Psychotherapists’ experiences of how their political values influence therapy: a thematic analysis

Abstract

Background: Political values are essential to our sense of self and belonging. Yet the political orientation of clinical psychologists has either been neglected in psychological research or been investigated only in the United States several decades ago. This study therefore aimed to explore political values among psychologists and how they perceive the effect of political values on therapy in Norway. Method: Five clinical psychologists currently in active practice were recruited for semi-structured interviews. Results and discussion: A thematic analysis yielded several distinct themes. Political beliefs appear to play a part in therapy, and may influence both what the therapist thinks about the client and the choice of therapy. Nonetheless, the informants reported that talking about political beliefs in a psychotherapeutic setting was unusual and even uncomfortable for them. Conclusion: We therefore ask whether it is time to break the taboos associated with political values in and around psychotherapy, and conclude that further research should be devoted to this sensitive but vital topic. Keywords: politics, values, psychotherapy, therapeutic alliance, empathy, semi-structured interviews