Great article. Though I am not at all surprised, it is still stunning that intelligent and educated people can make arguments like that and act in this way.
This all makes it pretty obvious that Critical theory is designed to torment the disadvantaged (in this case those with mental disorders) so that they lash out at society in self-destructive and socially destructive ways. Your professors exhibit the behavior of those with anti-social personality disorder. This is pure medical malpractice being taught in the classroom.
I agree on the anti-social tendencies, but it’s really all Cluster B personality disorders. Narcissism and emotional instability almost seem like a requirement for social justice activism.
Appreciated. I have 4-5 articles on the link between ideology, psychology and happiness. You can find links to them at the bottom of the article.
By the way, I used to be a professor of Political Science and Public Policy, so I am coming at it from the other side.
I find it useful to ask: “What type of ideology would appeal to those with mental disorders? And then, do those people who uphold that ideology exhibit the behaviors of those with mental disorders?
It is not proof, but it is revealing. There is also an emergent field with psychology on the links between left ideology and mental disorders, so there is hope.
Here is one example with a list of more at the bottom:
Remember that you are the master of your education. Separate the concept of education (learning things) from credentials (getting the degree). Credentials can expand opportunity. An advanced degree is useful. The limitations of the curriculum are not your limitations. As you are demonstrating, there are many sources of useful information from which to learn that are not part of "the program". Consider your university experience as an opportunity to learn how to learn. It is sad that many of your peers will not learn, but rather, suffer indoctrination which is designed to stop thinking and learning. But it is encouraging that you are not falling into that pit of despair.
Who needs "reality" - when you have "ideology?" Its all quite surreal at this point. I retired as a clinical social worker in 2014 and it is rather sobering to think I'd be considered both transphobic for believing in the biological reality of "sex" - and racist for not submitting to the intellectual dictates of Critical Race Theory. It is truly amazing how stupid people can become when they really put their minds to it.
I agree. What is baffling is that people with whom I engaged in Central American Solidarity work in year 2000 - opposing U.S. policies supporting our - "death squad democracies" in Latin America - have somehow since that time morphed into brain-dead clapping "support Ukraine" trained seals - without knowing the slightest bit of the history and of U.S. policy in creating that war for our own geopolitical purposes. It is as if most of the people I used to think of as at least nominally "progressive" in outlook - have given NPR carte blanche to infect their brains with whatever the deep state propaganda narrative of the day might be - as long as the propaganda is accompained by tasteful snippets of classical music or jazz. The loss of both critical thinking skills - and loss of a willingness to roll up one's sleeves and do the work to "educate" oneself on global issues - is mind boggling to me.
Yes but they can also be powerful motivators to break from the group and overcome your fear. I've had an interesting relationship with the phrase "you can't do that" in my careers. Doing what others thing is not possible is fun and rewarding. The more I am ostracized the more determine I become.
I thought nothing could surprise me any more, but i am utterly stunned! If even half of this is true, America is a lost cause. Its students are more indoctrinated than my fellow Romanians during communism. For starters, we didn t believe the official ideology, but Americans do. This is totalitarianism. If will be interesting to see how this will evolve during a Trump administration, but i think the "social warriors" will feel even more justified in their dillusions.
Unfortunately it’s all true, but I don’t think America is a lost cause. I’m hearing more and more students and therapists whisper to me that they are seeing this, but our voices are growing louder.
I don't think America is a lost cause as so many think like we do and will find their voices that have been squelched for too long and will be fighting back. The woke are loud and determined but I think there are more who are anti-woke!
The perception that mental health therapy has become a bit "fluffy" or too focused on "wokeness" comes from the way society views mental health today. We've started talking about a lot more topics, like stress, burnout, self-esteem, and identity, which is great for many people. But some worry this shift might pull attention away from serious issues like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Plus, the way we use terms like “trauma” and “anxiety” has changed, and to some, it feels like their meanings are getting watered down.
Cultural and political factors also shape this perception. Nowadays, many therapists are bringing social justice and identity into their conversations, reflecting what’s happening in society. While this can be an important discussion, some folks might see it as a move away from the traditional focus on personal struggles and resilience.
On another note, the rise of pop psychology and self-help ideas has made mental health more accessible, but this can sometimes lead to oversimplified concepts that feel more like catchy slogans, which some people call “fluff.” While therapy apps and online resources can help, they often provide generic advice that skips over deeper issues.
There’s also a bigger focus on positivity in therapy these days. Things like mindfulness, positive psychology, and affirmations aim to boost well-being and personal strengths. Many of these methods are supported by research, but they can sometimes come off as just feel-good sayings that ignore serious emotional work. Validating feelings is key, but if we don’t also tackle unhealthy thought patterns, it might not feel as effective to some.
