Ryan Rogers

Welcome to the Reality Therapy Podcast.

We have a great lineup of people today talking about what it's like to be a conservative or heterodox therapist in a field that is very progressive.

And so I think we should start out with each of you introducing yourselves.

Just say your name and like what your license is.

So thank you all for coming today.

And, you know, kind of wanted to start off just what you notice of the field in terms of political bias.

Like, do you see a political bias and what does that look like?

Anybody can start off on this one.

We've had a few mentions of kind of the affirming model generally and gender affirming care specifically.

The narrative that I've bashed my head against a wall for three years now arguing with professors, the narrative is that if you care about people, if you're compassionate, you will affirm the identity.

And the narrative is that the reason conservatives make bad therapists is because you're heartless for not affirming.

So how would you respond to that?

Becky, were you going to say something?

You know, I always make sure they have a story to piggyback off of Becky and Mickey.

You know, I have a good friend who for a long time was a heroin addict.

And when he was sick and going through withdrawals, he would he would tell his mom, like, Mom, I'm sick.

And she would feel bad for him and give him money to go get high to buy heroin.

And so I think that enabling, yeah, and I think the moral of that story is what seems or feels nice in the moment is not always what's actually kind, compassionate, and loving in reality when you step back.

And I think a lot of times that's the difference between progressive and conservative ideology is progressives have kind of like this knee-jerk kindness as opposed to like a more rational kindness.

So one thing that I think all of us have seen quite a bit, we see it online for these therapist Facebook groups, but I see it a ton from professors and fellow students in grad school is that conservatives should not be therapists.