Navigating political anxiety and tension in therapy: A guide for talk therapists

1. Recognizing and Managing Your Own Stress

You’re Not Immune—And That’s Okay

Before we talk about how to help clients, let’s acknowledge that you’re a human first, and a therapist second. Political stress affects everyone, including you. The key is to be aware of your feelings and make sure they don’t seep into your sessions.

Strategies to Stay Grounded:

• Prioritize self-care. Whether it’s exercise, a personal hobby, or just turning off the news, find what helps you decompress.
• Seek support. Supervision, peer discussions, connecting with friends and family, or personal therapy can help you process your own feelings.
• Set boundaries. Limit news consumption and social media doomscrolling—it’s okay to step away.
• Remember your role. Therapy is about the client, not you. Keeping that distinction helps maintain professionalism.

2. Navigating Disagreements with Clients

When Views Clash, Stay Centered

At some point, you’ll have a client whose political views completely oppose yours. That’s not an “if,” it’s a “when.” The challenge is to avoid reactivity based on your own thoughts and feelings and to ensure these differences don’t derail the therapeutic relationship.

Strategies for Staying Neutral:

• Validate emotions, not opinions. You don’t have to agree with a client’s stance to acknowledge their feelings. Focus on the impact events are having on your client’s well-being instead of on their political views.
• Use reflective listening. “It sounds like this situation is really frustrating for you” goes a long way. 
• Redirect the focus. Shift from debating political opinions to exploring how political stress impacts their emotions and well-being.

3. Handling Sessions Dominated by Political Talk

From Ranting to Reflecting

Some clients will spend entire sessions venting about politics. While it’s important to provide space for this, therapy should be about more than just rehashing the news cycle.

Strategies to Keep Sessions Productive:

• Ask deeper questions. “What about this situation feels most distressing for you?” can help move the conversation toward emotions rather than politics.
• Encourage coping strategies. Discuss ways to manage stress, like setting news limits or engaging in constructive activism.
• Use gentle redirection. If political talk is derailing therapy goals, guide the client back: “I hear how upsetting this is—how has it been affecting your daily life?”
• Empower ownership. Work with your client to understand and focus on what they have control over and what they don’t. You can increase a sense of power and ownership, when appropriate, and help identify where they don’t have control to reduce unnecessary stress.

4. Preserving the Therapeutic Alliance

Keeping Trust Intact

Therapeutic alliance – the bond, trust, and partnership you have with a client – is directly linked to the success you have in session. Political tensions can quickly create friction in therapy. But a strong therapeutic alliance can weather these challenges if respect remains at the core.

Strategies for Maintaining Trust:

• Establish boundaries early. Let clients know therapy is a space for emotional processing, not political debate.
• Model respect and understanding. You don’t have to share a perspective to show empathy.
• Remind clients of the bigger picture. Therapy is about supporting their well-being, not changing their political stance.

The Bottom Line: Supporting Clients Starts with Supporting Yourself

Political stress isn’t going away anytime soon, and it will continue to show up in therapy. But by managing your own reactions, maintaining neutrality, and guiding clients toward emotional insight, you can keep therapy a productive, supportive space.

And don’t forget—you’re not alone in this. Lean on your peers, share strategies, and remember that your own well-being is just as important as your clients’. Let’s support each other as we navigate this complex landscape together.