If you’ve ever sat at your desk wondering whether your career is about to be eaten alive by robots – you’re not alone.
AI is creeping into almost every industry, and therapy and coaching aren’t immune. But while some professionals are panicking, others are quietly building something extraordinary. With help.
The Truth About AI in a Coaching Franchise
Let’s get something straight: AI is a tool, not a threat. Used well, it can enhance your work, streamline your practice, and make you more of who you already are – not less.
But fear travels fast. And I’ve heard all sorts of concerns bubbling up from coaches, therapists and business owners about what artificial intelligence might mean for their future. So, let’s dismantle five of the biggest myths doing the rounds in the mental health world, especially if you’re in – or considering – a coaching franchise like People Building.
🧠 “AI isn’t replacing you – it’s reflecting you. And with the right guidance, it can scale your wisdom, not steal it.”
Myth 1: AI will take my job
It won’t. AI can replicate patterns, but not presence. Connection, empathy, and nuanced therapeutic insight aren’t programmable. Your clients aren’t buying ChatGPT’s cleverness – they’re investing in your humanity. What AI can do is take care of your admin, support your marketing, and even help you draft brilliant session resources. So you have more time to be the powerful human you were trained to be.
Myth 2: It’s not safe – my clients’ data will be leaked
Only if you’re careless with it. Just like you wouldn’t share client notes in a café, you shouldn’t use unsecured platforms. But OpenAI offers a pro-level plan (ChatGPT Team or Enterprise) where your data is not used to train the model. You can keep your therapy session notes, article ideas and practice documents private, encrypted and entirely yours. We’ll even walk you through it if you need help setting it up.
Myth 3: If I use AI to create content, someone else could get the same thing
This one’s tricky – but manageable. Yes, public queries may create generic responses. But once you’ve trained your AI with your tone, your style, and your specialisms, it becomes like a ghostwriter with a sixth sense. You can protect your intellectual property, and with the right prompting methods, the ideas it produces will feel uniquely you – because they are.
Myth 4: It’s going to make me (and everyone else) stupid
Only if you let it. AI is like a sat nav – helpful, but only if you’ve got somewhere you want to go. If you blindly follow it, yes, you’ll lose your edge. But if you ask intelligent questions, challenge its responses, and use it to deepen your research or write stronger content – your intelligence will grow, not shrink.
“Used wisely, AI becomes a mirror to your expertise – not a replacement for it.”
Myth 5: It can’t capture my personality or values
Actually, it can – if you teach it how. You can train your AI to reflect your beliefs, tone of voice and niche knowledge. I’ve done it myself. Our system now knows what People Building stands for, the language we use, and what makes our coaching franchise different. And every practitioner we support gets guidance on how to do the same.
In fact, we recently ran a live session called “AI in Your Therapy Practice”, packed with demonstrations, myth-busting, and tools you can use to make AI your ally instead of your adversary. Whether you’re tech-savvy or terrified, this session will open your eyes to what’s possible.
👉 Join the Ai in therapy webinar here – It’s £5 to attend, but all our licensees can join for free:
And if you’re thinking of launching or growing a coaching franchise, there’s never been a better time to learn how to blend technology with heart. Because the future isn’t therapist or AI – it’s therapist with AI. And that therapist could be you.
by Gemma Bailey (with the help of Ai)
