Beware the woke therapists – and many of them are woke, especially the young ones
This article understandably caught my attention:
The contributors to Cynical Therapies are lecturers and clinicians in mental health who are raising the alarm about the ideological takeover of their discipline over the past twenty years. A mix of Americans and Brits — with the usual lack of dignity, the field in Britain has slavishly followed America’s into the abyss — the authors are heretics and, to many colleagues, traitors. The book is a cry for help.
Few doctrines could be more self-evidently antithetical to the traditional imperatives of psychotherapy than “Critical Social Justice,” aka that tiresome, overworked term beginning with “w.” Although psychiatry has developed a wide range of approaches, not long ago therapists of all persuasions were coached to display openness, empathy, curiosity and neutrality. Good therapists avoided prescriptive “answers,” which the patient was encouraged to arrive at independently. They withheld judgment, appreciated complexity and, most of all, listened. Focus was on the individual. The premise of the therapeutic process was that people can be helped to change. Why else would patients show up?
CSJ, along with its little brother, Critical Race Theory, is a closed system — like those articles to which you can no longer add comments. It espouses perfect certainty: every human relationship is about power. You’re either the oppressed or the oppressor, and this world view recognizes no other categories. Far from being empathetic, the creed is pitiless, especially regarding popular majorities. Neutrality? Please. Fun extracurricular activities: labelling, blaming, shaming and getting people fired. …
Why would anyone seek counseling to be browbeaten with a partisan cudgel? They wouldn’t. Thus, writes Cynical Therapies editor Val Thomas, “The most likely outcome will be the chaotic breakdown of the field itself. As CSJ moves through the therapy professions in its usual manner, dismantling, disrupting, decolonizing and problematizing all that exists therein, it will hollow out the center.” When clinicians aim no longer to heal but to morally re-educate their patients, therapists aren’t therapists, and “the whole house of cards” will collapse.
I’m not at all sure about that “collapse” part. Institutions can get hollowed out and go on for quite some time riding on their former reputations.
It’s not just the last twenty years; it was happening long before that. First of all, therapy is a field that was always vulnerable to leftist takeover because most therapists are left of center and it’s been that way for ages (go to the category “Therapy” on this blog and you’ll see plenty of posts discussing that and related issues). I was getting my Master’s in Family Therapy over thirty years ago, and although we students were definitely encouraged to have an open and seemingly neutral attitude, there already was a different agenda going on concurrently in the Family Therapy field but somewhat hidden from client. I fought that agenda mightily – it involved, for example, strategic lying at times as well as deceptive manipulation – and even wrote papers against it. And when I say “fought” I also mean outright heated arguing with my professors and fellow students, especially the professors.
It was an interesting experience, to say the least. I was free to do whatever I wanted because I was already an older student and didn’t really care if I got that degree or not (long story, perhaps for another time). Nor did I think the professors could hurt me if they turned on me. I had confidence in my point of view and my ability to argue it. But the situation was troubling; why was I virtually alone in my position? I now see the issue as mostly political, although at the time I – a Democrat – had no idea that politics had anything to do with it.
A decade later, around 2001 or so, when I was undergoing a very stressful divorce and a lengthy recuperation from a surgery for a very painful condition, I searched for a therapist for myself. I was starting to undergo my political change experience, too, and was encountering some hostility from a significant number of previous friends on account of that, so it was one of the subjects I wanted to discuss in therapy. I had extraordinary difficulty finding a therapist who would take me as a client when I told them that was one of my issues. It shocked me, but I suppose it shouldn’t have.
As the years have gone by and education generally has become more openly woke and leftist, I have assumed the same has happened with the education of therapists. That fact has come up over and over again in discussions of “gender affirming” therapy for people who define themselves as trans; clearly, the younger therapists tend to be very much on board with that whereas the older ones are retiring or trying to negotiate being true to their principles of objectivity while simultaneously keeping the woke crowd from taking their livelihood away.
[NOTE: I see that I covered some of this in this previous post, sparked by a different article. In it, I also gave some suggestions for choosing a therapist if you are seeking one.]
