Work burnout. Family drama. The 24-hour news cycle. It seems like Americans need therapy now more than ever before.

If you’ve tried to find a therapist recently, though, you know it’s tough: monthslong waiting lists, limited availability and even if you do find someone, that therapist might not take insurance.

You are not alone. This is the reality for thousands of Americans across the country. A 2022 CNN/KFF poll found that among U.S. adults, 90% believe the country is facing a mental health crisis, and 80% of them cite the high cost of care as a contributing factor. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees.

A growing number of Americans are seeking treatment for conditions like anxiety, depression and trauma, only to find that the mental health workforce isn’t keeping up. 

Why? Different factors have gotten airtime – rising stress levels, poor insurance reimbursement rates and a broken pipeline for training new providers. However, there’s a deeper, less discussed issue at play: Mental health professionals lack collective political power.

People who provide support need support, too

In short, the people we rely on to help us cope with life’s hardest moments are themselves unsupported. Weak union representation makes it difficult for them to negotiate fair pay, advocate for better working conditions and advocate for the funding needed to meet rising demand.

This isn’t just a therapy problem; it’s a systemwide defect. From rehab centers to school counselors, the entire mental health ecosystem suffers from underinvestment and fragmentation.

As a result, many of our country’s most........

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