Can AI Replace Therapists? | Pivot

Scott-Free August continues with #1 New York Times bestselling author and award-winning podcast host, @melrobbins ! Kara and Mel talk about why “The Let Them Theory” took off, the pros and cons of using AI for therapy, why people should stop blaming their phones, and the deeper issues behind "mankeeping." Timecodes: 00:00 Intro 4:33 “The Let Them Theory” 28:36 AI and Mental Health 40:32 Avoiding News Fatigue 52:53 “Mankeeping” 58:01 The Pillars of Friendship 01:10:45 Wins and Fails Producers: Lara Naaman Zoë Marcus Taylor Griffin Kevin Oliver Audio Engineer: Ernie Indradat Vox Media's Executive Producer of Podcasts: Nishat Kurwa Subscribe to Pivot on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pivot/id1073226719 Subscribe to Pivot on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4MU3RFGELZxPT9XHVwTNPR Follow us on Instagram and Threads at: https://www.instagram.com/pivotpodcastofficial Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@PIVOTPODCAST Send us your questions by calling us at 855-51-PIVOT, or at https://podcasts.voxmedia.com/show/pivot

Mel RobbinsguestKara Swisherhost

Aug 8, 20251h 21mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: August 8, 2025
Duration: 1h 21m
Channel: Pivot
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Scott-Free August continues with #1 New York Times bestselling author and award-winning podcast host, @melrobbins ! Kara and Mel talk about why “The Let Them Theory” took off, the pros and cons of using AI for therapy, why people should stop blaming their phones, and the deeper issues behind "mankeeping." Timecodes: 00:00 Intro 4:33 “The Let Them Theory” 28:36 AI and Mental Health 40:32 Avoiding News Fatigue 52:53 “Mankeeping” 58:01 The Pillars of Friendship 01:10:45 Wins and Fails Producers: Lara Naaman Zoë Marcus Taylor Griffin Kevin Oliver Audio Engineer: Ernie Indradat Vox Media's Executive Producer of Podcasts: Nishat Kurwa Subscribe to Pivot on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pivot/id1073226719 Subscribe to Pivot on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4MU3RFGELZxPT9XHVwTNPR Follow us on Instagram and Threads at: https://www.instagram.com/pivotpodcastofficial Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@PIVOTPODCAST Send us your questions by calling us at 855-51-PIVOT, or at https://podcasts.voxmedia.com/show/pivot

SPEAKERS

Mel Robbins
guest
Kara Swisher
host
Narrator
other

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Pivot, featuring Mel Robbins and Kara Swisher, Can AI Replace Therapists? | Pivot explores can AI Heal Our Stress While We’re Glued To Our Phones? Kara Swisher and guest co‑host Mel Robbins discuss Mel’s “Let Them” theory of control, emotional boundaries, and her “Five Second Rule” for action. They connect chronic stress, overuse of phones, and news/AI overload with people’s growing desire for simple, science-backed tools for mental health and relationships. The conversation then turns to AI as a quasi‑therapist, highlighting both promising clinical results and serious risks in an unregulated environment, including IP abuse and safety concerns. They close by exploring friendship, men’s emotional isolation, “man keeping,” and practical ways to reclaim attention, build community, and maintain agency in a tech-saturated world.

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