Suzannah Alexander was a student in the University of Tennessee's Counseling Master's Program from August 2022 to Jan 2023. She encountered difficulties in commencing her practicum after refusing to renounce her Buddhist beliefs and expressing disagreement with the notion that she should feel ashamed for being white. Suzannah is actively engaged in the fight for the return of her tuition and is dedicated to sharing her perspectives on the counseling field to address and prevent instances of bias and discrimination. Find her on X (@DiogenesInExile) and on her substack at https://diogenesinexile.substack.com/.
Editor’s Note: The following is an article originally published on the author’s Substack Diogenes In Exile on September 02, 2024. With edits to fit MTC’s style, it is crossposted here with permission. When I started classes for a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Tennessee in August of 2022, I was excited to […]
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Editor’s Note: The following is an article originally published on the author’s Substack Diogenes In Exile on November 11, 2024. With edits to fit MTC’s style, it is crossposted here with permission. Tremors from the election continue to ripple across the country, and the meltdown among the Democrats rages on. What is undeniable is that there […]
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Are we more committed to uncovering objective truths in science, or have we become too afraid to rock the boat in fear of backlash? As a social species, when we come together in groups, we create cultures of norms, including taboos, which can incur steep penalties if broken. This part of human tribalism can magnify some […]
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When members of the U.S. Supreme Court return from their three-month vacation this October, they will hear several major education-related cases. Issues on the docket include Biden’s income-driven student loan repayment plan, school choice, a memorandum on parental behavior, race-based school admission, displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms, the Bible as a teaching tool, and two […]
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In a bizarre incident in California, a seven-year-old girl found herself banned from drawing, suspended from recess for two weeks, and forced to apologize after presenting a drawing to a black classmate. What sparked such controversy? In her colorful creation, she boldly wrote “Black Lives Mater [sic]” (BLM) at the top and, beneath it, sketched […]
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Since I left the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Masters Program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), I’ve been forced to confront the alarming truth that the entire field of psychology is under the sway of a dangerous ideology distilled from postmodern philosophy and critical theories. This ideology disguises its authoritarian objectives using the camouflage […]
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Should we be worried about the power psychology professions have in our everyday lives and the direction of the field? In researching “Trusting the ‘Experts’ is Risky Business,” I came upon the news of an Indiana family who lost custody of their transgender teen even when there was no finding of abuse. The U.S. Supreme […]
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Not long ago, I took my car into the shop. The check oil light was on. I knew that wasn’t good. Predictably, the mechanic suggested an expensive repair. It was a bad time to shell out a bunch of cash on a car, but I ended up opting for the repair because I don’t know […]
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What do you get when you mix startup culture and therapy? Since the pandemic, the psychological wellness of the First World has been in freefall. As of 2023, the National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that one in five U.S. adults experience mental illness and 17 percent of youth aged six to 17 have a […]
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Counseling has an identity problem. Since the American Counseling Association (ACA) was established in 1952 by a group of guidance counselors, students, and college personnel, the profession has struggled to distinguish itself from clinical psychology and other types of therapy professions. Like a younger sibling dissatisfied with hand-me-down clothes, the counseling elite cast about for […]
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