How Therapy and Politics Are Related

(by Toni Aswegan, LMHC)

THERAPY IS POLITICAL.

We can and should and must talk about politics, as therapists. Not in every single individual therapy session, but as therapists we have an ethical duty to be engaged politically, and address barriers that impact our clients’ well-being. Its part of our ethics code (ACA code section A.7.a).

One of many reasons I say therapy is political is that there are 3 different realms where trauma healing happens:

1) Auto-regulation, or self-regulation. This is stuff you do on your own to care for yourself. This is deep breathing, going on a run, listening to music, eating a snack, laying on the ground, practicing self-compassion, meditation, journaling, dancing. Really anything you do on your own that helps soothe your stress response is considered “self-regulation”.

2) Co-regulation. This is stuff you do with other people to care for and with each other. Getting a hug, having a good conversation, laughing, playing with your dog, looking at someone else’s eyes, being told you are loved. These moments of connection in safe relationships regulates your nervous system differently than when you are on your own.

3) JUSTICE. Some call it social justice, but Rev angel kyodo williams has said that all justice is social, so let's just call it justice. We can build safety through self- and co-regulation, BUT IF OUR BODIES ARE NOT OBJECTIVELY SAFE IN THE WORLD, healing is so much more difficult. I don't want you to regulate your nervous system to adapt to oppressive systems and circumstances. Those circumstances need to change. Until black and brown bodies, womxn bodies, trans bodies, queer bodies, Jewish bodies, larger bodies and disabled bodies are safe in the world, we cannot focus only on self and co-regulation as a path to healing. We have to actively work to make the world 1) a place where less injury and trauma happen in the first place, and 2) a place where people can heal and feel safe.

This is not the job of those who experience a lack of safety through oppression and discrimination. This is on those of us with privilege and power.

Healing work is justice work. Therapy is political.

When I say "therapy is political", I do NOT mean:

-we talk about politics all the time in therapy (unless it's a goal of yours);

-we talk about politics if my clients don't want to;

-we try to convince clients to vote in a particular way.

When I say "therapy is political", I mean:

-your mental health is impacted by the systems you live within, and healing is not an entirely individual process;

-we will acknowledge the impact of those oppressive systems in your therapy process;

-if appropriate and agreed upon between therapist and client, we will discuss ways to challenge those systems and ways to continue to live as safely as possible within them;

-as a therapist, we fight, outside the therapy room, to create social change and justice (because it is the right thing to do, and also because that supports change inside the therapy room).

This shows up differently in every therapy session, for every therapist and every client. It shows up differently for every therapist even outside of the therapy room. But, therapy and politics are certainly intertwined.