Social Justice Counseling Competencies Research Articles

The Positive Relational Couples Therapy Model: A Group Therapeutic Approach for LGBTQIA+ Military Couples

Given the history of discrimination and increased mental health risks surrounding LGBTQIA+ service members, group counseling is a practical approach for practitioners to mitigate effects in a therapeutic setting. This article synthesizes the Positive Relational Couples Therapy (PRCT) model, incorporating concepts of the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC), Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT), the PERMA model, and Gottman's Method Couples Therapy as a group process to provide a conceptual framework. An outline of the PRCT model and case illustration are provided for practitioners for group counseling with LGBTQIA+ military couples. Practical group considerations and implications for this work are discussed.

An assessment‐based approach to understanding intersectional privilege

AbstractAwareness of intersectional privilege is a theme woven throughout the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC). However, a paucity of resources exists to guide counselor educators and supervisors in helping counselors‐in‐training (CITs) examine personal positions of privilege embedded within the MSJCC framework. The Intersectional Privilege Screening Inventory (IPSI) is among the first instruments yielding psychometrically valid scores to assess intersectional privilege as a training tool for CITs. We urge counselor educators and supervisors to employ the IPSI to facilitate CIT growth and development in multicultural and social justice counseling. A brief review of the literature on intersectionality, privilege, and intersectional privilege is presented as a foundational context for the broader discussion of the IPSI. We then describe a conceptual approach for using the IPSI in CIT training and development followed by case examples highlighting the IPSI's utility. We conclude with implications for counselor education and supervision.

Multicultural and social justice competencies for school stakeholders: a Delphi study

ABSTRACT Multicultural and social justice competence is an expectation for school counselors. School counselors need to be proficient in providing multiculturally competent practices and social justice advocacy action. The same can be said for their school stakeholder counterparts, yet no empirical investigations explore how the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC), specifically its institutional interventions, can serve as a framework for all school stakeholders to provide multiculturally competent practices and social justice advocacy action in schools. We conducted a Delphi study with expert school stakeholders as participants, including school counselors, that resulted in a consensus list of opinions regarding initial perceptions, usefulness, willingness, supports, barriers and reflections of the MSJCC, specifically the institutional interventions. We provide emergent implications for school counselors and other educational stakeholders.

Applications of Relational-Cultural Theory for Social Justice in Mental Health Counseling

A long-standing challenge in counseling practice is the application of multicultural and social justice competencies through traditional counseling paradigms, many of which uphold systems of oppression. Although contemporary standards for the profession emphasize the need for greater attention to systemic influences on clients’ lives, enacting frameworks such as the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC) proposed by Ratts et al. without a complementary theoretical framework can be challenging for mental health counselors. Relational-cultural theory (RCT) offers such a framework to support counselors’ efforts to serve marginalized clients, as well as understand their own oppressed identities in the counseling room. Following an overview of RCT, the authors describe practical guidelines for enacting the MSJCC through RCT in clinical practice. A case study is provided to illustrate a workable application for mental health counselors.

Development and Validation of the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies-Inventory

We developed a 54-item inventory to measure counselors’ multicultural and social justice counseling competence. We posited a confirmatory factor analysis model using the structure of the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies and found the fit indices to be within acceptable ranges, indicating overall good model fit.

Use of the MSJCC: A content analysis of ACA journals

Use of the MSJCC: A content analysis of ACA journals

Advocacy and Creativity in Community: A Social Justice Project for Counseling Students

The proven effective teaching of social justice advocacy competencies while recognized as important by the counseling profession and counselor education programs, remains somewhat nascent in its implementation. Evidence suggests that experiential and constructivist approaches to the teaching of multicultural and social justice counseling competencies represent a worthwhile pedagogical foundation and set of tools in furthering multicultural and social justice counseling competencies in counseling students. The author relates, in detail, the implementation of an experiential, client/community-based, social justice and mental health advocacy project, the Advocacy and Creativity in Community (ACC) Project as a final class assignment in the last term prior to graduation within a CACREP-accredited clinical mental health counseling program in the Northwest region of the United States. Descriptions of student projects, the multitude of benefits for clients/participants and students as elicited from student reflections, and the author’s reflection after three years of implementing this project are presented. This project exemplifies the benefits within the literature of taking an experiential and constructivist approach to social justice advocacy training in counselor education programs.

