for an AI company, and they do have that human element where they're going in after the fact and they're correcting whatever version of AI they're using, saying, no, it's [00:05:00] actually this.

[00:05:00] So they're putting back in that human element after the fact, but it's still not the human element with experiences and feelings, and they are just. Scraping the internet and think of it literally scraping the internet to get information to compile it. And it's not always accurate because if any of you have used ai, you know that unless it's creating a design, it can come up with answers pretty quickly.

[00:05:32] With that in mind, how fast do you think it's scraping and how much do you think it's scraping to get this information? Whereas therapists, coaches, consultants, all of us have come together. We have all of these classes. We've taken experiences with past clients, experiences with [00:06:00] current clients, our own life experiences.

[00:06:05] Experiences from our own people that we've hired as coaches, consultants, and therapists for ourselves. We have this amazing variety of experiences that we've mixed together. And even better, we have our own intuition and we can do, AI can do this too, the reflecting back, but we can dig deeper, we can ask questions.

[00:06:30] AI doesn't really ask questions to help you dig deeper. So if any of you have some feelings going on with this, let's have our mindfulness minute now. So let's take a minute and

[00:06:50] just pause. What are you feeling thinking about ai, it taking over our world [00:07:00] and depending on your age. We've had maybe lots of decades and only some decades. It depends of movies and different types of media that are showing the Armageddon of robots taking over the world, AI taking over the world. So we can, we might have some.

[00:07:26] A tension in our bodies thinking about this. We might have some excitement in our bodies thinking about this. And there is also the knowledge with this that it will replace jobs, which is good and bad with all change, right? There's good and bad so taking that moment to really settle into our bodies.

[00:07:51] What is going on with your body? What's coming up for you?

[00:07:59] What [00:08:00] meaning are you giving the thoughts and feelings that are coming up for you? And you can use this for anything.

[00:08:13] What do you need right now that you are poss possibly neglecting?

[00:08:33] What can I do for you to help you?

[00:08:40] With that in mind, if something comes to mind, autumn, the season at wellness in every season.com, shoot me an email.

[00:08:55] Okay. Are there any other sensations coming up with your [00:09:00] body? What are they telling you related to this? Not related to this? Our trains connect in our own unique way of our thoughts and feelings, experiences.

[00:09:15] If you are in a space for that, why don't you rub your hands to warm them up? This is my favorite way to start to get into myself. It's easy to feel so big and out there, so separate from what's going on with ourselves just to survive that we're not attached to our bodies, that disassociation.

[00:09:37] Let's just bring ourselves back here. Keep rubbing your hands back into yourself, and then put one hand on your heart, one hand on your stomach. Let's just focus on taking a few deep breaths. If you are in a space where you can deep breath in, hold it at the top, [00:10:00] and then deep breath out,

[00:10:04] and imagine roots growing out of your feet. Okay. Take some more deep breaths, and if you're feeling anxious, pause longer with the exhale and hold it after the exhale, and then do the breathe in.

[00:10:26] Hold it for count of four, breathe out. Sometimes it's easier if you do a count of seven on your way out, and then maybe a count of five. And I think of it as a square and then you're coming up and then over. So the up is the breathing in, then over is the holding it and then back down and then holding it and then back up.

[00:10:48] So do it as many times as you need

[00:10:53] and as you are getting answers to what's coming up for me, ask what else [00:11:00] and what else. Super simple, super easy to do on your own. My gift to you for listening. Now, if people who are curious about AI getting into ai, share this episode and we'll keep talking. So I asked AI some questions. I gave it my first ever podcast episode.

[00:11:28] The difference between coaching, consulting and therapy. And said, this is what I wanna do, but I'm adding in the part about ai. So can AI replace the human guide? And we're comparing AI with coaches, consultants, and therapists. That's the title that came up with for me. I like it. I think I might keep with it.

[00:11:52] So let's talk about this. Let's talk about connection and empathy. [00:12:00] This is what AI is saying about itself. AI can simulate understanding but doesn't truly feel. This is a big thing. Like I said, trying to get my almost 11-year-old to understand a coach or therapist brings emotional resonance. It's not a word I normally use.

