By Dr. Floyd Godfrey
In today's digital age, where identity can be self-defined and truth is often viewed as subjective, individuals are experiencing a quiet but profound mental health crisis—an identity confusion driven by cultural relativism and the erosion of objective truth. Mental health professionals are increasingly encountering clients, especially youth and young adults, who are deeply uncertain about who they are, what they value, and where they belong. This confusion is not merely philosophical; it manifests as anxiety, depression, and a disconnection from meaningful community.
Educational Strategies
From a conservative mental health perspective, identity development must be grounded in stable, objective frameworks. Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development remind us that identity formation—especially during adolescence—requires clear boundaries, consistent values, and secure attachments. In contrast, today’s culture often promotes self-definition apart from biological reality or historical norms, leaving individuals unmoored.
Therapists and coaches can play a pivotal role by reintroducing clients to foundational truths rooted in biology, tradition, and long-standing moral frameworks. Encouraging self-reflection that connects with objective markers of identity—such as family history, religious faith, and community roles—can restore a sense of personal coherence.
The Role of Therapeutic Intervention
Therapeutic intervention should not merely affirm an individual's feelings but also guide them in discerning between temporary emotion and enduring truth. This does not mean invalidating a client’s experience, but rather helping them explore whether their distress is compounded by cultural messages that contradict their internal compass or biological reality.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), when used in alignment with value-based principles, can help individuals identify where they have adopted distorted cultural beliefs that do not serve their mental or emotional health. For instance, a young adult may believe that unless they are affirmed in every feeling or identity label they claim, they are unloved—an idea that fuels depression and anxiety. Therapy must carefully, yet firmly, help such individuals distinguish between emotional validation and the need for truth-based guidance.
Additionally, conservative therapeutic models emphasize the value of community and family cohesion in mental health. Reconnecting clients with stable, supportive institutions—such as family, faith-based communities, and cultural traditions—often provides the grounding they need to heal.
Hope Through Clarity
The cultural moment we are living in is unprecedented, but it is not irreversible. Mental health professionals must remain compassionate while also courageous in helping clients navigate through the fog of relativism. A conservative approach—one that affirms enduring truths, honors biological reality, and reconnects individuals to historical frameworks—can bring both emotional clarity and renewed purpose.
Clients often find relief not in the permission to redefine everything, but in the discovery that they are already defined in meaningful, grounded ways. This rediscovery can become the foundation for emotional stability, long-term resilience, and personal peace.
Floyd Godfrey PhD is a Certified Mental Health Coach and has been guiding clients since 2000. He currently speaks and provides consulting and mental health coaching across the globe. To learn more about his services please visit his website: www.FloydGodfrey.com.
