the radical center

Leslie Elliott Boyce

This project began as a way to call out ideological bias in counselor education specifically (and in education more generally) and has expanded to an examination of many aspects of our contemporary culture. The ideology that calls itself "social justice" is an attempt to revolutionize and replace western values with a culture of envy, victimhood, and entitlement. As individuals, we can choose to accept this though we know it's wrong, for the sake of conflict avoidance- or we can take a stand. What kind of person makes each choice? How do we find the strength to resist groupthink?

  1. 5d ago

    A Religion of Anger and Hate: Sanity Check With Cari, Christine, Leslie

    Sanity Check is a live-streamed collaboration between Cari Bartholomew, Christine Sefein-Wolk, and myself. We typically stream once or twice a month. Thank you for tuning in!Find more from Christine at https://www.youtube.com/@ctapodcast which she co-hosts.And you can find more from Cari at https://www.youtube.com/@UC9LGYDq130G42FyfCJJLOZA She is also on Twitter at @carobmarcelle_____________________________________________________________________If you would like to contact me, my website is: https://theradicalcenterconsulting.com/ I am also on X @JLeslieElliott And if you appreciate this ongoing project and would like to support my continued work in this area you can chip in at any of the following (thank you very much!): https://www.paypal.me/jleslieelliott https://www.buymeacoffee.com/radicalcenterhttps://www.patreon.com/theradicalcenterAnother great way to support my work (and get something nice for yourself!) is to shop my handmade ceramics online at: https://ceramics.wherethealdersgrow.comJoin us every Monday at 10:00am Pacific/1:00pm Eastern for the Solid Ground Live stream. Come join our Solid Ground peer support and discussion groups at https://sground.substack.com/ And you can join our locals community at https://solidground.locals.com/ Additional resources and affiliates: Critical Therapy Antidote: https://criticaltherapyantidote.orgChristine Sefein Wolk: cohost of the CTA podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@ctapodcast

    1h 28m
  2. Jun 22

    Government Approved Wisdom- The Counselor as Missionary: Solid Ground with Guest Rob Davis

    About Rob Davis: I graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Redlands with a B.A. in Philosophy (emphasis in Chinese Philosophy) and a minor in Biology. I have worked in immigration law, wilderness therapy, addiction and behavior treatment, and education. I am an author with several self-published books including philosophical works and works of fiction. I have been sharing more of my recent writing on Substack, including an in-depth account of my experience in my Counseling Master's of Science program (titled: Defund the Fun Police). I also have done a few podcast series, including one on my book Purpose in Form: The Necessary Basis of All Ethics, and one on The Art of War by Sun Tzu. I post clips from these and other reflections or responses on my YouTube channel. I worked in wilderness therapy for about 2 years. Then I transitioned to out-patient day treatment for behavioral issues for another almost 2 years. I started working with adults in rehab, then moved to kids with behavioral disorders. From pretty much the beginning, I wanted to become a counselor. At the first wilderness therapy center, I was in a preparation program where I would receive a certification that would help with becoming a counselor (I don't recall what it was exactly at this point). So my entire time working as frontline staff I was intending as preparation for the ultimate goal of becoming a counselor. I got into an online program where I could specialize in addiction treatment, which I was very interested in, and made it one semester. At the end of the semester, there was a mandatory Social Justice portion of all of our courses. The entire pedagogy shifted from "read about these theories and tell us what you like about them or don't like" to "read these and tell us how you will put them into practice." I objected and was forced out shortly into the following semester. Links: Substack: https://robertbdavisii.substack.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UC_-vi5sypLBUBpkmpz0wpCA My previous interview with Rob: https://youtu.be/07Q4_Hy_8l8 _____________________________________________________________________ If you would like to contact me, my website is: https://theradicalcenterconsulting.com/ I am also on X @JLeslieElliott And if you appreciate this ongoing project and would like to support my continued work in this area you can chip in at any of the following (thank you very much!): https://www.paypal.me/jleslieelliott https://www.buymeacoffee.com/radicalcenter https://www.patreon.com/theradicalcenter Another great way to support my work (and get something nice for yourself!) is to shop my handmade ceramics online at: https://ceramics.wherethealdersgrow.com Join us every Monday at 10:00am Pacific/1:00pm Eastern for the Solid Ground Live stream. Come join our Solid Ground peer support and discussion groups at https://sground.substack.com/ And you can join our locals community at https://solidground.locals.com/ Additional resources and affiliates: Critical Therapy Antidote: https://criticaltherapyantidote.org Christine Sefein Wolk: cohost of the CTA podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@ctapodcast

