Show Notes

In this episode, Patrick Casale talks with Lauren Roberts, LPC, and ADHD-Certified Clinical Service Provider from South Louisiana, about the complexities and realities of therapists speaking (or not speaking) about politics in their practice. In today’s challenging climate—especially for marginalized and neurodivergent communities—this conversation feels more important than ever.

Here are 3 key takeaways:

1. Therapy is Political: Simply existing is political. For many clients, finding a therapist who affirms their values and needs isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. Silence or neutrality can inadvertently alienate those who need support most.
2. Relatability Equals Accessibility: How you show up online—on your website, in your bios, on social media—helps clients decide if you’re a safe person to call. Transparency about your values fosters agency for clients and ensures you’re the right fit for those searching for genuine support.
3. Boundaries and Self-Care Are Essential: Advocacy comes with risk, especially online. Protecting your energy by setting boundaries (limiting comments, stepping away when needed, and being intentional about what you share) is crucial, especially if you’re neurodivergent or chronically ill.

Whether you’re a therapist, coach, or just someone considering how to show up more authentically in your work, remember: clarity is kindness. Your community is looking for you.

More about Lauren:

Lauren Roberts is a Licensed Professional Counselor and ADHD Certified Clinical Service Provider (ADHD-CCSP) born and raised in South Louisiana. She transitioned from agency work into a group practice in 2021. Later that year, she helped build and launch a nonprofit that focused on providing quality, accessible mental health programs and resources to lower-income folks in her community. Over the next two years, she served as a clinical director for both the nonprofit and the associated group practice, mentoring and supporting counseling students and pre-licensed counselors as they explored how to show up authentically and sustainably in their work with clients.

Now, she primarily works as an individual therapist in her own private practice, helping fellow anxious, neurodivergent, and chronically ill misfits to empower themselves to set boundaries, develop radical self-compassion, and process pain to move toward a more authentic life that honors their needs and values. Additionally, she facilitates a free local support group for anxious, neurodivergent folks learning to set boundaries, which has been meeting for 4 years.

You can find Lauren online sharing memes, being silly, and approaching difficult topics to advocate for a more inclusive, radically kind world.

• Website: copinginchaos.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/copinginchaos

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Transcript

PATRICK CASALE: Hey, everyone. Welcome back to All Things Private Practice. Today, I am joined by Lauren Roberts. She is a licensed professional counselor and an ADHD certified clinical service provider. Born and raised in South Louisiana. She transitioned from agency work to a group practice in 2021. Later that year, she helped build and launch a nonprofit that focused on providing quality, accessible mental health programs and resources to lower-income folks in her community. 

Over the next two years, she served as a clinical director for both the nonprofit and the associated group practice, mentoring and supporting counseling students and pre-licensed counselors as they explored how to show up authentically and sustainably in their work with clients. 

Now, she primarily works as an individual therapist in her own private practice, helping fellow anxious neurodivergent and chronically ill misfits to empower themselves, to set boundaries, develop radical self-compassion, and process pain, to move towards a more authentic life that honors their values and needs. 

Additionally, she facilitates a free local support group for anxious neurodivergent folks learning to set boundaries, which has been meeting for four years. 

You can find Lauren online, sharing memes, being silly, and approaching difficult topics to advocate for a more inclusive, radically kind world. Damn. I said it all, and I didn't mess up.

LAUREN ROBERTS: I am so impressed.

PATRICK CASALE: [CROSSTALK 00:02:14]. I’m like, between dyslexia, and just reading, and doing four things at once, yeah, it's a mess. So, welcome to the show.

LAUREN ROBERTS: Thanks for having me. 

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, I hope that helps, you know, regulate? And also, sharing disappointing affirmations before recording is always a good way to start. 

LAUREN ROBERTS: Yeah. Absolutely. I appreciate that we have to say [INDISCERNIBLE 00:02:38], you know?

PATRICK CASALE: Super helpful. So, you wanted to talk about therapists talking or not talking about politics and why it's important now, so more than ever. I think those of you listening, for the most part, can't speak for all of you, would probably agree. So, why this topic and why now?

