Mental-Health Professionals Resist Woke Therapy

The mental-health field hasn’t been immune to the social-justice mania taking hold of so many areas of American life. Its influence might not be as evident as it is within, say, the DEI offices of countless universities, but it’s there — and it’s potent enough that some mental-health professionals have not only spoken out against the trend but have gone so far as to open alternative therapeutic institutions.

The American Psychological Association, which has nearly 150,000 members and accredits psychology training programs, has served as perhaps the prime example of the field’s social-justice embrace. On the homepage of its website, the APA lists “utilizing psychology to make a positive impact on critical societal issues” as the first tactic of its overall mission. Its enthusiasm for intersectionality dates back to 2017. (“Intersectionality” is the concept that a person’s different “oppressed” identity categories, such as race and gender, combine to account for greater disadvantage than each category would individually.) This was followed by a new definition of racism as a structural force as opposed to internal and interpersonal prejudice.

About the Author

Sahar Tartak

Sahar Tartak is a former summer intern at National Review. A student at Yale University, Sahar is active in Jewish life and free speech on campus.

Featured Tags

Manage following

Woke

The mental-health field hasn’t been immune to the social-justice mania taking hold of so many areas of American life. Its influence might not be as evident as it is within, say, the DEI offices of countless universities, but it’s there — and it’s potent enough that some mental-health professionals have not only spoken out against the trend but have gone so far as to open alternative therapeutic institutions.

The American Psychological Association, which has nearly 150,000 members and accredits psychology training programs, has served as perhaps the prime example of the field’s social-justice embrace. On the homepage of its website, the APA lists “utilizing psychology to make a positive impact on critical societal issues” as the first tactic of its overall mission. Its enthusiasm for intersectionality dates back to 2017. (“Intersectionality” is the concept that a person’s different “oppressed” identity categories, such as race and gender, combine to account for greater disadvantage than each category would individually.) This was followed by a new definition of racism as a structural force as opposed to internal and interpersonal prejudice.