ABSTRACT
The author discusses the idea of the “activist client,” which is intended to be taken both literally and metaphorically—applying to some extent to a wider range of clients than actual activists. The paper develops a set of ideas about a “political turn” in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis, using the tag “the inner politician.” There is a focus on working directly with political material in the session, and the pros and cons of this practice are reviewed. Wider issues such as social responsibility and social spirituality are discussed, the limits of individual responsibility are explored. Some specific topics covered in the paper include the political roots of depression, difficulties with the concept of the therapeutic alliance from the point of view of democratic perspectives on clinical work, and a challenge to the unquestioned valuing of empathy (based on a reading of therapy through a Brechtian lens). Numerous clinical examples are provided.