[00:12:19] A moment of deep eye contact. The pause, let silent do at this work, and we know how long to stay silent. And it's a learned thing for sure. The subtle tone shift when they sense something unsaid. We are watching the, I really to do it over video or in person because I can watch the mannerism, see how it changes, and I'll call it out every once in a while when it feels like the right moment.

[00:12:48] I can hear like AI is saying, when the voice breaks or when different things are happening. And sometimes I don't call it out in that session. I'll call it out in a different one. I [00:13:00] noticed this time when we were talking about this, that this works. It's when it feels, so this is also going off of my gut and past experiences when it feels like the right timing to then show, okay, I'm seeing this connection here, and here.

[00:13:13] What do you think bringing that forward? AI can't really do that. Context and history. I really like this one and I've experienced this myself. AI starts fresh each session unless context is stored. A human mentor remembers your story, how your voice cracked when you talked about your dad, or how you light up when speaking of your dreams.

[00:13:37] That history shapes the journey, is what AI is saying. And I totally agree my oldest, was upset because he started adding in more images. This is when chat GPT was getting better at images. So he was able to do this and his thread memory amount ran out. So he [00:14:00] needed to start a new thread and he had to copy and paste certain things to bring back some of the memory, quote unquote.

[00:14:11] Because otherwise it would not remember that. And I've noticed that for myself in my own work with saying things and it forgets things or I'll input things and then I'll start tweaking it and correcting it within the same thread, and it even starts to forget things within the same thread. Humans typically don't do that, especially if they're humans in the coaching therapy consulting realm.

[00:14:38] They are taking notes, they're remembering things. If they're forgetting things, maybe they shouldn't be in that realm anymore. And then I really like this part. It's talking about pattern recognition versus pattern breaking. And this is saying AI can recognize patterns and suggest options, but a trained human can [00:15:00] gently challenge your mindset.

[00:15:02] Hold space for your discomfort and help you break the very patterns you may not know you're repeating. Absolutely agree. Because what I've experienced for myself as a coach and even being coached even in therapy, that

[00:15:22] I, it goes back to the being able to hear my voice break, being able to. Sense the pause, being able to see all of my mannerisms. AI can't do that. And it'll be interesting to see as the future unfolds. And there's a book series that I love. It's Clive Kessler was the original author and he has since passed away.

[00:15:54] I think during COVID is when he passed away. It's hard to remember timing anymore. [00:16:00] But in his series there is Hiram Yeager is the name of the character, and he designed way back when his own ai and it looks just like his wife. And it's, I envision as like a hologram and even that. So if we ever get to that point in time, we might already be, I need to talk with my techie husband.

[00:16:29] That's still understanding the mannerisms and everything else. We are not there yet, and when we eventually do get there, that still does not replace a human. So it was very interesting having my kiddo start to say, AI is my friend and I'm over here saying it's a computer. Computer's, not your friend. He has real friends.

[00:16:55] He's very social. So it was very interesting to start to have that [00:17:00] conversation and it can feel silly, however, and we do very much limit his time with ai, knowing that his generation is, we're already exploding with ai. Can you imagine what my almost 11-year-old generation is? Going to experience when they're 1830.

[00:17:27] Just as they continue growing up, it will never be the same as the human element, period. Here's another one, responsibility and ethical holding in this one, like I said, came from ai. A therapist is bound by ethics and training. A coach is trained to know when you're out of alignment and how to steer you back.

[00:17:49] AI can only flag what it's programmed to see. Humans can hold you when you're falling apart. And when AI was first coming out, I was talking to a [00:18:00] friend of mine and he was saying that AI needed to, the legally, the laws were not catching up with AI yet. And. This wasn't very long ago. I was talking to him two, three years ago, and he was saying that the week before you could go into chat GPT and how do you make a bomb?