LAUREN ROBERTS: So, I think maybe it's also like part of this is like living in the South and seeing that, like, a lot of the people that are therapists in my area will do everything they possibly can to avoid it. Like, if I go into the Facebook groups that are local, and we talk about anything, if I bring anything up that could be perceived that way, I've gotten, like, direct messages from like, veterans in the field here being like, “No, we don't do that. We keep this completely politically, you know, neutral. We've worked really hard for this.” And I'm like, “Okay.” But also, like, we are living in unprecedented, well, I guess they're not really unprecedented, but unprecedented times in their own way, especially-

PATRICK CASALE: We’re in the era of social media, unprecedented times.

LAUREN ROBERTS: Yeah.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah.

LAUREN ROBERTS: Absolutely. And so, like, people are scared right now. Like, the clients that are reaching out to us, they want to know that the people that they're talking to are trustworthy, that are values-aligned, that believe in similar belief systems, even if it's not exactly the same. They want to know that they're going to be affirmed, and appreciated, and accepted for their own values and needs. 

PATRICK CASALE: 100%.

LAUREN ROBERTS: So, yeah, I see a lot of, like, hesitation from therapists about, like, I know, like, a lot of them want to talk about it, but they're worried that it's going to come across as, like, unprofessional, or they'll be called unethical if they're sharing their own views about these things. And so, yeah, I think it's an important time for us to be actually standing up and like modeling, I guess, what that looks like to advocate for ourselves, so our clients can see that it's okay to do that.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, I agree 100%. Let's play a word association game real quick. So, you are in the therapist Facebook group, and someone says, “I didn't get into therapy to be political.” The response is what?

LAUREN ROBERTS: An exaggerated eye roll. 

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, yeah, an exaggerated eye roll.

LAUREN ROBERTS: Yeah. That's my first response. My second response, which was probably a little bit more professional, is really that existing is political. So, it doesn't really matter if you have gotten into this field to deal with these other things. If you have the ability to ignore all this stuff, that's great for you. But the reality is, most of our clients don't. They don't have that luxury. And so, it doesn't really matter if this is why you got into the field, you're here now, and this is the reality that we're having to help people cope with.

PATRICK CASALE: Absolutely. So, I have had the All Things Private Practice Facebook group closed for almost two years. It actually [CROSSTALK 00:05:56]-

LAUREN ROBERTS: Oh, really? 

PATRICK CASALE: …a day or two ago by reopening. I had forgot to extend it. And I was like, “Oh, that would have been that would have been a bad surprise if I woke up this morning.”

LAUREN ROBERTS: Oh, no.

PATRICK CASALE: But, you know, towards the end of its run, we had about 15,000 therapists in there. And I would get that statement a lot, you know, because we would have a lot of conversations, because I wanted it to be an anti-racist, all-inclusive space. And you would sometimes get these shit weasels who would fall through the cracks somehow and end up in the group. When you have a group that large, just inevitable. And it would always be that conversation of therapy isn't political. I didn't join this group to talk about politics. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. 

And every time I almost had to have it on, like a copy-paste response, you know, of like, therapy is political, first and foremost. Second of all, read your fucking code of ethics and say it out loud, not just the parts that you agree with. 

LAUREN ROBERTS: Yeah. 

PATRICK CASALE: Third of all, go ahead. 

LAUREN ROBERTS: No, I was just saying, just don't cherry-pick it. Like, follow all, not just bits.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, exactly. You have to, like, if you're going to say this stuff with your whole chest, like, don't just cherry-pick the stuff that you feel comfortable and confident saying out loud, or that you agree with or disagree with. 

And the reality, like you mentioned several times, so many clients who are looking for therapy right now or need support are fucking scared. And if you move through this world in this moment right now without feeling any of those feelings, and you're just like, “Nothing's really changed for me.” Or, “I don't have to think about it.” That might just be some privilege peeking its head out and saying, like, you don't have to think about it. 

I'm a cishet white man. I have a lot of privilege. If I don't tell people I'm autistic and ADHD, they would never know. The reality is, how we move through this moment is so important. You have to put yourself in other people's shoes, like who don't identify the way I identify, who are fucking petrified that their neighbors, family members, themselves, might be rounded up and detained and deported. 

