It’s Okay To Not Be Okay Right Now
I cannot and will not be a therapist who is acting like everything is normal right now. Because things are most certainly not normal.
Clients may not know this, but therapists are generally trained to be neutral, “blank slates.” The idea behind this is to not let the session become about the therapist so that the focus can stay on the client. However, in our modern era, we now know that we can balance protecting the therapeutic space with thoughtful self-disclosure for the benefit of the client. After all, therapists are human too and clients can benefit from seeing this (so long as it is both appropriate and is being done for the client and not to meet the therapist's needs).
As an intersectional feminist psychologist, I name systemic oppression and the impact it has in therapy. To not do so is to harm clients by gaslighting them that they are solely responsible for their distress and challenges. This is both harmful and unethical. It also presents opportunities for healing to discuss systemic oppression. For example, reducing self-blame, building skills of self-validation, and the ability to make more effective coping plans. I also don’t want to jeopardize safety by letting silence make someone wonder if I am safe for them or not.
Right now, at this point in the United States during 2026, things are not okay. They have not been okay for some time, but they are getting worse at a dramatic clip. For many multiply-marginalized folks, it may have not ever been okay.
And so to be silent is to be complicit in the harm. I will not participate in gaslighting clients by acting like everything is okay right now. I will not invalidate clients in this way or invite uncertainty about the safety of therapy.
It is okay to not be okay right now, because our country is not okay right now.
We are living through a period of time in which the public is being actively and intentionally traumatized by our government. The threats to emotional and physical safety that we are all experiencing will have impacts that last generations. The public health threat is real, it is present. We are being exposed to horrific violence inflicted by the state, we are worried about our loved ones, and many people do not feel safe to leave their homes. The economy and labor market are hurting everyone but the uber wealthy. And it is hard to know what is too paranoid and what is not paranoid enough. And despite all of this, life goes on - relationships need tending, chores need doing, wages need to be earned, bodies and minds still need to be taken care of, and small moment of joy must be found.
I am telling all clients that they can use as much or as little space as they need to in therapy to talk about how current events are impacting them. Some clients prefer to use therapy as a sanctuary, the one place they can take a break from the heaviness of it all. Other clients prefer to check in briefly about how they are coping. And others are needing significant support balancing all the parts of daily life that still must go on with heavy, heavy feelings. For folks with PTSD, this is a very triggering time.
Please take good care of yourselves and your communities. Now, more than ever, is a time for community. Check in on your neighbors, employees, coworkers, family, and friends. Ask what they need. Ask for what you need. Take values aligned action - there are so many ways to have an impact right now, find one that works for you. Do all you can to regulate your nervous system to whatever extent possible.
And if you are a parent, and you have to fight through rage, grief, and fear to be emotionally present so you can raise an empathetic, justice oriented child to make our future brighter - I see you.
Start Therapy to Get The Support You Need in Los Angeles:
If you are struggling to cope right now, you are not alone, nor do you have to do it alone. Therapy can help you have a safe, private space to work through your feelings and get guidance on how to most effectively cope. Start by following these steps:
Reach out for a consultation at Well Woman Psychology.
Meet with a therapist specializing in women, relationships and trauma.
Get support as you navigate all your current stress.
About the Author:
Dr. Linda Baggett is the psychologist and owner of Well Woman Psychology, a private therapy practice dedicated to women and serving clients virtually in California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, and Washington. Dr. Baggett’s whole focus is supporting women as they navigate the unique challenges and pressures of being a woman. Specifically, she works with clients to heal from trauma, relationship issues, pregnancy loss and miscarriage, infertility, perimenopause and menopause, perinatal and postpartum struggles, and body image and size-based oppression.
Disclaimer: This blog is for educational and informational purposes only, is not a substitute for individual medical or mental health advice, and does not constitute a client-therapist relationship.