Counseling and social justice advocacy interventions with refugees: Two case studies

AbstractThe Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCCs) illustrate the need for counselors to act as social justice advocates. The significant influx of refugees in the United States and the sociopolitical nature of their resettlement necessitate practical multicultural and social justice counseling competencies. Using two case studies, the authors apply the four levels and four competencies of the MSJCCs and provide multicultural and social justice interventions on three levels: interpersonal, community, and public policy.

A model for professional counselors to integrate multiculturalism and social justice into correctional settings

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to develop a theoretical model for how counselors integrate multicultural and social justice competency into their work with persons who have offended. A qualitative grounded theory tradition was used to generate an inductive theoretical model for integrating the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC) into correctional settings. Participants (n = 16) were professional counselors recruited through counseling listservs and snowball sampling who work in prison, residential, jail, private practice, and community mental health settings. The findings revealed the need for ongoing training, multicultural and social justice awareness, and knowledge about structural barriers and systemic oppression.

Cultural appropriation, appreciation, and adaption: A rejoinder to “Effects of a Rite of Passage Ceremony on Veterans' Well‐Being”

AbstractThis rejoinder critically examines Greenleaf, Roessger, Williams, and Motsenbocker's article in the Journal of Counseling & Development (JCD) entitled “Effects of a Rite of Passage Ceremony on Veterans' Well‐Being” using the concepts cultural appropriation, appreciation, and adaption, combined with the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCCs). We will introduce these terms and connect them to examples related to Native American history, while providing an analysis of the article's approach to Native American culture. Concluding the rejoinder are suggestions to meet multicultural competencies, including pragmatic ways in which counseling practice and research can improve and a checklist applicable for practitioners and scholars.

The Value of Adapting Counseling to Client’s Spirituality and Religion: Evidence-Based Relationship Factors

There is a strong tradition of attention to relationship factors in the field of counseling. The research on the importance of the relationship and adapting to client factors continues to grow, supporting the importance of professional multicultural competence. The field of counseling, specifically within the United States context, has focused on Multicultural Counseling Competencies with more recent emphasis on social justice through the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies. Within these competencies, spirituality and religion are mentioned as multicultural components to consider as potentially salient to clients. Yet, there has been less emphasis on ways to adapt counseling to a client’s spirituality and religion compared to other multicultural components of one’s identity, such as race, gender, and culture. Historically, a lack of training, fear of causing offense, or concerns about influencing clients, resulted in clients’ spirituality and religion being overlooked far too often in counseling. Despite this tendency, recent clinical evidence on relational responsiveness identifies the adaptation of counseling to a client’s spirituality and religion as highly effective. In this article, the authors discuss how adapting counseling to a client’s spirituality and religion, in relation to all multicultural factors salient to the client, enhances relational responsiveness and treatment effectiveness. The authors also discuss the implications for training, supervision, and practice.

Counseling LGBT Military Clients Using the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies Framework

When working with LGBT service member clients, counselors should use the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies as a framework to guide their practice as they navigate the intersection between the military culture and LGBT culture. This framework addresses four domains that are foundational for multicultural and social justice competency: (a) counselor self-awareness, (b) the client worldview, (c) the counseling relationship, and (d) counseling and advocacy interventions. Included in the framework are the following aspirational competencies within each domain: attitudes and beliefs, knowledge, skills, and action. Best practices for culturally competent, social-justice-focused work with LGBT service members within each of these domains are discussed.

Cultural Exposure as a Creative Experiential Learning Intervention

ABSTRACT Counselor education programs often use cultural immersion as a creative pedagogical approach to foster cultural responsiveness. This form of experiential learning can instill and deepen multicultural and social justice counseling competencies. The purpose of this article is to highlight the potential of a domestic immersion experience as a creative experiential learning intervention by outlining one counselor education program’s experience using a brief cultural immersion trip over the course of three years. The author highlights the importance of using experiential learning to instill cultural responsiveness, describes the cultural immersion trip, and discusses applications for counselor education programs seeking to implement a cultural immersion experience.