Or that our trans clients are scared about, am I even able to exist as myself? Clients who identify as female or who have uteruses are concerned all of the time about how is my body and my right to protect myself going to be honored? These are the things people are bringing to sessions. Autistic clients who are thinking about registries and linkages to Tylenol and bullshit coming out of that person's mouth, talking about the causation of autism. This is not a moment where you just bury your head in the sand.

LAUREN ROBERTS: And if you can, like you said a minute ago, it is peak privilege. And I'm glad that you're kind of mentioning all of those, like, specific situations, because, like, while I was thinking about this, before we got on, I kind of, like, [INDISCERNIBLE 00:09:05] right, whenever I'm, like, processing what my thoughts are, like, I was thinking about all the different people that have reached out to me, like, personally, not as clients, because, obviously, I'm never going to share anything that has to do with them. But people just looking for therapists. 

I mean, I've had parents reach out to me who are terrified their kid’s new therapist is a turf. Like, immigrants are scared that their new therapist going to turn them into ice. Chronically ill therapist clients are finding out that their therapist aligns with the wellness industry, and that guy over there, and over the scientific community, you know? Disabled clients worry that they'll be told it's a mindset issue. People with religious trauma unsure if their therapist will push prayer is a solution to their pain. Like, these are not theoretical responses and concerns for people. Like, these are real people that I've spoken to that are scared. 

And I think as therapists, like, we hold a lot of power, and so that means we have to use that in a way that honors them and supports them.

PATRICK CASALE: Absolutely. Well said. And I know that some of you out there are thinking like, “I do want to do that, but I am scared to even show up as myself or share my thoughts about what's going on.” And that's valid. 

You know, I've seen therapists can be some of the most cruel, vicious, shame-filled, trauma-filled humans. And it sucks, because it can become like gang mentality. And people will gang up on each other in these threats, and they will try to dox you. I've seen it happen. They will report you to your licensing board. I have seen it happen. So, there is a real fear. 

LAUREN ROBERTS: Yeah, yeah.

PATRICK CASALE: There's a real risk. So, I don't want to say any of what we're saying without at least using that as an asterisk. 

LAUREN ROBERTS: Absolutely. 

PATRICK CASALE: I wrote a post, like, it was back in 2016, during the first administration of this current administration, in the Facebook group, Therapists in Private Practice. And I just was like, talking about the cognitive dissonance of voting for him, and also being a mental health therapist, and how to hold peace and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And it went viral. And I was not prepared for that. 

LAUREN ROBERTS: Yeah.

PATRICK CASALE: What I realized very quickly is that the people who are messaging me like in a positive way were like, people who identify in all of the vulnerable communities that was mentioned. People that were sending me death threats, on the other hand, were people who looked like me. And it was like, “This is fucking wild.”

LAUREN ROBERTS: It is.

PATRICK CASALE: Like, I was just writing my thoughts. I didn't expect to start getting like, “I know where you live. I'm going to come find you.” I'm like, “Jesus Christ, this is why you should be reported.”

LAUREN ROBERTS: So, that's that fear that most therapists have about, like, especially like, I've talked to people about like, wanting to start getting more, like, vocal online. They're like, “How do you do that without fear? It's really scary. People are fucking mean.”

And I'm like, “Okay, you don't do it without fear, because there is going to be fear involved.” Like, this is a fascist regime. So, like, there are real risks. And so, like, being able to really ask yourself questions about, like, what your values are? Like, what are the values of your potential client? How do they align with the political beliefs that you want to do? Is it something that you want to be able to say, like, online, on a public platform, or is it something that you just want to be able to meet and approach like in a healthy way, in session? Like, figuring out what level of engagement works best for you, because that viral response, I think, triggers people. Like, it is terrifying. 

That happened to me one of the first times that I ever, like, talked publicly about that. And I was just like, “Oh, God.” Because, like, I got all of these, like, “You're so unethical. I'm going to report you.” All this. And if you don't know, like, if you're not used to that, then, I mean, it's jarring?” Because you're like, why would you feel that that's the appropriate response if I'm advocating for human rights?

PATRICK CASALE: Yep. And that's what the cognitive dissonance I was talking about is, right?

