If anyone thought that psychotherapy was not political and never should be, take a look at the following questions, asked by Carl R. Rogers relative to the “philosophical orientation of the counselor" (quoted from Client Centered Therapy, 1951, relevant in 2017)
“The primary point of importance here is the attitude held by the counselor toward the worth and the significance of the individual.
How do we look upon others?
Do we see each person as having worth and dignity in his own right?
If we do hold this point of view at the verbal level, to what extent is it operationally evident at the behavioral level?
Do we tend to treat individuals as persons of worth, or do we subtly devaluate them by our attitudes and behavior?
Is our philosophy one in which respect for the individual is uppermost?
Do we respect his capacity and his right to self-direction, or do we basically believe that his life should be guided by us?
To what extent do we have a need and a desire to dominate others?
Are we willing for the individual to select and choose his own values, or are our actions guided by the conviction (usually outspoken) that he would be happiest if he permitted us to select for him his values and standards and goals?"
JTW
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