The current global sociopolitical climate has emphasized the need for social change and drawn attention to the ways in which oppression and marginalization persist within many social structures and systems. Counselors are being called to better meet the needs of culturally diverse clients and the social injustices that shape and contextualize mental health issues. In the current study, I used interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) to describe the experience of six Canadian counselors' intentional commitment to using a social justice lens in therapeutic conversations.
Participants shared that it was important to establish a foundation of trust and understanding with the client before bridging a social justice lens into therapeutic conversations. Strategic implementation, counselors' personal and professional experiences with social injustice, and education influenced participants' confidence in implementing social justice initiatives. I then discuss the limitations of the study and the implications for practice, research, and education.
Introduction: Significance of the Problem
The purpose of this study is to explore how counselors and counseling psychologists use a social justice lens in their therapeutic conversations with clients. The research question guiding this study is: What is the experience of using a social justice lens by Canadian counseling practitioners in the therapy room. The current political climate can be seen as a call to action within society and its members to address issues of social justice.
Social change must be a shared responsibility among all professions; social justice should be a core value for all helping professions (Kennedy & Arthur, 2014). Ginsberg and Sinacore (2015) defined the practice of social justice in Canada as focusing on the relative position that individuals hold within a social group in relation to others in society and on the root causes of inequalities and what can be done to reduce them . This definition of social justice includes, but is not limited to, the extent to which social inequalities are measured, economic resources are fairly distributed, citizens are gainfully employed, and all individuals are successful in their pursuit of legal justice (Ginsberg & Sinacore, 2015).
Social justice can be considered a broad term used to discuss issues of fairness, equality and justice for all members of society enacted through social interactions and power differentials (Paré referred to microaggressions as intentional or unintentional, hostile, offensive or harmful forms of communication, verbal and non-verbal, made towards members of marginalized groups Intersectionality is an essential concept in understanding social justice and the ways in which individuals are affected by social justice (Collins, 2018).
Review of the Literature
Frameworks such as the Multicultural Counseling Competencies (MCC), first identified by Sue et al. 1992), have been revised to include social justice competencies for counselors. At the heart of using a social justice lens in therapy sessions is the counselor's self-awareness (Collins & Arthur, 2018). Similarly, Ratts et al.'s (2016) Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC) framework places the therapeutic relationship at the center of social justice work by focusing on the various ways in which power, privilege, and oppression interact cross between the client and the client. therapist.
The literature on teaching multicultural and social justice competencies and incorporating social justice into training programs is scarce (Cohen et al., 2022; Singh et al., 2010). Most Canadian counseling psychology programs have approached learning about multiculturalism and social justice through a single course approach or integrated across courses (Collins et al., 2015). Others have taken additional steps and implemented practical accommodations specific to social justice work to better prepare future counseling psychologists to implement social justice initiatives in their practice (Hage et al., 2020).
The collaborative-dialogic practices (CDP) framework of Bava et al. 2017) shows how a counselor can begin to ask about social justice in the therapy room. Research shows that counseling trainees feel unprepared to incorporate a social justice approach into their practice.
Research Methodology
The imaginative variation employs the researchers to switch between different aspects of the phenomenon and determine which aspects of the. Once the essential characteristics of the phenomenon have been determined, it is then carefully described (Giogi, 2007). Interpretive phenomenologists such as Heidegger, who followed in Husserl's footsteps, focused on uncovering the 'being' of the phenomenon (Heidegger, 1962).
Idiography is useful when recruiting a small sample from a homogeneous group, as it allows for a close examination of the experiences of the participants. Taking an IPA approach involves a researcher identifying a phenomenon in which they are interested, and then reflecting on the essential nature of the phenomenon to help write a description of the phenomenon. Like the role of researcher and participant in interpretive phenomenology, therapist and client are considered important factors in the counseling process.
One of the main objectives of this study was to discover how participants believed they could translate knowledge into skill development and implementation. Of the six participants in this sample, five identified as female and one identified as non-binary. As the sole researcher, I interpreted the data allowing me to capture the essence of the participants' voices through their verbal and non-verbal communication.
My focus during this step was to slow down, bring myself back to the moments of the interview, and to notice any moments or descriptions of participants that stood out to me. Reflecting on the nonverbal communication during the interview enabled me to immerse myself in the whole of the interview rather than a sum of its parts. Next, I reread each transcript three times before moving to the second step of the analysis, initial note taking.
In order to develop emerging themes, I moved back and forth between analyzing parts of the interview and the whole interview. Throughout this process, I used the initial notes I had taken to create themes that reflected the main themes of the participant's interview. Once emerging themes were identified, I moved to the fourth step of analysis, looking for connections between themes one participant at a time.
Results
Within participants' accounts of setting the stage for social justice dialogue, they described gathering more information about client problems to approach discussion of client experiences through a social justice lens. Dawn directly referred to their social justice work as planting seeds, “I called my social justice work planting seeds. Some participants struggled to know when to take a client-centered or a social justice approach to therapeutic conversations.
Further, participants expressed that their feelings of hesitation became more complicated when they assessed the client's readiness to hear and understand concepts of social justice related to their problems and concerns. Thus, the second main theme, strategic planning for social justice dialogue, represents participants' experiences in bridging a social justice lens for therapeutic conversations and is. Overall, participants shared similar experiences of struggling to discern when it was appropriate and appropriate to introduce social justice dialogue into conversations with clients.
All participants shared similar experiences of regret for not bringing up social justice ideas in conversation with clients when they had the opportunity. The main theme, awareness of social justice issues, reflects the factors participants expressed that influence their experiences of using a social justice lens in conversations with clients. Participants shared that their personal experiences and connection to social justice issues fueled their passion for using a social justice lens to understand client issues and.
Several participants mentioned that the political climate and events had influenced how social justice narratives entered conversations with their clients. Many expressed these political events facilitated bridging a social justice lens to their clients' conversations, as events and incidents triggered thoughts and feelings in their clients' lives. Participants reported that their work environment, including agency mandates and missions, either supported their social justice work or made it more difficult to do so.
All participants indicated that their academic programs taught them limited social justice content and support in knowing how to put social justice ideas into practice. Cindy described how her connection and dedication to social justice work encouraged her to pursue further education. This chapter provided evidence of each participant's experience in how they implemented and integrated a social justice approach with clients.
Discussion
Taking an educational stance on incorporating social justice into their work with clients (providing psycho-ed to set the stage for social justice conversations).