Red Pill: What therapists working with young people need to know

When I asked my 14-year-old son if he knew who Andrew Tate was, he didn’t hesitate. “Yeah,” he said, “everyone thinks he’s cool. I’ve known about him for a couple of years.” This is how embedded the Red Pill movement has become in youth culture, and it’s worrying, not just as a parent but as a therapist.

I’ve been seeing it in the counselling room for a long time now in adult clients, in the world of toxic and unhealthy relationships and the rise in narcissistic traits. But Red Pill has also been quietly weaving itself into school life and peer conversations, and all therapists must understand what is going on.

The Red Pill movement is a collection of followers in online spaces that believe in some radical ideas. Fundamentally, that society is biased against men, feminism is toxic, and women cannot be trusted because they are manipulative. It encourages emotional detachment, control and mistrust, particularly towards women and therapy.

The messages are shared widely through social media and are often delivered by influencers like Andrew Tate. Tate is a Former kickboxer and reality TV contestant who gained massive popularity through aggressive self-promotion and extreme views on gender. Before his arrest and platform bans in 2022, Tate accumulated millions of views across platforms with content promoting male dominance, wealth signalling and female submission.

Research by the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that before his ban, Tate's content was being seen by boys as young as 13 on TikTok, with the algorithm rapidly delivering increasingly extreme content.

Red Pill ideology usually begins with content that sounds like confidence or success advice, but gradually introduces ideas about status, power and gender that promote rigid roles and discourage vulnerability.

For young people, especially boys, this content can seem a way to understand the world. It offers structure, clarity and a sense of belonging. But it also teaches that emotional openness is weakness, that relationships are a game to be controlled and that women can’t be trusted.

As therapists working with children and young people, we need to be aware of how these ideas show up in session. We don’t need to be experts in internet trends, but we do need to understand the emotional impact they can have.

What the research is telling us

This isn’t just a concern for parents; it’s a massive cultural issue.

In 2023, the Home Office included Red Pill content in its official Prevent materials for the first time, highlighting growing links between online misogyny and radicalisation. The Commission for Countering Extremism has also identified extreme misogyny as an emerging public threat, with the potential to overlap with other forms of harm.

In April 2025, Sky News reported on a surge in Red Pill influence within UK schools, with some boys refusing to speak to female teachers.

A national survey by the NASUWT education union, involving over 5,800 teachers, found that nearly 60% believed social media had contributed to worsening pupil behaviour. Many pointed to Andrew Tate and similar influencers as driving a rise in sexism and a drop in respect towards women and girls in the classroom.

This influence is becoming part of the emotional and relational environment that many young people are navigating every day.

What it looks like in practice

In my work, and through conversations with other therapists, I’ve seen more boys and young men arriving in therapy who are emotionally guarded, uncomfortable with vulnerability and deeply unsure about their place in relationships. They may repeat phrases they’ve picked up online, such as trying to have ‘game’ (to attract a girl) or keep ‘frame’ (hold control in any interactions with females). Or they might shut down in sessions or treat female therapists with contempt.

As therapists, we’re used to looking beneath behaviour, and Red Pill beliefs often act as emotional armour. They give young people a way to avoid shame, rejection, or loss of control. Our work isn’t to tear that armour away but to gently understand what it’s protecting.

If we miss the influence, we risk misunderstanding the client. And if we challenge it too soon, we may lose the relationship altogether.

Supporting therapists by providing the right tools

Given the increasing influence of Red Pill ideology on young people, many therapists are seeking practical ways to respond with confidence and care. Continued professional development can offer useful tools to help recognise and gently explore these belief systems in the therapy room.

One resource available is an on-demand CPD course I’ve created: The Red Pill Movement – A Guide for Counsellors and Therapists. It outlines a practical, clinical framework to:

• Recognise Red Pill-influenced thinking in client work.
• Stay grounded and responsive without confrontation.
• Support emotional development and relational safety.
• Explore the belief system’s emotional function without shame or judgment. 

Young people today are not just influenced by their family or school; they’re shaped by what they hear and absorb online, often years before they enter therapy. If we want to support them in a way that feels relevant and real, we need to understand the context they’re coming from.

This isn’t about panic or blame. It’s about awareness. And it’s about giving ourselves the tools to work with what’s already here so we can offer the kind of therapeutic presence that young people truly need.

References 

• Centre for Countering Digital Hate (2023). TikTok and the Tate Algorithm: How the platform promotes extremist misogyny to young users. CCDH. Available at: https://counterhate.com
• Commission for Countering Extremism (2021). Operating with Impunity: Hateful extremism - the need for a legal framework. London: Home Office.
• Home Office (2023). Practitioner briefing: Understanding and responding to misogyny and manosphere content. London: UK Government Prevent Programme.
• NASUWT - The Teachers’ Union (2025). Social media and pupil behaviour: National survey findings. Available at: https://www.nasuwt.org.uk
• Sky News (2025, April). ‘Andrew Tate phenomenon surges in schools - with boys refusing to talk to female teacher.’ Available at: https://news.sky.com
• Taylor, S., & Richards, A. (2022). Male university students and Red Pill ideology: A UK-based survey of awareness and belief endorsement. University of Kent, Department of Sociology and Social Policy.
• Centre for Countering Digital Hate (2023). Algorithms of Harm: Red Pill content and radicalisation pathways. CCDH. Available at: https://counterhate.com