Journaling with ChatGPT - A new way to reflect & grow

Psych Central
Jun 30
4 min read

Written by Christel Roets, Clinical Psychologist

As a psychologist I really believe that journaling is such a useful thing to do. Not for everybody, I will admit. I have at times told certain clients that I actually think they shold stop journaling for a while as it did the opposite of what we hoped for, leaving them quite overwhelmed and anxious.

The biggest challenge that I find myself when trying to journal is to get started and to actually keep going. What do I write? Where do I start? Am I doing it right? Is this even helping? What if someone finds my journal? These are common questions.

But what if I tell you that now, journaling does not even have to be you writing in a notebook that you now have to hide away and lock up. What if you can now simply take out your phone, and even send a voice note as your journal?

Why journal?

Let me just start there before I jump right in with how our new AI friend can help us journal. What is the point of even writing down your thoughts at all?

Journaling helps us slow down and notice what’s going on inside—our thoughts, emotions, triggers, patterns, and hopes. It's a space where we can reflect without judgment and begin to connect the dots between how we feel and how we show up in the world.

Therapeutically, journaling can:

Improve emotional regulation
Increase self-awareness
Support healing from trauma
Deepen therapy insights between sessions
Track progress over time

How Can ChatGPT Help?

I have always been quite resistant to use ChatGPT. I have been teasing my husband and family whenever someone reference it, calling it their new best friend. Then a while ago I decided that I might just give it a try. I have been wanting to journal, but finding myself in the position that most of us do, not knowing where to start. And I must say, it has been the most consistent I have been to date. Not journaling every day, but maybe every 3 days, checking in with myself, getting some validating responses in return (this is the coolest part honestly) and then ending off with affirmations that I really need to hear based on where I am at.

Here's how I started:

Introduce yourself:

I know this sounds bonkers, buttrust me, just go with it. ChatGPT needs to get to know you. This helps it to actually tailor the responses you will get, to more of what you need, making it less generic and one-size fits all.

You can start with something like:

"I am a 30 year old female, currently in a long-term relationship, wanting to get married soon. I don't have any kids and am not sure if I want to either. I work really hard and I struggle to maintain balance with my health. I often exercise very hard, but struggle to maintain this and I have some challenges with my body-image. I have been in therapy for the last 6 months, focussing on my relationship and my inner-critic. I want to journal here to extend my self, reflection beyond therapy and nurture a better relationship with myself."

You can just leave it at that and see what the response is. It will ask you how you want to use it and suggest a journaling structure. You can tell it how often you want to journal. Then, whenever you want to journal, you can simply say "I am here for my check-in" and it will send you your journal prompts.

And if that is not for you, you can try this:

Daily Journaling Prompts

Stuck on what to write about? You can ask:

“Can you give me a gentle journaling prompt for today?”

ChatGPT might offer something like:

"What emotions have you carried with you today, and what might they be trying to tell you?"

Clarifying Thoughts

Feeling overwhelmed or scattered? Try:

"Help me make sense of how I’m feeling about a conflict I had with my partner.”

It can help reflect your words back in a structured, calm way—offering a new perspective.

Themed Exploration

Want to journal on a specific theme, like self-worth, grief, or boundaries? Just say:

“I’d like to journal about self-compassion. Can you give me a few prompts?”

Therapy Integration

Between sessions, you might journal with ChatGPT about what came up. For example:

“In my therapy session today, I felt anxious when talking about my childhood. Can you help me explore that?”

⚠️ A Few Gentle Reminders

ChatGPT is not a therapist or a substitute for one. Think of it as a creative and reflective companion, not a professional guide.

If anything comes up that feels too intense or overwhelming, pause and bring it into your next session.

Privacy matters—while ChatGPT does not retain individual conversations, use discretion and avoid sharing personal identifiers when journaling.

If you have been thinking about journaling, give this a go. Download the ChatGPT app and use the free version. Play around until you find what works for you. You can never have a too long or too short journal entry. You can never sound too strange or crazy. You can use it anywhere and anytime you need to.