In a recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece, therapist Jonathan Alpert argued that “politics makes for bad therapy.” His point struck a chord with many in the mental health field and with good reason.
In today’s climate, it’s nearly impossible to avoid politics altogether. News headlines, social media, and even casual conversations can stir strong emotions. For many patients, those emotions come into the therapy room.
That’s not inherently a bad thing. Politics often touches deeply personal issues such as identity, safety, fairness, and belonging, and therapy is a natural place to explore how those issues affect you. Talking about the feelings behind political events or conflicts can be healthy and productive.
But therapy becomes less effective when it starts to sound like a debate, a rally, or a place where political validation replaces personal growth.
When Therapy Crosses the Line
There’s a subtle but important difference between talking about politics and engaging in politics in therapy. The former helps clients make sense of how the world affects their mental health; the latter shifts focus away from the client’s experience entirely.
Here are a few signs therapy may be drifting off course:
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- Sessions center more on national events or political outrage than on your personal reactions or goals.
- Your therapist frequently shares their own opinions or assumptions about political topics.
- You feel hesitant to express your true thoughts for fear of judgment.
- You leave sessions feeling inflamed rather than understood.
If that sounds familiar, it might be time to recalibrate.
What Good Therapy Looks Like
Effective therapy should be a safe place where you can explore how the world affects you, not where you’re told what to think about it. A skilled therapist helps you:
- Understand your emotions and triggers.
- Strengthen your coping strategies.
- Focus on what’s within your control.
- Feel empowered to make thoughtful choices that align with your own values.
At its best, therapy offers insight and movement, not just validation. It’s about helping you navigate challenges in ways that serve your mental health and relationships.
Staying Neutral as a Therapist
For therapists, maintaining neutrality can be one of the hardest parts of the job. After all, we are human too. We read the news, feel frustration, and hold beliefs just like everyone else. When a patient expresses a political opinion that clashes with our own, it can be challenging to stay centered.
But neutrality isn’t about suppressing emotion or pretending not to care; it’s about discipline and empathy. It means creating a space where patients can safely express their views without feeling corrected, shamed, or subtly steered toward ours. It also requires self-reflection: recognizing our own biases so they don’t interfere with a client’s healing process.
Why is this so important? Because therapy is ultimately about you, not your therapist. When therapists maintain neutrality, they model curiosity, respect, and emotional regulation — exactly the skills many clients are trying to build for themselves.
Bringing the Focus Back to You
If you notice that therapy has started to feel more political than personal, it’s okay to speak up. You might say, “I feel like our sessions have been focused a lot on current events. Can we bring it back to how I’m coping?” A good therapist will welcome that feedback.
Therapy should help you feel grounded and resilient, no matter what’s happening in the world. Therapists are trained to help clients explore their reactions to stressful news or political events without turning the session into a debate.
The goal is always your growth, your peace of mind, and your ability to thrive. If you’re looking for therapy that helps you focus on what you can control, such as your thoughts, your emotions, and your wellbeing, I’m here to help.
Dr. Francine Rosenberg is the Managing Partner at Morris Psychological Group. She is a clinical psychologist who practices cognitive-behavior therapy with children, adolescents, and adults. With over 20 years of clinical experience, Dr. Rosenberg’s practice is primarily devoted to the treatment of anxiety disorders, particularly Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. She has specialized training in the treatment of OCD and runs an ongoing OCD treatment group.
