7 Tips for Mental Health Providers to Support Clients Coping with Post-Election Stress
It’s been a week since the election results came out, and many individuals are still processing its impact. Election results can also bring up unique challenges due to uncertain policies and political transitions. The results may exacerbate feelings of fear, uncertainty, and distress, especially for those already navigating systemic oppression and social inequities.
This infograph indicates some key strategies for mental health clinicians and those in the mental health field to support clients coping with post-election processing:
1. Meet Clients Where They Are: Offer Affirmation of Lived Experiences
Each person’s response to the election is unique, and for marginalized communities, the emotional impact may be more pronounced due to the societal challenges they already face. In therapy, it's essential to acknowledge and validate these lived experiences. Ensure clients feel heard, understood, and affirmed in their emotions. Avoid minimizing their fears or concerns and instead create a safe space for them to express their frustrations, grief, or anxiety.
2. Encourage Clients to Reach Out to Local Mutual Aid and Grassroots Communities
For many marginalized groups, community support can be a lifeline. Encourage clients to connect with local mutual aid networks, grassroots organizations, and other community-based resources that can provide solidarity and direct support. These groups often focus on empowerment, mutual care, and collective action. Providing a comprehensive list of such resources (HERE) can help clients tap into sources of emotional and practical support.
3. Psycho-Education on the Different Stages of Grief
Processing the election results may trigger the stages of grief, particularly for those who feel that their values, safety, and future are at risk. Providing psycho-education on the stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—can help normalize the emotional responses clients are experiencing. Encourage clients to recognize where they are in this process and reassure them that healing is not linear. Therapy can help guide them through these stages at their own pace.
4. Practice Acceptance and Focus on Small, Practical Steps
In the face of overwhelming emotions, it’s crucial to focus on what clients can control. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be helpful in this context. Encourage clients to practice acceptance of their emotions without judgment, while also identifying small, practical steps they can take in their immediate circle and community. This might include organizing local support groups, contacting elected officials, or volunteering with organizations that align with their values. These actions provide a sense of agency and empower clients to make a difference in their environment, even in difficult times.
5. Explore Daily Grounding Techniques
Election results can stir up intense emotions, and grounding techniques are key to helping clients manage anxiety and distress. Explore practices like deep breathing, mindfulness, or physical activities (e.g., walking, yoga) that can help bring clients back to the present moment. Encouraging clients to integrate these techniques into their daily routines can support emotional regulation and resilience.
6. Discuss and Solidify Cultural and Identity Roots for Empowerment
For AANHPI, POC, and marginalized communities, maintaining a strong sense of cultural identity can be a source of strength and empowerment. Therapy can provide a safe space for clients to explore and reconnect with their cultural heritage, traditions, and values. Discuss how their identities can be a foundation for both individual and collective empowerment. In times of political uncertainty, reaffirming one's cultural and community ties can offer a sense of belonging, pride, and resilience.
7. Foster Collective Healing: Empowerment through Community
In addition to individual therapy, community support plays a vital role in healing and processing post-election emotions. Encourage clients to engage in collective healing practices, such as community organizing, activism, or even simply participating in community gatherings. This strengthens social bonds, reduces isolation, and allows clients to find a collective voice in their struggles. Empowerment through community solidarity helps marginalized individuals feel supported in ways that individual therapy alone may not be able to achieve.
Dear Therapy Invitation:
The aftermath of an election can trigger significant emotional and psychological responses, especially in marginalized communities. As clinicians, it’s essential to provide culturally sensitive care that acknowledges and affirms the lived experiences of AANHPI, POC, and other underserved populations. By encouraging clients to lean into their communities, practice self-compassion, and build resilience through small actionable steps, we as therapists can help clients to process difficult emotions and emerge empowered.
As we move forward, let's continue to hold space for healing, growth, and community connection for each other. Healing is not an individual journey—it’s collective. In times of uncertainty, we must remind ourselves and our clients that solidarity, cultural roots, and self-compassion can serve as powerful tools for resilience and empowerment.
Contact us for more support!