Economic and institutional factors play their part too. Insurance often prefers shorter, solution-focused therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which can give off a vibe of more surface-level care.
Lastly, different generations see mental health differently. Younger people tend to be more open about discussing their feelings and personal experiences, while older generations, who may have been raised to be more stoic, might think this approach is a bit too indulgent.
So, at the end of the day, whether therapy feels “fluffy” or overly influenced by “wokeness” really depends on personal values, generational views, and what people are looking for in therapy.
I’ve been doing therapy for 20+ years. When I graduated, it was referred to as a “soft science.”
I don’t disagree with that. But currently what’s out there is mush, oatmeal, soft fodder for woke sheep. Therapists are not social activists in the office. We plan therapeutic sessions that are driven by effective techniques and building rapport. Rapport is not alignment.
Everywhere the high priests of Critical Theory are hawking their variety of the Emperor's New Clothes and everywhere social progressives are falling over one another to buy them. It's a truly ghastly scene to those of us who can see they're strutting and preening despite being stark naked.
Let's hope Critical Theory hasn't caught on in law schools, because even now there's a pressing demand for litigators to put the Crits and their devotees out of business. The lawsuits can come soon enough.
Exactly Jennifer. Law schools are some of the worst offenders. Heather Mac Donald was documenting this from back in 2001 with her book Burden of Bad Ideas.
"During my first semester, my professor for my Counseling the Culturally Diverse class said that our primary objective as therapists is to become political activists so that we can “burn it all to the ground.”
This is why I had to quit therapy after 10 years. My therapist insisted patriarchy was absolute when I said that considering it to be such a force was disempowering me and making things more difficult. I had a suspicion then that therapy as a discipline was being captured but I had no idea how bad it was until writers like you started exposing it.
I'm curious if you see difference in approach based on sex. Are female therapists more likely to think this way? Is the preponderance of women in these programs causing ideological capture and groupthink?
It’s sad that ideologically hijacked therapy is driving away so many good people. I haven’t noticed a gender divide but there is a huge divide based on nationality. Those who were not socialized into American norms find much of this bizarre.
Which is why the working class overwhelmingly rejects this ideological framework. They have to stay grounded in the practical to survive. They don’t have the luxury of indulging in nihilism.
the wokester warrior seems less like a person than a persona, an identity free husk held together by external validation as integument, armor, and allegiance. they ARE their ideas and experience disagreement with doctrine as erasure and the very existence of intellectual diversity as something akin to genocide. it threatens to erase their sense of self. i suspect this is why they seem so prone to projecting "literally hitler" upon their detractors and disputants.
it's also why they cluster together so fervently in little self affirming groups mouthing the magic shibboleths of in-group fealty and constantly seeking someone to toss into the struggle session that they might prevent such an end from befalling them.
it's a horrible, cultish subculture rooted in suppression of plurality in the name of pluralism, sad, unfinished creatures inhabiting the village they are burning to save it.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Question, is there a name that captures the school of thought that you describe, like "social justice therapy" or "woke therapy"? Alternately, is there a name for the pushback against this that we see in your piece, Abigail Shrier's book, Jonathan Haight's work, etc.? It reminds me of how sex-based rights advocates eventually came together under the "gender critical" umbrella. What is our camp called?
I’ve enjoyed both Shrier and Haidt. Woke Therapy is often tough to pin down because it is rooted in so many unspoken assumptions. It looks like critical theory and postmodernism held together by intersectionality and then loosely applied to mental health. I don’t know how to categorize the anti-Woke coalition because there are so many different elements. I’m not sure what the future is for a group trying to hold radical feminists and conservative Christians together.
Yeah. Part of me wonders whether resilience is a key line of demarcation we should emphasize. I work for HHSC behavioral health and our service delivery model is Texas Resilience and Recovery. And that seems to be what people like Shrier and Haight emphasize (e.g. anti-fragility).
Focusing on resiliency does not have to mean "ignoring oppression". Individuals who have and are experiencing various "oppressive" conditions may benefit from enhancing their resiliency so as to be better able to work against whatever "oppression" they experience or see others experiencing. "Oppression" has several definitions:
(1) prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or control.
(2) the state of being subject to unjust treatment or control.
If you are an oppressed class as defined by the Woke Religion you absolutely must fill that role. All must stay well within the lines of intersectionality, and the lines are fiercely policed.
Best way to advance in the Woke hierarchy is to cut down any and all impure thoughts.
