What happens when mental health care becomes intertwined with prevailing political ideologies and biases? Today on Heterodox Out Loud, we’re joined by Andrew Hartz, president and founder of the Open Therapy Institute and a long-term member of Heterodox Academy. Andrew joins John Tomasi to explore the increasing prevalence of sociopolitical bias within the realm of mental health therapy.

Andrew shares his motivations for founding the Open Therapy Institute, highlighting the concerning shifts in therapy practices caused by activist-oriented approaches and sociopolitical biases. He discusses the need for a more balanced, patient-centered therapeutic approach that respects diverse perspectives without conflating therapy with broader ideological battles. Andrew sheds light on the startling trend of therapists dismissing patients due to their political views and the broader issue of bias pervading mental health training and practice.

In This Episode:

• The rise of sociopolitical bias in mental health therapy
• The four levels of bias impacting therapists
• The incompatibility of patient-centered therapy with politically driven judgment
• The influence of activist-oriented norms in therapeutic contexts
• The role and objectives of the Open Therapy Institute
• Viewpoint diversity and the challenges faced by conservative therapists

For more insights and updates from the Open Therapy Institute, visit their website: https://www.opentherapyinstitute.org/

About Andrew:

Andrew Hartz, Ph.D, is a practicing clinical psychologist. He was formerly a professor in the clinical psychology doctoral program at Long Island University, where he also completed his Ph.D. He completed his clinical internship at Columbia University Medical Center, and he also completed training at Mount Sinai Hospital and the William Alanson White Institute. For several years, he’s written about political issues and mental health for outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, City Journal, Discourse, the Federalist, Real Clear Education, Heterodox Academy, and the New York Post. 

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