Is It Ok to Talk Politics with Your Therapist? A Few Things to Consider

My post-election thoughts about talking politics as a therapist

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There are a number of controversies that create conflict among mental health professionals, leading to heated arguments that are just as juicy as your favorite reality television show (Ok, maybe not that juicy). One of the topics that has proven most divisive among therapists in the last decade is how to manage the intersection of therapy and politics. 

Historically, therapists have been taught to be neutral and a-political in the therapy space. We are supposed to refrain from self-disclosure about our personal thoughts and feelings. Similarly, we are taught to be careful that our personal biases do not impact how we understand a client’s concerns and what interventions we use. 

When asked direct questions about ourselves, we are taught to redirect that question back on to the client. We could ask, “What might my answer mean to you?” or “What makes you wonder about that at this moment?” 

But let me tell ya, in the current politically-charged climate, that response is getting harder to pull off and frankly, harder to justify. 

Here is the problem. When we are discussing “politics,” we are too often discussing matters of oppression and discrimination. Therapists can either be complicit with, active agents of, or actively resistant to these harmful dynamics.

When politicians are engaging in discrimination and oppression, then therapists have a responsibility to use their knowledge and training to advocate for justice. And clients have a right to know where we stand.

What do politics have to do with therapy?

In October, the American Psychological Association released a report titled Stress in America 2024: A Nation in Political Turmoil. The report summarized the findings of their “Stress in America” poll in which they asked 3,305 adults about the degree of stress they experience about a number of political and social stressors. Sixty-two percent of respondents rated US politics as a significant stressor. Sixty-nine percent rated the 2024 election as a significant stressor and a little over half worried that this election could signal the “end of democracy” in America. One third reported that they experience significant strain in relationships due to politics, with another one third reporting limiting their time with loved ones due to political differences. Clearly, politics is stressing people out and impacting their relationships. 

In the therapy space, clients worry about how policy decisions will directly impact their rights, access to care, and physical and mental well-being. There are endless examples, but here are just a few:

“I can’t afford to have another baby and I worry about future access to affordable birth control that is covered by my health insurance”

“I want to do IVF, but I am concerned about what will happen with proposed fetal personhood laws. I don’t know if I want my embryos to be considered humans with rights…what will happen to the ones I don’t use?”

“I have a family member who is here on a work visa and I am anxious about whether they will be stopped by police”

“How do I cope with living in a country where my rights are up for debate? My rights and safety are not guaranteed.”

“My child is experiencing bullying at school because he is gay. I am scared for his safety.”

“I read something that said teachers are talking to kids about their gender identity at school. I’m angry and scared.”

To fully understand where clients are coming from, and to know how best to support them, I am consistently challenged to become more informed about what is happening in the political domain.

In the weeks leading up to and following the American election, many of my colleagues are reporting that clients are directly asking who they voted for and what their stances are on certain political issues.  Given the history of all the -isms that have plagued psychology, it is justifiable that clients might be concerned about their therapist’s ability to be anti-racist, pro-women’s rights, and pro-LGBTQ rights. In the current political climate, who you voted for has become a proxy for your stance on these issues. 

The field of psychology has a racist, sexist, and homophobic history that it has only recently begun to acknowledge¹. As just one example, in 2021 the American Psychological Association (APA) issued a detailed public apology to people of color for the role that professional psychology has historically played in initiating, maintaining, and protecting racist beliefs and actions, both interpersonally and systemically. The apology states, “APA and psychology, in keeping with the ethical values reflected in the APA Ethics Code (2016) have an important role and responsibility to disarm and dismantle racism in all its forms.” The statement explicitly reminds psychologists of their ethical responsibilities to do no harm, practice justice and respect for people’s rights and dignities, and to rely on science when forming professional opinions.

A psychologist’s ethical code clearly and explicitly states that psychologists should be fighting against all forms of discrimination and harm based on age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, disability, language, and socioeconomic status. Therefore, it should not be surprising that psychologists would be vocal advocates against discrimination in their advocacy work and on their public platforms. 

Does that mean therapists should be talking about politics with clients?

Therapy should always focus on the needs, goals, and motivations of the client. While researching for this article, I was surprised to read a number of articles expressing concern about “woke” therapists who are misusing the therapy space to push a liberal agenda. To be clear, this is not what I am recommending. 

If you do not want to talk politics with your therapist, and do not want to know their stance on current affairs, then you do not have to talk about it! It is perfectly appropriate to prioritize other things in your search for a therapist, such as their level of expertise in your area of need.

All that being said, if you are in therapy or are considering it, and you feel you need to know your therapist's perspective, then I would encourage you to ask. First, think through how you will cope with their response and be prepared for what emotions it will bring up for you. 

