For many people who have experienced abuse or chronic distress, the most enduring injuries are not only what happened, but what followed: the loss of trust in systems that were meant to protect, the long waits for support, and the expectation that they will continue functioning while waiting for care.
In clinical practice, I regularly meet people who have waited months — sometimes years — for funded therapeutic support. During that time they are asked to maintain work, relationships and daily life while carrying symptoms that affect sleep, concentration, regulation and trust. In the absence of accessible human care, people look elsewhere for relief.
Increasingly, that includes AI systems that offer immediate, responsive interaction. The appeal is clear. When someone is alone, distressed or dysregulated, an instant reply can feel containing. It can feel like being met. It is important to understand the nature of that interaction.
“This is a one-sided intimacy.”
This is a one-sided intimacy. There is no reciprocal relationship, no ethical duty of care, no clinical responsibility and no human who is altered by what they hear. For some individuals — particularly those already carrying histories of neglect, betrayal or disrupted attachment — this kind of simulated attunement can begin to mirror aspects of attachment or trauma-bond dynamics: attention without accountability, connection without a real other. That does not provide repair.
We are also entering a landscape in which deeply personal disclosures may sit within platforms designed to process and respond to data. For individuals whose boundaries have already been violated, the handling of private material requires particular care and clarity.
Technology has a place. Digital tools can support access, information and connection. They do not replace accessible, trauma-informed, accountable human care.
From a clinical perspective, the conditions that support recovery are well understood: privacy, continuity, attuned human presence and systems that respond in a timely and responsible way. When those conditions are present, recovery is supported. Strengthening them remains essential.
Tess Hunneybell
Trauma Therapist