The role of therapy in dystopian times

The necessity of moving toward connection and away from isolation

I don’t know if you can feel it, the heavy energy in the air, the sense of hopelessness, the despair that nothing will change, that life will always be harder than it needs to be, but I know I sure do, as do many of my friends, colleagues, and clients. I could talk to you about the astrology right now, or the downfalls of capitalism/climate collapse/authoritarianism, which are all contributing, and try to explain the whys and hows, but honestly, I don’t know that those things matter as much as talking about how we can make it through these times, find hope again, along with our agency, and set up stronger, better foundations for ourselves, and the generations to come.

I have seen a lot written lately, particularly in the last year, about how therapy is not the answer to our depression, anxiety, and other distress caused by the oppressive and abusive systems we all live under and with. I don’t disagree. What needs to happen is a total distruction of these systems and a creation of com…