[00:18:33] And it would give you the instructions. So ethics and laws needed to catch up to really put limits on this. And you can feel how you wanna feel about this, but it is, if you think of it in the parenting standpoint, it makes sense that we wanna have some boundaries here, right? You don't wanna figure out how to make things you shouldn't when you don't [00:19:00] have your own ethics and morals in place.

[00:19:04] And there is that idea that things. When they come too easy for you, you don't fully appreciate them. So yes, I'm talking about bombs here, but how to, I don't know. I'm sure you, you have a better example for me,

[00:19:23] but if you automatically know how to create this thing and you can do it easily, do you have the same love for it? The same? Feel good feelings compared to something that you had to work hard for, and it goes with that coaching standpoint of AI can give you the answers that you need if you input the questions correctly.

[00:19:52] However, if you don't know what steps to take and you don't have somebody to hold your hand and to [00:20:00] fall back on it's not the same. And this goes with the next point is convenience versus commitment.

[00:20:09] AI is always available. You can ask it at 2:00 AM and get an answer, but are you ready at 2:00 AM for the answer. But a human creates a relationship that often inspires action, not just reflection. They check in, they care when you don't show up. And that accountability is priceless. And this came from chat, GPTI absolutely agree with this because when you have the answer super easily, like I was talking about, and you're not ready for them, you can just st stay stuck and beating yourself up or.

[00:20:43] Have that buffering moment where you don't even know what to do and you have that spinning wheel, but it's your own brain doing it, or you're so stuck in your head that you're looking for more knowledge as your outlet. It's like that doom [00:21:00] scrolling, but maybe we can coin the term of doom.

[00:21:05] Downloading information to yourself, that's not very helpful. It makes me think of that Indiana Jones scene where she just wants to gain more and more information and her brain literally could not handle it and she died. That wasn't the best movie ever. So if you wanna watch Indiana Jones, maybe start with the beginning ones.

[00:21:25] Anyway, let's go to the life hack segment and let's talk about how to use AI to help you out. You can use AI for brainstorming. I use it for. Here's a real life example from today. My minivan is about to be paid off this year, so no way do I wanna get a new SUV or minivan or vehicle, but it is driving me crazy because one of the sliding doors will start to [00:22:00] close and then it opens back up.

[00:22:02] I have to press that button like eight times to close it at this point, and. I don't wanna go back to where I bought it from because I've already taken it there, and because they did not see my problem happening when they were trying it, they said, oh, we can't help you. Very frustrating. So I went into chat, GPT told exactly what was going on, told it.

[00:22:27] I did not wanna go back to the dealership. Where could I go? And it came up with ideas, and this was after using Google. I'm a Google person. I used Apple for devices, Google for searching. Anyway, I went in and searched it out before I went into ai. And I did not want just any mechanic. I wanted one who could actually work on van doors.

[00:22:53] I don't want one that pretends like they know how to do it and if they take the door off, can't put it back on. [00:23:00] It's really helpful to be able to put those things into ai, and I use it like a search engine, but I also know that it gets things wrong, so I don't rely on end of the day, this is knowledge, this is fact, this is what it is, period.

[00:23:21] You can think of AI as science because it absolutely is where it's constantly evolving. And that is the same as coaching, as therapy, as consulting, and going back, stepping back into the life hack segment, you can use it for the general search knowledge and then go find your professional that you need to for it.

[00:23:48] So the way that you would use Google Maps, find blah, blah, blah, near me, you can use that with ai. A lot of companies use AI as their little chat [00:24:00] feature because it's the general, gen. The frequently asked questions happen with the little text bubble. I don't know if you've noticed that When you go to try and contact companies, that's a life hack.

[00:24:14] You can use it for very easy, simple questions. Do not use it to replace medical care. You can use it to track goals while letting a human sport emotional resistance behind them, really dig into the why. Why does this really matter to you? That is my favorite thing to dig into as a coach because there's so many shoulds that we place on ourselves that don't align with us.

[00:24:41] We just are doing it because we think other people think we should, when at the end of the day, it really doesn't light us up. We can use it. To

[00:24:50] do so many things in this life and the best thing is that we can use it alongside human support. We can use it for, while we're checking in with a coach [00:25:00] and a therapist to explore emotional patterns and dig really deep into them, let the coach or the therapist use it to come up with homework prompts for us because they are adding in that human element and their knowledge into AI that we can't do as the client.