I’m not at all sure about that “collapse” part. Institutions can get hollowed out and go on for quite some time riding on their former reputations
neo:
Yeah, that’s not a bet I would take either.
My bet too is woke therapists are losing the normie half of the population, but a half a loaf is still half a loaf. The therapy industry will trundle on, reduced, like the Disney Company with its woke agenda.
I used to worry that the government, media, academia, medicien, science, engineering and mega corporations were destroying their credibility by genuflecting before the leftist woke gods.
No need to worry that it might happen. It has happened. Now what?
End by law the compensation of the mental health trade via 3d party payments, and it withers away.
It has happened. Now what?
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Take away their cross subsidies. Also, in re clinical social work, dismantle their licensing boards. And shut down the instruction programs at state colleges and universities. Starve them out.
Unfortunately half the country seems to support this since even if they think they don’t support it they vote for people who do.
I wonder if there’s any connection between “CSJ” and the current proclivity to blame the parents in every therapy case? Does this generation (or two, or three) of therapists have a ready-made model for every case, parent=oppressor & child=oppressed?
desertowl:
A certain strain of “blaming the parents” has periodically surfaced among therapists, long before wokeness. There are – or at least were – many different types of therapeutic approach and philosophies behind them, however, so it’s hard to generalize.
Art Deco:
There are plenty of therapists doing wonderful work with people who need help. What percentage of therapists fit that description? I think it’s less than half; maybe a third or so. But you would make it very difficult for any of them to earn a living.
What’s more, of course, the remedy you suggest isn’t going to be happening.
The field of mental health has always been a mystery to those who have never had a need for some help in adjusting their inner reality to match their outer reality.
Because it deals with people’s minds and personalities, it’s unfortunately, a field that can be used by those with malevolent intent. Rather than guidance or counseling to direct one’s thoughts to new alternatives, the new, woke therapy is directed at brain-washing the clients and converting them into good little members of the leftist utopia. And they will fail to actually help them.
Achieving positive, lasting change for those who seek help is not easy and not guaranteed. This woke development in the field, cannot help but give it a negative image. How will a person find a therapist that still adheres to the old standards except by trial and error? How much time and money are wasted doing that? It’s bad news.
Why consult anyone who advertises himself as “the rapist”?
(Apologies to Benny Hill.)
“When clinicians aim no longer to heal but to morally re-educate their patients, therapists aren’t therapists,
and “the whole house of cards” will collapse.”but instead transform into woke political commissars. Everyone will have to be reeducated to realize that 2 + 2 is whatever the state says it is on that day and follow-up weekly sessions with ‘therapists’ required for everyone.Jordan Peterson is the canary in the coal mine…
Take away their cross subsidies [for therapists].
Obviously I was addressing the larger issue of the erosion of all professional credibility, not just woke therapists.
This is bitterly disappointing: we need good therapists now more than ever. Our sick society and bad parenting is producing huge numbers of people who need therapy.
It’s true. Ton of young Woke therapists are out there and they the “affirming” bunch. Funny part is there’s a new subgroup of clients – white, college/uni educated, liberal, childfree females. Their baggage? Intersectionality and the patriarchy.
In my experience, prior to entering our year long internship, we had a DEI workshop. It was interesting yet laughable at the same time. A beloved professor talked about privilege and how one time she had to re-educate a student who dared to push back on “white privilege”, with the student using poor whites in Appalachia. Oh no no that wasn’t allowed. She had a “sit down” with the student.
@ Art Deco: Most MSW programs don’t focus on therapy to the extent that marriage & family counseling does. Usually if the person wants to go into therapy they’re licensed through supervision post-MSW. Your plan is ridiculous and ignorant.
Woke-a-palooza….
Here’s a remarkable interview from a sorta Mr-Bean-looking, “Spike”-contributing British journalist who has remained uncowed and clear-sighted in face of the current enemies of civilization and yet still seems to regard himself as some kind of (pure, I suppose) Marxist manque.