Introduction to the Special Issue on Social Justice, Liberation, and Action

This special issue on Social Justice, Liberation, and Action in the Journal of Mental Health Counseling utilizes counselors’ personal reflection and research to contextualize the possibilities of social change for mental health counselors. These articles and personal essay reflections highlight themes related to the expansion of counseling services to support those who sacrifice their mental and physical health to fight for justice (Green et al., 2021; Odom, 2021). The articles and essays included in the special issue reflect the importance of expanding awareness and knowledge of systemic oppression impacting clients (Sami & Jeter, 2021), including our acknowledgement of how whiteness shows up (Bayne, 2021), silence as a weapon (Litam, 2021), and approaches to increase accountability on acting to eradicate oppression (Pinkney, 2021).There are also articles focused on liberation through reexamination of current and historical practices that are rooted in oppression (Gamby et al., 2021) and through activism within professional organizations to support liberation and social justice (Chan et al., 2021). I hope through reading this specially curated issue, you find something that sparks enough interest to investigate further, and start a plan for your personal and professional engagement toward social justice and liberation.Social justice is often coupled with multiculturalism or multicultural counseling as a major foundation of the counseling profession and a focus of the special issue. There have been several books, conceptual articles, and research studies focused on increasing social justice and multicultural competence over the years (Constantine et al., 2007; Goodman & Gorski, 2014; Lee, 2018; Pieterse et al., 2009; Ratts & Pedersen, 2014; Ratts et al., 2016; Vera & Speight, 2003). For a historical review, along with guidance on implementation of the Multicultural Social Justice Counseling Competencies, I recommend reading “The Past Guides the Future: Implementing the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies” by Anneliese A. Singh, Sylvia C. Nassar, Patricia Arredondo, and Rebecca Toporek, and of course engaging with the “Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies: Guidelines for the Counseling Profession” (Ratts et al., 2016).In addition to the articles named above, several books have been published over the years that focus on increasing awareness and skills, such as Social Justice Counseling: The Next Steps Beyond Multiculturalism, by Rita Chi-Ying Chung and Fred P. Bemak, in 2012. Enhancing the practice of social justice counseling and advocacy, Counseling for Multiculturalism and Social Justice, by Manivong J. Ratts and Paul B. Pedersen, appeared in 2014, along with other books engaging counselors in exploring their role as social justice change agents, such as Counseling for Social Justice, edited by Courtland C. Lee, in 2018. The articles and books listed here related to social justice are not all-encompassing of the decade’s worth of activism, advocacy, research, and writing that has been accomplished by scholars in the field, but rather a starting point for further engagement. This is a recurring theme for the special issue, an igniter for further engagement, with your own personal and professional awareness, knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to social justice, liberation, and action.The special issue cannot and will not attempt to duplicate the history, foundation, and action that has been recorded in our textbooks and journals as it relates to social justice. Instead, I thank and acknowledge the mental and emotional tax that countless scholars endured to create a body of literature and competencies that continue to shape the profession as one that has the power to address social injustice and to empower counselors to become social justice change agents. For the purposes of this special issue, the definition of social justice comes from Hugh C. Crethar and Manivong J. Ratts (2008) and states, Social justice in counseling represents a multifaceted approach in which counselors strive to simultaneously promote human development and the common good through addressing challenges related to both individual and distributive justice. This approach includes empowerment of individuals and groups as well as active confrontation of injustice and inequality in society, both as they impact clientele and in their systemic contexts. (p. 1)I also envision social justice as a stand against the unequal distribution of resources, power, and privilege that causes mass inequality and disparities in wellness. When taking this literal and conceptual stand, the manifestation is a counselor who does not follow the “protect thyself covenant” (PTSC), which allows a counselor to keep silent and be content with inaction, under the guise of a potential negative response if they act on social injustice. The PTSC obstructs efforts for social justice and liberation because it perpetuates a self-fulfilling narrative that it is “okay, rational, and normal” not to take a stand against injustice. The PTSC allows us to falsely claim that it is someone else’s responsibility to speak up and act on injustice, not our role, not our fight. Lastly, it allows us to be content in our decision to be silent under the false narrative of not having enough training, not knowing what to do, and being confused as to next potential steps.As noted earlier, the literature on social justice and action is established and accessible, so we cannot truthfully claim ignorance on next steps for justice. Contributing to the existing foundation, this special issue adds a layer of possibilities through research, conceptual manuscripts, and personal reflections on social justice, liberation, and action. Even though the routes toward social justice can vary, as represented in the collection of articles presented here, there is still a central theme of resisting oppression and injustice in all forms and engaging in action to support and further the movement toward social justice. I implore all reading this special issue to utilize the research and stories within to envision the possibilities for your community if you shed the PTSC, utilize your training, and actively confront injustice and inequality in society. While you read through the special issue, interrogate your personal and professional practices; note things that you are doing well toward eradicating injustice, and make plans for your growing edges. Reflect on things like: What words