    1h 2m
  3. Jun 19

    The Case for Conservative Psychedelics, with Karen King and Wesley Smith

    Karen King is a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, and trainer with nearly 20 years of clinical experience, specializing in trauma, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, and psychedelic integration. Trained in psychedelic-assisted therapy through MAPS, she has spent the last several years helping clients and clinicians approach psychedelic medicine with both clinical rigor and philosophical depth. As co-author of the upcoming book The Conservative Case for Psychedelics, Karen brings a free-thinking and intellectually independent voice to a field often dominated by narrow ideological perspectives, arguing that healing, personal responsibility, tradition, and human dignity deserve a central place in the psychedelic conversation. Through her writing, teaching, and public speaking, she advocates for clinical neutrality, open dialogue, and making space for more politically and philosophically diverse voices in mental health and psychedelic therapy.Wes is a ‘small c’ conservative (pro business, individual liberty, and limited government) psychonaut, and writer focused on bringing the psychedelic renaissance out of the counterculture and into the living rooms of average Americans. After a head injury led him to explore nontraditional paths for healing, he discovered that, in the right set and setting, psychedelics candeepen the very values conservatives hold dear: faith, family, duty, and personal responsibility, while expanding our awareness of our collective consciousness .He’s the co-author, along with therapist Karen King, of the forthcoming book The Case for Conservative Psychedelics: How American Values Can Save the Movement and Strengthen America. The book chronicles veterans, parents, entrepreneurs, and churchgoers who’ve used these tools to reconnect with purpose and the people they love, and lays out conservative principles that support the use of psychedelics.His work sits at the intersection of science and ethos—bridging evidence-based research with a culturally grounded case for humility, gratitude, and moral clarity when approaching altered states that don’t fit nicely into scientific categories. He has engaged with clinicians, veterans’ advocates, pastors, and policy voices, and he speaks candidly about guardrails: legality, preparation, integration, and community accountability. Whether addressing the two major orthodoxies inside the psychedelic movement or the broader Left-Right rift in our culture, Wes argues that freedom and order aren’t rivals—they are the necessary elements of any society that wishes to promote human flourishing._____________________________________________________________________If you would like to contact me, my website is: https://theradicalcenterconsulting.com/ I am also on X @JLeslieElliott And if you appreciate this ongoing project and would like to support my continued work in this area you can chip in at any of the following (thank you very much!): https://www.paypal.me/jleslieelliott https://www.buymeacoffee.com/radicalcenterhttps://www.patreon.com/theradicalcenterAnother great way to support my work (and get something nice for yourself!) is to shop my handmade ceramics online at: https://ceramics.wherethealdersgrow.comJoin us every Monday at 10:00am Pacific/1:00pm Eastern for the Solid Ground Live stream. Come join our Solid Ground peer support and discussion groups at https://sground.substack.com/ And you can join our locals community at https://solidground.locals.com/ Additional resources and affiliates: Critical Therapy Antidote: https://criticaltherapyantidote.orgChristine Sefein Wolk: cohost of the CTA podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@ctapodcast

    1h 7m
  4. Debra Soh on the Sex Recession: Solid Ground #174

    Jun 9

    Debra Soh on the Sex Recession: Solid Ground #174

    Dr. Debra Soh is a neuroscientist who specializes in human sexuality. She is the author of Sextinction: The Decline of Sex and the Future of Intimacy.As a journalist, she writes about the politicization of science, technology, health, and online subcultures. She is a contributor to The Globe and Mail. Her writing has also appeared in Harper’s Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, The Daily Wire, The Free Press, and many other publications.She has appeared on Bill Maher’s Club Random Podcast, Dr. Phil, The Megyn Kelly Show, Book Club with Michael Smerconish, Culture Apothecary, the Joe Rogan Experience, Calmversations with Benjamin Boyce, and many more.https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Sextinction/Debra-Soh/9781668057391DrDebraSoh.com _____________________________________________________________________If you would like to contact me, my website is: https://theradicalcenterconsulting.com/ I am also on X @JLeslieElliott And if you appreciate this ongoing project and would like to support my continued work in this area you can chip in at any of the following (thank you very much!): https://www.paypal.me/jleslieelliott https://www.buymeacoffee.com/radicalcenterhttps://www.patreon.com/theradicalcenterAnother great way to support my work (and get something nice for yourself!) is to shop my handmade ceramics online at: https://ceramics.wherethealdersgrow.comJoin us every Monday at 10:00am Pacific/1:00pm Eastern for the Solid Ground Live stream. Come join our Solid Ground peer support and discussion groups at https://sground.substack.com/ And you can join our locals community at https://solidground.locals.com/ Additional resources and affiliates: Critical Therapy Antidote: https://criticaltherapyantidote.orgChristine Sefein Wolk: cohost of the CTA podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@ctapodcast

