Tracye Polson

Navigating the intersections of social work and political engagement

In 2023, organizations including the NAACP, the Human Rights Campaign, the League of United Latin American Citizens and Equality Florida issued travel warnings, asserting that Florida state laws hostile to LGBTQ+, BIPOC and immigrant communities make it dangerous to visit. Clinical social worker Tracye Polson, Ph.D. ’05, who lives and practices in Jacksonville, has firsthand experience helping clients navigate life in this frightening climate.

Polson has an unusual perspective on the political climate in Florida. In addition to maintaining a private practice, she has twice run for political office as a Democrat. In 2018, she ran for a seat in the Florida House of Representatives, losing by a small margin, and in 2021–22 she ran for a seat on the Jacksonville City Council, winning the general election, but losing a close runoff campaign.

She remains active politically, recently helping fellow Democrat Donna Deegan become Jacksonville’s mayor.

Polson works with people who have experienced some form of relational trauma, and although her clients come from across the political spectrum, “I don’t think there’s one person who hasn’t been impacted in this,” she said of the Republicans’ agenda. “So many of them are suffering from various forms of trauma—now they’re triggered not just relationally but with what is happening politically as well.”

What can a practitioner do to help clients cope with living in this threatening environment? Polson takes the same approaches she’d take for anyone in a traumatizing situation. “I ground them in the reality that their concerns are valid, and that what is happening is really disturbing,” she said. “We’ll talk about how they can calm themselves and get more regulated, as well as using their relationships to find some sort of peace and solace.” If clients ask directly about what they can do to change the political environment, she’ll then focus on helping them find ways to get involved in local groups, engage in activism and find community support.

In the midst of all this, Polson is careful to take steps to take care of herself as well. “I have a really good therapist. I have some phenomenal colleagues and friends in the area. I try to walk at least five miles a day, and I try to listen to podcasts that are both inspiring and calming.”

Thanks to her social work education, Polson feels well prepared to deal with this historical moment. It has helped her understand the bigger picture and why Republicans are enacting such damaging legislation. “Everything that I learned really has helped me make sense of what I’m seeing, which doesn’t necessarily change it, but it allows me to try to understand it,” she said. “I think about Smith SSW’s work around anti-racism—really thinking about it through the lens of white supremacy and the patriarchy and a systemic, intentional way of maintaining control and power, particularly for white people. Now we’re seeing it unfold.”

Polson’s training also helps her make sense of individual politicians’ actions. “I’m really aware of my training, particularly my Ph.D. at Smith, and all of the ways the mind works,” she explained. “I think about Melanie Klein’s work around envy and spoiling and people who just want to disrupt and destroy for pleasure.”

Until the political winds in Florida shift and it becomes a safer place for marginalized people, Polson is glad to have the tools and experience to be an advocate for her community. “I’m so grateful for my training around the impact of policy on very vulnerable populations and our role in that. I’m grateful that in this remarkable time, we do have a voice.” ◆ Megan Rubiner Zinn