The implication was that this was an issue which would come up in therapy. If so, then yes, the therapists views may be important. If it’s not an issue of concern, then one wouldn’t ask it.
I already said as much if you scroll up. I said, if Trump is going to come up a lot in your sessions then ok, maybe that’s something you need to know about your therapist.
Eta: oooh, what if your therapist voted third party?
I would laugh and point while walking away.
I’m sorry, but vetting your therapist is just good sense. For example, several students in my BFF’s master’s program cohort were vehemently right wing, 2A MRA types. As in, I expect they spent their free time on incel boards having chummy chats with the denizens there. They were the kind I would expect to refer to women as “females” and use the term “feminazi” unironically. This is based on papers they wrote and interactions on the online student chat rooms during group projects. A couple were so scary my BFF requested she not be required to work with them on group projects any more. They graduated and assumedly are off tending to the mental health needs of the incel and white supremacist contingent as we speak. Would I be at all comfortable talking to one of those guys? FUCK NO. And this is why, if I’m looking for a therapist, I check over their websites for clues (“faith based practice” is not going to sit well with me so that also is a hard pass) and language usage and in sending my initial contact email I will make it very clear that I need a non-faith based practitioner who is feminist, sex positive, trans inclusive (not trans myself but TERFs seriously piss me off) and preferably female. Not to say a male therapist can’t be helpful, I’m just more comfortable with women’s language and prefer someone with empirical experience of the sort of things I’m likely to be talking about–and experience from my side of conflicts at that. Is there anything wrong with this? Because I don’t think so.
Before I read your whole post on choosing therapists may I ask if you by chance voted third party?
On the plus side, if you don’t want to pay their bill, and you can make getting their money more of a PITA than it’s worth, they’d probably be okay with that too.
I agree that everyone should vet a potential therapist (and other major healthcare providers) on whatever aspects are important to the client. The therapist can answer in a variety of ways. With a potential new client, I might reply with some combination of:
*Thanks for asking. It’s important that you feel like this is a good working relationship.
*Is that a deal-breaker, or are you just curious?
*Would you tell me a little more so I can understand where you’re coming from?
*Is it important for you to know that we share beliefs/identity group, or are you wanting to check that I will support your beliefs/practices/identity?
On that basis, I will know in what ways I might answer the underlying question. Sometimes it’s appropriate to answer it, and sometimes it’s clinically contraindicated. I always tell people that if this isn’t a good fit, I’m happy to make referrals.
Sometimes clients already know something about me, so I’ll ask about that.
Sometimes current clients will ask questions about me, and part of my responsibility is to decide at what level and depth to answer, and how to follow up. Just because we’re similar in some aspects, we’re not the same, and for some people, demanding a perfect mirror is part of the problem they’re having. I once asked a therapist I’d seen for awhile if she or anyone in her family were gay. Her reply was, “Do you feel like I’m giving you what you need?” That was a good response in that context, and I withdrew my question. If I wanted a gay therapist, I would ask up front. If I wanted a gay-affirmative therapist, I’d ask that.
I have clients for whom religion/spirituality is important, and they know we don’t share a religion. Typically I’ll check with them about whether my responses and suggestions that include these aspects are welcome, based in an accurate understanding of their beliefs, and helpful.
I’m unlikely to answer a question like “Do you approve of Trump?” immediately, but the client or student asking it lets me know that this is on their mind and may be important. Often people want to talk about their own brliefs and experiences, not about the therapist. Instead they’re asking a process question about comfort and security (e.g., “Do you believe in ghosts?” “Interesting question! What happened?” “Well, something weird but if wasn’t sure if you’ll believe me.” “Well, how has it gone so far? Does it seem like I take you seriously?” “Yeah.” “Great. I’m glad.” “So… If I tell you, will you have to lock me up?” “It’s unlikely. Did you kill anyone based on what a ghost told you?” “Nothing like that, no.” “That’s good news! I’d love to hear what happened if you want me to know about it.”)
If we explore it a little and they insist they specifically need to know, say, not my values but who I voted for, I’m not going to answer. In part that’s private information, and in part rigidness may be part of a clinical issue. In part it may be illegal or unethical for a therapist (or employee of a college or other business) to answer. For example, I am permitted as faculty or staff to wear a shirt or button expressing a political position, and to discuss politics in class from the perspective of the subject matter, but not to expound on my views or advocate for a particular vote.
