In my university teaching I have recently noticed an uptick in student reluctance to speak freely in class. Many students mention how they feel that the current online climate fills them with dread about saying anything that might render them vulnerable to being “cancelled.” As a result, they either abstain from communicating online or in their classes at school, or carefully plan and edit what they say for fear of being too exposed.

While this no doubt affects how people conduct themselves in institutional settings or in interpersonal relationships, I wonder what the psychological effects of such a perception might be. While we all must certainly edit what we say in public settings to a degree, is it important to have a space or place to express our true thoughts or feelings, however uncomfortable or even ugly they might be? Is it important to have a truly “safe space” to share and explore difficult, controversial, and even down right antisocial thoughts and feelings?

In a recent book by psychoanalyst Dr. Dhwani Shah, he argues that what makes the therapeutic space........

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