Therapists as nonviolent protesters

Systemic racism and other forms of institutionalized discrimination are root causes of inequality. Therapists across the mental health professions are committed to dismantling these systems of oppression; however, there is little consensus about how therapists might achieve this goal. In this article, we explore how the strategies of nonviolent protest developed by Martin Luther King, Jr., during the U.S. civil rights movement are in many ways analogous to well-established common factors of psychotherapeutic change. A discussion of these similarities illustrates how therapists can engage in social action to dismantle racist systems using the invaluable skills they already possess. We conclude with six pragmatic principles adapted from King's method of nonviolent direct action that therapists can use to increase the effectiveness of their antiracism work. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).