Risks
AI therapy apps
Apps that use AI chatbots for emotional or mental health support. They are not a substitute for a licensed professional, especially for kids.
- Parents
- Educators and school leaders
- Policymakers and staff
What parents should know
AI therapy apps offer a chatbot when someone wants to talk about feelings. They can feel private and available at midnight. They are not a licensed clinician, and they are a poor place for a child in crisis to be alone. If you or your child is in crisis in the United States, call or text 988.
On this page
What are AI therapy apps?
These apps range from a mood journal with generated replies to a bot that talks like a counselor. Some are marketed to teens. The common limit is the same: the software is not licensed, it can be wrong, and it does not sit with your child in the room. A few states now restrict chatbots that present themselves as mental health professionals. Those statutes have their own pages. This page is the category.
A crisis protocol is not therapy. Showing the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and telling a parent, is a handoff. It does not make the chatbot a counselor, and it does not call emergency services unless the product truly does that and says so. HeyOtto does not auto-contact emergency services.
Why AI therapy apps matter
Kids will tell a screen things they have not told you, especially at night. That can be a clue, and it can be a trap if the screen answers like a friend and never brings an adult in. Read the chats if the product lets you. If it does not, ask why a tool aimed at feelings is hidden.
If someone is in immediate danger, call local emergency services. 988 is for suicidal crisis and emotional distress in the United States. You can stay with your child while you use it.
How it shows up in practice
- A teen downloads a therapy bot that has no parent view.
- The bot says it understands and asks the teen to keep talking.
- A parent finds the thread, or cannot, and that difference matters.
- A product shows 988 and alerts an adult instead of continuing the session as if it were care.
How HeyOtto helps
AI therapy apps offer emotional support in a chat. HeyOtto is not therapy, and Otto is not a clinician. If a child shows distress, the chat shows crisis resources, including 988, and the parent gets a real-time alert. HeyOtto does not auto-contact emergency services. A parent can read the chats.
- HeyOtto is not a licensed clinician.
- Parents can read the chats.
- HeyOtto does not auto-contact emergency services.
For families
Try freeFAQs
Can an AI app replace a therapist for my child?
No. Use a licensed person for care. An app can sit in a pocket at midnight. That availability is not a license and not a diagnosis.
What do I do in a crisis?
In the United States, call or text 988. If someone is in immediate danger, call emergency services. Stay with your child. HeyOtto will not place that call for you.
Does HeyOtto alert me?
If a child shows distress, HeyOtto sends a real-time alert and shows crisis resources in the chat. You can read the transcript. The alert is not a substitute for you.
Sources
Last reviewed September 26, 2026. This entry is reviewed twice a year.