Well, all a matter of definition…I guess…
‘ “The Woke Left Has Inherited The Stalinists’ Hatred Of Freedom”, Warns British Columnist” ‘
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/woke-left-has-inherited-stalinists-hatred-freedom-warns-british-columnist
Key graf:
“We’re in a culture war. You’ve got to fight it….”
Speaking of definitions, maybe it’s time to redefine the Hippocratic Oath…
“H-1B doctor’s jihadist plot: How well do we vet visa applicants?”—
https://nypost.com/2023/08/28/h-1b-doctors-jihadist-plot-how-well-do-we-vet-visa-applicants/
H/T Powerline blog.
(At the very least, this should provide a huge impetus for preventative medicine….)
– – – – – – – –
And even more “redefinitions”…
In this case, “committing socio-political suicide” is being marketed as “creating a socialist and human rights nirvana”.
https://dailycaller.com/2023/08/28/opinion-this-state-is-reaping-the-results-of-its-failed-leftist-policies-john-phelan/
Looks like Minnesota dearly wishes to out-California California…
Whoa…
It’s even time to redefine “Therapy Dog”!
“Boy, 11, attacked by aunt’s therapy dog inside NYC apartment in ‘terrifying’ incident: ‘Never seen such a thing’ “—
https://nypost.com/2023/08/29/11-year-old-boy-attacked-by-aunts-therapy-dog-inside-nyc-apartment/
One must surely admire the gumption (or should that be unmitigated optimism?…sheer perversity?) of selecting an “American Bully pit bull mix” as one’s therapy animal…—“named Aries” no less!…
We are living in “interesting times”…
@ Art Deco: Most MSW programs don’t focus on therapy to the extent that marriage & family counseling does. Usually if the person wants to go into therapy they’re licensed through supervision post-MSW. Your plan is ridiculous and ignorant.
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IOW, it assumes your life choices stink.
Marxist Societies Work!
There are plenty of therapists doing wonderful work with people who need help.
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The mental health trade lacks satisfactory operational measures of competence. There is no such thing as ‘wonderful work’ in such a milieu.
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I suspect psychiatrists with a mess of schizophrenics on their patient roll accomplish something, because that’s the segment of the distressed population for whom treatment with psychotropics is most likely to generate improvement over baseline and the segment for which nothing else is notably beneficial.
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That aside, I suspect that a generation ago you’d have found that about one in four make satisfactory sounding boards for distressed people. As for the rest, it’s a stew of ticket-punching, ineffectuality, bad attitudes, stupidity, and downright hostility.
I read this over at Stuart Schneiderman’s Substack:
From NBC News. A reporter asked a physician:
“To me, it seems ridiculous to have a kid at age 12, 13, 14 deciding whether they want to have biological children when they’re 20, 30, or 40.”
The physician replied: “Well, they make the decision to kill themselves at 12 and 13.”
Art Deco:
Post-grad supervision work, I believe, is for practically every degree that deals with therapy in the US. You’re moving the goal posts and just inserting your own opinion.
As they say, that’s your opinion, man.
My family has run into this….likely a woke therapist. My son’s wife (I’ll call her K) has had issues with anxiety her whole life. She is 34 and has 2 beautiful girls (10 and 2), a house, 2 dogs and a husband who loves her and works hard to provide for his family. He would never think of leaving her, does not drink or take drugs, he simply goes to work and comes home to be with his wife with the kids. She works part-time at their church but does not really need to do that.
K has been going to a therapist for her anxiety and yes some depression. However, this therapist has been giving advice to K in the form of something along the lines of K is depressed because she is somehow out growing my son and he needs to change drastically and take care of her like a princess. This means that my son who has a hard manual job is expected to plan frequent dates that sweep K off her feet and do other things that make her feel like the center of attention. He does do that at times but is a typical guy and every time he tries setting something up, it’s not good enough for her. No consideration is given to the fact that my son will come home dirty and sweaty from a hard day at work to find that K has spent the day watching TV and playing games. He will frequently have to clean house since K does not and he tries to spend time with his girls as much as possible in the evenings. My son has noticed that since K has been to this therapist, she also has become offended at humor around social current events and keeps asking him to change his terminology to match some of the worst social contagions that have recently popped up. Pronouns, sexual identity….that kind of stuff.