People can decide whether the therapist’s answer or refusal to answer is a good match for their preferences. I learned early to ask as a client, “I am lesbian and don’t have issues with that. Do you see gay identity as a normative developmental outcome? If not, I’ll look for a different therapist.”
My default tends to be something like, “Good question. Can we talk about it so I’ll have a better idea about how to answer?”
See now, you I’d probably take a chance on seeing because it seems like you’re an exploratory and curious person who is unlikely to be dogmatic–if we disagreed on something I think we could have a productive discussion about it. I’m just very leery of disclosing sensitive personal information to someone who might be stashing it away to use as ammo–having been in abusive relationships, that’s a legitimate fear for me.
Thanks for your reply! You point out the process piece really well, which is that you know a lot about me as a therapist/person from how I engage with you, not just whether I make a particular verbal disclosure. Therapy is a vulnerable undertaking, and feeling sufficient trust and relationship for the level of services you’re looking for is very important.
The survey is asking therapists how willing they are to communicate their political beliefs to their patients. ~70% of them are willing to communicate their political belief to their patients to some degree.
You used to hang out with a drunken idiot who massively overestimated his own sex appeal, or at least liked to pretend to when he was getting lit with his friends.
I’m not seeing the connection between these two things. Are you trying to argue that some of the patients of therapists who only implied their political beliefs didn’t get the hint? So what?
Exactly, and since the cause of my CPTSD is rooted in betrayal by someone I had every expectation of being trustworthy I’m going to see things through that lens and once bitten/twice shy, I’m going to be very cautious going in and looking for alarm bells. Thank you, Gavin DeBecker!
I’m going to say… no?
Is this supposed to be a trick question?
I’m so sorry. I hope you’ve found people since who understand that they need to be trustworthy, not just assert it, and let you choose your own timing.
No more so than people picked Biden specifically becuse he’s a serial confabulator and plagairist who’s perhaps lost a step or two due to age, or that they chose Bill Clinton specifically because they liked perjurers who abuse their power and shove cigars up young women’s hoo-haws,
Today, people pick their team first, and rationalize it later. Most people who support Trump do so simply because he’s the head of their team, and therefore they will support him and rationalize his behaviour. And people who would have rejected Biden in the primaries for all the reasons mentioned above will now defend him vociferously against all attacks, warranted or not, because regardless if they would have preferred someone else, he’s now their guy and must be defended at all costs.
This is the problem with tribalism, and by ‘othering’ Trump supporters, you are contributing to the problem instead of trying to understand what pushed half the country into supporting such a vile person.
Also, we used to believe that people had a right to privacy about such matters, and a civil society needs people to feel safe to believe what they want without it costing them their jobs, their businesses, or their friends. This desire to ‘out’ people’s political views for the purpose of shunning them or refusing to do business with them is destructive to civil society and to democracy.
You are surrounded by Trump supporters in real life. If you deal with a blue collar person, or a farmer, or someone from a rural area, there’s a good chance the person is a Republican, and probably voted for Trump.
You’re pretty safe demanding a liberal therapist, because liberal therapists are the overwhelmjng majority of all therapists. Now try the same trick with your plumber, auto mechanic, or other tradesman you need.
The large majority of Trump supporters are not monsters, they are just people forced to support someone they’d rather not, because they really don’t like your plans for them.
Thank you–and yes, since I’m pretty upfront about my trauma background I find that the very awesome people I mostly deal with are supportive and I feel I can trust them with my life. I’m a fortunate person!
You clearly don’t actually know any liberals.
I mean, we’ll defend him from most attacks from the right, because most attacks from the right are obvious bullshit like Hunter Biden’s laptop, or Hillary Clinton’s emails. But the stereotype of the left as a circular firing squad is not unwarranted. He’s already taking fire from the left over his cabinet picks, and he’s not even president yet.
Sam, don’t hijack my thread with a bunch of nonsense which can be refuted by merely saying ‘Al Franken’
And so in your opinion, a person who views death in war that way can’t possibly guide a veteran to healing?
Has anyone tried asking one of the therapist chatbots if they are a Trump supporter?
How do you feel about the chatbot being a Trump supporter?