Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Why Activists Seek Psychotherapy, Collin B. Lee

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory study aimed to identify reasons why people who identify as activists seek psychotherapy. The literature on social movements supports the claim that activists are highly motivated individuals who seek to create meaning through work to promote social change, and as a result are exposed to a complex array of social forces that are institutional and interpersonal. As a collective social behavior, involvement in social movements allows activists to develop strong relationships with others while also becoming exposed to the risks of conflict and disapproval of others. Given that these relational factors and the nature of their organizing work …