Topic: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Psychotherapy
The development of large language models (LLMs) and artificial intelligence (AI) is leading to a serious crisis in the fields of psychology, psychotherapy, and psychological counseling. This crisis affects not only our professional status and livelihoods but also our understanding of exactly what we do.
Questions arise such as: “What is consciousness (if it is anything special at all), and what distinguishes it from the functioning of AI?” and “What exactly (if anything at all) makes us, as human therapists, special—to the extent that our work cannot be adequately performed by AI?”
In this regard, Peter Philipsson puts forward an unexpected thesis: a significant portion of psychotherapy and psychological counseling cannot be distinguished from what AI offers, and one might even say that practicing professionals have been trained to imitate AI, rather than AI actually imitating humans.
Participants in the dialogue:
- Peter Philipsson, Gestalt therapist, trainer, and founder of the Manchester Gestalt Center. United Kingdom.
- Olga Kadycheva, psychologist, crisis psychologist, Gestalt therapist, lead trainer at the National Academy of Gestalt Therapy “Ukrainian Gestalt Institute.” Ukraine – France
- Mikhail Slutskin, psychologist, accredited Gestalt therapist, and supervisor at the National Academy of Gestalt Therapy “Ukrainian Gestalt Institute.” Ukraine – Germany
- Mikhail Baitalsky, philosopher, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, EAGT-accredited Gestalt therapist. Ukraine – France
When: November 16, 2026
Duration of the meeting: 3.5 hours, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (Kyiv time).
Event agenda:
Introduction: 5 minutes.
Panel discussion: ~1 hour.
Q&A session: 15 minutes.
Break: 15 minutes.
Breakout group discussions: 55 minutes.
Questions and exchange of views in the plenary session: 1 hour.
Что такое Диалоги Онлайн?
Dialogues Online is a space for collective reflection on what matters most amid the ongoing crisis. Dialogues Online is a continuation of the “Dialogues in Toulouse,” which took place in May 2023 as part of a school for Gestalt therapists dedicated to intercultural exchange of experiences.
Who is it for:
▪️ For practicing psychologists who use the Gestalt approach and other schools of psychology and psychotherapy.
▪️ For students enrolled in relevant programs.
▪️ For anyone interested in psychology and philosophy.
▪️ For those seeking to discover themselves and their place in a changing world—for the curious, the sensitive, those committed to personal growth, and those open to new experiences and resources.
Purpose: Education in the fields of psychology, philosophy, and anthropology; fostering a culture of dialogue.
How: by creating a collegial, interdisciplinary space for reflection through dialogue and polylogue.