The Therapist's Dilemma in Today's Political Divide

How Therapists Can Be Effective When Faced With Clients Whose Political Views Challenge Their Core Values

Presenter: Nancy Ross, LCSW

ONLINE ZOOM - WILL NOT BE RECORDED
COST:  CSCSW Member: $45 | Students: $15 | Nonmember: $75
3 CEUs

About the Presentation:

In today's polarized climate, therapists are increasingly encountering clients whose political beliefs may starkly differ from their own - sometimes challenging the very values at the heart of our profession. While Social Workers are well-trained to support marginalized and vulnerable populations, few have been prepared for the emotional, ethical and relational complexities that arise when political identity enters the therapy room. This experiential workshop offers a supportive space to examine those moments when political differences evoke strong countertransference, internal conflict, or hesitation to engage authentically. This workshop introduces and teaches the use of the Awareness Wheel a tool for building self-awareness and new strategies for participants to deepen self-awareness. In addition, participants will be able to identify personal triggers and implicit biases, and build conflict-resilient skills to remain grounded and effective - even when values feel threatened. Through guided practice, reflection, and real-world scenarios, attendees will leave with concrete strategies to foster connection, reduce reactivity, and work confidently and ethically with politically polarized clients and their families.

Learning Objectives: 

• Identify and describe countertransference reactions that may arise when therapist and client hold significantly different political beliefs.
• Explain six perceived violations of the social contract that contribute to contemporary political and social polarization.
• Examine and articulate personal biases and evaluate how these biases may influence therapeutic presence, attunement, and client engagement.
• Name and apply the three essential components of a curiosity-based therapeutic question.
• List and practice five steps for managing emotional reactivity and maintaining therapeutic grounding in politically charged interactions.
• Describe and reflect on the ethical and clinical tensions that emerge when core social work values appear to conflict with strongly partisan client perspectives.

About Nancy Ross, LCSW 

Nancy Ross is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 40 years of experience working with individuals, couples, and families. Her clinical expertise includes family systems, chemical dependency, work-family conflict, and couples therapy. She has led numerous weekend workshops focused on family renewal and has helped families navigate complex intra-family issues through mediation. Nancy has also developed a specialty in facilitating reconnection between estranged parents and their children and has led both anger management and couples communication groups.

A pioneer in the field of Collaborative Practice, Nancy is a founding member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP), a member of Collaborative Practice California, and a recipient of the California Collaborative Practice Eureka Award for excellence in practice. She serves on the Executive Board of Collaborative Practice Silicon Valley and is a co-creator of the Interdisciplinary Collaborative Divorce model—now used by over 5,000 professionals in 24 countries. She has trained legal, mental health, and financial professionals in this model across the United States and internationally.

In her current role as a Communication Specialist, Nancy works with trust and estate attorneys and financial professionals to support families in navigating the emotionally charged conversations surrounding inheritance and family legacy. Her focus is on fostering mutual understanding and facilitating collaborative decision-making.

As a family mediator, Nancy continues to bring compassion and skill to even the most fractured family relationships. Her most recent initiative, Forum for Understanding, is a community-based project designed to bridge cultural and ideological divides. By facilitating civil discourse on contentious issues, she aims to foster connection, reduce polarization, and promote healing across personal and societal rifts.