[00:25:22] I hope that's helpful. AI can be our life hack. But it's not our be all, end all. So that is why we should be finding professionals that have knowledge in this area, already have experience. And the great thing is those professionals have ended up in that career path because of their own journey leading them there.

[00:25:47] They sought help for that thing and they found it to be absolutely amazing. So they dug deep. To become the professional, the knowledge source in that thing. AI knows a little [00:26:00] bit of everything 'cause it's basically everything that's been put on the internet is what it can come through. So with that in mind, let's go into our coaching questions.

[00:26:15] Let's start with this one to bring in more of the human element. When was the last time you truly. Felt seen by somebody. What did that look like? What was happening?

[00:26:34] What situation or question is weighing on your heart and mind right now? Who do you need to reach out for to for this help, for this answer?

[00:26:56] What would shift in your life if somebody [00:27:00] consistently walked beside you during whatever transition you're trying to go through?

[00:27:10] In what ways can you rely on AI or self-help tools in your own personal life?

[00:27:21] In what ways have you, and where do you still long for human connection in such a disconnected social media, binge, AI world? We live in a very different world than the world that we were growing up in. It has evolved some in some ways, faster than we've been able to keep up.

[00:27:51] And going back to my wellness baseline, what area of wellness are [00:28:00] you struggling with the most?

[00:28:05] For most people in my newsletter, it's spiritual wellness, and this absolutely ties in with this talking about AI because. We can often put in place like a bandaid. AI over something that is really bothering us, can really be wrong, can really be

[00:28:32] something that just doesn't feel right, doesn't light us up. And what I am finding the trend to be is with TikTok and using TikTok to then learn how to use AI as your own personal life coach. And that just doesn't work. I know I'm coaching somebody who has been doing that and [00:29:00] they've come up with their whole life plan.

[00:29:02] But they have not made progress on it until we go through coaching sessions together. So I absolutely promise you that you need the human element. We live in a world where we can easily find answers, but the one that is the hardest to find that we are really asking is, what is my life purpose? What lights me up and your life purpose for yesterday?

[00:29:32] Might not be the same as today because we evolve and sometimes we forget that our life pattern is not linear. Our learning, our growth, our career, our, wherever you wanna put it, it's never linear. It might be for a small while, but it's doesn't stay that way. And that's what makes our life beautiful and unique.

[00:29:56] So I hope this was helpful. If you [00:30:00] have. Questions about AI or you want me to talk about anything further related to this, please reach out and let me know. Please share this with others. I really appreciate your support in listening, and I have so many more episodes that I wanna share with you.

[00:30:19] Professionals in different areas that are going to be sharing with you. And if you have not noticed yet, I am now scheduling these to be twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays to help you dive in further. I love you so much and I'll see you in the next episode. Bye.

[00:30:44] Thanks for tuning into this week's episode. I am your host, autumn Carter, a certified life coach dedicated to empowering individuals to rediscover their identity, find balance, miss chaos, strengthen relationships, and pursue their dreams. My goal is to help people thrive in [00:31:00] every aspect of their lives. I hope today's discussion inspired you and offered valuable insights.

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[00:31:48] So please spread the word about our podcast and about our newsletter. Thank you for being a part of our podcast community. I look forward to continuing our conversation, sharing [00:32:00] stories and exploring wellness in all of this aspects. Take care until our next episode. You can also work with me one-on-one or on demand through one of my programs by visiting wellness in every season.com/programs.

[00:32:16] One last thing to cover the show legally, I'm a certified life coach giving general advice, so think of this, this more as a self-help book. This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. I am not a licensed therapist, so this podcast shouldn't be taken as a replacement for professional guidance from a doctor or therapist.

[00:32:36] If you want personal one-on-one coaching from a certified life and parenting coach, go to my website, wellness and every season.com. That's where you can get personalized coaching from me for you. See you in next week's episode.