Some people claim that the psychotherapy room is no place for politics, but I disagree. At a macro level, therapy exists within a particular social, cultural, environmental, and, yes, political context. Decisions made “out there,” by politicians in power, directly affect society and impact what happens “in here,” in the therapy room—things like how much money the government assigns to mental health care and updates to legislation that determine whether and how we can practice certain types of therapy with certain types of people.
At a micro level, the stuff that clients bring to therapy is deeply embedded in wider social, cultural, environmental, and political contexts, too. Whatever personal narratives they share with us are wrapped up in and influenced by those contexts, and, therefore, clients bring political influences into the room both implicitly and explicitly. They absorb messages from politicians and media headlines about the economy, the climate, women’s reproductive rights, gay rights, transgender rights, abortion laws, and laws on immigration. These political messages impact them differently, of course, according to their sexuality, gender, ethnicity, and individual circumstances. If they are gay or transgender or a woman or a child in care or an immigrant, politics influences how our clients experience their sense of self within a wider context. How can it not? And how can we ignore politics when our client’s core identity—as a child in care or care leaver; an adoptee; an adoptive or same-sex parent; someone who has spent time in prison or other institutional setting; a transgender man, woman, or child; or an immigrant—is politicised and debated?
As a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), I have an ethical obligation to “keep [my] skills and knowledge up to date.”3 This duty is open to interpretation, but for me it means subscribing to newsletters from reliable and trustworthy organisations so that I stay informed of parliamentary decisions and debates relevant to the mental health sector. It means taking a special interest in policies affecting the particular demographics I work with, which includes adolescents, young adults, and those within the LGBTQ community. It means noticing what’s happening locally, in terms of support groups, live events, protests, and council elections. No man, woman, or child is an island, and I have a role in helping my clients to make sense of themselves within a wider context. If I deny the political, how can I do that effectively?
