60. Navigating Political Anxiety in Therapy: Strategies for the Election Year

Political seasons are like a rollercoaster of stress for many, with a whirlwind of info overload and social pressures hitting you from all angles. Whether you're sweating over elections or drowning in updates on laws, political anxiety is a real thing. Let's buckle up and steer through this wild ride while keeping our cool!

In this episode of the Therapist Thrival Guide, Miranda and Lucas dive into the topic of politics and political anxiety, especially relevant during election years. The conversation covers the evolving nature of political identity, strategies for therapists to handle political discussions in sessions, and the importance of empathy and understanding in bridging divides. They also address how to balance staying informed without being overwhelmed and offer practical advice for therapists dealing with clients affected by political tensions. 00:00 Introduction to Political Anxiety 00:52 Lucas's Interest into Politics 02:47 The 2016 Election and Its Impact 06:24 Facilitating Political Conversations 08:59 Therapists Navigating Political Discussions 12:56 Balancing Personal Beliefs and Professionalism 20:49 Client Relationships and Political Differences 25:59 Exploring Personal Relationships Beyond Politics 27:15 Impact of Politics on Younger Generations 28:55 Humanizing the Other Side 29:34 The Privilege of Political Disengagement 30:45 Managing Political Anxiety 33:07 The Influence of Media Consumption 42:09 Empathy and Understanding in Political Discussions 43:34 Concluding Thoughts The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast by Ellie Mental Health. We want to move therapists beyond surviving and into the realm of THRIVING by covering all the things that graduate school didn't teach you! This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise, clinical interests, and personal experiences of being a therapist. This podcast will be covering topics like burn-out, self of therapist, cultural considerations, client retention, session structure, advancing clinical skills, innovations in therapy, and balancing professional relationships with our personal lives. Every now and then, we'll even cover the happenings of how therapists are portrayed in pop culture. ⁠⁠Miranda Barker⁠⁠, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for nearly three years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, and case manager. She's new to the therapy game and loves soaking up all of the knowledge from the expert therapists in her life. She's currently the Director of Content and Production at Ellie Mental Health's in-house creative agency and believes that creativity is an important aspect of mental health care. The Therapist Thrival Guide is one of many creative productions from ⁠Ellie Mental Health⁠. Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and since then has expanded to over 24 clinics in Minnesota and an explosive number of locations nationwide after franchising our model in 2021. Ellie will be opening over 500 locations in communities nationwide with new clinics opening each week. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#therapy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#mentalhealth #politics