Power Politics: Advocacy to Activism in Social Justice Counseling

Abstract

The authors seek to initiate a broader dialog within the social justice movements across disciplines to include a deeper understanding of how power politics plays out in the social/political domain of the public arena outlined in the American Counseling Association (ACA) Advocacy Competencies. In this domain, counselors act as legislative/policy change advocates. However, in recent years social justice advocates within the profession have called for a more activist stance focusing on changing social structures of unjust systems and institutions as an adjunct to legislative/policy advocacy. Activities engaged in by policy/legislative advocates and structural change activists are discussed. Delineation between the differences in perception of power by political operatives and counseling professionals is examined so counselors may have a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges associated with being social change agents. Future implications for the field are discussed with focus on evidence-based research, training, and the potential use of technology and social media in the social justice advocacy movement.

Beyond Four Forces: The Evolution of Psychotherapy

“…Others agreed (e.g., Chung & Bemak, 2012;Goodman et al, 2004;C. C. Lee & Hipolito-Delgado, 2007;M. A. Lee, Smith, & Henry, 2013), and the revised Multicultural and Social Justice Competencies were endorsed by American Counseling Association Governing Counseling in 2015 (Ratts et al, 2016).…”

“…It is distinct from traditional models of psychotherapy in that the etiology of mental illness is viewed as rooted in social dysfunction rather than as primarily due to internal personal deficits or narratives. This assumption requires knowledge and understanding of the politics of power, including the oppressive power of injustice and the liberating power of social justice (Albee & Joffe, 2004;M. A. Lee et al, 2013;McWhirter, 1997;Prilleltensky, 2008Prilleltensky, , 2012bPrilleltensky, , 2013Williams & Barber, 2004).…”

Towards a New Profession: Counselor Professional Identity in Italy. A Delphi Study

“…To do so, it would require an active and responsible participation not only from counselors but also from the people, groups, and family systems to whom the advocacy intervention is directed, as an integral part of the counseling process. According to this approach, the philosophy of counseling intervention includes a kind of social action that aims at uprooting elements of unfairness (Lee & Walz, 1998) and this becomes an important goal and object of the overall counseling process (Lee, Smith & Ryan, 2013).…”

Breaking Institutional Habits: A Critical Paradigm for Social Change Agents in Psychology

“…Suggesting otherwise neglects the precariousness facing individuals that depend on institutions with ready-made habits, flows, and wills for survival. Lee et al (2013) noted the challenges facing professionals who take on well-defended power structures including burnout, sacrificing personal life, jeopardizing professional standing, and being labeled a troublemaker, not to mention that this labor is not compensated. Similarly, Flood et al (2013) pointed to several challenges facing academics specifically including attacks, threats to security and advancement, and isolation by peers.…”

“…Echoing the work of Speer (2008), for example, Lee et al (2013) concluded that “relying on elite sources of power . .…”