Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt of an article originally published on the author’s Substack Diogenes In Exile on November 14, 2024. With edits to fit MTC’s style, it is crossposted here with permission.
Taking Action: Restoring Evidence-Based Counseling Programs in the Face of Social Justice Ideology
For those who have watched the transformation of psychology from a field rooted in empirical, evidence-based practices into one driven by Social Justice advocacy, the question is clear: What can I do to move the conversation back toward evidence and away from ideology?
While legal action can challenge this shift, lawsuits face significant hurdles—particularly when accreditation bodies like Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) are shielded from direct legal accountability. Legislative advocacy, however, presents a more immediate path for change, one that allows us to focus on funding and oversight of these programs.
[RELATED: Psychology Has Been Overtaken by a Dangerous and Pervasive Ideology]
Lawsuits, while potentially impactful, are not an easy solution. Accreditation bodies often operate under legal protections, making it difficult to hold them accountable through the courts. Even if a lawsuit were successful, the timeline for change is long, and outcomes are uncertain. Every year that goes by another indoctrinated counseling cohort graduates and joins the workforce. That’s why legislative action is a faster, more accessible option—especially when state funding is at stake.
[RELATED: Psychology Has Lost Its Credibility]
Legislative Advocacy: A Path Forward
By engaging with your state’s legislative process, you can put pressure on elected officials to reevaluate public funding for CACREP-accredited counseling programs. Over half of all states have some requirements regarding CACREP accreditation for licensure, and increasingly more counseling programs are CACREP accredited. Even when states don’t require it, many federal agencies, like the Army or Veterans Affairs do.
In states where CACREP accreditation is required to practice—like North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, and Florida starting in 2025—there’s no time to waste.
Read the full article here and follow Suzannah Alexander on X.
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