Coffee and TheraTEA

Should Therapy Be Political?


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Where Values, Ethics, and Neutrality Collide

“Neutrality is a privilege—not every therapist gets to claim it.”

Can therapy ever truly be apolitical? Or does staying “neutral” simply mean taking the side of the status quo?

In this thought-provoking roundtable, we unpack one of the most debated questions in mental health today: Should therapy be political?

From clients fearing deportation to navigating racial trauma, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, and unequal access to care, politics already shape the therapy room. But what does that mean for the therapist sitting across from you?

What we dig into in this episode:

  • 🔥 What does “political” even mean in therapy?

  • ⚖️ Is neutrality a clinical strength or a cop-out?

  • 🏳️‍🌈 How should therapists respond when clients bring politically charged pain or harmful beliefs into sessions?

  • 📜 What do ethical codes say about advocacy, bias, and boundaries?

  • 🌍 Can a therapist in 2025, or at any time ever, really stay “neutral”?

This isn’t just an academic debate—it’s personal. And the personal is political.


Join us for a candid conversation with diverse voices as we explore the messy, complicated intersection of values, ethics, and identity in therapy today.


We want to hear from you: Has politics ever come up in your therapy—on either side of the couch? DM us, email us, or leave a voice note for a chance to be featured in an upcoming episode!


Want to keep the conversation flowing? As always, follow us on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ or email us at [email protected]!

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