We talked to five therapists about how the election and its aftermath has affected their clients mental health.
She said that more conservative voters often prefer to go to their pastor for counseling.
But no matter the clients party affiliations, these therapists stories are slices of a nationwide trend.
This year, 63 percent say they feel stressed about the future of our nation.
Thats a majority of every political group surveyed.
Karen Koenigis a clinical social worker specializing in eating disorders.
She practices in Sarasota, Florida.
When something occurs in real life that is similar to the memory, thats the trigger.
Traumatic memories make real life harder to deal with.
Many of her clients have been through abusive childhoods or abusive relationships.
The grab them by the pussy remarks from the Access Hollywood tape were triggering for many.
Its very hard for [these clients] to have a sense of safety in the world, anyway.
LGBTQ People Are Justifiably Terrified
Clients are more reluctant than ever to report hate crimes.
She was out of town the night the election results came in.
Then she got a call from a shelter for LGBT youth.
Kids were literally under their beds hiding from Donald Trump.
But clients are too scared.
She just didnt want to be killed, Harper says.
Harper sees activism as crucial for those who feel safe enough to pursue it.
They say, Im kind of watching you as the canary in the coal mine.
If youre still here, I guess Im okay.
I dont have a magical answer.
I tell them, Im going to continue to fight for you.
Many have depression, anxiety, ADHD, or behavior disorders.
Iveneverseen an election affect so many people.
It never came up in the clinical practice of psychotherapy ever.
And still to this day, people make it part of their therapy sessions.
Ive never seen an election affect so many people.
Children have an especially hard time if theyve thought about Trumps role as a bully.
They ask me, How could the bully win?
For adults, that may mean getting involved in activist groups.
He tells them: Change starts with you.
Sileo also suggests that families set ground rules for Thanksgiving dinner: no politics at the table.
Instead, talk about thankfulness.
His patients said that worked last year, and people did respect the boundaries.
His suggested icebreaker question: What are you thankful for this year that you werent thankful for last year?
Mary Fisheris a clinical mental health counselor in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Her clients include people with depression, anxiety, and personality disorders.
People are coming in specifically citing concerns about the political climate as reasons to start therapy.
I never experienced that in my professional life at all.
Initially, she saw people experiencing anxiety related to the election.
She tells people to put words to their feelings in a safe place with a trusted person.
They are African-American or Latino or Latina patients.
So its actually making them feel more a part of the world and less alienated.
After, they heard others talking about him the same way.
I live in a very blue area, and even therapists themselves were struggling, she says.
Its the unreasonableness and arbitrariness of Trump that bothered her clients the most, she says.
Theres no limits in who hes willing to offend or injure for the most part.
After, they heard others talking about him the same way.
This is going to be our mental and spiritual stabilizer in the days to come.
To some degree, that was true, she said.
I really do recommend Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, Seth Meyers, whos the British guy?
She wrote in the presentation that she uses this approach herself.
I can get the same information … but go to bed with perspective.
