Is the victimology worldview of many young therapists ill-suited for cognitive behavior therapy?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) rests on the premise that individuals possess personal agency to change their life circumstances. At the same time, given growing political homogeneity within psychology, views of individual agency are increasingly being displaced by greater emphasis on conceptualizing distress as reflecting systemic oppression. Drawing on research concerning these frameworks, this article briefly examines the implications of these trends for CBT in the United States. Specifically, we outline three potential concerns, including declining interest in traditional CBT, reduced value alignment between therapists and non-liberal clients, and possible shifts in the theoretical and practical focus of CBT. We conclude by discussing implications for graduate training and the importance of sociopolitical competence and diversity in clinical education.