I share an office in a Yale hospital emergency room with the social workers. Their staff is mostly black women and they’re unaware I can overhear their conversations. You’d think a department of social workers/therapists would be a utopia of teamwork and healthy communication, but it’s all gossip, passive-aggressive fighting, and anonymous HR complaints about each other. I tried discussing DEI policies and how they only apply to excesses in white males. For example, females make up 75% of therapists and 22% of social workers are black. Who will champion the effort to reduce the number of black female social workers to undo this injustice?
Wow! This was such a good piece. Thank you! Funny to me because I’ve been literally afraid to tell my therapist about my recent political views for fear she will judge me for wrongthink
Thankyou for sharing your experience. Do you know if this is a widespread phenomena? Or if there are different camps in the therapy profession? And to what extant does this attitude bleed into medical regulations? Like are LPC’s in certain states legally required to perform Gender Affirming therapeutic care?
I’ve talked to many people in other programs and it sounds like the same story whether LPC, LMFT, or social work. I spent one semester at Liberty University’s program and the material was much the same, and that is one of the most conservative schools in the country. Gender affirming care seems to be considered ethical and best practices across the board. My professors made it sound like you could lose your license if you didn’t practice gender affirming care.
It almost leads one to conclude that the mental health crisis is actually being caused by the therapists trained in Marxist activism. I hope that’s not true.
Great article. Though I am not at all surprised, it is still stunning that intelligent and educated people can make arguments like that and act in this way.
This all makes it pretty obvious that Critical theory is designed to torment the disadvantaged (in this case those with mental disorders) so that they lash out at society in self-destructive and socially destructive ways. Your professors exhibit the behavior of those with anti-social personality disorder. This is pure medical malpractice being taught in the classroom.
https://frompovertytoprogress.substack.com/p/radical-ideologies-feast-on-mental
I agree on the anti-social tendencies, but it’s really all Cluster B personality disorders. Narcissism and emotional instability almost seem like a requirement for social justice activism.
I agree.
That is exactly what I wrote in the linked article.
I think all Cluster B behaviors are closely linked but are expressed differently in different people.
The irony of the mental health profession teaching Cluster B behaviors is overwhelming. And the mental suffering that it causes in patients is tragic.
Looking forward to reading.
Appreciated. I have 4-5 articles on the link between ideology, psychology and happiness. You can find links to them at the bottom of the article.
By the way, I used to be a professor of Political Science and Public Policy, so I am coming at it from the other side.
I find it useful to ask: “What type of ideology would appeal to those with mental disorders? And then, do those people who uphold that ideology exhibit the behaviors of those with mental disorders?
It is not proof, but it is revealing. There is also an emergent field with psychology on the links between left ideology and mental disorders, so there is hope.
Here is one example with a list of more at the bottom:
https://frompovertytoprogress.substack.com/p/is-green-activism-based-on-good-intentions
You might also subscribe to Political Ponerology Substack column.
I subscribed. While that might not be proof there is a mountain of anecdotal evidence all around us.
Here is a direct link to all my articles the links between ideology, psychology and happiness:
https://frompovertytoprogress.substack.com/t/psychology
Wow, that is some good reading material. Sounds like many of the things I’ve been suspecting since returning to academia.
Remember that you are the master of your education. Separate the concept of education (learning things) from credentials (getting the degree). Credentials can expand opportunity. An advanced degree is useful. The limitations of the curriculum are not your limitations. As you are demonstrating, there are many sources of useful information from which to learn that are not part of "the program". Consider your university experience as an opportunity to learn how to learn. It is sad that many of your peers will not learn, but rather, suffer indoctrination which is designed to stop thinking and learning. But it is encouraging that you are not falling into that pit of despair.
I am coming to realize that the term "medical malpractice" is redundant in many cases ;-).
Some human predators carefully disguise themselves as helpers. They always look for weakness in other people.
To be clear, I think this is a small minority, but one must always be on guard against them.
Who needs "reality" - when you have "ideology?" Its all quite surreal at this point. I retired as a clinical social worker in 2014 and it is rather sobering to think I'd be considered both transphobic for believing in the biological reality of "sex" - and racist for not submitting to the intellectual dictates of Critical Race Theory. It is truly amazing how stupid people can become when they really put their minds to it.
Groupthink and fear of ostracism are powerful motivators.
I agree. What is baffling is that people with whom I engaged in Central American Solidarity work in year 2000 - opposing U.S. policies supporting our - "death squad democracies" in Latin America - have somehow since that time morphed into brain-dead clapping "support Ukraine" trained seals - without knowing the slightest bit of the history and of U.S. policy in creating that war for our own geopolitical purposes. It is as if most of the people I used to think of as at least nominally "progressive" in outlook - have given NPR carte blanche to infect their brains with whatever the deep state propaganda narrative of the day might be - as long as the propaganda is accompained by tasteful snippets of classical music or jazz. The loss of both critical thinking skills - and loss of a willingness to roll up one's sleeves and do the work to "educate" oneself on global issues - is mind boggling to me.
