Cynical Therapies: Perspectives on the antitherapeutic nature of Critical Social Justice - book review by Graeme Kemp

Cynical Therapies is a rich, detailed collection of essays by counsellors, therapists and psychologists worried about the divisive politicisation of therapy in contemporary society and its significance for those seeking answers to their distress. This new and disturbing trend is represented by an ideology called Critical Social Justice (CSJ). CSJ covers broadly both Critical Race Theory and Gender Identity Theory.

While increasing numbers of readers are now familiar with these belief systems, not everyone may know the full impact of CSJ on therapy and counselling. This book explains that impact – and it’s not positive as it’s claimed.

Cynical Therapies is a collection of arguments that are both revealing and disturbing. Unsurprisingly, the applied postmodernism of Critical Social Justice takes us away from any sense of a universal human condition and pushes instead something far narrower and more contentious. As Lisa Marchiano, a licensed clinical social worker, argues in the book:

“…everyone struggles with issues of meaning, belonging, safety, and self-acceptance. These are not insignificant matters – they go to the very core of what it means to be human…There are no pat or easy answers to these questions, and we ought to be suspicious of any ideology that offers one. Understanding that our suffering is part of the universal human experience can give us a sense of connection with those who have come before us.” (Page 140).

As Val Thomas – a UK psychotherapist points out – we are living in times that have seen unrest and great change socially, with a global pandemic and economic distress too. In the past, people looked to maybe priests, doctors or wise members of the community to offer consolations and explanations – today it is therapists and counsellors who are sought out.

Illness, grief and loss can provoke a desire to be helped – so any new developments in therapy need to be understood.

So, what is the issue with Critical Social Justice and its Critical Race Theory offspring, for instance? Central to CSJ is the notion of seeing people as either an ‘oppressor’ or as a member of the ‘oppressed’. Philip Pellegrino (a licensed psychologist) notes how the social identity of oppressed groups becomes important here. CSJ ideas effectively argue that instead of learning how to cope or respond to a challenging world, we should shift the emphasis to realising that we will not be fully OK until we overcome these oppressive social structures, based around race or gender identity. The client of therapy or counselling is seen as a victim of this oppression.

Critical Race Theory adds - it is claimed - to the problems people suffer. As Dina McMillan (a social psychologist and academic) points out:

“According to CRT, racism is so inherent in the structure of our culture that there is no redress. Racism is permanent. Black people must accept that they are perpetual unwelcome victims.” (Page 226).

This mentality can therefore be very disempowering for people who are black and seeking help from a therapist or counsellor, she says. CRT can add to feelings of vulnerability, it can encourage a feeling of fragility in the client. Yes, there has been racism in society, something that can still exist, however, CRT promotes a view of individual problems as reflecting a society based upon white supremacy in a deterministic manner. Colour-blindness is viewed as a failed strategy when white racism influences all social interactions. The client therefore can learn to constantly scan society for racism – and sees all of life through this racial lens, including difficulties at work. Yet, individuals are not always right about difficult relationships found in some workplaces, for instance – individuals can perceive things wrongly.

The therapist can therefore become under CRT a political activist, along with the client.

Indeed, as Dina McMillan argues, Critical Race Theory “will continue to pollute and divide the workplace – tainting all interactions with its cynical and aggrieved worldview while utterly blind to the destruction left in its wake.” (Page 229).

Dina MacMillan explains how egocentric CRT can be as well, encouraging a lack of empathy for others – and failing to recognise that many people who are black will reject its analysis and its solutions to issues and problems faced by clients.

With its obsessive focus on power in social relationships, Critical Race Theory promotes an ‘us vs. them’ way of viewing life - and other people, teaching a sense of victimhood and grievance. Believing that ‘microaggressions’ are a threat to individuals only encourages a willingness to jump to conclusions and engage in mind-reading, when it comes to interpreting the motives of others. The emotional reasoning of Critical Race Theory can encourage a misreading of the behaviour and thoughts of another person.

Those seeking therapy or counselling may see themselves as part of a racial group, not as an individual, which isn’t always helpful. Critical Race Theory can amplify the resentment and anger felt by those seeking help or therapy. The thoughtful, detailed collection of essays in ‘Cynical Therapies’ also explores how Gender Identity Theory can also negatively impact psychological treatments. There are several interesting chapters in this area. There are good, real-life examples in the book of how exactly this is happening - it shows how professional bodies such as the American Psychological Association are now far more activist-orientated when it comes to Critical Social Justice ideas.

Whether considering the worrying growth of CRT or other CSJ-infused theories, human grief and pain are increasingly seen through an ideological lens. The book ends with some ideas for countering Critical Social Justice in therapy or counselling, such as greater transparency in identifying CSJ as a set of ideas, as well as simply demanding hard evidence for practices that work for clients. It is a strength of this book that the positive help provided by Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - as an alternative, positive way of interpreting relationships - is highlighted too.

The editor of Cynical Therapies Val Thomas ends this book by sounding a warning:

“Counselling and psychotherapy, like other applied cultural practices, have reached a critical juncture. A profound crisis is happening in Western culture as it grapples with the arrival of a new worldview, one that is hostile to the fundamental principles informing Western democratic societies…the cultural hegemony of Critical Social Justice..” (Page 341).

Hopefully, the warnings in this book will be heeded.

Cynical Therapies: Perspectives on the Antitherapeutic Nature of Critical Social Justice