I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Dawn Irons, a counselor educator with over 15 years of experience in private practice. She shared some eye-opening insights into the rising influence of social justice ideology in counseling programs and how it can negatively impact religious clients. Dawn explained how today's counseling students receive very biased training that pits protected classes against each other. Many programs aggressively push LGBTQ causes while dismissing religious beliefs as something to "correct." This prevents therapeutic self-exploration and infringes on clients' cultural rights. We discussed the importance of informed consent so people can choose counselors who respect their worldview. Dawn also offered practical tips for religious counselors to stand up professionally while avoiding legal trouble. Overall, it was an e ...