    1h 1m
  5. Should We End Welfare Cold Turkey? Solid Ground #173 with Dr. Erik Lidström

    Jun 1

    Should We End Welfare Cold Turkey? Solid Ground #173 with Dr. Erik Lidström

    Dr Lidström's recently published essay: https://iea.org.uk/publications/evolutionary-economics/# Erik Lidström holds an MSc and a PhD in physics from Uppsala University, Sweden, and an MBA from the Open University, UK. After conducting research at the ESRF in Grenoble, France, he entered the software industry in 2000. He has worked in Britain, France, Sweden, and Morocco, and now resides in Northern Sweden. He writes books and articles on political economy, political science, and other societal matters. Apart from an unrelated day job, he also works on renovating and extending his house.In English, he has published two books:Education Unchained – What it takes to restore schools and learning (2015), third edition in 2024. Recommended by Choice in 2016.Evolution and Social Order – How our Stone Age brain understands and misunderstands society (2025)Erik's substack: @purpendicular _____________________________________________________________________If you would like to contact me, my website is: https://theradicalcenterconsulting.com/ I am also on X @JLeslieElliott And if you appreciate this ongoing project and would like to support my continued work in this area you can chip in at any of the following (thank you very much!): https://www.paypal.me/jleslieelliott https://www.buymeacoffee.com/radicalcenterhttps://www.patreon.com/theradicalcenterAnother great way to support my work (and get something nice for yourself!) is to shop my handmade ceramics online at: https://ceramics.wherethealdersgrow.comJoin us every Monday at 10:00am Pacific/1:00pm Eastern for the Solid Ground Live stream. Come join our Solid Ground peer support and discussion groups at https://sground.substack.com/ And you can join our locals community at https://solidground.locals.com/ Additional resources and affiliates: Critical Therapy Antidote: https://criticaltherapyantidote.orgChristine Sefein Wolk: cohost of the CTA podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@ctapodcast

    1h 6m
  6. May 27

    Political Disillusion, Utah Politics, & Therapy in Schools: Solid Ground #172 with Cari Bartholomew!

    From Cari: I’m Cari Bartholomew, known online as Carob Marcelle.For the past four years I’ve been studying what’s happening inside K–12 education and translating it for everyday parents and citizens. This channel is where I break down the ideas shaping our schools, culture, and children — from classroom curriculum to the broader ideological movements influencing education in America.You’ll hear conversations with teachers, whistleblowers, historians, and survivors of totalitarian regimes who recognize troubling patterns many people are only beginning to see.My goal is simple: to make complicated ideas understandable so families can think clearly, ask better questions, and act with courage. If you care about education, freedom, faith, and the future of the next generation, you’re in the right place.New videos weekly.Be not afraid._____________________________________________________________________If you would like to contact me, my website is: https://theradicalcenterconsulting.com/ I am also on X @JLeslieElliott And if you appreciate this ongoing project and would like to support my continued work in this area you can chip in at any of the following (thank you very much!): https://www.paypal.me/jleslieelliott https://www.buymeacoffee.com/radicalcenterhttps://www.patreon.com/theradicalcenterAnother great way to support my work (and get something nice for yourself!) is to shop my handmade ceramics online at: https://ceramics.wherethealdersgrow.comJoin us every Monday at 10:00am Pacific/1:00pm Eastern for the Solid Ground Live stream. Come join our Solid Ground peer support and discussion groups at https://sground.substack.com/ And you can join our locals community at https://solidground.locals.com/ Additional resources and affiliates: Critical Therapy Antidote: https://criticaltherapyantidote.orgChristine Sefein Wolk: cohost of the CTA podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@ctapodcast

    1h 2m
4.5
out of 5
33 Ratings

About

This project began as a way to call out ideological bias in counselor education specifically (and in education more generally) and has expanded to an examination of many aspects of our contemporary culture. The ideology that calls itself "social justice" is an attempt to revolutionize and replace western values with a culture of envy, victimhood, and entitlement. As individuals, we can choose to accept this though we know it's wrong, for the sake of conflict avoidance- or we can take a stand. What kind of person makes each choice? How do we find the strength to resist groupthink?

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