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Background <p>Politics and political attitudes are becoming increasingly relevant across a diverse array of contexts. Growing politicization and tendencies toward affective polarization shape not only public discourse but also influence how people perceive one another and navigate interpersonal relationships. Moreover, in the USA, political issues are frequently discussed in psychotherapy sessions and may influence therapeutic processes as well as the formation and structure of the therapeutic relationship. Against this backdrop, scholarly engagement with this still underexplored field of research has gained notable importance in recent years.</p> Objective <p>This narrative review synthesizes current reserach findings on the role of politics, political attitudes, and politically informed moral values of psychotherapists and patients in adult outpatient psychotherapeutic treatment, with a&#xa0;particular focus on the therapeutic relationship.</p> Conclusion <p>Politics and political attitudes appear to be gaining importance in psychotherapy and to affect everyday clinical practice, therapeutic processes, and the therapeutic relationship. The findings suggest that political alignment may facilitate relationship building, whereas politically divergent perspectives can hold clinical value when they are approached sensitively and thoughtfully with regard to the therapeutic relationship. Given the heterogeneity and limited generalizability of existing findings, there is a&#xa0;clear need for systematic research to establish a&#xa0;sound scientific foundation for the professional engagement with political topics and politics as an influencing factor in the therapeutic practice.</p>

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Das Politische im Persönlichen – Über die dritte Instanz im Behandlungsraum

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月9日

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  • Lilli K. Kalmbach,
  • Bernhard Strauß,
  • Antje Gumz

摘要

Background

Politics and political attitudes are becoming increasingly relevant across a diverse array of contexts. Growing politicization and tendencies toward affective polarization shape not only public discourse but also influence how people perceive one another and navigate interpersonal relationships. Moreover, in the USA, political issues are frequently discussed in psychotherapy sessions and may influence therapeutic processes as well as the formation and structure of the therapeutic relationship. Against this backdrop, scholarly engagement with this still underexplored field of research has gained notable importance in recent years.

Objective

This narrative review synthesizes current reserach findings on the role of politics, political attitudes, and politically informed moral values of psychotherapists and patients in adult outpatient psychotherapeutic treatment, with a particular focus on the therapeutic relationship.

Conclusion

Politics and political attitudes appear to be gaining importance in psychotherapy and to affect everyday clinical practice, therapeutic processes, and the therapeutic relationship. The findings suggest that political alignment may facilitate relationship building, whereas politically divergent perspectives can hold clinical value when they are approached sensitively and thoughtfully with regard to the therapeutic relationship. Given the heterogeneity and limited generalizability of existing findings, there is a clear need for systematic research to establish a sound scientific foundation for the professional engagement with political topics and politics as an influencing factor in the therapeutic practice.