In a recent episode of Calm Conversations, Benjamin Boyce sat down with psychologist Dr. Andrew Hartz, founder of the Open Therapy Institute (OTI), for an enlightening discussion that went far beyond the surface of psychotherapy. They explored the gaps in modern mental health care, the secularisation of soul work, and the urgent need for a more inclusive, reflective, and spiritually aware therapeutic profession.
This conversation couldn’t be more timely—or more aligned with our work at the Academy of Life Planning.
The Problem with Modern Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy today suffers from fragmentation, confusion, and a lack of soul. Hartz highlighted the sheer number of titles—counsellor, therapist, psychologist, psychoanalyst—all with varying levels of training and rigour. The result? A public unsure of where to turn, and a field that often fails to speak to the human being as a whole.
Even more concerning is the increasing politicisation of the field. Many therapists are now trained within highly ideological frameworks, often aligned with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) movements. While some of these aims are noble, they’ve frequently resulted in a narrow ideological lens that alienates large swathes of society—particularly men, conservatives, people of faith, and others who fall outside the mainstream progressive narrative.
Psychology Has Forgotten Its Roots
The word psychology stems from psyche, meaning soul. And yet, as Hartz points out, the field has largely abandoned questions of meaning, spirituality, and existential purpose—issues central to human flourishing.
In training programs, religion and spirituality are often omitted entirely. Hartz recounted completing a six-year PhD without a single lecture on faith or meaning. This despite the fact that more than 60% of Americans pray daily.
Instead of engaging these rich dimensions of human experience, psychotherapy has become increasingly clinical, mechanical, and secular—focused on treating symptoms rather than cultivating the whole person.
Why This Matters
By avoiding spiritual and philosophical questions, therapy often fails to deliver lasting transformation. Clients are left to grapple with existential questions on their own or avoid them entirely, believing these topics don’t belong in the therapy room.
And this avoidance is not benign. The absence of soul work has real consequences. It contributes to a sense of disconnection, especially among men—who are underrepresented as therapists and clients alike—and among people seeking meaning, purpose, and a more integrated life.
The Open Therapy Institute: A Remedy
OTI was founded as a response to these concerns. It aims to:
- Challenge sociopolitical bias in mental health care.
- Provide training and literature on neglected topics (e.g. masculinity, faith, political diversity).
- Offer therapy that embraces—not avoids—questions of meaning, morality, and spirituality.
In short, OTI is working to restore balance, openness, and integrity to the practice of therapy. Not by attacking DEI or mimicking the status quo, but by building an alternative—one grounded in deeper human understanding and genuine inclusivity.
A New Narrative for Men in Therapy
Hartz spoke compellingly about the need to reframe therapy for men. Rather than pushing emotional expression in a way that feels alien or feminised, therapy can be presented as a tool for:
- Greater self-awareness.
- Improved relationships.
- Enhanced performance and leadership.
This subtle but powerful reframing may be key to bringing more men—who are often struggling with anger, emotional numbing, and isolation—into meaningful therapeutic work.
Human Connection in the Age of AI
As large language models and AI tools continue to automate cognitive tasks, the role of the therapist—as a wise, empathic, soul-attuned presence—becomes ever more valuable. The future of psychotherapy will not be about worksheets and symptom checklists, but about wisdom, reflection, and connection—what Hartz calls “the spiritual dimension of psychological maturity.”
The Bigger Picture: Beyond Bias
What makes OTI’s vision so compelling is its broad applicability. While the institute focuses on psychotherapy, the model could easily extend to education, medicine, and other professional domains. It’s not just about fixing bias—it’s about reclaiming everything that bias leaves out.
As Hartz puts it: “Bias is just a blind spot. We’re interested in what the field isn’t seeing.”
A Call to Action
Whether you’re a therapist, a planner, a spiritual guide, or simply someone committed to human flourishing—there’s work to be done.
At the Academy of Life Planning, we share OTI’s vision: a world where wholeness is prioritised over ideology, where people are supported not just materially, but emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. Where the soul is not a taboo word, but the starting point.
