Therapy is Political
Many traditional views of therapy have taught that politics should NOT be part of the therapy process. However, whether we realize it or not, politics frequently show up in therapy. You may have felt a little unsure about what that means, or wondered, “isn’t therapy supposed to be neutral?” It is supposed to be a safe, quiet space where you can sort through your thoughts and feelings without all the noise of the outside world?
Here’s the thing: if you have ever come to therapy overwhelmed, burned out, anxious, ashamed, or just plain exhausted, and your therapist ignored the context of your life, you probably left feeling unseen.
Because your symptoms don’t exist in a vacuum.
And that is exactly why therapy is political.
What Does That Actually Mean
Saying therapy is political does NOT mean therapists are here to tell you how to vote or push a specific agenda. It means we understand that your mental health is shaped by the world you live in, and that world is full of systems that affect you every single day.
Things like racism, fatphobia, ableism, transphobia, capitalism, misogyny are not abstract ideas. They show up in your body, your relationships, your work stress, your anxiety, your sense of safety, your worthiness.
If you have grown up in a high-control religion, been socialized to stay small, or learned to numb out because it felt safer, that is not a coincidence. That is what happens when systems tell you over and over again that your voice, your body, or your existence is too much.
Therapy that ignores that? Is not really safe at all.
It might sound comforting for a therapist to be described as “unbiased” or “apolitical,” but in practice, it often means avoiding difficult truths. A therapist who avoids naming power, oppression, or systemic harm may unintentionally place the responsibility for pain and healing entirely on the client. True healing requires a therapist who is willing to examine their own biases and hold space for yours without pretending the world is fair.
Why Neutrality Is Not Actually Neutral
The idea that therapists should remain “neutral” is deeply rooted in old-school psychology, but as Dr. Luis Valdez and the Critical Therapy Institute explain, this supposed neutrality often ends up reinforcing the very systems that harm people.
If a client comes in talking about racial trauma, or being mistreated at work because of their gender identity, or burnout from capitalism, and the therapist only responds with, “Let’s just focus on how you can change,” that’s not healing. That is placing the burden of adaptation on the person instead of acknowledging the harm of the system.
As Mad in America puts it, therapy is already political whether we admit it or not. Therapists who say they are “apolitical” are often still operating within a worldview that reflects dominant cultural norms that can be rooted in whiteness, individualism, patriarchy, capitalism, and Western notions of mental health. Apolitical therapy assumes that clients are self-sufficient, emotionally regulated, and goal-oriented. All this without acknowledging that these traits are often shaped by privilege and access, not just personal effort.
As a therapist myself, I choose to name it.
To name that your anxiety is not just a flaw in your brain. It might be your body’s response to a world that is constantly asking you to perform, conform, and push down your truth.
To name that your shame around your body did not start with you, rather it came from a culture obsessed with control, thinness, and obedience.
To name that your grief around leaving religion, or a relationship, or a community is not weakness. It is the cost of reclaiming your life.
Healing Is Political
Healing is political because it involves reclaiming something that was taken from you: your voice, your sense of self, your connection to your body, your right to feel and think freely.
Choosing therapy is choosing resistance in a world that benefits when you stay small, silent, and ashamed.
And being a therapist who acknowledges that? That is not about being “biased.” It is about being real. It is about making sure your healing acknowledges the whole you. It is about honoring your lived experience as valid, not something to be fixed or pathologized.
Political Anxiety
Being “apolitical” often requires ignoring anxiety rooted in politics and systems of oppression. Political anxiety is real, and it is not just about being “too sensitive.” It is a very human response to living in a world that feels unstable, unjust, or unsafe, especially if you belong to communities that have been directly harmed by policies, rhetoric, or systemic violence.
Political anxiety can show up in a lot of ways, including:
Trouble sleeping after reading the news or political debates
Waking up with a sense of dread
Doom scrolling on social media, especially if over consuming news media
A constant sense of urgency or fear about the future
Feeling hopeless, stuck, or powerless about making change
Tension in your relationships, especially with loved ones who hold opposing views
Guilt for disengaging, or guilt for not doing “enough”
Panic or physical symptoms (like tight chest, racing heart, nausea) in response to political events
Difficulty concentrating, irritability, or emotional numbness
For many clients, especially those recovering from religious trauma or authoritarian systems, today’s political climate can feel triggering and familiar, a sense of being controlled, silenced, or at risk. You may feel torn between wanting to stay informed and needing to protect your mental health. You might even feel guilt for not “doing enough,” even when you are overwhelmed and burned out.
In therapy, we can make space for that anxiety. We can explore how to stay grounded, set boundaries with media, take meaningful action without self-erasure, and process the grief and fear that come with living through such charged times.
Therapy That Sees the Whole You
Therapy is about you, your story, your emotions, your pain, your healing. But it is also about the world that shaped those things.
I work with people who are often moving through enormous shifts, including individuals deconstructing faith, recovering from religious trauma, learning to live in bodies they were taught to hate, or trying to find themselves after years of being told who they “should” be.
We don’t just talk about coping skills. We talk about why you need those coping skills.
We explore the systems, stories, and cultural messages you have absorbed.
We talk about liberation. We talk about power. We talk about safety.
If you have ever felt like your trauma, anxiety, or burnout might have something to do with the systems around you, you are not wrong. And you deserve a space where you do not have to explain why that matters.
I would love to walk alongside you. Whether you are deconstructing faith, healing from trauma, navigating identity, experiencing political anxiety, or just trying to breathe a little easier in a chaotic world, therapy can be a place of deep validation and transformation.
📍 I offer virtual therapy for adults in California, Maryland, and Utah.
📩 Contact me to learn more or schedule a consultation.