LAUREN ROBERTS: Exactly.

PATRICK CASALE: Like, it's that exact delineation where it's like, how is this bothering you? It's still baffling to me. But yeah, you're right. You do have to mentally prepare for some of that. 

And that doesn't mean all of you are going to post things and they're going to go way out of proportion. Like, that's not the reality, but it can happen, certainly something to protect yourself around. You can set boundaries around your social media. You can set boundaries around who can comment, who can share. Like, who can see things. And that doesn't mean you have to like post every second of every day. That does no good either. 

But the reality is, like in moments like these, do we want to kind of take a stand in terms of showing our values and who we support, standing up for people who can't say things out loud. And it's a very scary moment for a lot of people. 

And I think one real reality that is very unfortunate in this era of social media is people can say whatever the fuck they want. And people can be ruthless. So, it can be daunting.

LAUREN ROBERTS: It really can be. Yeah, I don't really know what to add to that, because, yes, it can be. I think, also, like, and not everybody needs to be the one to, like, speak up about these things, like you said on social media. And I know, like, one of the big fears that people talk about, too, is like, what if I'm alienating certain clients? 

And that's a valid concern, right? So, like, who is it that you're hoping to work with? Like, are you looking for a wider range of plans that maybe don't align with your same values and hopes? Like, what is it that you're actually looking for when you're seeking new clients? Like, for me personally, I'm looking for people that are also liberation-focused, that are trying to figure out how to deconstruct all of the internalized ableism, capitalism, racism, all of the things that have kind of kept us in this stasis and fear, right? But that's not going to be every client out there, and that's okay. Like, are you okay with not being the right therapist for everybody?

PATRICK CASALE: I want to just say that you can't be the right therapist for everybody.

LAUREN ROBERTS: Exactly. 

PATRICK CASALE: I don't think that, as a human being working with other human beings, that you can be the right therapist and the right fit for everybody. I want all of you to hear that. I think we attract and repel based on how we show up. So, if I was to go on your Instagram or your website, I'm going to either be attracted to working with you, right? Based on how you show up and what you talk about, or I'm going to say Lauren is not the person for me. And that is okay.

LAUREN ROBERTS: That’s okay.

PATRICK CASALE: And that should be how it goes across the board. I just had Dr. Tina Vitolo on right before you. She runs The Black Sheep Therapist Academy. And we were talking about this. And I say this all the time. And I believe that relatability equates to accessibility. I believe that 100%. I believe our niches are versions of ourselves. I also believe that there is someone for everyone. 

And I remember creating my group practice website a few years ago. And we curse a lot on the website. We want to be really authentic. We want to be really relatable. And my web designer at the time was like, “You're going to turn off a lot of conservative-minded people.” And I was like, “Good. Fuck them. I don't want them calling us anyway.” Like, I’m okay with that. They can go somewhere else. We live in Western Carolina. Like, we're in Appalachia. Somebody will be the right fit for them.

LAUREN ROBERTS: They exist, right? And, like, I have the same experience in Louisiana. Like, I'm in South Louisiana. And it's fascinating. You look at just the difference between, like, New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Like, the availability of therapists like, for more, like, left-leaning people is very, very different. Like, in New Orleans, you can expect that. Like, I'll go post something, or I'll see somebody post something real fucking brave on one of those Facebook groups in New Orleans. And they will get jumped on, because people, they don't mess with it. But in Baton Rouge, you don't see that. People are a lot more time, a lot more scared. And I think that is a really big, like, representation of how hard it must be for clients to figure out who is safe and who is not.

PATRICK CASALE: Absolutely. Because, you know, this is just the reality. I don't do private practice coaching anymore, but when I did, I edited a lot of bios, Psych Today's websites. They all look the fucking same.

And if a client is scrolling through Psych today, which basically feels like a match.com, for therapy, and you're just looking at paragraph after paragraph after paragraph, and everyone says, “I'm a trauma-informed therapist. And I'll walk alongside you.” And blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And nobody says anything that feels values-aligned, it's really hard for a client to be like, “Oh, I don't know if I can talk to this person. I don't know if this person is going to be a safe person for me to confide in for 60 minutes at a time of my life.”

