Do You Talk About the Election in Therapy?

In a recent speech Michelle Obama acknowledged that voters may be feeling "depressed" about the recent leaked tapes of Donald Trump and Billy Bush. Usually we separate mental health speech and political speech, but the first lady may have been on to something. The American Psychological Association released some preliminary data from its annual “Stress in America” report, on the nation’s level of anxiety specifically around this election, and found that around half of people surveyed say the election “is a very or somewhat significant” source of stress in their lives.

So what how are mental health professionals to respond? Many therapists have been trained not to discuss political issues in sessions, considering politics outside their professional domain. But is this election season different? 

Therapists and mental health professionals call in to talk about the anxieties they're hearing from patients during this presidential campaign season, how they are responding, and whether it's hard to stay neutral.