24. Andrew Hartz, PhD: Counseling in a Cluster B Culture

When did it become okay to hate someone based on the color of their skin — as long as that skin is the color deemed the acceptable one to hate? More concerningly, when did it become okay for therapists, of all people, to openly endorse such race-based animosity?I invite clinical psychologist Andrew Hartz to explore how ideology has intruded into the practice of psychotherapy, posing ethical issues and threatening the integrity of our field. We discuss the barriers faced by many people in need of appropriate therapy for issues that do not fit “woke,” or critical social justice, narratives. Where does a white-skinned survivor of racially motivated violence go for trauma therapy when they have legitimate reasons to fear that a professional might merely school them on their so-called privilege? Where can a man seeking to integrate his masculinity go in a world where masculinity is too often written off entirely as toxic?As colleagues, we explore clinical issues we suspect are at play. Has the world increasingly normalized a climate of dysfunctional social and emotional patterns once considered psychopathological, as in Cluster B personality disorders? How do we, as therapists, help people work through psychological defenses such as splitting, projection, negative attention-seeking, and reaction formation when these are considered customary by the world around them? Finally, we answer a listener question from a therapist-in-training, and explore: where do we go from here?Andrew Hartz, Ph.D. is a professor of clinical psychology at Long Island University in Brooklyn and a psychologist in private practice in New York City.  To support this show, please leave a rating & review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe, like, comment & share via my YouTube channel. Or recommend this to a friend!Learn more about Do No Harm.Take $200 off your EightSleep Pod Pro Cover with code SOMETHERAPIST at EightSleep.com.Take 20% off all superfood beverages with code SOMETHERAPIST at Organifi.Check out my shop for book recommendations + wellness products.Show notes & transcript provided with the help of SwellAI.Special thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our theme song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude and permission.Watch NO WAY BACK: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care (our medical ethics documentary, formerly known as Affirmation Generation). Stream the film or purchase a DVD. Use code SOMETHERAPIST to take 20% off your order. Follow us on X @2022affirmation or Instagram at @affirmationgeneration.Have a question for me? Looking to go deeper and discuss these ideas with other listeners? Join my Locals community! Members get to ask questions I will respond to in exclusive, members-only livestreams, post questions for upcoming guests to answer, plus other perks TBD. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★