The Counselor’s Survival Guide to Ethical Counseling in a Politicized Era: LESSON 1

In a recent national poll, Americans cited political extremism and polarization as their third greatest national concern. During and after each election, many clients present with signs of political dysphoria, a state of unease and dissatisfaction with partisan politics. The American Mental Health Counselors Association’s 2020 Code of Ethics calls upon clinical mental health counselors (CMHCs) to maintain objectivity (I.A.1); to take care of our own mental health so that we can be centered for our clients (I.C.1.h); to understand the role of our beliefs, values, and biases in our clinical work while seeking to better understand our clients (I.C.1.m); and to refrain from discriminating against our clients for their political beliefs (I.C.2.c). This is particularly interesting given that the counseling profession is less politically diverse than the clients we serve, with only 15-to-25% of counselors identifying as conservative. How do we handle situations in which our clients bring politics into the therapy room? How do CMHCs advocate for socio political causes on one hand while remaining objective on the other? How do we respond when our own colleagues, co-workers, friends, and family members view things differently than we do? Within the context of a society that is politically polarized, how do we maintain balance and self-care so that we can be an anchoring presence for our clients? Drawing from the presenter’s research on the relationship between the political ideologies of counselors and their clinical practice, this training was designed to equip you with tools to address these challenges.