So, I mean, if we can think about it like that, and that's a great delineation, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, right? Thinking about if you are willing to put yourself out there a little bit and share a little bit about who you support, what you believe in, how you're going to show up, just know that those clients are out there looking for you. And they are scared to pick up the phone and call you because they don't know if you are going to be a safe person for them.

LAUREN ROBERTS: Exactly. Like, transparency, and it's the whole clarity as kindness thing, right? Like, as clear as we can be about where we stand, then it gives people a lot more agency to make that decision for themselves. 

PATRICK CASALE: Absolutely. And I think this goes beyond the therapy room. And I want to, you know, just say that for me, like, I do a lot of retreat hosting, and event hosting, and a bunch of different income streams in my business. I have kicked out and banned former retreat attendees for being anti or being transphobic or, like, openly supporting Project 2025, and MAGA supporting. And people will be like, “No.”

LAUREN ROBERTS: [CROSSTALK 00:23:01] not throw me off, man. 

PATRICK CASALE: And it's like, well, this is my business. It's a coaching business. I can definitely determine who I want to be my client and customer, and who I don't. 

LAUREN ROBERTS: Yes.

PATRICK CASALE: I want you all to think about that, because be really aware of where you're spending your money, for those of you who are signing up for courses, coaching programs, and retreats. The values matter. Like, values alignment there matters too. It's not just in the therapy spaces. And I think about that all the time. 

And I think about how certain people and certain values, they just do not feel congruent and based on what they show up with. So, this matters all around. And I think that's what happens when we start to create brands and we start to create followings. Like, I want to be 100% transparent and be myself all the time. And I'm just going to show up and continue to say what I'm going to say. So, it's just really important for me. But I also know that not every single person listening can do that.

LAUREN ROBERTS: Absolutely. I'm curious. Like, I kind of started being a lot more open about who I am and what my beliefs are, and stuff, probably, I don't know, 2022, I guess. And I still have these, like, moments like, after I hit post and I'm like, “This is either going to be great or I'm going to get dog filed.” Like, I don't know if they're going to, like, throw me out in traffic. Like, how exactly is this going to go? How does that land for you?

PATRICK CASALE: I struggle with it very much. I have, you know, a really sensitive system between, like, my autism is like, I don't want to be perceived, and my ADHD is like, I have rejection sensitive dysphoria. So, every time I post anything, I'm like, “Oh my God, I'm the worst human on Earth, and everyone's going to hate me.” 

But I also acknowledge that the way I've developed a following over the last four or five years is consistency and showing up authentically. I get emails all the time where people are like, “You fucking suck. I hate your stuff. Your voice is fucking terrible.” I'm like, “Okay.”

LAUREN ROBERTS: Can I put you on my website as a testimonial?

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah. And I'm just, like, amazed at how bold people feel like they should just be able to speak to people however they want. But I've started to just find it funnier and funnier now.

There are definitely times where posts get out of control, and things get taken out of context, and that can be challenging, too, on social media, where like things are happening-

LAUREN ROBERTS: [CROSSTALK 00:25:32] people. 

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, and, you know, rapid second responses. And once something starts to, like, escalate and really build momentum, that thread or that post, that thing is like-

LAUREN ROBERTS: It has its own life. 

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, it does. But those life cycles always, like, fizzle out. They don't last forever. So, if you ever find yourself in the middle of that, for any of you listening, like, it is overwhelming, but it's not going to be forever, and it will fizzle out eventually, and you can step away from it. And I think setting boundaries around this stuff is super important too, especially for your own self-preservation.

LAUREN ROBERTS: Yeah, exactly. So, like, last year, I had had, like, some increased symptoms with my dysautonomia that I was not diagnosed at the time. And so, like it felt like anxiety. I thought I was, like, having this, like, month long panic attack, right? 

And so, like I was noticing that, like, I was getting exceptionally more activated by those negative responses. And so, I mean, I shut down my socials for a while, kind of stopped posting for like about a month. And then, I came back, and I was still kind of, like, hesitant, because I wanted to make sure I was okay. And so, whenever things would start to, like, ramp up, and the algorithm would be doing its thing, you limit the comments on there, and it stopped.