or concepts in the readings am I not familiar with? How do I plan on increasing my awareness and understanding?How are social justice and liberation connected? What is my role in the process for my clients and on a systemic level?What actions have I taken thus far toward social justice or to eradicate injustice in my spheres of influence and power?Where have I named my privilege publicly and discussed how it might disenfranchise others?How have I used my privilege to support social justice on an individual and systemic level?What policies in the systems I navigate are racialized and unjust? How have I addressed these policies?How much time do I spend in the community where I work? What community events have I attended or supported?Why did I, or why did I not, participate in any social justice marches in my community or in the community in which I work?What is my plan for learning and challenging anti-Black racism? Do I know why the term anti-Black racism exists and how it might impact non-Black People of Color?Am I an ally or a co-conspirator in the movement toward social justice and liberation?What situations do I feel most uncomfortable in and why? Have I taken the time to determine why?What fear has colluded with PTSC and caused me not to act in an unjust situation?Is there a trend in the things that I am fearful of speaking up or acting out on?What group(s) might be most impacted by my fear or PTSC?What groups do I often support and speak up on behalf of? Is there a trend in who I am willing to support and be fearless for?What is my plan to overcome PTSC, and who will be my accountability partner?What change do I want to see within my community and/or society? How will I work toward that change?What is my purpose, and how does it benefit society as a whole? How will I fulfill that purpose?These reflection questions are useful while reading the special issue so you can identify the similarities between the authors you read about, or the practices that are documented, and your work. The questions might also be beneficial in identifying your growing edges with understanding or willingness to act on social justice challenges faced by clients and society. This curated volume includes four articles and four personal essay reflections that represent the ways in which social justice and liberation are enacted in people’s both personal and professional context.In the first article by Darius A. Green, Brittany A. Williams, and Kyulee Park (2021) entitled “Crisis Counseling for Black Lives Matter Protests,” the authors challenge readers to think about the possibilities of using the foundation of Multicultural Social Justice Counseling Competencies, along with counselors’ specialized training, to support those who are sacrificing their physical and emotional health for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. The first essay, authored by Shivonne Odom (2021), recounts her experience as a counselor in Washington, DC, during and after BLM protests and the insurrection at the Capitol. She manifests the recommendations in the Green et al. article in her story recounting the ways in which she stood up to injustice, through providing free therapy sessions to BLM protestors, creating clinical consultation groups focused on social justice, and providing internship opportunities to counseling graduate students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Collectively, these two narratives provide the first layer of possibilities for counselors: expanding practice to intentionally engage and support social justice protests. In the second article by Waleed Sami and Christopher Jeter (2021) entitled “The Political Economy and Inequality’s Impact on Mental Health,” the authors focus on increasing awareness and knowledge on the relationship between neoliberalism, the political economy, and other social factors that contribute to mental health challenges in society. The article is another layer of possible entry points for mental health counselors to lead and support movements that seek to eradicate inequality. After reading this article, the hope is that you can better understand the systemic factors that serve to oppress and disenfranchise some groups, and you can identify, through their recommendations, action that you can take in your community to better the lives of your clients and society as a whole.The related essays center the ways in which we can acknowledge and act on decreasing oppression that might occur due to our identities, such as the second essay by Hannah Bayne entitled “Shadow Self: Bringing White Supremacy into the Light,” or through our silence, which is highlighted by Stacey Diane Arañez Litam in the third essay titled “Rocking the Boat: A Call for Asian American and Pacific Islander Counselors to Make Waves.” Both of these essays highlight personal experiences and growth that comes from intentional action to center and focus on social justice and liberation. They both embody reflections of people who have wrestled with and suppressed the PTSC for the betterment of society and the people they serve. Similar in its self-reflection is the fourth essay by Katrina Pinkney, “Anti-Racist Practice: I Am Accountable. Are You?” It is a call for counselors and counselor educators to examine the ways in which they use their power toward social justice and societal change.Lastly, two articles focus on the ways in which mental health counselors and others can and should resist oppression. The article by Christian Chan et al. (2021) entitled “Mapping Solidarity, Liberation, and Activism: A Critical Autoethnography of Asian American Leaders in Counseling” focuses on the fight toward liberation through leadership. Lastly, the article by Gamby et al. (2021), “Wellness Decolonized: The Historical Underpinnings of Wellness and Recommendations for the Counseling Profession,” urges readers to examine the historical roots of their practices to reshape and re-center their work for vulnerable, underserved, historically and intentionally marginalized people and communities. The research, the vulnerability shown in essays, and the expansion of the possibilities for mental health counselors and leaders in the field provide new directions for counselors to engage in liberatory action that leads to social change. As noted earlier, this is an igniter for further intellectual, personal, and professional engagement with social justice, liberation, and action. I hope members of this community find value in the messages from all of the contributing authors and are inspired to plot their social justice and liberation mission.

