Author: Galit Atlas

Mental health apps promise to fix us with no human touch. But much research shows that therapeutic progress depends on the quality of a relationship with a therapist. The therapy process — which invites another human being to know and to hold the most intimate parts of one's self — requires two minds that can feel, think and love. But relationships can be painful and quick fixes, tempting.

Psychological pain, including depression and anxiety, emerges largely in response to problematic human relations and traumatic history, and it is healed through a human relationship. It is often the body that expresses psychological symptoms (for example, sweat in a state of panic, fatigue when depressed, insomnia from distress), and as therapists, we work with each patient's somatic experience. We examine the way they breathe and learn their body language to understand the experience of their pain so non-verbal language and communication are often integral parts of treatment and healing.

Our culture increasingly demands instant gratification and immediate relief, but the therapeutic process doesn't provide quick answers. The psychoanalytic tradition values depth, reflection and intimacy — all of which are necessary for a person to take the risk of letting another in.

Initially, most people are afraid of long-term therapy and the dependence on their therapists. Apps allow these individuals to imagine that everything is under control, that no attachment to a live human being is necessary to untangle mental illness. Like pornography — interestingly, usually viewed on the very same devices — mental health apps substitute a two-dimensional image for a real in-depth relationship, and support an illusion of omnipotent control. The defensive move of avoiding therapists might even intensify a person's symptoms: Underneath a defense mechanism there is always pain and fear that need to be addressed.

This is the greatest danger of seeking help through an app: It could prevent a patient from getting the actual help they need. Insurance companies will jump at the chance to cut costs, reduce spending and limit mental health benefits. As a result, people may find themselves alone, without human contact when it's needed most. And there is no adequate substitute for human interaction dedicated to the very real task of healing psychological suffering.