PATRICK CASALE: Yep, yeah, yeah, there are ways to certainly protect yourself and your energy. You know, it's fascinating that you mentioned that about dysautonomia, and like, I'm in the same boat. And I had some, what am I going to say? Well, this is not going to publish for a while. I had some, like trolling/hater/experience of selecting speakers for the summit that I'm hosting in September. And a couple of therapists who just piled on, and how that just goes and goes. 

But I realized, as someone with a lot of chronic illness, and chronic pain, and dysautonomia, and Ehlers-Danlos, and like all the things that my body started to get, like, really activated as well, and that I started noticing, like, pain in my spine, pain in my back. Like, more dizziness, more this. And I was like, this is all connected to this fucking Facebook post. And like, that's what this is about right now. 

So, for those of you who are neurodivergent or have chronic illness, chronic pain, it is really about pacing. It's about like, stepping away. It's about setting boundaries. It's about limiting. And like, you can still show up and be an advocate, and you don't have to be connected to your phone or your computer all the time. You really don't. I just want to name that because I know how hard it can be sometimes to step away when we get sucked into something like that.

LAUREN ROBERTS: Exactly. Yeah, I think-

PATRICK CASALE: [CROSSTALK 00:28:23].

LAUREN ROBERTS: It's hard, kind of like to step back, especially whenever it's like, directed at like decisions that you're making specifically. I think the goal always when we're trying to figure out, like, how to show up, is like, be intentional, right? Like, make sure that the things that you're saying are the things that you believe, and you're not just talking just because you feel like you have to. Like, say what matters to you, because that's what's going to land, as opposed to what feels performative or not entirely like, required for you to, like, speak up about.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, that's really well said. So, you know, I think, you know, in this day and age, especially as we find out more and more atrocious behavior every single day, there's going to be something to react to every single day. So, I think you do have to really, like, step back and think about what feels really important for you? Where can you place your energy? Where can you put your energy, in general? 

And advocacy and showing up being political as a therapist can also mean like supporting mutual aid and sharing other advocacy attempts and organizations. Like, it doesn't have to be you just out there, like championing something and being the only person to do something. That doesn't have to be advocacy.

LAUREN ROBERTS: Community.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah.

LAUREN ROBERTS: Like, find your people, because they're out there in the community. And that's also a good way to find your clients, too, is to get involved in the area where, because that's your corner of the world, we can't control everything that's happening everywhere in this country, because it's overwhelming. And the second that we start trying to think about, how do I manage this? 

And then, when you go globally, genocides. Like, our brains just shut down because there's too many different things. So, what can we actually, physically, emotionally do to help, like, our communities and to help the situation. And the idea is that everybody in all of these different corners are all working towards that goal, to take care of their people.

PATRICK CASALE: Absolutely, very well said. Very, very well said. So, again, like therapy and politics go hand in hand. It does not have to look one certain way. There are lots of ways for you to get involved, to advocate, and to show up for what you believe in. Any last-second takeaways that you want to share, or do you feel like you nailed it? I think you did a great job for your first podcast, by the way.

LAUREN ROBERTS: That's pretty. I think I covered everything. And if not, you can always come find me.

PATRICK CASALE: Okay, and where can people come find you? What a great segue.

LAUREN ROBERTS: Yeah. So, you can find me on Instagram @copinginchaos. And then, I have recently launched my website. It is still under construction, but it's copinginchaos.com. So, either one of those places, those are usually the best places to find me doing whatever it is that I am doing, because the ADHD in me sometimes takes me in multiple different directions. So, we'll see.

PATRICK CASALE: Highly relatable. Well, we will add that to the show notes so everyone has access to what Lauren just mentioned. And thank you so much for coming on and making the time. 

LAUREN ROBERTS: Thanks for having me. 

PATRICK CASALE: And to everyone listening to the All Things Private Practice podcast, new episodes are out on Saturdays on all major platforms and YouTube. 

And if you want to come to the summit in Portland, Maine that the worst summit host on planet Earth is throwing in September from the first to the third, the links are in my website and my bio. Doubt yourself, do it anyway. And we will see you next week.