Yes but they can also be powerful motivators to break from the group and overcome your fear. I've had an interesting relationship with the phrase "you can't do that" in my careers. Doing what others thing is not possible is fun and rewarding. The more I am ostracized the more determine I become.
I thought nothing could surprise me any more, but i am utterly stunned! If even half of this is true, America is a lost cause. Its students are more indoctrinated than my fellow Romanians during communism. For starters, we didn t believe the official ideology, but Americans do. This is totalitarianism. If will be interesting to see how this will evolve during a Trump administration, but i think the "social warriors" will feel even more justified in their dillusions.
Unfortunately it’s all true, but I don’t think America is a lost cause. I’m hearing more and more students and therapists whisper to me that they are seeing this, but our voices are growing louder.
I don't think America is a lost cause as so many think like we do and will find their voices that have been squelched for too long and will be fighting back. The woke are loud and determined but I think there are more who are anti-woke!
The silent majority is now speaking up.
“Those who believe in absurdities will go on to commit atrocities “-your article is a perfect example of the absurd. Stick in there.
Not sure even Voltaire could imagine this much absurdity.
The perception that mental health therapy has become a bit "fluffy" or too focused on "wokeness" comes from the way society views mental health today. We've started talking about a lot more topics, like stress, burnout, self-esteem, and identity, which is great for many people. But some worry this shift might pull attention away from serious issues like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Plus, the way we use terms like “trauma” and “anxiety” has changed, and to some, it feels like their meanings are getting watered down.
Cultural and political factors also shape this perception. Nowadays, many therapists are bringing social justice and identity into their conversations, reflecting what’s happening in society. While this can be an important discussion, some folks might see it as a move away from the traditional focus on personal struggles and resilience.
On another note, the rise of pop psychology and self-help ideas has made mental health more accessible, but this can sometimes lead to oversimplified concepts that feel more like catchy slogans, which some people call “fluff.” While therapy apps and online resources can help, they often provide generic advice that skips over deeper issues.
There’s also a bigger focus on positivity in therapy these days. Things like mindfulness, positive psychology, and affirmations aim to boost well-being and personal strengths. Many of these methods are supported by research, but they can sometimes come off as just feel-good sayings that ignore serious emotional work. Validating feelings is key, but if we don’t also tackle unhealthy thought patterns, it might not feel as effective to some.
Economic and institutional factors play their part too. Insurance often prefers shorter, solution-focused therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which can give off a vibe of more surface-level care.
Lastly, different generations see mental health differently. Younger people tend to be more open about discussing their feelings and personal experiences, while older generations, who may have been raised to be more stoic, might think this approach is a bit too indulgent.
So, at the end of the day, whether therapy feels “fluffy” or overly influenced by “wokeness” really depends on personal values, generational views, and what people are looking for in therapy.
I’ve been doing therapy for 20+ years. When I graduated, it was referred to as a “soft science.”
I don’t disagree with that. But currently what’s out there is mush, oatmeal, soft fodder for woke sheep. Therapists are not social activists in the office. We plan therapeutic sessions that are driven by effective techniques and building rapport. Rapport is not alignment.
Your comment seems all encompassing. Are you really criticising all therapists?
Everywhere the high priests of Critical Theory are hawking their variety of the Emperor's New Clothes and everywhere social progressives are falling over one another to buy them. It's a truly ghastly scene to those of us who can see they're strutting and preening despite being stark naked.
Let's hope Critical Theory hasn't caught on in law schools, because even now there's a pressing demand for litigators to put the Crits and their devotees out of business. The lawsuits can come soon enough.
Oh dear. Law schools were the first incubators of Critical Race Theory. It went by the name of Critical Legal Theory back in the 1990s.
Exactly Jennifer. Law schools are some of the worst offenders. Heather Mac Donald was documenting this from back in 2001 with her book Burden of Bad Ideas.
"During my first semester, my professor for my Counseling the Culturally Diverse class said that our primary objective as therapists is to become political activists so that we can “burn it all to the ground.”
This is why I had to quit therapy after 10 years. My therapist insisted patriarchy was absolute when I said that considering it to be such a force was disempowering me and making things more difficult. I had a suspicion then that therapy as a discipline was being captured but I had no idea how bad it was until writers like you started exposing it.
I'm curious if you see difference in approach based on sex. Are female therapists more likely to think this way? Is the preponderance of women in these programs causing ideological capture and groupthink?