They have also started going to a marriage counselor because things are getting pretty rocky for them. K swears my son does not care for her enough. K brings up lots of odd minutia that she is dissatisfied with and because my son is not wired to keep track of a small perceived slight that happened 3 weeks ago, my son ends up feeling attacked at all times. The marriage counselor will give them some things to do to try to help but K simply does not do any of the suggestions and will follow only her personal therapist’s suggestions.
Recently it came to light that K had told some friends that she was giving my son a deadline to fix everything. She apparently did not see fit to tell him this and that the suggestion of the deadline came from the therapist, only the friend. The friend knows them both well and was alarmed enough that they told my son about K’s deadline. My son is mad and devastated that K would do that to him. My son feels that K’s favorite therapist is actively trying to separate them by instead of listening to K, the therapist is feeding K’s anxiety by setting an impossible bar for him to reach. K will not go talk to their pastor about their issues and will only listen to this therapist.
I have told my son to NOT play K’s childish deadline game. He did confront K who tried to act like it was nothing and that she had the deadline more for her than for him. But, the damage is done…..my son does not trust her at all. He is now just waiting for K to suddenly decide that they need a divorce when that is the last thing he wants. My son has also been going to a therapist over it all who thinks that the suggestions coming from K’s therapist are very bad. K will not consent to have a session with my son’s therapist. He and we do not know what to do. We suspect that a divorce is imminent but are praying and hoping that God will unharden K’s heart and let her see that because of a quack of a therapist, K is likely going to do unthinkable damage to her family. Please pray for my son and his wife….he does not want a divorce.
Post-grad supervision work, I believe, is for practically every degree that deals with therapy in the US. You’re moving the goal posts and just inserting your own opinion.
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Both of your complaints were irrelevant to my remarks. They didn’t teach you reading comprehension.
ArmyMom:
Sorry to hear it. Sounds like a tough situation. It will take a change of heart on K’s part.
I once thought I’d found the love of my life, while working the most serious deadlines I’d ever had, and then discovered that my GF had a therapist and a circle of gal pals scrutinizing my every move and not to my benefit.
It didn’t end well.
A certain strain of “blaming the parents” has periodically surfaced among therapists, long before wokeness
I am reminded of a joke the owner-psychiatrist made when I was an aide at a private psychiatric hospital during my undergrad days.
“My mother made me a homosexual.”
“That’s nice. Could she make me one?”
I quit after a year or so, when I woke up and no longer wanted to go to work. Burned out? Several years later, a peer interviewed for a job as an aide at that hospital. The head of nursing informed him that aides last about a year, when they begin to fear that they are going crazy. I found out that line of work wasn’t for me. It was one of the most interesting and challenging jobs available at that pay rate.
Have you been reading Pamela Garfield-Jaeger? She has a substack on this exact topic.
“My mother made me a homosexual.”
“That’s nice. Could she make me one?”
_______________________________________
Gringo:
The version I recall:
_______________________________________
“My mother made me a homosexual.”
“If I get her the wool, could she make me one too?”
Art Deco: My comprehension is just fine; I don’t think whomever raised you taught you neither humility nor respect. Shame, really.
Each one of your posts is ridiculousl, so I suggest to reflect on your own opinions before you type them out on matters that clearly irate you – on topics you probably don’t have much knowledge or experience in.
Art Deco: My comprehension is just fine; I don’t think whomever raised you taught you neither humility nor respect. Shame, really. Each one of your posts is ridiculousl, so I suggest to reflect on your own opinions before you type them out on matters that clearly irate you – on topics you probably don’t have much knowledge or experience in.
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My posts were simple enough and you persistently misunderstood them. I’m sure you’ll make a great listener. You’re not getting any respect from me because you do not deserve it.