Why OTI?

Not long ago, there was a consensus in the mental health field that therapy should be client-centered. It was seen as unethical for therapists to impose political ideologies on sessions or to judge or reject clients for their political views. Therapists were encouraged to think empathically toward all of their clients, whatever their beliefs. Sadly, this consensus is now being replaced by approaches that prioritize political ideology over quality care. This change is leaving many people without good options.

Left-leaning psychology professors outnumber conservatives 17 to 1, while therapists are about 90% left-leaning, and the bias is worsening. Some activist therapists impose ideological treatments on patients (like centering “white privilege” or trying to “dismantle the gender binary”), and some therapists’ socio-political biases lead them to clash with patients.

Over time, these biases have led countless clinical populations to be overlooked: people who are forced to self-censor, people dealing with false accusations of harassment, and ideologically-driven job discrimination. It includes people affected by ideology on college campuses, in the workplace, and in their own home. It includes populations who have experienced anti-white racial aggression, negativity toward masculinity, and many others.

Therapists are rarely trained on these topics, and there are no clinics that specialize in most of them. The existing literature on these issues is limited, and it tends to be biased. As a result, many patients don’t know where to find a skilled therapist. Many are forgoing treatment altogether.

These “socio-politically overlooked patients” are likely the most poorly served patients in the United States. They include patients of every race, religion, and geographical location. We know that the socio-political biases tend to be left-leaning, but we believe that patients across the political and ideological spectrum deserve access to excellent and unbiased care. Through research, training, and creating a professional community of therapists, OTI can radically improve mental health care across the country. This can improve countless lives and even lead to broader changes that ripple throughout the culture.