It’s sad that ideologically hijacked therapy is driving away so many good people. I haven’t noticed a gender divide but there is a huge divide based on nationality. Those who were not socialized into American norms find much of this bizarre.
That makes me wonder what it is about America specifically…but that’s a book length thing to explore.
I think part of it is our abundance and affluence. If you are struggling to survive every day you’re probably not worried about microaggressions.
Which is why the working class overwhelmingly rejects this ideological framework. They have to stay grounded in the practical to survive. They don’t have the luxury of indulging in nihilism.
the wokester warrior seems less like a person than a persona, an identity free husk held together by external validation as integument, armor, and allegiance. they ARE their ideas and experience disagreement with doctrine as erasure and the very existence of intellectual diversity as something akin to genocide. it threatens to erase their sense of self. i suspect this is why they seem so prone to projecting "literally hitler" upon their detractors and disputants.
it's also why they cluster together so fervently in little self affirming groups mouthing the magic shibboleths of in-group fealty and constantly seeking someone to toss into the struggle session that they might prevent such an end from befalling them.
it's a horrible, cultish subculture rooted in suppression of plurality in the name of pluralism, sad, unfinished creatures inhabiting the village they are burning to save it.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Question, is there a name that captures the school of thought that you describe, like "social justice therapy" or "woke therapy"? Alternately, is there a name for the pushback against this that we see in your piece, Abigail Shrier's book, Jonathan Haight's work, etc.? It reminds me of how sex-based rights advocates eventually came together under the "gender critical" umbrella. What is our camp called?
I’ve enjoyed both Shrier and Haidt. Woke Therapy is often tough to pin down because it is rooted in so many unspoken assumptions. It looks like critical theory and postmodernism held together by intersectionality and then loosely applied to mental health. I don’t know how to categorize the anti-Woke coalition because there are so many different elements. I’m not sure what the future is for a group trying to hold radical feminists and conservative Christians together.
Yeah. Part of me wonders whether resilience is a key line of demarcation we should emphasize. I work for HHSC behavioral health and our service delivery model is Texas Resilience and Recovery. And that seems to be what people like Shrier and Haight emphasize (e.g. anti-fragility).
It seems like resiliency is antithetical to the social justice worldview, as if that means you are ignoring oppression.
Focusing on resiliency does not have to mean "ignoring oppression". Individuals who have and are experiencing various "oppressive" conditions may benefit from enhancing their resiliency so as to be better able to work against whatever "oppression" they experience or see others experiencing. "Oppression" has several definitions:
(1) prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or control.
(2) the state of being subject to unjust treatment or control.
(3) mental pressure or distress.
100%
If you are an oppressed class as defined by the Woke Religion you absolutely must fill that role. All must stay well within the lines of intersectionality, and the lines are fiercely policed.
Best way to advance in the Woke hierarchy is to cut down any and all impure thoughts.
It is a deeply inhuman religion.
Great piece. Echoes much of my own experience in undergrad psych. I actually left the masters program - it seemed so useless.
I share an office in a Yale hospital emergency room with the social workers. Their staff is mostly black women and they’re unaware I can overhear their conversations. You’d think a department of social workers/therapists would be a utopia of teamwork and healthy communication, but it’s all gossip, passive-aggressive fighting, and anonymous HR complaints about each other. I tried discussing DEI policies and how they only apply to excesses in white males. For example, females make up 75% of therapists and 22% of social workers are black. Who will champion the effort to reduce the number of black female social workers to undo this injustice?
This is awful. Maybe this is part of the reason why mental health is in decline. Therapists make you worse.
There are still many good therapists out there, but the way we have been training therapists over the last 5+ years is a disaster.
Wow! This was such a good piece. Thank you! Funny to me because I’ve been literally afraid to tell my therapist about my recent political views for fear she will judge me for wrongthink
I can understand that fear!
Thankyou for sharing your experience. Do you know if this is a widespread phenomena? Or if there are different camps in the therapy profession? And to what extant does this attitude bleed into medical regulations? Like are LPC’s in certain states legally required to perform Gender Affirming therapeutic care?
I’ve talked to many people in other programs and it sounds like the same story whether LPC, LMFT, or social work. I spent one semester at Liberty University’s program and the material was much the same, and that is one of the most conservative schools in the country. Gender affirming care seems to be considered ethical and best practices across the board. My professors made it sound like you could lose your license if you didn’t practice gender affirming care.
It almost leads one to conclude that the mental health crisis is actually being caused by the therapists trained in Marxist activism. I hope that’s not true.
I don’t think that’s the primary cause of the mental health crisis but it’s definitely making it worse.