Crisis Counseling for Black Lives Matter Protests

The resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other Black individuals during the summer of 2020 was accompanied by widespread public demonstration and protest. Despite the peaceful nature of most demonstrations, data indicate that protesters experienced police violence at a disproportionate rate compared to demonstrations associated with other movements. Due to the crisis and unrest that undue police violence toward Black communities can cause, it is imperative that counselors identify ways to support communities in their collective acts toward resistance and liberation. This article reviews how counselors can integrate the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies and the American Counseling Association’s Advocacy Competencies into crisis counseling responses that support protesters of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Strategies for Broaching the Subjects of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture

The Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC; Ratts et al., 2015) offer guidelines for counselors to deliver culturally responsive care to clients. Although the MSJCC broadly describe effective communication, specific skills are not included. This article provides counselors with strategies for discussing topics of race, ethnicity, and culture with clients. These strategies build on the MSJCC and are based in research on multicultural counseling best practices. Case examples are used to illustrate the application of these skills with diverse clients.

Infusing Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies: Reflection on Establishing Mandarin Counseling Services

Due to the unique needs for and barriers to help-seeking among Asian international students, mental health services must attend to both culturally specific and linguistic-specific services. This paper describes successful efforts to establish counseling services in Mandarin Chinese in a large Midwestern university counseling training clinic with a commitment to multiculturalism and social justice. We first discuss the benefits of linguistic-specific mental health services, as well as the establishment of Mandarin counseling services and the Mandarin Mental Wellness Counseling Group. For the 8-week Mandarin Mental Wellness Counseling Group, we include a table with a summary of our agenda and interventions for readers to replicate and implement such a group. We also share considerations for supervision that is only available in English. We then discuss the rewards and challenges of establishing Mandarin counseling services. We conclude with recommendations for future efforts in practice, training, and research.

Exploring Youth Participatory Action Research in Urban Schools: Advancing Social Justice and Equity-Based Counseling Practices

Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) is emerging as a group counseling practice that focuses on topics that are of personal interest to youth and aims to promote social change. Although YPAR has been found to facilitate critical consciousness, assist with youth self-identity development, and promote social change, few researchers have examined its application in counseling. The present study explored six school counselor trainees’ perceptions of YPAR as a therapeutic intervention and its impact on counseling skill development and how it relates to multicultural and social justice counseling competencies. The themes that resulted from the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis for YPAR as a counseling practice were: (1) fun, interactive, youth-centered approach, not like counseling or therapy, (2) implementation of challenges requiring planning, time, and commitment, (3) collaborative supports to step out of comfort zone, overcome initial hesitancy, and welcome new learning experience, (4) development of counseling skills and confidence as a counselor, and (5) understanding differences and increasing self-awareness and advocacy skills. Discussion and implications for school counseling practice are provided.

The Past Guides the Future: Implementing the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies

The authors describe the ways in which the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC; Ratts, Singh, Nassar‐McMillan, Butler, & McCullough, 2015) can be viewed from a human rights framework and as the latest iteration in the long history of the multicultural and social justice counseling competency movement. MSJCC implementation and integration are explored, and recommendations for innovating the MSJCC are described.

Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competency Research: Opportunities for Innovation

The development of the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (Ratts, Singh, Nassar‐McMillan, Butler, & McCullough, 2015) provides a framework to reflect upon previous scholarship and explore further approaches for methodological innovation in counseling. The author presents available counseling and interdisciplinary scholarship related to multicultural and social justice competency, identifies gaps and future research directions of that research, and proposes innovative strategies and methods for conducting rigorous multicultural and social justice research. Implications for preparing future counseling scholars are also included.