If you’re a professional in the mental health space, I encourage you to explore the Open Therapy Institute. And if you’re in financial planning, perhaps the question is the same: What have we left out? What parts of the human experience need to be welcomed back into the room?
Let’s build that room, together.
Here’s a concise bullet-point summary of the key points from the Benjamin Boyce interview with Andrew Hartz (Open Therapy Institute):
🎙️ About Andrew Hartz & Open Therapy Institute (OTI)
- Founder and head of OTI, which aims to provide an unbiased, apolitical mental health platform.
- OTI focuses on counteracting sociopolitical bias within the field of psychotherapy.
- OTI offers training, literature, peer consultation, and services that address underrepresented patient needs (e.g., men, conservatives, religious clients).
🧠 Critique of the Psychotherapy Field
- Overabundance of mental health credentials creates confusion for the public.
- Many programs, especially master’s-level, lack rigorous training, particularly in spirituality and meaning.
- The field neglects spiritual, philosophical, and existential dimensions, despite the root of “psychology” being “psyche” (soul).
💬 Spirituality & Soul in Therapy
- Psychology has secularized the “soul”, shifting toward materialistic/scientific language (e.g., replacing “soul” with “mind”).
- Most therapists don’t address spirituality or values unless patients bring it up.
- This limits depth and fulfillment in therapeutic practice.
- Spirituality should be more central: “What is the soul?” should be a relevant clinical question.
⚖️ Values, Neutrality, and DEI
- The field has shifted from therapeutic neutrality to activist stances (e.g., DEI frameworks).
- There’s debate on whether true neutrality is possible or whether some values alignment improves therapy outcomes.
- Hartz advocates for open conversations around values without imposing political ideologies.
🧔♂️ Men & Therapy
- Men are vastly underrepresented as both therapists and clients.
- The field is not framed in a way that appeals to men; messaging is often cringey or feminized.
- Emphasizes the need to reframe therapy as a tool for strength, self-awareness, and effectiveness, not just emotional expression.
- Common male issues (e.g., anger, numbing, isolation) are not well-represented in DSM or mainstream therapeutic approaches.
🧘♂️ Human Connection, Wisdom & Talent
- Effective therapy relies on deep empathy, including reading non-verbal cues and self-awareness.
- There’s a loss of human nuance in current scalable, evidence-based, CBT-heavy models.
- Talent, wisdom, and spiritual maturity are undervalued in modern therapy.
- AI may replace mechanical aspects of therapy, but soul work and connection remain irreplaceable.
📖 Cultural & Conceptual Shifts
- Psychology’s language and concepts have leaked into pop culture, often misused (e.g., “narcissist”, “trauma”).
- The pathologizing trend in culture misrepresents clinical realities and erodes trust in the profession.
- Victimhood has been socially valorised, creating incentives for identity overuse or misuse.
🌍 OTI’s Vision & Market Opportunity
- Mental health care is biased in who it serves: underserved populations are narrowly defined (e.g., prioritizing identity over need).
- OTI aims to serve underrepresented groups: men, religious people, conservatives, gun owners, etc.
- Long-term vision includes:
- Building a literature base for neglected topics.
- Providing alternative professional training.
- Expanding access to aligned therapists and services.
- OTI views this as a market and societal opportunity, not just a critique.
🛐 Intersection of Religion & Psychology
- Advocates for reconnecting psychology with spiritual traditions (as Jordan Peterson has done).
- Both therapists and clergy need to broaden their roles to address internal, communal, and transcendent needs.
- Envisions a future where mental health integrates the spiritual and psychological, addressing meaning, fulfillment, and inner growth.
🔚 Final Takeaways
- OTI is building a movement to restore balance, inclusion, and soul to mental health.
- There is a growing hunger for deeper, more meaningful therapeutic experiences.
- The work is just beginning—Hartz sees vast, untapped territory in the future of psychology.
Academy of Life Planning 