the radical center

Paul recently graduated from an counseling graduate program.  He contacted me to talk about his own experience in school, as well as his concerns about ideological language in the CACREP standards.  I am grateful to Paul for speaking with me and admire his commitment to non-ideologically based therapy practice.  Paul's recommended reading:  CACREP: https://www.cacrep....

Thalia is a counselor in the UK, and her story serves as an encouragement to others who want to speak out but are afraid of the potential consequences. She spoke with me today about some of her experiences in a counselor training program about 10 years ago.  While the program did provide a good therapy education, it also required counseling students to take part in "divers...

James Esses was three years into a Master’s program and had logged many hours of work with clients as a trainee- he was nearly finished with his degree and on his way to opening a private therapy practice in the UK.   Concerned about guidance equating exploratory therapy for  gender-questioning young people to “conversion therapy,” James began speaking out about the need to preserve...

Chanel Pfahl is a high school teacher in Ontario who in 2021 found herself under investigation and suspended from her position by her school board for some fairly innocuous comments she made in a private  Facebook group.  Her “harmful” comments: suggesting that schools should not be indoctrinating school children with Critical Race Theory, and  that if CRT is to be taught it sh...

Jenny contacted me after our last conversation and had several additional observations and experiences to share related to our  discussion.  We decided to record a follow up conversation.  I very much enjoyed speaking with her again and I hope you will all find the discussion interesting.     Here are Jenny’s recommendations:   Gender Exploratory Therapy Associaa...

Jenny has become more and more aware of the contradictions and logical fallacies of Critical Social Justice Ideology over the past several years.  While she was a counseling student, Jenny felt frustrated by the lack of academic rigor in her graduate program, but she mostly accepted  CSJ ideology. However, all along there were aspects of her training that she found jarring...

“A group collective can easily attract the projection of the Self and swallow up the individual who succumbs to it. Identification with political parties or religious creeds would be examples of solutio within a group.”  -Edward Edinger, Anatomy of the Psyche.   After a therapist was instrumental in helping him overcome a some serious challenges in his life, Neil was so inspired by the p...

Katie is a graduate student who, like myself, is near the end of a master’s in counseling program.  She has volunteered to come forward and talk with me about some of her experiences in her counseling program (at a different university- not Antioch) and has given me permission to share that conversation with you.  Her experiences are very similar to my own, with indoctrination...

Stephanie Winn is the host of You Must Be Some Kind of Therapist podcast, and Associate Producer of Affirmation Generation. In Oregon, where she is licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist, Stephanie has a small, online private practice called Real Talk Therapy PDX, offering Therapy Without Ideology. Stephanie has dedicated a portion of her career towards advocating for the needs of surviv...

Dr. Aaron Kindsvatter is a former professor of counselor education. Not long ago he left his tenured position to start a private practice in Burlington Vermont. He contacted me because he was interested in my experiences of being encouraged to politicize therapy in my training program.  His experiences, insights, and analysis are fascinating and enormously helpful. I you wish to contact him,...

Jennifer Friend is a licensed clinical social worker with 30 years of experience in the field of mental health.  She became a vocal opponent of Critical Social Justice after a personal experience with a toxic DEI initiative in her former workplace.  Jennifer is one of the founders of Solid Ground, and she facilitates group peer support and individual strategic consultations for...