In an article titled Navigating Thorny Topics in Therapy, Zara Abrams writes, “In a pair of surveys of 268 therapists and 604 patients conducted after the 2016 election, about two thirds of each group reported political discussions and self-disclosures. When political views were aligned, those disclosures were linked to a stronger therapeutic alliance (Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol. 74, No. 5, 2018; Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol. 75, No. 9, 2019).”

Still, Abrams advises therapists to be thoughtful about any self-disclosure, with their focus remaining on how the disclosure benefits the client. Therapists should be careful that when they do disclose something personal about themselves, that the conversation does not become about the therapist, and is always redirected back to the goals of the client. 

Some therapists worry that by disclosing their political ideology, they are alienating clients or potential clients who do not agree with us. I understand this concern. Everyone deserves access to mental health support, and I personally would not want to discourage anyone from feeling comfortable enough to seek help. I would again encourage any client to ask their therapist or potential therapist about how comfortable they are supporting the client in light of their differing perspectives. 

That being said, it is possible that some therapists, especially those with their own marginalized identities, will not choose to provide care for clients who vocalize beliefs that feel threatening to the therapist. The reality is that mental health professionals do have the responsibility to know their own limitations and not take on clients that they do not feel that they can support effectively. This often occurs when the client’s concern is outside our scope of practice, but it can also refer to instances in which the client’s concerns cause significant reactions within the therapist (called counter-transference) that would impair the therapeutic relationship. Therapists can address this by getting supervision and consultation to help them be more objective or by referring the client to other practitioners. 

In the days after the election, it seemed that everyone was sharing their theory on why Trump won. Many people were baffled at how anyone could vote for him. I also saw many voters stating that they had never heard even one good thing about Kamala Harris. Clearly, our country is suffering with a severe inability to both understand one another and communicate our perspectives effectively, and if that continues to be the case, how will we ever get more people on the same page?

It seems to me that mental health professionals are uniquely skilled to help the nation with this problem. We teach and model skills for emotion regulation, perspective taking, and communication every day.

The therapeutic relationship is often a microcosm of an individual’s larger social world, meaning that the conflicts and patterns that a person routinely experiences with other people in their life will likely arise in their relationship with their therapist too. Some of the most powerful therapeutic work can occur when a therapist is able to utilize their relationship with the client to help the client practice new patterns of behavior. If clients never feel comfortable enough to bring up politically charged topics in therapy, and therapists are equally as reluctant to go there, it’s a missed opportunity for growth.

For this to work, therapists absolutely must be on top of their own biases and emotional reactions and keeping the focus solely on the client’s needs and best interests. But I believe in a therapist's ability to accomplish this. It’s what we are trained to do.

Therapists can use their unique skillset to help outside the therapeutic space as well.

A Note About Dr. Amber_Writes

I recognize that my purpose in writing all this was partly to contribute to the conversation. Selfishly, it is also an opportunity to clarify my values for my small but cherished audience. Writing publicly is very new for me, and I have been feeling tension between remaining neutral on what is happening in our country and being more authentic about my fears and frustrations. I worry that if I take a strong stance on anything, then someone will feel personally attacked and leave my little community. And that’s a part of the problem, right? So many of us are doing so much of that…avoiding or attacking or running away. I don’t worry about this because I care about the number of readers; I care because I genuinely believe that most of us have more in common than we think, and I wish we could stay in conversation long enough to learn from one another.

So this is my way of stating that, when it comes to matters of oppression and discrimination, I believe it is my personal and professional responsibility to speak up. I recognize that this could feel alienating to those who do not share my beliefs, which is discouraging, but I understand. I really do. In that case, I encourage you to ask questions and engage in good faith conversation around our differences, because this is what is necessary to help overcome the divisiveness that is keeping our country stuck. We need more people who are willing to show up to tough conversations, challenge their assumptions, and listen.

I leave you with a quote from Andrea Gibson’s inspiring Post-Election Letter to a Friend:

“Hate is the end of a conversation. Fear isn’t always. I’ve been on the lookout for moments when an honest and respectful conversation might reach the root of someone else’s fear.”

Disclosure: Dr. Amber_Writes is a newsletter designed to be informational, entertaining, and engaging. It is not therapy. Following this newsletter does not establish a therapeutic relationship with me. Dr. Amber_Writes, and other written communication by Amber Groomes on Substack, is not a substitute for treatment, diagnosis, or consultation with a licensed mental health professional. I assume no liability for any action taken in reliance on my writing here at Dr. Amber_Writes.

1. If you are interested in the history of racism in psychology, check out this detailed timeline from American Psychological Association.