Donald Trump in Therapy

Curt and Katie talk about how politics have started coming into the therapy room. We look at how the election of Donald Trump seemed to increase clients (and therapists) actively bringing world events into the therapeutic work.       

It’s time to reimagine therapy and what it means to be a therapist. To support you as a whole person and a therapist, your hosts, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk about how to approach the role of therapist in the modern age.

In this episode we talk about:

• The shift from avoiding politics, religion, etc. in therapy to having it be central in therapy conversations
• How Donald Trump’s presidency (and the impacts of his administration) show up in the room
• What can happen when therapists share their political views with their clients
• The fear, trauma, and grief that has become more present in the conversations about the world at large
• How an informed client population means that therapists need to be aware of both the events and the potential impacts on individuals (and groups).
• The importance clients have started placing on political similarity or safety to express their viewpoints, even in the intake phone call
• Research on political disclosure in therapy, perceived similarity of political views, and the impact on therapeutic alliance
• The risk of falsely assuming alignment or over-disclosing political views with clients
• Looking at when political/philosophical conversations are just fun and not helpful
• The different impacts of the events of the day based on demographics and identity
• Opening space, using caution, observing to continue to have these conversations be therapeutic
• How burnout can impact these conversations
• Counter Transference and whether your own reactions should come into the treatment room with your clients
• Looking at how true reactions can be used in treatment, the bias of remaining neutral
• The potential for complex conversations that can heal with our clients
• The instinct to try to “correct” clients with opposing viewpoints (and the damage that can do)
• How therapists should prepare for being in the room for these conversations, and take care of themselves in the process.