The surge in people turning to artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude for mental health guidance is fueling growth in the online therapy sector, according to leaders of emerging digital mental health platforms.
Y Combinator-backed Docvita has reported a 16% year-on-year increase in user engagement, while Fireside Ventures-backed Amaha Health, which provides comprehensive online therapy and psychiatry services, has experienced a remarkable 80% growth.
Despite the perception that free, AI-driven chatbots could threaten professional therapy services, founders argue the opposite. “This is actually expanding our market instead of limiting it,” said Anmol Arora, founder of Docvita. “People who are already talking to ChatGPT are taking initiative, and these clients perform better in therapy and recover faster.”
Clinical psychologist Rhea Thimaiah of Kaha Mind notes that four out of ten patients initially consult AI chatbots but eventually seek human therapists. “With AI, more people are becoming ‘psychoeducated,’ aware of their mental health, and actively looking for solutions. Ultimately, an AI bot will still guide users toward professional therapy,” she explained.
Integrating AI into Therapy
Several companies are leveraging AI to enhance therapy services. Amaha Health is piloting a system that matches patients with appropriate specialists, reducing administrative burdens on therapists and enabling scalable, high-quality care. “AI gives therapists more time for patient care while helping us grow efficiently,” said Amit Malik, founder of Amaha Health.
Docvita is developing a proprietary chatbot to facilitate patient-doctor matching and manage client histories. Meanwhile, Wysa uses an AI co-pilot to take session notes and provides “clinically approved” AI chatbots that support users while encouraging professional intervention when necessary. “We are not a self-training model; our platform is built on therapist protocols and not designed to merely retain users,” said Wysa founder Jo Aggarwal.
Pune-based Infiheal, founded by IIT-Bombay alumna Srishti Srivastava in 2019, has launched its AI chatbot, Healo. Experts emphasize that as these AI platforms grow, clinical validation and reliable training data become increasingly crucial.
